16
CNC
Free
Press,
December
7,
1998
BLOOD
RED
by
Don
Wickham
could
hear
the
wind,
shrieking
and
moaning
like
a
chorus
of
demons
wailing
through
the
trees
I
outside
my
window,
their
claw-like
fingernails
screeching
across
the
windowpanes.
I
shivered
and
withdrew
further
into
the
covers,
seeking
the
warmth
and
safety
of
the
bedclothes.
I
was
not
looking
forward
to
going
to
work
today,
if
this
kept
up.
Rolling
over,
I
glanced
at
the
face
of
the
clock-radio
that
sat
on
the
night
table
beside
the
bed.
The
red,
digital
numbers
which
had
glared
at
me
in
the
darkness
before
I
slept,
had
vanished
into
the
night.
A
dark,
vacant
face
stared
back
at
me
from
where
time
should
have
stood.
My
first
thought
was,
"A
power
outage!",
which
would
not
be
surprising
with
this
storm.
I
had
no
way
to
judge
the
time.
It
could
be
three
o'clock
in
the
morning,
or
I
could
be
late
for
work.
There
was
only
one
way
to
find
out.
The
wind,
howling
outside,
had
now
brought
rain
-
pellets
thrown
against
the
glass,
pummeling
the
panes
like
a
drum
roll
at
a
funeral.
I
shivered
again,
and
crawled
out
of
bed,
reaching
for
my
jeans,
crumpled
on
the
floor
beside
the
bed.
I
used
my
toes
to
search
for
my
slippers,
then
put
them
on.
I
descended
the
long,
winding
staircase
to
the
kitchen
below.
The
kitchen
was
dark
and
gloomy.
Ugly,
black
thunderheads
filled
the
sky
outside,
and
the
rain
continued
to
shatter
against
the
windows.
I
flicked
the
light
switch
by
the
kitchen
door,
but
nothing
happened.
I
turned
so
I
could
see
the
front
of
the
stove
and
the
microwave,
expecting
fluorescent,
green,
numerals
to
be
shining
brightly
at
me.
There
were
none!
Wondering
if
the
power
had
been
off
long
enough
for
the
milk
to
spoil,
I
turned
and
opened
the
refrigerator
door.
Light,
bursting
from
inside
the
fridge,
nearly
blinded
me.
Startled,
I
jumped
back
in
confusion.
"How
could
this
be?",
I
wondered.
No
power
upstairs,
no
lights,
no
clocks
working,
yet
the
refrigerator
light
was
on.
I
held
the
door
open
for
a
minute
or
two,
waiting
to
see
if
the
compressor
would
start.
It
didn't.
Something
was
wrong.
Very
wrong!
Turning
back
toward
the
stairway,
intending
to
head
for
the
breaker
box
in
the
laundry
room,
I
stopped.
A
furtive
movement
at
the
far
end
of
the
house
had
caught
my
attention.
Shakily,
I
realized
I
was
not
alone.
No
one
had
ever
been
in
my
house
uninvited
before.
I
did
not
like
the
feeling.
The
blood
in
my
veins
turned
to
ice,
and
my
legs
turned
to
rubber.
I
was
half-naked
and
unarmed,
and
suddenly
very
conscious
of
the
immense
presence
of
my
visitor.
Judging
from
the
shadow
it
cast,
this
creature
was
not
small.
As
though
sensing
my
thoughts,
it
turned
toward
me,
and
I
froze
in
my
tracks.
Glowing,
red
dots
shone
forth
from
its
face
where
its
eyes
should
have
been.
Glowing,
red
dots!
Not
eyes!
My
mind
raced.
Only
in
science
fiction
movies
had
I
ever
seen
eyes
like
those!
stood,
staring
at
each
other
in
the
darkness,
as
though
each
of
us
was
trying
to
fathom
We
the
intent
of
the
other.
I
was
thinking
maybe
he
didn't
know
he
wasn't
supposed
to
be
in
my
house.
Maybe
he
just
took
a
wrong
turn
in
a
distant
galaxy
and
ended
up
here.
Yeah,
right!
I
would
have
liked
to
believe
that,
but
something
about
the
way
he
just
stood
there,
staring
at
me,
made
me
think
otherwise.
No!
He
was
here
for
a
purpose,
and
that
purpose
had
something
to
do
with
me,
and
I
was
ill
prepared
to
meet
him.
