Weird and grotesque thoughts had followed one another in rapid succession through her brain.

The thing had grown so vivid--the horrible imaginings had seemed so real, that many times she had been on the verge of screaming.

Each time she tried to scream, however, she found that her jaws were tightly set, her teeth clenched, and she could get no sound through them.
Lately, though--it seemed that it had been for hours--she had felt a gradual lessening of the tension.

Within the last few hours she had heard voices near her; had divined that persons were near her.

But she had not been certain.