San Francisco — 1986 The Monster Within

The city remains in lockdown. Children insist on nightlights under their beds. People suffer insomnia. Of course, most do not really believe in vampires and ghosts. They fear a psychopath.

As well they should, Neil thinks. Life is much crueler than fantasy. What supernatural beast has ever killed as many, as horribly, as a plague? What monster ever murdered as coldly and efficiently as the Nazis? What phantom ever set out to annihilate an entire people? He, like Amimi, knows that the one to fear is the monster within.

Nonetheless, Neil has seen things he cannot deny or comprehend. He cannot consider the possibilities and he cannot stop thinking about the probabilities. Everywhere he goes, grief walks beside him. When he tries to sleep, sorrow sits on the foot of his bed, and pushes a weighty hand against his chest.