War of the Worlds
© H.G.Wells
The Day After And Beyond
By: Garrett Lemons
"Where am I?" asked a male named Daniel who had just woke up.
"In the house of Elmer, on October the twenty-fourth. It is two-thirty in the afternoon if you want to know. I am Elaine. I am married to Elmer. He is out hunting for dinner right now," said a woman who was sitting in the corner.
"How long have I been sleeping?" he asked.
"You have been here for ten days, a nurse brought you here from the hospital when the aliens attacked," said Elaine.
"What happened about the Martians?" he asked.
"They died because of the germs in the atmosphere that we are used to but they are not. That is what I have been told but to me it seems a little to easy but hey, who listens to me," said Elaine in reply.
"May I please have some food?" asked Daniel.
"Yes, you may, as soon as you wash up. Once you wash up come to the dining room for some soup and sandwiches," said Elaine as she walked out of the room.
Daniel looked around and saw his clothes and a towel on a chair in a corner. He picked them up and walked to the washroom. He filled the wash bin with hot water. He took a really good, hot bath. He got out and dried off and put his clothes on. He parted his hair with a comb he saw on the counter. Daniel then brushed his teeth with his finger since he did not have a toothbrush. He drained the wash bin and went to eat some lunch.
"Daniel, please have a seat," said Elaine as he walked in to the dining room.
"Ok," said Daniel as he sat down and looked at the antiques and paintings on the wall.
"Here you go sonny," said Elaine as she placed a bowl of tomato soup with some grilled cheese sandwiches.
"Thank you, where exactly are we?" he asked.
"We are in Florida. In a city called Tampa," said Elaine.
"When I fell asleep I was in Boston. How did I get here?" he asked.
"The hospital in Boston put all the people in the hospitals on trains and sent them south where the Martians hadn't hit yet. At least that is what I think," said Elaine.
"Hey honey, look what I caught. Hey he's awake, how are ya, you little rascal," said Elmer who came in carrying a good size turkey.
"I am good sir," replied Daniel in between bites of the cheese sandwiches.
"That's good. I am going to wash up then we can play ok," said Elmer as he went to clean up.
"Ok," replied Daniel who had eaten one of his sandwiches and half of his soup by now.
"Do you know what happened to you before they sent you to the hospital?" asked Elaine who was curious.
"I think I was playing in a field when one of those big rocks from the sky hit the field and I was very close to it and I passed out because of the impact. I don't remember anything after that," replied Daniel as he put his last bite into his mouth.
"Oh my, you were one of the first people to see the Martian space ship then," said Elaine.
"I guess. What happened to Boston, I want to see my mother," said Daniel.
"Boston was destroyed. I am sorry son. Maybe she got out in time," said Elaine as she comforted Daniel who started to cry.
Then they heard a knock at the door. Elaine went and opened the door to see who was there. It was a woman who looked like she hadn't bathed in days. Elmer came out to see who was at the door. They invited her in and said she could clean up. She saw Daniel and she smiled. He didn't recognize her but thought she would be a nice lady to talk to. She walked to the washroom to cleaned up and he didn't see her again for a while. He sat in silence sipping a glass of water until Elmer came and sat down across from him.
"Guess what boy," said Elmer.
"What?" asked Daniel.
"That lady says she is your mother. Her name is Mary if you don't believe me," said Elmer but once he had said she was his mother Daniel took off running towards the bathroom.
"Mom!" yelled Daniel as he jumped into her arms.
"Daniel, I have missed you so much," said Mary as she took him up and held him.
"Would you like some food dear?" asked Elaine.
"Yes please," said Mary in reply as Elaine walked out of the room and went to make some more soup and sandwiches.
"Come on mom," said Daniel as he grabbed her arm and lead her to the kitchen.
"Son, I am coming give me a minute to put on my shoes," said Mary as she looked for her shoes on the floor.
"Ok," said Daniel who was just happy to see his mother again.
They walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Elaine brought the food and placed it on the table. She then sat down and sipped a cup of tea. Daniel was so happy he forgot about his tea and it went cold. Mary ate the food gratefully thanking Elaine every couple of bites. Elaine was saying it was no big deal she just was happy to see them reunited. Daniel was sitting there thinking when he thought of what had happened to her. Mary had just finished her meal and was thanking Elaine when Daniel worked up the courage to ask her.
"Mom, what happened?" asked Daniel.
"Let your mom rest first," said Elaine as Elmer walked in from outside.
"No, it is ok Elaine," said Mary.
"What ya'll talking about?" asked Elmer as he sat down at the table.
"She is about to tell her story," said Elaine.
"Oh," said Elmer and he got real quiet.
