Жах Данвіча

           WhenWilburwasayearandsevenmonthsold—inSeptemberof1914—hissizeandaccomplishmentswerealmostalarming. Hehadgrownaslargeasachildoffour,andwasafluentandincrediblyintelligenttalker. Heranfreelyaboutthefieldsandhills,andaccompaniedhismotheronallherwanderings. Athomehewouldporediligentlyoverthequeerpicturesandchartsinhisgrandfather’sbooks,whileOldWhateleywouldinstructandcatechizehimthroughlong,hushedafternoons. Bythistimetherestorationofthehousewasfinished,andthosewhowatcheditwonderedwhyoneoftheupperwindowshadbeenmadeintoasolidplankdoor. Itwasawindowintherearoftheeastgableend,closeagainstthehill; andnoonecouldimaginewhyacleatedwoodenrunwaywasbuiltuptoitfromtheground. Abouttheperiodofthiswork’scompletionpeoplenoticedthattheoldtool-house,tightlylockedandwindowlesslyclapboardedsinceWilbur’sbirth,hadbeenabandonedagain. Thedoorswunglistlesslyopen,andwhenEarlSawyeroncesteppedwithinafteracattle-sellingcallonOldWhateleyhewasquitediscomposedbythesingularodourheencountered —suchastench,heaverred,ashehadneverbeforesmeltinallhislifeexceptneartheIndiancirclesonthehills,andwhichcouldnotcomefromanythingsaneorofthisearth.Butthen,thehomesandshedsofDunwichfolkhaveneverbeenremarkableforolfactoryimmaculateness. 

           Thefollowingmonthswerevoidofvisibleevents,savethateveryonesworetoaslowbutsteadyincreaseinthemysterioushillnoises. OnMayEveof1915thereweretremorswhicheventheAylesburypeoplefelt,whilstthefollowingHallowe’enproducedanundergroundrumblingqueerlysynchronizedwithburstsofflame—‘themwitchWhateleys’doin’s’—fromthesummitofSentinelHill.