Rockland High School - Cauldron Yearbook (Rockland, ME)

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THE CAULDRON 23 graceful disorder over the front door. The neat little house seemed like an oasis of beauty in a desert of melancholy moors. But on this night the lightless cottage blended into the rainy darkness and seemed by far more sinister than beautiful. The rain beat harder as Jerry ran up the stone walk and pounded loudly on the door. The silence, broken only by the falling rain, closed in again. A pale light appeared in an upstairs window. Suddenly it disappeared, and a few minutes later jerry heard footsteps in the house. The door opened and emitted a thin sliver of light. A small white hand holding a candle was all that was visible. VVho's there ? The voice was scarcely above a whisper. Mother, it's Paula and I. The door opened wider and a little old lady with pure white hair and a very pale face stood trembling in the doorway. She thrust the candle toward the man's face. Recognition replaced terror in her eyes. jerry, Jerry, it's you ! But, terror crept into her voice, where's Paula? You said she was with you l The man turned as he heard the car door slam. A few seconds later Paula joined them on the steps. She did not notice the old lady's relief, but it was all too apparent to jerry. Mother Shay, she cried, I'm so glad to see you, but, she paused, 'tai-en't you going to let us in F Mrs. Shay seemed to be confused. Yes, yes, come in. You'll get wet in this downpour. She stepped aside and the couple entered into a small, ill-lighted room. The door was shut quickly after them. jerry turned as he heard the lock slip and faced his mother. Mother, what in the name of thunder is this? When I talked with you on the telephone you sounded so frightened that we came out. Now we find you looking as though you had seen a ghost. VVhat's the matter F jerry, it's worse than a ghost. It was lurking outside on the moors. I saw it. Mrs. Shay's voice rose with excitement and unsurpassed terror. It looks like a man, but-oh l jerry ! Paula shivered and clutched her husband's sleeve, for above the dismal sound of the heating rain the trio heard a loud hideous cry. It didn't come from just one place. It seemed as though it came from the far corners of the moorlands, and yet it appeared to be in the little cottage with them. The candle sputtered and went out. The darkness closed in upon them as though its only desire was to stifie them. jerry felt his heart in his throat. He dug into his pocket and pulled out a match. He struck it and his blood ran cold. I-Ie heard Paula's stilied cry. The match burned his fingers, he dropped it. In the flickering light he had seen it. As his mother had said, it resembled a man. That is, it had two arms and two legs, but it was like nothing that Jerry had ever seen before. He put his hand on his motherfs shoulder. She was shaking like a leaf.

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22 THE CAULDRON As the darkness of night settled itself comfortably over the forest, the silence was broken only by the occasional frightened twitter of a bird late in finding its night shelter. Then the silence ended. Slowly the night became alive. An owl blinked its eyes, loosed its hunting cry, and flew like a shadow in search of prey. At the sound a doe trembled and instinctively moved nearer to the awkward, long-legged fawn at her side. She probed the darkness with nervous eyes and urged the fawn forward. VVith the coming of darkness she sensed danger. From a rocky lair green eyes stared unblinking into the surrounding gloom. A tawny body stretched itself, and a full grown puma slunk into the underbrush to begin its nocturnal work. It padded swiftly through the forest, its feet making a minimum of sound on the spongy ground. Suddenly it tensed. It tasted the cool breeze which gently touched its face. Then it hastened on again, its pace quickeningg but, still no sound betrayed its presence. As the night continued the doe became more and more alert. A shiver ran through its delicate body. XVas that a sound or was it her imagination? The doe nudged her offspring in an attempt to hurry it. The doe's keen ears caught the gentle scuff of padded feet on the soft forest Hoor. Panic gripped her. She urged the fawn to greater speed, but being young and awkward, it was unable to keep the pace. The padded footfalls came slowly closer, closer. In desperation the doe forced the youngster into a juniper thicket and fled through the underbrush. The fawn remained still, puzzled, but glad of the chance to rest. The feet padded silently but swiftly through the underbrush after the doe. A false step and the doe fell, one leg bent unnaturally beneath her. From the juniper thicket the fawn heard the crash of the falling body, followed by the huge cat's snarl of triumph. The first rays of the rising sun were reflected by the snow on the monntain's summit. Birds began to stir in the trees. Once again the woods seemed friendly. A lone fawn on wobbly legs wandered aimlessly among the trees. From time to time it uttered a plaintive cry as though it were calling for someone, but the cry went unanswered. In its rocky lair a large puma rolled itself into a ball and slept with the contentment of an oversized, well-fed cat. The drama of the night had passed, and the sunlight brought warmth and security to the woodland dwellers. JA N ET S M I'l' H ONE NIGHT Night had fallen on the bleak moorland when jerry and his wife, Paula, arrived at his mother's home. The only light that cut the heavy darkness was that of the car headlights, and even this seemed to dissolve into the inky blankness a few feet in front of the automobile. The stony silence of the dreary moors was so intense that it could almost be heard. As jerry hopped from the car, rain began to beat against the window. The car was parked before the home of Mrs. Shay, ferry's mother. The cottage was small and white with a huge red rambling rose bush tumbling in

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24 THE CAULDRON The Thing was moving around the room toward them. Jerry heard the soft footsteps, but even they didn't sound human. They came closer, closer. Jerry stepped backward and bumped into a small table. A vase fell and the sound of breaking glass echoed through the dark cottage. The Thing made a noise. It was supposed to be a laugh but it sounded more like a high pitched scream. Mrs. Shay slipped from under jerry's hand and he heard her body fall in the darkness. Jerry felt Paula's hand clasp his arm tighter. He felt hot breath on his face. It wasn't Paula's. A brilliant flash of lightning lighted the room for a f1'action of a second. Paula screamed. Scarcely three feet in front of them he saw the Thing again. It was a small hunch-backed man. His face was cruel, with the two canine teeth protruding over the lower lip. There was an insane glint in its eye. He was coming toward them. Suddenly there was a pounding at the door. The hunch-back screamed. The lock broke and in rushed three men with Hashlights. They caught the little man who began to sob loudly. Jerry lighted a lamp. Paula was bending over Mrs. Shay. One of the trio turned to jerry who held the light. He glanced at the broken vase on the carpet. I believe I owe you an explanation, he said haltingly, as though greatly relieved at something. Wlio is that man? He's ghastly. jerry stared with awe as the man's two companions took the Thing out into the rain. The Adder didn't hurt anyone did he P Jerry shook his head and the man continued. The Adder is a homicidal maniac who escaped from the sanitarium three days ago. He killed two of the guards and we were terribly afraid that he would do some serious damage. It was lucky that we happened to pass by here tonight. He turned and joined his companions. As the door closed behind the man, Jerry turned to help Paula revive Mrs. Shay. It was not long before her eyes opened and she stared terrified at the couple before her. Paula spoke softly to the old lady. At her reassuring words the terror left Mrs. Shay's eyes, and she allowed them to help her to her room upstairs. Outside the storm was dying on the moors and with its death it brought a sense of security to the inhabitants of the lonely little house. Morning came. The sun, casting its bright, early morning rays over the drip- ping moors, replaced the weird, wild storm of the night before. Jerry, driving slowly along the lonely road across the moors, stopped the car and gazed thought- ffully back at his mother's home. The small cottage was again a little spot of beauty in the wild, bleak moorland. JANET SMITH