BEFORE THE DOOR,

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 152, 29 June 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

BEFORE THE DOOR,

It was just an ordinary door, yet it filled me with a cold sickly fear. Over the top in sombre letters was inscribed a word that conjured up in me all the horror of an Inquisition—the rack, the screw and even more diabolical devices of torture. So greatly did that word fascinate me that I could not draw my eyes away. The mere thought of the meaning behind it caused an unbearable pain in my head; now like a red-hot iron, searing my brain and now like a multitude of hammers beating on my skull. It was only a word of seven letters which caused such terror. And soon that door would be open to rccoive me! . . . . what was that? The sound of a step from the other side of the door leil on my ears. The doorknob began to turn slowly, slowly; minutes, nay hours passed while I watched it with an uncanny fascination. And then the door opened. I recoiled in horror; I turned to run, but found I could not; a shriek came to my lips and froze there as, struck dumb with horror, I stood facing the monster on the threshold. It had the build and figure of a human being, but nothing human ever possessed such a face as this. Cold, glittering eyes like those of a snake fixed on me with unwavering gaze. Thin, pale lips, with just the slightest suspicion of demoniac amusement were set in a cold, marble-like facc.- Its _ whole being seemed to seethe with pitiless laughter as if it knew I was powerless. Clothed in spotless white like the 'white of a sheet wrapped around a corpse—l shuddered at the thought —• this horrible thing confronted me like a white robed Pluto, in Hades. In its hand it held a hard, glittering instrument of torture, at the sight of which a red-hot iron again seared _my brain. I made a desperate resolution; I would rush for this monster's throat and die fighting rather than submit. I crouched for a spring, but suddenly hesitated. The monster, so far motionless, was moving; It was beckoning. My courage left me as, in a trance, I obeyed, compelled as by some overpowering impulse. The monster stretched out long tapering fingers to seize me; it opened its lips as If to speak "Your turn next," it said, like any respectable dentist should, and I followed him into the "surgery" (spelt with seven letters).