Chapter #3The Diary of a Gentleman by: Hereward   12th August 1903. Maybury Hill, Woking
It has been an extraordinary day. Last night a ferocious boom rang out across the town that didn't quite resemble a clap of thunder, though a brilliant flash from Horsell Common would've suggested that it could've been so, though it wasn't quite like the boom of a cannon either as I could recollect from my time chronicling the trials and tribulations suffered by our brave boys in South Africa ten years ago. The real shock was what was to be found in the middle of the common on the morrow; initially one would naturally dismiss the gossip for it sounded like the rantings of a madman, but as more and more people recounted the story with deep conviction, affirming that they had seen it for themselves, I endeavoured to see it for myself.
It was shortly after luncheon time that I opted to take a stroll across the common, though I hadn't even set foot upon it before I saw the first signs of something being amiss. A maroon triangle shape rose over the treetops, the pinnacle seemed to point directly South. It wasn't hard for me to find my way to the source of all the commotion that had occurred in the morning as several persons had congregated around the site of the issue. I came up alongside a recent acquaintance from the scientific community who appeared to be vibrating with excitement, making me momentarily wonder if he was in the grips of a pathological lunacy, when he acknowledged me in a rather uncouth manner by gripping me by the shoulders. I can forgive him this impropriety in light of what he'd been staring at all this time. He gestured towards the full view of what I initially perceived as an enormous pyramid-like structure, whereupon I could discern that this was a massive hall that I would consider as being built out of pure Carrara marble if it hadn't just appeared overnight. It was the largest structure I had ever seen, surely over a mile across and probably just as high. I saw no windows but there was a marvellous door set in the front which was of the Neogothic style, rather contrasting with the unusual combination of Neoclassical and modern styles in the rest of the structure.
The presence of a massive door made me enquire of my acquaintance, one Professor Godfrey, as to whether anyone had attempted to enter. He affirmed that a couple of his friends had gone to knock but that there seemed to be a kind of repulsive influence over it that stopped anyone getting within arm's length, hypothesising on the spot that there was a strong magnetic field that was forcing away even the slightest suggestion of ferrous material. I didn't really figure much on this at the time, but now I conjecture that he was referring to the role of iron in our bodies. When I made a musing remark about how such a structure could just appear he then made mention that this was a matter he was turning over in his own mind among other curiosities about this great hall; the best explanation he could offer was that this was in fact a vessel from another planet, crafted specifically to accommodate a substantial embassy in the finest conditions.
Despite the excitement the great hall made among the people of Woking, little happened at the time despite extensive observations and, remarking about how contact with the men who came across the gulf of space would work out, I had inadvertently set Professor Godfrey off on a campaign to organise an effective welcome for our extraordinary visitors. This left me to try and enquire from others present about any further details, though none were forthcoming so I concluded that was all I could learn for the day and made my way home. I can't deny that at the moment I turned my back that the hairs on my neck rose with a most irrational foreboding, to which the nagging thought about the lack of any sign of windows exacerbated my unease.
At dinner this evening I recounted these events to my wife, who certainly didn't restrain herself from expressing her worries about this. I did my best to offer reassurance but I struggled to maintain sincerity as she brought up a few misgivings that reflected my own unease. I can only hope that Professor Godfrey is right about the prospect of an embassy come to share the secrets of the universe.
13th August. Maybury Hill, Woking
It seems my apprehensions have been realised. This morning Professor Godfrey called for me, eager for me to pay witness to his entourage making official greetings to the alien visitors at the great hall on Horsell Common. As we walked along I asked him if he had any thought as to which planet these beings may have come from, which led him to conjecture that Venus might be the most likely due to the planet being so near at this point that it wasn't possible to see it due to the glare of the sun. By the time we got there the crowd that had formed seemed to be double that which had been standing and staring upon the structure, which appears to have suddenly gained three windows across the top, just under the eaves as it were. There was no sign of movement or anything behind them, all sight inside being cut-off by extensive draperies that iridesced in all the colours of the rainbow. I kept back while Professor Godfrey took his entourage forwards through the throng, keeping close to a tree as I watched. The sun had risen enough to bathe the entire doorway in its brilliance when a clunking sound rang out for a few seconds, startling many of us and led to the crowd to move back enough for Professor Godfrey's entourage to be clearly visible right in front of the door, then the door began to slowly swing outwards, barely exposing the interior for ten seconds until it seemed to leap wide open.
