3rd Pass Pages
ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 108
Walter Mosley
1
When I crawled out of the cage, the shakes got even 2
worse. Cold and nauseous, I couldn’t rise from my knees.
3
It came to me that I had never known real fear before, 4
that I had lived a whole lifetime in complete safety. But 5
there was no solace in that knowledge. I rolled up into a 6
fetal ball and began to moan. Salty sweat trickled down 7
between my lips. The shuddering music of a mothlike 8
throbbing played along the nerves of my neck.
9
I don’t know how long I stayed like that. It may have 10
been an hour or more. But when the fear subsided, I ex-11
perienced a release so profound that even breath was an 12
ecstasy of incredible joy.
13
It was dark outside. The evening was cool and clear. I got 14
into my car and drove out to the beach past Bridgehampton 15
and parked. I walked for hours down along the shore. The 16
ocean played its music and the moon cast shadows through 17
the clouds. My feet were bare and the wet sand was cold, 18
but this was a good thing. I needed sensation in my body to 19
counteract the fear that had not left but simply subsided.
20
Many miles down from my car, I came to an empty 21
parking lot. It was 2:30 in the morning. There was a 22
phone booth in the lot. Information gave up Bethany’s 23
number, and she answered on the fourth ring.
24
“Hello?”
25
“Bethany?”
26
“Hi, Charles,” she said, suddenly awake and happy.
27 S
I told her about the lot and she knew where it was. She 28 R
didn’t ask how I got there or what I wanted.
3rd Pass Pages
ManInMyBasemnt_HCtext3P.qxd 10/24/03 8:16 PM Page 109
The Man in My Basement
“I’ll be right there,” she said.
1
I sat on the ground next to the phone and waited.
2
After nearly half an hour, a pair of headlights came 3
down the long path from the road. A fog had rolled in by 4
then. This softened the beams and tinged them with yel-5
