what walks under moonlight the darkness of hills at the heart of midnight illumined only by fading lanterns light as sounds fill the darkness of the mounds and the trees while half-formed nightmares did never surcease the elder in vain sought a path to his haven ignoring his best the cry of the raven his footfalls unsure and his eyes never resting as they roved to and fro at the shadows divesting at the edge of dark vision and the border of fright and under the sway of catalytic moonlight the monsters of mind can take shape and form and rise from the ether realm of ichor and worm the nightmares of sleep can come out in the night and when one is alone bring their faces to light and under the blighted gaze of the moon the wavering dreams oft emerge far too soon the pebble-strewn path weaves 'tween dark mounds of earth the moons tricks of light giving strange monsters birth from behind the black wall of the gloomiest hill a horror comes forth from degenerate will the primordial ooze that flows onto the ground from the eyes and the mouth on the head of the hound glows under the ethereal light of the moon as it stands and refuses the elder 's last boon foul ichor drips from its long silver tongue as it whispers him promises and beckons him come the elder kneels down and remains in one place not daring to look at the thing in its face mad eyes glow red as they wither and age and twin tails of snakes lash the air in a rage then the hounds many legs step forward as one as foul wriggling things chant that his will be done the hound speaks then with one final demand and the elder 's head shakes with a quivering hand and there comes then a slithering , shuddering sound and the elder is nowhere ever after to be found and under the light of the suns shaded twin the hills at the heart of midnight grow dim and as the glorious sun rises high in the sky it finds only a lantern , damp hat and a sigh .