SOURCE: "The Finless Death" by R. E. Vernede  The Port Allington Stories (1921)

DESCRIPTION:"...From its size the fish could not have weighed less than a hundred pounds, yet it had come up without a struggle, and had been landed ungaffed. Now it lay there heaving equably--a white-bellied, shapeless thing, rotund and flabby, with the detestable lidless fish eyes..." ("The Finless Death by R. E. Vernede)

NOTES: The Finless Death is a weird fish that has no fins. It is large but doesn't attack physically, but causes a sudden wave or fear or a curse that leaves those that see it dead or insane. The fishermen gaff it, spraying a weird oily substance. It also leaves a slimy trail behind like a snail. The fish throws itself back into the water to find more victims.

HISTORY: One of three horror stories written by a man who is best remembered as a WWI war poet, "The Finless Death" sounds like a shark tale but is strangely more of a curse story. It is inexplicable and creepy because of this.

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