Dead And Alive

Introduction

I'm unaware of “The Man Who Laughs” by Victor Hugo, and in this engraving. I don't know if it refers to the body hanging on the gibbet or the man running away on the ground.

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Dead And Alive

Night was almost here, and the sky was grey with rainclouds. He was running but did not know if he was awake or in a nightmare.

A body was hanging on the gibbet, eyes pecked out by evil black birds who flew in their thousands to feast on the decaying flesh. He was frightened and did not want to be the next one hanging there.

This place was a dark corner of hell, and he needed to get away, but did not know where to go.

He was lost.

The corpse's chain rattled as more birds landed on it to feast on their share of its rancid flesh. The birds were never-ending; they were not ravens or crows, they were more like black vultures.

Although he was running, he realised he was not moving away from the corpse on the gibbet.

This was a living nightmare. He wanted to wake; it was the only way to escape this nightmare.

Then he woke with a start; he had escaped the nightmare....

... til he focused, and saw that his room and bed were filled with those ugly, cioius black birds ......