PREFACE & SUMMARY A Desolate River. A Whispering Forest. The Cosmic Terror Beyond Human Sight. Two adventurous friends launch a canoe trip down the remote, untamed waters of the Danube River, seeking the absolute peace of nature. Deep within a desolate, flooded wilderness of shifting sandbanks, they decide to camp on a lonely island surrounded entirely by thousands of low, twisting willow trees. But as the sun goes down and a fierce, unnatural wind begins to shake the landscape, the quiet sanctuary transforms into a stage for a relentless, claustrophobic nightmare. BASILI OLARAK AL The true terror of the island is not a physical threat, but a profound tear in the very fabric of reality. The two travelers soon realize that the willow trees are not mere vegetation; they are the living, shifting camouflage for an ancient, extra-dimensional force that has spilled into our world. As the ground vibrates with unearthly hums and bizarre, colossal shapes press down against the sky, the men find their minds systematically targeted by a cosmic malice that demands a human sacrifice. Experience Algernon Blackwood’s absolute masterpiece of cosmic horror and psychological suspense.