The Other Side of Midnight

She lay still and rigid so that the bats could not find her, and she listened for the whirr of their wings, her eyes tightly shut.

A man's voice said, "It is a miracle that we found her."

"Is she going to be all right?"

It was Larry's voice.

Terror suddenly flooded through Catherine again. It was as though her body were filled with screaming nerves that warned her to flee. Her killer had come for her. She moaned, "No..." and opened her eyes. She was in her bed in the bungalow. Larry stood at the foot of the bed, and next to him was a man she had never seen before. Larry moved toward her. "Catherine..."

She flinched as he started toward her. "Don't touch me!" Her voice was weak and hoarse.

"Catherine!" Larry's face was filled with distress.

"Get him away from me," Catherine begged.

"She is still in shock," the stranger said. "Perhaps it would be better if you waited in the other room."

Larry studied Catherine a moment, his face expressionless. "Of course. I want whatever is best for her." He turned and walked out.

The stranger came closer. He was a short, fat man with a pleasant face and a nice smile. He spoke English with a heavy accent. "I am Doctor Kazomides. You have had a most unpleasant time, Mrs. Douglas, but I assure you you are going to be fine. A mild concussion and a severe shock, but in a few days you will be good as new." He sighed. "They should close those damned caves. This is the third accident this year."

Catherine started to shake her head, then stopped, as it began to throb violently. "It was no accident," she said thickly. "He tried to kill me."

He looked down at her. "Who tried to kill you?"

Her mouth was dry and her tongue was thick. It was difficult to get the words out. "M--my husband."

"No," he said.

He did not believe her. Catherine swallowed and tried again. "He 1--left me in the cave to die."

He shook his head. "It was an accident. I am going to give you a sedative and when you wake up, you will feel much better."

A surge of fear flowed through her. "No!" she pleaded. "Don't you understand? I'll never wake up. Take me out of here. Please!"

The doctor was smiling reassuringly. "I told you you are going to be fine, Mrs. Douglas. All you need is a nice, long sleep." He reached into a black medical bag and began searching for a hypodermic.

Catherine tried to sit up, but a searing pain shot through her head and she was instantly bathed in perspiration. She fell back on the bed, her head pounding unbearably.

"You must not try to move yet," Dr. Kazomides warned. "You have been through a terrible ordeal." He took out the hypodermic, filled the needle from a vial of amber fluid and turned to her. "Turn over, please. When you waken, you will feel like a new person."

"I won't waken," Catherine whispered. "He'll murder me while I'm asleep."

There was a look of concern on the doctor's face. He walked over to her. "Please turn over, Mrs. Douglas."

She stared at him, her eyes stubborn.

Gently he turned Catherine on her side, pulled up her nightgown and she felt a sharp sting in her hip. "There you are."

She rolled on her back and whispered. "You've just killed me." Her eyes filled with helpless tears.

"Mrs. Douglas," the doctor said, quietly, "do you know how we found you?"

She started to shake her head, then remembered the pain. His voice was gentle. "Your husband led us to you."

She stared at him, not comprehending what he was saying.

"He took the wrong turn and got lost in the cave," he explained. "When he could not find you, he became frantic. He summoned the police and we immediately organized a search party."