he imagined them : these husky , ashen beings , scurrying in droves through damp , uninviting corridors , nestled back against the wall , lingering behind corners , lying in wait for even the smallest squeak of his door hinge , so that they may swarm inward upon him and the bristles that comprised them could unravel and twirl in his direction , skimming from ceiling to floor , scraping against the walls and curving in through the crevice to creep along the shivering mass of cells upon his exterior and cover the body whole .