"Well it started the day the Martians came. I was doing laundry and Daniel had just got home from school. He asked me if he could go play in the field with the Smith brothers. I said go ahead and didn't worry because he always plays there. It had been a couple of hours when I saw the Smith brothers running towards carrying something. I say it was a body and I took off running. I picked up Daniel and started to head to my car. When I got there an ambulance was passing and the driver saw Daniel and stopped. They took him to the hospital and told me to follow. So I got in my car and followed but they drove too fast. I lost them and just decided to head to the hospital without them. When I got there the place was in a lockdown because of the space ship landing in the field. They didn't let me in but sent me home," said Mary.
"Poor dear," said Elaine.
"Oh my," said Elmer.
"After that I went home and packed up some clothes and valuables and put them in the car. I called his father who was in England and told him about what happened. He told me about how the Martians had landed in the English countryside also and that he was going on his friends boat and they were going to sail around for a while to try and survive. I said ok and be careful then hung up and went to pick up my parents. They had already left so I went to the hospital. When I got there they had already evacuated it and Daniel wasn't there. I cried in my car for hours until I heard a weird sound. I turned around and there behind my car was a Martian spacecraft. My heart was pounding and I wanted to scream but I didn't. It stayed behind me for a couple of minutes then it blew up the hospital and flew on. I didn't move until it had gone around the corner. Once it was gone I grabbed a bottle of wine I had brought along and took a big gulp. I decided to head for the train station to see what was happening," said Mary as she started to cry.
"It's ok mom," said Daniel.
"Deary, would you like some tea," offered Elaine.
"Yes please," said Mary.
"Ok, I will be right back, don't start the story without me," said Elaine.
"She won't," said Elmer.
Elaine went right away to make some tea. She got the tea out of the cabinet and got some water from the sink. She put everything in the pot and put the pot on the oven. The tea heated up for ten minutes before the kettle screamed. Elaine poured four glasses of tea and put a little honey in each glass. She carried in the glasses and sat them down on the table in front of everyone. She went back and got her and sat down. Mary was thinking about something and then got sad.
"What's wrong Deary," asked Elaine.
'I am just thinking about my husband. I haven't heard from him since the day I called him," replied Mary.
"That's ok, keep going on with your story," replied Elaine.
"We where was I? Oh yes, when I got to the train station I saw it on fire. I cried and cried. I got out of the car to see what I could see from the sidewalk. I saw a sign that said ' Hospital train gone to Florida, Left Safely'. I cried for a minute then decided I would come to Florida to find Daniel. I started driving south right away. Once I reached Newark I was so tired I pulled over and fell asleep. When I woke the next morning everyone was cheering throughout the city. I drove up to one of the parties and asked what was going on. They told me that the Martians had died because of our germs in the atmosphere that we were used to but the Martians weren't. I was happy for a moment then realized what if the train had decided to turn around and head back. So I got back in the car and started driving. I drove through Washington D.C., Norfolk, Atlanta, and Tallahassee before I got tired. I decided to get a hotel room and take a bath. I rented the room, got cleaned up then fell asleep on the bed. The next morning I got up, put gas in the car then headed straight for Tampa because that is where I figured they would go. Boy I was right but back to the story. I was driving through Ocala when three men pulled me over and took my car and all my things. I sat down on the side of the road and cried. I decided I would walk for as far as I could go. I walked until late in the night when I heard the same men's voices. I walked into the woods and fell into a mud puddle. I got out of it and listened. They were talking about how they should of killed me because I could of gone to the cops. I got furious but didn't move for I was in fear for my life. They left a couple of minutes later so I snuck up to where they had parked the car and talked when I saw my wedding picture torn up and the frame was broken. I picked up the pieces and buried them for I thought I was going to die. I started walking when a car pulled up beside me. I got real scared because I couldn't see the driver. I heard an old woman's voice come through the window. She gave me a ride to Tampa. It was there that I found where you were. The reason I didn't come right away is that I had gotten a phone call from my parents and husband who surprisingly were in Miami. I told them we would meet them next week. I was so overjoyed I went to get cleaned up at the YMCA but they were closed. So I started the long walk out here. So that is my story," said Mary as she finished her tea.
"Wow mom, you came all the way from Boston for me," said Daniel as he hugged her.
"I must say, that was the best story I have heard in my life," said Elmer.
"Come Deary, it is late. You and Daniel can spend the night again then take our car to see your family in the morning," said Elaine.
"Oh thank you, thank you so much," said Mary.
That night they all went to sleep with lots of love and peace on their hearts. They got up the next morning and thanked Elaine and Elmer for their hospitality and started to drive to Miami. During that drive they got closer with each other and learned that love is the greatest friendship of all. They stopped at the beach and played there for a couple of hours. That night Daniel spent his first night at a hotel. He was really excited about seeing his family though so he didn't sleep. The next day they drove to Miami and found the hotel where the family was staying. They walked up to the room, opened the door and lived happily ever after. The End.
