The Stillness

My first act before I went into the pantry was to fasten the door between the kitchen and the scullery. But the pantry was empty; every scrap of food had gone. Apparently, the Martian had taken it all on the previous day. At that discovery I despaired for the first time. I took no food, or no drink either, on the eleventh or the twelfth day.

Before I went into the pantry, I locked the door between the kitchen and the scullery. But the pantry was empty. Every scrap of food was gone. Apparently, the Martian had taken it all the day before. When I discovered this, I felt despair for the first time. I had no food or drink on either the eleventh or the twelfth day.

At first my mouth and throat were parched, and my strength ebbed sensibly. I sat about in the darkness of the scullery, in a state of despondent wretchedness. My mind ran on eating. I thought I had become deaf, for the noises of movement I had been accustomed to hear from the pit had ceased absolutely. I did not feel strong enough to crawl noiselessly to the peephole, or I would have gone there.

At first, my mouth and throat were dry, and I could feel my strength fading. I sat in the dark scullery, miserable and despairing. I kept thinking about food. I thought I had gone deaf because the sounds of movement from the pit had stopped completely. I would have gone to the peephole, but I did not feel strong enough to crawl there without making noise.

On the twelfth day my throat was so painful that, taking the chance of alarming the Martians, I attacked the creaking rain-water pump that stood by the sink, and got a couple of glassfuls of blackened and tainted rain water. I was greatly refreshed by this, and emboldened by the fact that no enquiring tentacle followed the noise of my pumping.

On the twelfth day, my throat hurt so badly that I risked alarming the Martians. I used the creaking rainwater pump by the sink and got two glasses of dark, tainted rainwater. The water greatly refreshed me. I also felt more confident because no tentacle came to investigate the noise of the pump.

During these days, in a rambling, inconclusive way, I thought much of the curate and of the manner of his death.

During those days, I often thought about the curate and how he had died, but my thoughts wandered and led nowhere.

On the thirteenth day I drank some more water, and dozed and thought disjointedly of eating and of vague impossible plans of escape. Whenever I dozed I dreamt of horrible phantasms, of the death of the curate, or of sumptuous dinners; but, asleep or awake, I felt a keen pain that urged me to drink again and again. The light that came into the scullery was no longer grey, but red. To my disordered imagination it seemed the colour of blood.

On the thirteenth day I drank some more water and dozed. My thoughts wandered to food and vague, impossible plans of escape. Whenever I dozed, I dreamed of horrible visions, the curate’s death, or lavish dinners. But whether asleep or awake, I felt a sharp pain that drove me to drink again and again. The light coming into the scullery was no longer gray, but red. To my confused mind, it seemed the color of blood.

On the fourteenth day I went into the kitchen, and I was surprised to find that the fronds of the red weed had grown right across the hole in the wall, turning the half-light of the place into a crimson-coloured obscurity.

On the fourteenth day, I went into the kitchen. I was surprised to find that the red weed’s fronds had grown all the way across the hole in the wall. They had turned the dim light in the kitchen into crimson darkness.

It was early on the fifteenth day that I heard a curious, familiar sequence of sounds in the kitchen, and, listening, identified it as the snuffing and scratching of a dog. Going into the kitchen, I saw a dog’s nose peering in through a break among the ruddy fronds. This greatly surprised me. At the scent of me he barked shortly.

Early on the fifteenth day, I heard a strange but familiar sequence of sounds in the kitchen. I listened and recognized a dog sniffing and scratching. When I went into the kitchen, I saw a dog’s nose poking through a gap in the reddish fronds. I was very surprised. When the dog caught my scent, he gave a short bark.

I thought if I could induce him to come into the place quietly I should be able, perhaps, to kill and eat him; and in any case, it would be advisable to kill him, lest his actions attracted the attention of the Martians.

I thought that if I could persuade him to come into the place quietly, I might be able to kill and eat him. In any case, it would be wise to kill him, so his actions would not attract the Martians’ attention.

I crept forward, saying “Good dog!” very softly; but he suddenly withdrew his head and disappeared.

I crept forward, saying “Good dog!” very softly. But he suddenly pulled back his head and disappeared.

I listened—I was not deaf—but certainly the pit was still. I heard a sound like the flutter of a bird’s wings, and a hoarse croaking, but that was all.