The sunlight revealed little of the interior. All I could see was a floor that seemed to be made of the same marble at the outside walls, though what looked like an extensive red carpet appeared to glow where the sun shone on it, though it seemed to run short of reaching the doorjamb. It was strange that the interior could be so deeply shrouded in darkness with the sun pouring through the doorway. A new sound rang out, a series of heavy thuds with the ground trembling each time and in the darkness two glittering purple lights swung into view, each with a glossy black hole in the centre that seemed to resemble a pair of great big eyes, especially with how they seemed to shut off and return periodically. The entourage now moved forwards, now looking like mice next to the doorway as they had to lift their legs rather high to cross the threshold, one of them holding a flag of truce high over his head. Once the last of them stood on the other side of the doorjamb, people around me muttering eagerly about the prospect of the professor shaking hands with a spaceman, a fluorescent glow that I could only describe as magenta-fading-into-puce shone above the purple orbs and each member of the entourage yelped in surprise and alarm as the same glow surrounded them and yanked them into the air, dragging them into the darkness from which they all cried out more intensely than before. The glow remained but shifted round and the orbs seemed to vanish from sight and more thuds occurred. The next thing that happened was another set of orbs that could only be called gigantic eyes appeared in the darkness, these more of a blue sapphire colour, and again a glow that closely resembled these same orbs appeared above and various people were dragged in like fish caught on the end of a line, screaming as they went.
With the crowd being decimated in this manner, I ducked behind the tree for a while, hoping that once the screaming abated I'd have the chance to run for home. I don't really know how long it was, but every minute felt like an hour until I saw some people running past me. As there was no sign of any of them being hauled back against their will I took the opportunity to make my own getaway; I felt as though I was being toyed with, like a mackerel hooked on the lure who believes they're making their escape before hauled out of the sea and into the fisherman's basket. Once I was back home my wife looked ready to give me a hard time for how long I was away, but when she saw me after my ordeal she mellowed and invited me to recount all that had happened. I gave her no suppositions of my own for I had no real idea as to what we were dealing with. Once we were satiated I sat in the lounge to read the paper, finding only one small article about the previous day's excitement, when I heard the voice of the baker's delivery boy exchanging gossip with the maid, to which I would ordinarily put my head out to offer a stern reminder to her about liaising with men but, just as I was about to rise from my chair I heard him say something about another monumental hall appearing just North of Sheerwater. I then recalled that my wife had been roused in the witching hour by another bang, one that I hadn't heard presumably because I was in a very deep sleep at the time.
When the maid came back in I advised her to prepare for extensive packing, fearing for what could emerge from the great hall that would snatch up anyone it laid eyes on, before going to speak with my wife. It was a long discussion about the merits and issues of my concern and plan, by the time we'd settled on putting up with her sister it was approaching dinnertime. I headed out for an inn, advising the two of them to make a light dinner for themselves on account of the anticipated amount of time it would take to hire transport. By the time I got there I'd seen a company of soldiers moving through to establish a cordon on the edge of the common. I found myself making a hurry of my dinner in order to acquire the innkeeper's horse and cart, to which was stipulated that I return it before sunrise in exchange for two guineas.
I shall have to cease my ruminations here. The cart's loaded and we'll have to get underway. I shall keep this diary with me at all times from now on.  indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
| Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
<<-- Previous · Outline  · Recent Additions © Copyright 2024 Hereward (UN: colin at Writing.Com). All rights reserved.
CrazyNoisyGreatDays has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work within this interactive story. Poster accepts all responsibility, legal and otherwise, for the content uploaded, submitted to and posted on Writing.Com. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author