Adventures Into Terror #13: "The Visitor"

Adventures Into Terror #13
"The Visitor"
December, 1952

Story: Unknown
Art: Tony DiPreta(?)

It was just another day in the midwestern town of Pageville.  The
citizens went about their daily routine... at home and at work.  On this
particular day in the town of Pageville, an extraordinary thing had
occurred, but no one had seen it coming.  A mist descending upon the
streets.

Even in the heart of the small town, who would have noticed the presence
of another, one who had stepped forward from the mist?  If you were a
gangster who was about to get rid of a rival, you might.  As you wait in
the alley, a shape begins to form, and you see that Nemo has found you
first.  If the thug had waited instead of fleeing for his life, he would
have seen the familiar shape melt, and once again become mist.  If you
were a businessman about to commit fraud, you might notice.  With a plane
ticket to Mexico and the stolen profits from the business, you could
leave your partner holding the bag.

Who would heed the shape passing through the open window?  A shape which
steps forward from the mist, and you recognize the familiar form as
Andrew.  Not expecting to be caught in the act, you take an involuntary
step backwards, crashing through breaking glass, and screaming as the
mist passes through you.  Who else would notice such a thing?  If you
were a mugger trying to rob a blind man, Mullvaney the cop would be there
right beside you.  If you were one of the downtrodden, a passing mist
might warm you in body and soul.  If you were one who had lived in the
dark corners of town, you might wonder how a mist could bring sunshine to
your windowsill.

If you had thought that this mist was on the side of good, you'd be
correct.  It would continue on its way, while a husband continues to toil
past his bedtime.  His doctor had told him to ease up on the work, but
they could possibly understand what he was up to.  He was on the edge of
discovery, one which needed only a little more research, and which would
prove that people were only a small part of a greater plan.  The
architects of such a scheme were unseen to human eyes, but John is
determined to find them.  They have been watching him and all of
humanity, and do not wish to be found.  John is going to prove it, even
if his wife won't have him.  There just a little more work left to do.
Before she turns in, Ann closes the window, but not before the mist
enters the room.

Ann believes that her husband should leave well enough alone, but John is
confident that he knows more about such things.  He was now alone.
Alone..?  A sudden movement out of the corner of his eye, and John is now
face-to-face with what he had been looking for.  The wife rises from bed
at the sound of her husband's voice calling out in triumph.  She finds
him at his desk, staring at an unseen visitor, and muttering the same
phrase over and over... "I was right!  I was right!"  John's mind was
gone, vanishing at the same moment as the mist's departure, and this
was... THE END.

This story was reprinted in Giant-Size Werewolf By Night #3 (January,
1975).

The Visitor is a vague humanoid shape composed entirely of mist.

Those who see the Visitor visualize their greatest wishes or their
darkest fears.

The very young and very old are the recipients of unique gifts from the
visitor, while the others receive only what their own actions have sown.

John, the husband with insomnia and bulging eyes resembles a young Jack
Kirby in appearance.

Even between the covers of a book, the seeker can find little solace,
especially when the object of his quest has come for him.

Steve Chung
"The Review"