Whisperer in the Dark – the Sequel. Ekaterina Zabolotskih

and tried to find the road he had taken to his destination, but could not recognise any of the houses or streets around him. He panicked – he was known among his friends as a real expert at orienteering, knew all the places in Arkham, but now he was standing there like a lost kitten.

      He looked around at several houses that looked as if they had been abandoned for decades. Broken windows and moldy tiles did not create a pleasant atmosphere.

      Having assessed the situation and checked his watch (there was about 15 minutes to sail), he decided to look for signs on the houses – perhaps if he knew the name of the street he could get his bearings. He chose the least destroyed house and began to look around. There was nothing outside that looked like a sign, so he decided to go inside (the boys in the yard could pick it up and drag it inside for their games). Willmarth made his way through the pile of planks – all that was left of the former front room – and stepped inside. It smelled damp. There was a lot of stuff on the floor, and the wallpaper was peeling off the walls. He was shoveling through the piles of rubbish, the belongings of the previous tenants and the broken-down walls, hoping to find something that looked like a plank, when suddenly there was a knocking sound from above. Wilmarth listened for a moment. The knocking kept shifting. It seemed as if someone was walking on their heels.