The War of the worlds, my Martian and me by Ladymecha

My recollections of those events with the Marians are quite different then most of the people I know but heck I might as well tell them.

It was near the end of my night in Linwood and I heard something outside.

I got out of my house and I saw a huge cylinder shape flopped down in a massive pit on a nearby hill.

At first, I thought it was some crazy test by Doctor Malcovitch the local science nut, but when I came up to the huge thing I trembled at the thought that this was not from earth.

My neighbor Mr. Gibbs came up to the object and we stared in awe over the thing.

He came in closer to the thing but it was too hot for an approach.

"What is this thing Tara?" he asked

"I dunno, but I do know it may have something to do with that explosion I saw on Mars ten days ago."

He smiled at me and said "yeh you told me, you certainly have a love for the stars Miss Ikeda."

"Yes, I have always been interested in the stars. I have a small telescope in my room, but I can see lots with it."

"You think this thing is from Mars or something?

"Well if it is, I would like to take a closer look at this thing when it cools."

That is when we noticed it, a strange hum coming from the cylinder.

"You hear that?" said Mr. Gibbs

"yes I do, there may be something in there… fascinating."

"You think we should call the press?"

"Hell no." said I "they would just over publicize it like they always do. Besides you know that others will be here anyway."

"Yeh" Said Mr. Gibbs "you can bet that by tomorrow they will pack this place up with every lunatic in the state."

"Yeh I know."

I went off to bed but I could hear the soft hum coming from the cylinder. Surprisingly I felt comfort by that hum, even though I would know much later that death was in there for now that hum was soothing to me, and on that night, I had the best sleep I had in my entire life.

The next morning I had discovered my cylinder had stopped humming but now I heard movement inside of it. I had very good hearing and I knew that someone… something was inside that wonderful object.

I did not fear it like most of the people but I knew something was wrong with this thing.

For a little while longer, my cylinder seemed peaceful, until it started to open on us.

There were not too many people in the area but I saw that even a small mob was dangerous to have in this situation.

The top of the thing started to unscrew from the inside I saw people fall backwards in fear, I think I was the only one who was brave enough [and stupid enough I may add] to come in as far as I did…

I stared in awe as the top popped off the thing, everyone started to run like mad but I stood my ground.

Then I saw it, two luminous black eyes peered out to me then several gray tentacles followed it.

The thing pulled itself out as people ran in all directions.

I still stood in my place as most others ran in terror.

I looked as it pulled itself out of its hole, I saw its V shaped mouth and its bear sized mass.

It stared straight at me, and I stared at it.

For that moment, I think the Martian and I shared thoughts with each other, while everyone panicked at its site I shared a moment with the creature.

I am more then sure, the Martian thought I was as ugly or horrible as it was to the most of the crowd.

It was at that moment I shared my mind with it, we were from different worlds and had different goals, but for that one moment, Man and Martian had a common link. before I could do anything it slipped back into its home and then something else came out…

I fell back a bit trying to get better latitude on my Martian but it hid itself well.

The object that came out of the machine was not just anything; it was a funnel shaped device. It slowly came out of the cylinder.

It pointed itself at me but then it turned itself to some people on the other side of the cylinder.

It shot invisible jets of flame as it spread all over the place, I dove down the side of the hill as it set fire to everything nearby, but for some reason it spared my house…

I knew know that the scene was ground zero for one of my most incredible events to come.

I dared not go to the house in fear that the Martian may fire its heat ray at me, but for some reason I knew the Martian did not want to kill me.

I went to my cousin's house discussing my contact with the Martian; so far, no one had come to the hill in ether disbelief or in horror.

I heard all sorts of commotion from my cousin's house from the hill.

On Saturday, I knew what was going on.

My cousin's house was at least some steps away from the hill but for some reason the heat ray did not touch his house.

The local militia brought in its cannons on the news of the heat ray but so far, they did not press any assault on the pit.

I walked up to the sergeant and said "I hope you guys are careful about this, that heat ray they have can send you into cinders."

"Do not have any worry miss, we shall protect you and your home."