© H.G.Wells
The Day After And Beyond
By: Garrett Lemons
"Where am I?" asked a male named Daniel who had just woke up.
"In the house of Elmer, on October the twenty-fourth. It is two-thirty in the afternoon if you want to know. I am Elaine. I am married to Elmer. He is out hunting for dinner right now," said a woman who was sitting in the corner.
"How long have I been sleeping?" he asked.
"You have been here for ten days, a nurse brought you here from the hospital when the aliens attacked," said Elaine.
"What happened about the Martians?" he asked.
"They died because of the germs in the atmosphere that we are used to but they are not. That is what I have been told but to me it seems a little to easy but hey, who listens to me," said Elaine in reply.
"May I please have some food?" asked Daniel.
"Yes, you may, as soon as you wash up. Once you wash up come to the dining room for some soup and sandwiches," said Elaine as she walked out of the room.
Daniel looked around and saw his clothes and a towel on a chair in a corner. He picked them up and walked to the washroom. He filled the wash bin with hot water. He took a really good, hot bath. He got out and dried off and put his clothes on. He parted his hair with a comb he saw on the counter. Daniel then brushed his teeth with his finger since he did not have a toothbrush. He drained the wash bin and went to eat some lunch.
"Daniel, please have a seat," said Elaine as he walked in to the dining room.
"Ok," said Daniel as he sat down and looked at the antiques and paintings on the wall.
"Here you go sonny," said Elaine as she placed a bowl of tomato soup with some grilled cheese sandwiches.
"Thank you, where exactly are we?" he asked.
"We are in Florida. In a city called Tampa," said Elaine.
"When I fell asleep I was in Boston. How did I get here?" he asked.
"The hospital in Boston put all the people in the hospitals on trains and sent them south where the Martians hadn't hit yet. At least that is what I think," said Elaine.
"Hey honey, look what I caught. Hey he's awake, how are ya, you little rascal," said Elmer who came in carrying a good size turkey.
"I am good sir," replied Daniel in between bites of the cheese sandwiches.
"That's good. I am going to wash up then we can play ok," said Elmer as he went to clean up.
"Ok," replied Daniel who had eaten one of his sandwiches and half of his soup by now.
"Do you know what happened to you before they sent you to the hospital?" asked Elaine who was curious.
"I think I was playing in a field when one of those big rocks from the sky hit the field and I was very close to it and I passed out because of the impact. I don't remember anything after that," replied Daniel as he put his last bite into his mouth.
"Oh my, you were one of the first people to see the Martian space ship then," said Elaine.
"I guess. What happened to Boston, I want to see my mother," said Daniel.
"Boston was destroyed. I am sorry son. Maybe she got out in time," said Elaine as she comforted Daniel who started to cry.
Then they heard a knock at the door. Elaine went and opened the door to see who was there. It was a woman who looked like she hadn't bathed in days. Elmer came out to see who was at the door. They invited her in and said she could clean up. She saw Daniel and she smiled. He didn't recognize her but thought she would be a nice lady to talk to. She walked to the washroom to cleaned up and he didn't see her again for a while. He sat in silence sipping a glass of water until Elmer came and sat down across from him.
"Guess what boy," said Elmer.
"What?" asked Daniel.
"That lady says she is your mother. Her name is Mary if you don't believe me," said Elmer but once he had said she was his mother Daniel took off running towards the bathroom.
"Mom!" yelled Daniel as he jumped into her arms.
"Daniel, I have missed you so much," said Mary as she took him up and held him.
"Would you like some food dear?" asked Elaine.
"Yes please," said Mary in reply as Elaine walked out of the room and went to make some more soup and sandwiches.
"Come on mom," said Daniel as he grabbed her arm and lead her to the kitchen.
"Son, I am coming give me a minute to put on my shoes," said Mary as she looked for her shoes on the floor.
"Ok," said Daniel who was just happy to see his mother again.
They walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Elaine brought the food and placed it on the table. She then sat down and sipped a cup of tea. Daniel was so happy he forgot about his tea and it went cold. Mary ate the food gratefully thanking Elaine every couple of bites. Elaine was saying it was no big deal she just was happy to see them reunited. Daniel was sitting there thinking when he thought of what had happened to her. Mary had just finished her meal and was thanking Elaine when Daniel worked up the courage to ask her.
"Mom, what happened?" asked Daniel.
"Let your mom rest first," said Elaine as Elmer walked in from outside.
"No, it is ok Elaine," said Mary.
"What ya'll talking about?" asked Elmer as he sat down at the table.
"She is about to tell her story," said Elaine.
"Oh," said Elmer and he got real quiet.