I
decided
to
get
the
ball
rolling.
We
could
stand
here
and
play
staring
games
all
night,
or
we
could
get
down
to
business.
I
took
a
step
towards
him,
a
bold
move
considering
the
circumstances,
but
it
got
things
going.
Unfortunately,
he
was
a
lot
faster
than
I
had
thought
he
would
be.
Before
I
could
blink,
he
had
crossed
the
distance
between
us
and
I
was
staring
into
those
cold,
blood-red
eyes.
I
had
always
thought
of
red
as
a
warm
color;
I
would
never
do
so
again.
Those
eyes
were
deep,
dark
pools
of
raw
energy,
as
cold
as
the
stones
in
the
cellar
floor,
and
I
could
feel
enormous
power
emanating
from
them
as
they
bore
into
mine.
I
was
overcome
by
their
strength,
and
felt
myself
rapidly
losing
control
of
my
senses.
Like
twin
laser
beams,
they
screamed
past
my
pupils,
scorching
the
backs
of
my
eyeballs,
penetrating
deep
into
my
skull
to
wrench
away
the
last
shreds
of
any
intelligence
I
might
have
had.
As
I
clung
desperately
to
life,
I
thought
of
all
the
ways
I
imagined
I
would
meet
my
end,
this
was
not
one
of
them.
Though
I
knew
I
had
no
power
to
stop
this
repulsive
creature
from
destroying
me,
I
had
to
try.
My
strength
was
failing
rapidly.
I
knew
that
within
minutes
my
brain
would
be
reduced
to
nothing
more
than
a
mass
of
quivering
jelly.
The
creature
was
somehow
absorbing
me,
and
there
seemed
to
be
nothing
I
could
do
about
it.
I
closed
my
eyes,
focusing
all
my
will
against
this
unknown
monster
from
another
universe,
refusing
to
admit
defeat,
or
submit
to
my
adversary.
It
was
powerful,
and
though
I
tried
with
every
ounce
of
my
strength,
I
felt
myself
slipping
away,
drawn
down
against
my
will
into
the
depravity
and
corruption
of
nightmares
and
hideous
imaginings.
I
thought
that
would
be
it
-
the
end
of
consciousness,
a
step
into
the
void
-
but
it
wasn't.
From
far
off
I
heard
a
voice,
soft
and
clear,
calling
my
name.
Over
and
over,
repeating
it
gently,
the
voice
drew
me
away
from
the
darkness
threatening
to
envelop
my
soul.
Struggling
to
respond,
fighting
for
life,
I
opened
my
eyes.
Twin
streams
of
blood-red
light
flowed
back
at
me
from
the
face
of
my
clock-radio.
I
heard
the
sweet,
gentle
voice
of
my
lover
as
she
called
to
me
from
the
bottom
of
the
stairs,
"Time
to
get
up
now,
dear."
The
Break-in
by
Gord
Gibbs
Last
night
while
I
lay
sleeping
j
1
was
awakened
suddenly
I
had
heard
a
sound
upon
the
roof
A
noise
which
startled
me
1
The
sound
upon
the
roof
stopped
When
I
heard
somehing
in
the
De
Someone
had
got
into
my
homej
Though
I
don't
know
how
or
whe
I
slipped
into
the
hallway
And
made
my
wary
way
Past
my
parents'
bedroom
Where
my
sleeping
parents
lay
I
crent
slowly
down
the
stairway.
Down
through
the
dark
of
night
I
crept
closer
to
the
noises
-Too
scared
to
risk
a
light
3
I
peeked
into
my
father's
Den
And
then
I
did
behold
A
shadow
moving
around
the
rooi
And
a
glint
of
red
and
gold
It
was
then
I
saw
him
clearly
He
was
dressed
mostly
in
red
He
was
putting
down
a
golden
boi
He
must
have
thought
I
was
in
bei
For
he
went
about
his
business
Placing
gifts
under
the
tree
And
I
stayed
in
the
shadows
Where
he
could
not
see
me
When
he'd
finally
finished
He
went
to
the
fireplace
And
then
climbed
up
the
chimney
With
surprising
speed
and
grace
And
now
I
tell
myself
I
didn't
see
What
I
had
seen
last
night
It
couldn't
have
been
Santa
Claus
Who
broke
into
my
house
last
nid