I admit I always thought the military was a bit arrogant when it came to things like this, and I knew just by a small display of it, that heat ray of the Martian was more then a match for the small band of soldiers.
I knew the Martian had built something inside its home during those days away from home and I knew that it was going to be more then a mach for the small Calvary unit.

Then I saw it, the great hood of something incredible, it stood on three legs as it rose itself out of its hole.

I could see it clearly, as it pulled itself out of the pit.

It stood at least a hundred feet tall or so, I could just guess.

The Calvary fired their cannons at it but the huge tripod just ignored their fire, it fired its heat ray at them as it lit everything on fire.

It turned to me and pointed its heat ray right at me, I shook with utter fear but for an odd reason it turned itself away from me.

It walked off into the distance away from my home, I still did know why it spared me but I knew it was a danger to everything in its path, but I wondered if inside that machine was the Martian I saw…

It was too strange, it should have killed me but it did not…

This was the true start of my odd adventure as I saw the hood of the tripod walk off into the north towards Chichester.

Then I saw something else, another tripod rise itself out of its pit…

It saw me and moved its way to me, I ran like a demon as it pointed its heat ray into the air aiming it at me…

I went into a mad spin down the large hill trying to get away from the Martian onslaught.

The pace was maddening; it poured black smoke down the slope of the hill after me.

I ran as fast as I could but the smoke came at me steadfastly.

I saw others run with me as I ran toward Marcus hook across the way.

It was in Markus Hook I saw another cylinder land.

However, it was safe for the time being, I was able to escape the black smoke as the Martian Tripod gave up its chase. However, I saw so many others die as the black smoke choked their lives out.

I saw from my Markus hook shelter my home on the hill, the second Martian tripod came up to it and set it ablaze.

My cousin wept as the Martian turned its way to his home and struck it down with the heat ray.

With our homes lost and another Martian cylinder close by my cousin and I decided to head for Philadelphia.

We had some friends there but we knew we would not be fully safe there.

We took the nearest train into the city, and within an hour, we arrived in Philadelphia.

News reports of the Martians came all over, the last place they attacked was in Chester.

However, north of Philadelphia other Martian cylinders landed.

We also heard reports from New Jersey, especially one that landed in Grover's Mill, dangerously close to Trenton and dangerously close to us in the city.

However, for some time the safety of the city was comforting, until reports of Martian machines seen in our area.

It only took a short time before the people panicked out of the city and the Martian Machines came their way into center city.

The panic killed people then the Martians did in Philadelphia, as they swooped their way though the city I ran in fear with my cousin in tow, the poured their black smoke and smote their heat ray.

My cousin and I made a narrow escape down into the cellar of our temporary shelter and into the wine room.

The Martians set ablaze the upper floors with their heat ray but in the wine room, we were safe.

The room had a stone roof and a brick coating to preserve the wine better.

We spent the next few days in the wine cellar but we had food and drink to preserve us.

The wine cellar had both cheese and wine to feast; after our wine and cheese supply ran out, we first dared to explore the city above.

The house we sheltered in for the last five days turned to rubble around us but we were able to get out.

We explored the ruins of the city and in the sky; we saw literally hundreds of objects shoot themselves onto earth.

"More cylinders" said I

"So what do we do now? I don't think we are going to survive this."

"We can't just keep on running, we have to stand our ground and if needed we move on."

"But what about food, and what about the Martians, what can we do to live?"

"I am sure that we can find some food here, as for the Martians well we can find ways to evade them… I am more worried about food then the Martians; I rather die of a blast from their heat ray then die of hunger."

"I know what you mean, but where do we go?"

"We just tour the city in search of food."

"Well its better that we keep our calm, we will die a lot faster if we don't think of what to do."

We walked our own separate paths for the next few days; I headed west while he headed east.

I saw all sorts of things on my way, mostly the odd red weed that covered everything in site.

I came over to one of the red plants and plucked it out of its soil. I had found no food so I decided to try it… it was bitter but it seemed healthy enough, I had no options since I had no food, I rather die of Martian plant poisoning then starvation.

I went much deeper into the western territories and came across some Martians along the way.