"Well it started the day the Martians came. I was doing laundry and Daniel had just got home from school. He asked me if he could go play in the field with the Smith brothers. I said go ahead and didn't worry because he always plays there. It had been a couple of hours when I saw the Smith brothers running towards carrying something. I say it was a body and I took off running. I picked up Daniel and started to head to my car. When I got there an ambulance was passing and the driver saw Daniel and stopped. They took him to the hospital and told me to follow. So I got in my car and followed but they drove too fast. I lost them and just decided to head to the hospital without them. When I got there the place was in a lockdown because of the space ship landing in the field. They didn't let me in but sent me home," said Mary.
"Poor dear," said Elaine.
"Oh my," said Elmer.
"After that I went home and packed up some clothes and valuables and put them in the car. I called his father who was in England and told him about what happened. He told me about how the Martians had landed in the English countryside also and that he was going on his friends boat and they were going to sail around for a while to try and survive. I said ok and be careful then hung up and went to pick up my parents. They had already left so I went to the hospital. When I got there they had already evacuated it and Daniel wasn't there. I cried in my car for hours until I heard a weird sound. I turned around and there behind my car was a Martian spacecraft. My heart was pounding and I wanted to scream but I didn't. It stayed behind me for a couple of minutes then it blew up the hospital and flew on. I didn't move until it had gone around the corner. Once it was gone I grabbed a bottle of wine I had brought along and took a big gulp. I decided to head for the train station to see what was happening," said Mary as she started to cry.
"It's ok mom," said Daniel.
"Deary, would you like some tea," offered Elaine.
"Yes please," said Mary.
"Ok, I will be right back, don't start the story without me," said Elaine.
"She won't," said Elmer.
Elaine went right away to make some tea. She got the tea out of the cabinet and got some water from the sink. She put everything in the pot and put the pot on the oven. The tea heated up for ten minutes before the kettle screamed. Elaine poured four glasses of tea and put a little honey in each glass. She carried in the glasses and sat them down on the table in front of everyone. She went back and got her and sat down. Mary was thinking about something and then got sad.
"What's wrong Deary," asked Elaine.
'I am just thinking about my husband. I haven't heard from him since the day I called him," replied Mary.
"That's ok, keep going on with your story," replied Elaine.
"We where was I? Oh yes, when I got to the train station I saw it on fire. I cried and cried. I got out of the car to see what I could see from the sidewalk. I saw a sign that said ' Hospital train gone to Florida, Left Safely'. I cried for a minute then decided I would come to Florida to find Daniel. I started driving south right away. Once I reached Newark I was so tired I pulled over and fell asleep. When I woke the next morning everyone was cheering throughout the city. I drove up to one of the parties and asked what was going on. They told me that the Martians had died because of our germs in the atmosphere that we were used to but the Martians weren't. I was happy for a moment then realized what if the train had decided to turn around and head back. So I got back in the car and started driving. I drove through Washington D.C., Norfolk, Atlanta, and Tallahassee before I got tired. I decided to get a hotel room and take a bath. I rented the room, got cleaned up then fell asleep on the bed. The next morning I got up, put gas in the car then headed straight for Tampa because that is where I figured they would go. Boy I was right but back to the story. I was driving through Ocala when three men pulled me over and took my car and all my things. I sat down on the side of the road and cried. I decided I would walk for as far as I could go. I walked until late in the night when I heard the same men's voices. I walked into the woods and fell into a mud puddle. I got out of it and listened. They were talking about how they should of killed me because I could of gone to the cops. I got furious but didn't move for I was in fear for my life. They left a couple of minutes later so I snuck up to where they had parked the car and talked when I saw my wedding picture torn up and the frame was broken. I picked up the pieces and buried them for I thought I was going to die. I started walking when a car pulled up beside me. I got real scared because I couldn't see the driver. I heard an old woman's voice come through the window. She gave me a ride to Tampa. It was there that I found where you were. The reason I didn't come right away is that I had gotten a phone call from my parents and husband who surprisingly were in Miami. I told them we would meet them next week. I was so overjoyed I went to get cleaned up at the YMCA but they were closed. So I started the long walk out here. So that is my story," said Mary as she finished her tea.
"Wow mom, you came all the way from Boston for me," said Daniel as he hugged her.
"I must say, that was the best story I have heard in my life," said Elmer.
"Come Deary, it is late. You and Daniel can spend the night again then take our car to see your family in the morning," said Elaine.
"Oh thank you, thank you so much," said Mary.
That night they all went to sleep with lots of love and peace on their hearts. They got up the next morning and thanked Elaine and Elmer for their hospitality and started to drive to Miami. During that drive they got closer with each other and learned that love is the greatest friendship of all. They stopped at the beach and played there for a couple of hours. That night Daniel spent his first night at a hotel. He was really excited about seeing his family though so he didn't sleep. The next day they drove to Miami and found the hotel where the family was staying. They walked up to the room, opened the door and lived happily ever after. The End.