e and satisfaction。
REDRUM。 ing。
Drifting across the room。 Pictures torn off the walls。 A record player
（？Mommy's record player？）
overturned on the floor。 Her records； Grieg； Handel； the Beatles； Art
Garfunkel； Bach； Liszt； thrown everywhere。 Broken into jagged black pie wedges。
A shaft of light ing from another room； the bathroom； harsh white light and a
word flickering on and off in the medicine cabinet mirror like a red eye；
REDRUM； REDRUM； REDRUM —
〃No；〃 he whispered。 〃No； Tony please — 〃
And； dangling over the white porcelain lip of the bathtub； a hand。 Limp。 A
slow trickle of blood （REDRUM） trickling down one of the fingers； the third；
dripping onto the tile from the carefully shaped nail —
No oh no oh no —
（oh please； Tony； you're scaring me）
REDRUM REDRUM REDRUM
（stop it； Tony； stop it）
Fading。
In the darkness the booming noises grew louder； louder still； echoing；
everywhere； all around。
And now he was crouched in a dark hallway； crouched on a blue rug with a riot
of twisting black shapes woven into its pile； listening to the booming noises
approach； and now a Shape turned the corner and began to e toward him；
lurching； smelling of blood and doom。 It had a mallet in one hand and it was
swinging it （REDRUM） from side to side in vicious arcs； slamming it into the
walls； cutting the silk wallpaper and knocking out ghostly bursts of
plasterdust：
e on and take your medicine！ Take it like a man！
The Shape advancing on him； reeking of that sweet…sour odor； gigantic； the
mallet head cutting across the air with a wicked hissing whisper； then the great
hollow boom a