I hid myself as I saw them pluck up people with their odd handling machines; I came in closer for more observation and I saw the Martians inject the fresh blood of live humans into their systems.

I saw this and said, "They feed off blood, I guess they don't eat the way we do."

It was both frightening and fascinating at the same; I admired the Martians for their ingenuity in their feeding system, without the need for food they would not starve the way we do, as long as they had a source to drain from they were in the bank.

However, even in my fascination with them I feared that one would get its hands around me…

However, for those next few days I plucked the red weed and made careful studies of the Martians, I was able to view them without notice but I feared for my cousin.

I decided to take my route to the south towards my home, evading Martians and finding food…

It took me hours to get back home on foot. I rested and hid when I needed it but I encountered no Martian for a few more days.

I hid near the area where my house used to be, I even peered into the cylinder since I knew it had no occupants by now.

Heck I even climbed into the thing on one occasion and saw how big the thing really was, I had no fear of meeting any Martians at this point, I was very tired and hungry and any release from my journey was welcome…

Then came that one last day I will tell about, that day of great wonder and sadness…

I first heard it when I awoke inside my hideout, that haunting cry of "Ulla!"

I came out of my small shelter and I heard it again "Ulla!" it cried.

I ran in search of the noise, it was both a very sad and very beautiful sound to my ears.

"Ulla!" came the sound then across the way I saw a Martian Tripod walking like a drunk on the hill, it started to topple over and with a bang its hood hit the ground with great impact.

My curiosity got the best of me as I came up to it. Slowly and cautiously, I touched its metallic hood, the hood opened and I saw the Martian inside of it.

In fear, I stepped backwards as its dark eyes looked right at me… I thought it would kill me but instead it cried hauntingly at me.

"Ulla!" it cried

it waved over at me as if it was telling me it wanted something, I took some pity on it and ran over to my burned down home, I was able to find a small glass and I poured water into it.

I came up to the Martian and it grabbed the water from my hand, it drank it the best way it could and it drew its tentacle out to me.

At first, I was frightened but as I looked at it, I knew it had no wish to harm me, it wrapped its tentacle around my hand and it was then I realized that this was the Martian I saw come out of the very cylinder nearby.

We once more shared minds; it was a very unusual experience as its thoughts came into me.

It showed me its world and its knowledge, and as our minds bonded, it knew what I knew…

I asked it why it spared me, why did not it kill me and it replied, "I knew you would take pity on me when I would die, I foresaw all of this but I didn't know it was true until I saw you. We Martians are a race of creatures who dream only of destruction and hate, but I was the only one who saw you. We are the same, we are both warriors in our own ways and we have our dreams and ambitions. Am sorry that I killed people, I didn't want any of this."

I understood now why it spared me. It was a soldier in a war and it did not want to be in that war.

I guess even Martians have their reluctant soldiers, we shared minds for what seemed forever but another Martian tripod broke our bond.

I looked up at it as it pointed its heat ray at me; it was wobbly but stood in its deadly gaze.

Before it could do anything, its top turned to cinders as I saw my Martian point its heat ray at its former companion.

Then it started to die, I held its arm and said, "Why did you save me?"

It replied, "Love…"

It cried out "Ulla!" as it died on that spot.

Its grip fell from me and I wept for it…

Later that day I decided to bury the Martian next to the site of my former home, I placed a seed of a tree with it to mark its grave…

It seemed so fitting.

Some few days afterward, I learned my cousin still lived in Philadelphia and I visited him.

He was so happy to see me alive and we told our tails about our encounters with the Martians but I admit he looked quite puzzled after I told him about my encounter with the Martian.

No one really believed my story about my mind meld with the Martian, but I knew most of them were glad that the Martians were dead.

A few months afterwards, I moved into my new home built over the site of my old one, outside I saw a young Maple tree grow out of the site of my Martians resting place.

Every day from then on, I watered the small tree until it grew mighty and tall.

I carved on the trunk "here lies a brave and noble soldier who died fighting for what he believed in, may god cherish him as much as I do."

And I knew somewhere my Martian smiled down on me from heaven…

The end