Колодець і маятник

           Amidfrequentandthoughtfulendeavorstoremember;amidearneststrugglestoregathersometokenofthestateofseemingnothingnessintowhichmysoulhadlapsed,therehavebeenmomentswhenIhavedreamedofsuccess; therehavebeenbrief,verybriefperiodswhenIhaveconjuredupremembranceswhichthelucidreasonofalaterepochassuresmecouldhavehadreferenceonlytothatconditionofseemingunconsciousness. Theseshadowsofmemorytell,indistinctly,oftallfiguresthatliftedandboremeinsilencedown—down—stilldown—tillahideousdizzinessoppressedmeatthemereideaoftheinterminablenessofthedescent. Theytellalsoofavaguehorroratmyheart,onaccountofthatheart’sunnaturalstillness. Thencomesasenseofsuddenmotionlessnessthroughoutallthings;asifthosewhoboreme(aghastlytrain!)hadoutrun,intheirdescent,thelimitsofthelimitless,andpausedfromthewearisomenessoftheirtoil. AfterthisIcalltomindflatnessanddampness; andthenallismadness—themadnessofamemorywhichbusiesitselfamongforbiddenthings. 

           Verysuddenlytherecamebacktomysoulmotionandsound—thetumultuousmotionoftheheart,and,inmyears,thesoundofitsbeating. Thenapauseinwhichallisblank. Thenagainsound,andmotion,andtouch—atinglingsensationpervadingmyframe. Thenthemereconsciousnessofexistence,withoutthought—aconditionwhichlastedlong.