Кармілла
Descending
Theprevailingonewasofthatpleasant,peculiarcoldthrillwhichwefeelinbathing,whenwemoveagainstthecurrentofariver.Thiswassoonaccompaniedbydreamsthatseemedinterminable,andweresovaguethatIcouldneverrecollecttheirsceneryandpersons,oranyoneconnectedportionoftheiraction.Buttheyleftanawfulimpression,andasenseofexhaustion,asifIhadpassedthroughalongperiodofgreatmentalexertionanddanger.
Afterallthesedreamsthereremainedonwakingaremembranceofhavingbeeninaplaceverynearlydark,andofhavingspokentopeoplewhomIcouldnotsee;andespeciallyofoneclearvoice,ofafemale’s,verydeep,thatspokeasifatadistance,slowly,andproducingalwaysthesamesensationofindescribablesolemnityandfear.Sometimetherecameasensationasifahandwasdrawnsoftlyalongmycheekandneck.Sometimesitwasasifwarmlipskissedme,andlongerandlongerandmorelovinglyastheyreachedmythroat,buttherethecaressfixeditself.Myheartbeatfaster,mybreathingroseandfellrapidlyandfulldrawn;asobbing,thatroseintoasenseofstrangulation,supervened,andturnedintoadreadfulconvulsion,inwhichmysensesleftmeandIbecameunconscious.
Itwasnowthreeweekssincethecommencementofthisunaccountablestate.
Mysufferingshad,duringthelastweek,tolduponmyappearance.Ihadgrownpale,myeyesweredilatedanddarkenedunderneath,andthelanguorwhichIhadlongfeltbegantodisplayitselfinmycountenance.
