Chapter 26: The Luminous Speck

I Awake Suddenly. It Is Still Dark. I Turn Over, Once Or Twice, In My Endeavors To Sleep Again; But I Cannot Sleep. My Head Is Aching, Slightly; And, By Turns I Am Hot And Cold. In A Little, I Give Up The Attempt, And Stretch Out My Hand, For The Matches. I Will Light My Candle, And Read, Awhile; Perhaps, I Shall Be Able To Sleep, After A Time. For A Few Moments, I Grope; Then My Hand Touches The Box; But, As I Open It, I Am Startled, To See A Phosphorescent Speck Of Fire, Shining Amid The Darkness. I Put Out My Other Hand, And Touch It. It Is On My Wrist. With A Feeling Of Vague Alarm, I Strike A Light, Hurriedly, And Look; But Can See Nothing, Save A Tiny Scratch.

‘Fancy!’ I Mutter, With A Half Sigh Of Relief. Then The Match Burns My Finger, And I Drop It, Quickly. As I Fumble For Another, The Thing Shines Out Again. I Know, Now, That It Is No Fancy. This Time, I Light The Candle, And Examine The Place, More Closely. There Is A Slight, Greenish Discoloration ‘Round The Scratch. I Am Puzzled And Worried. Then A Thought Comes To Me. I Remember The Morning After The Thing Appeared. I Remember That The Dog Licked My Hand. It Was This One, With The Scratch On It; Though I Have Not Been Even Conscious Of The Abasement, Until Now. A Horrible Fear Has Come To Me. It Creeps Into My Brain--The Dog’s Wound, Shines At Night. With A Dazed Feeling, I Sit Down On The Side Of The Bed, And Try To Think; But Cannot. My Brain Seems Numbed With The Sheer Horror Of This New Fear.