Another time Quote by Evangeline Walton
““Also another time she had wakened in dead of night, thinking that something touched her, and when she looked she saw that a black scaly tail, tufted with flame at the end, like a fiend's, had switched across her and lay there burning the covers. And when she turned shrieking, to see what manner of thing lay beside her in the bed, she was at first reassured by sight of her husband's face, then saw, to her horror, that horns had risen, black and pointed, from his forehead. After that she screamed again and remembered nothing until Joseph was shaking her awake, and there were neither horns nor tail to be seen. Nor were the bedclothes scorched.””
About This Quote
Source Short Story: “The Black Scaly Tail” by Evangeline Walton, 1975
A dream-like horror scene where a woman perceives demonic features on her husband, only to awaken and find them gone, highlighting the thin line between perception and reality.
In simple terms: A terrifying vision that vanishes upon waking, questioning what is real.
Key Takeaway
Question appearances and trust your senses.
Themes
fear
perception
reality
trust
psychology
Mood
anxious
uneasy
curious
Type
narrative
descriptive
horror
When to use this quote
- sleep paralysis
- nighttime anxiety
- relationship tension
- creative writing
- horror storytelling
Key Concepts
illusion
dissociation
nightmare
Questions to Reflect On
- What fears does the tail symbolize?
- How does the husband's transformation affect her trust?
A Different Perspective
The experience may be a symbolic manifestation of inner fears rather than literal supernatural events.