I listened. I was not deaf, but the pit was certainly still. I heard a sound like a bird’s wings fluttering and a hoarse croak, but nothing else.

For a long while I lay close to the peephole, but not daring to move aside the red plants that obscured it. Once or twice I heard a faint pitter-patter like the feet of the dog going hither and thither on the sand far below me, and there were more birdlike sounds, but that was all. At length, encouraged by the silence, I looked out.

For a long time, I lay close to the peephole, but I did not dare move the red plants blocking it. Once or twice, I heard a faint pitter-patter, like a dog’s feet moving back and forth on the sand far below me. I also heard more birdlike sounds, but that was all. Finally, encouraged by the silence, I looked out.

Except in the corner, where a multitude of crows hopped and fought over the skeletons of the dead the Martians had consumed, there was not a living thing in the pit.

In one corner, a large flock of crows hopped and fought over the skeletons of the dead the Martians had eaten. Apart from the crows, there was nothing alive in the pit.

I stared about me, scarcely believing my eyes. All the machinery had gone. Save for the big mound of greyish-blue powder in one corner, certain bars of aluminium in another, the black birds, and the skeletons of the killed, the place was merely an empty circular pit in the sand.

I looked around, barely able to believe my eyes. All the machinery was gone. A large mound of grayish-blue powder lay in one corner, and some aluminum bars lay in another. Apart from these, the black birds, and the skeletons of those who had been killed, the place was just an empty circular pit in the sand.

Slowly I thrust myself out through the red weed, and stood upon the mound of rubble. I could see in any direction save behind me, to the north, and neither Martians nor sign of Martians were to be seen. The pit dropped sheerly from my feet, but a little way along the rubbish afforded a practicable slope to the summit of the ruins. My chance of escape had come. I began to tremble.

Slowly, I pushed my way out through the red weed and stood on the mound of rubble. I could see in every direction except north, behind me. I saw no Martians or signs of them. The pit dropped steeply at my feet, but a little farther along, the rubble formed a slope I could climb to the top of the ruins. My chance to escape had come. I began to tremble.

I hesitated for some time, and then, in a gust of desperate resolution, and with a heart that throbbed violently, I scrambled to the top of the mound in which I had been buried so long.

I hesitated for a while. Then, in a burst of desperate determination, I scrambled to the top of the mound where I had been buried for so long. My heart was pounding.

I looked about again. To the northward, too, no Martian was visible.

I looked around again. I couldn't see any Martians to the north either.

When I had last seen this part of Sheen in the daylight it had been a straggling street of comfortable white and red houses, interspersed with abundant shady trees. Now I stood on a mound of smashed brickwork, clay, and gravel, over which spread a multitude of red cactus-shaped plants, knee-high, without a solitary terrestrial growth to dispute their footing. The trees near me were dead and brown, but further a network of red thread scaled the still living stems.

The last time I had seen this part of Sheen in daylight, a street stretched unevenly through it. Comfortable white and red houses stood among plenty of shady trees. Now I stood on a mound of smashed brick, clay, and gravel. Countless red, cactus-shaped plants, knee-high, spread across it. Not a single plant from Earth grew there to compete with them. The trees near me were dead and brown, but farther away, a network of red threads climbed the still-living trunks.

The neighbouring houses had all been wrecked, but none had been burned; their walls stood, sometimes to the second story, with smashed windows and shattered doors. The red weed grew tumultuously in their roofless rooms. Below me was the great pit, with the crows struggling for its refuse. A number of other birds hopped about among the ruins. Far away I saw a gaunt cat slink crouchingly along a wall, but traces of men there were none.

The neighboring houses had all been wrecked, but none had burned. Some walls still stood as high as the second story, with smashed windows and shattered doors. The red weed grew wildly in the roofless rooms. Below me was the great pit, where crows fought over the refuse. Other birds hopped among the ruins. Far away, I saw a gaunt cat slink along a wall, keeping low. But there were no signs of people.

The day seemed, by contrast with my recent confinement, dazzlingly bright, the sky a glowing blue. A gentle breeze kept the red weed that covered every scrap of unoccupied ground gently swaying. And oh! the sweetness of the air!

After being shut in for so long, the day seemed dazzlingly bright. The sky was a glowing blue. A gentle breeze made the red weed sway across every patch of unoccupied ground. And oh, how sweet the air was!