Post by D.A.V.E on Jul 10, 2006 22:15:44 GMT
After a catastrophic system failure at work, I had no work to do. So I started writing a new short story, based on the Spielberg movie. It's part of a collection of stories, each based around a different characters experience of the invasion. Novel one is currently being
written, and I have the first chapter for you to read now, if you are interested, that is
War of the Worlds:Invasion Stories
War of the Worlds:Invasion Stories is a collection of short stories based on the paramount pictures motion picture of “War of the Worlds”. Featuring references to the original H.G. Wells novel, and events taken place in the movie, we follow the lives and incredible stories of those caught in the middle of the invasion.
Volume One
Synopsis
For Dave, today seems like any other day. But the freak storm brings with it death, destruction and horror. Heading cross-country with a friend, they try to escape the maurauding tripod invaders.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue
As I stared over the edge, I felt my pulse quicken. The adrenaline was pulsing through my veins. I held my breath, and I jumped.
How I got this far, is beyond me. It started three days ago, when the storm struck. This is my story.
Day one.
18th July 2005
I had been working late at the office, and fell asleep at my desk. I was awoken with a start by Gabriella, the cleaning lady.
“Mr Haskin? It’s seven am, you should probably get home and get some rest!”
I wearily lifted my head. nuts. I didn’t even remember closing my eyes. Was I really that tired?
After logging off, I grabbed a stale coffee from the old machine in the corner, and made my way down the stairs. It was mid July, and it was surprisingly dark for a summer’s morning. As I stepped through the glass doors, and into the brisk morning wind, I had the strangest feeling. All the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. It was like there was a high static charge in the air. I buttoned my jacket right up, and headed towards the car park. Within a matter of seconds, the wind was blowing almost like a gale. Fighting against the fierce wind, I struggled on. And that was when it happened. The lightning touched down at the end of the street. I froze. And then it happened again. And again. Flash after flash. It kept on coming. I didn’t feel safe. I ran for cover in the nearest shop I could find. A dank old charity shop ran by an old widow. She was harmless, but senile. “Oh good morning sir” she chimed as I walked in. “Oh, hello”.
“Strange weather” she mumbled, as she pottered around the dusty shelves of useless bric-a-brac.
“Yes, it’s rather extreme for this time of year!” I mused, as I flicked through a dusty copy of “The Time Machine”.
And then, just as quick as the storm had begun, it stopped. We were greeted with utmost silence. Dropping the book back on the shelf, I ventured back outside.
The air was thin, and the wind had gone. One by one, doors up and down the street opened, and the various inhabitants tentatively stepped out onto the pavement to see the aftermath. It was then, that I noticed the hole – from where the lightning had struck. “Strange” I whispered to myself. I hadn’t realised the destructive force of lightning – until now. The ground was steaming, and cracks were forming outward – like when you hit a pane of glass. People were shouting and screaming in excited voices. I reached in my pocket for my phone. This would make a great story for down the pub. But nothing. It wouldn’t switch on. “nuts. No battery”. But it was then, that I realised that nothing appeared to be working. A few cars lay littered over the road. Its furious occupants, making lots of noise under the hoods of their car bonnets.
“Hey Dave?!”
I turned around. It was Mike. A colleague, and a good friend of mine.
“Did you see that? I’ve never seen a storm like that before. Was pretty intense!”
I looked at Mike. He loved all this freak weather stuff. As much as he hated people knowing about it, it was obvious to everyone, that his subscription to “The Weather Channel” was the best thing SkyTV had to offer.
“Yeah, I know” I started. “I was caught right in the middle of it. I’ve never, in my whole life, seen that many lightning hits. Especially in such a short space of time”.
“Let’s have a closer look - that’s some pot-hole that made” Mike said. He was such a kid. We’d met when we were kids. I was new to the area, and he befriended me, no questions asked. Every weekend, we would go camping up the common – making dens under fallen trees and in disused army training grounds. It was great. When we were both 18, we went off to university together, and then, at the age of 25 – we both got jobs at the same company. We were joined at the hip.
I gingerly followed Mike to the hole, which was attracting quite a lot of attention. Children gathered round, picking up tiny fragments of the road. “Aw man, its dead cold” exclaimed one, dropping his rock to the ground. Odd, I thought. I would have expected it to be hot – not cold. Mike picked up a piece, and threw it at me. Flinching, I instinctively threw my hands up to catch it. Cold, was an understatement! “It’s freezing” I exclaimed. Throwing it back at Mike, I decided it was time to go. “Listen, as exciting as this is, I need to get home. Fancy goin’ to the pub later on?” Mike grinned. “Of course. See you later…” He stopped mid sentence. In fact, the whole crowd had gone silent. There was a faint rumbling – coming from underneath where we were all standing. “What’s that?” someone cried. “I don’t know” shouted another.
The cracks in the ground got wider. The low rumble got louder, into a deafening crumble of tarmac. The ground was moving. The crowd panicked. People fell over themselves, and the road. I made a dash for it, followed by Mike. We headed straight for the other end of the street. The noise was incredible. We turned around to see the ground rotating. Like a turntable – spinning slowly. Masonry from the surrounding buildings began crashing to the ground. Terrified screams filled the air. As the ground span, it began pulling away at the walls of the houses and businesses, trapped on the perimeter of this… crater.
It was an awe-inspiring sight. “What the hell is going on?” screamed Mike. “I have no idea!”
I continued to look on in horror, as the road collapsed into a pit. The small shockwave knocked people to the floor. The air was thick with dust, and several cars that were dragged down into the pit exploded, sending shards of burning metal into the frightened crowd. And once again, there was silence. People began getting back on their feet. A few people slowly edged themselves closer to the pit, in order to see what had happened. Mike moved closer too. “Mike? Stay back. I don’t think this is such a good idea.”
“Relax – it’s over now” he said. If only he was right. It was then, that the middle of the pit began to heave – as if something was pushing its way out. Shocked and muffled gasps filled the air, as a large unknown object began to force its way from underground.
People began to run. In any direction they could. It was unprecedented. I was in a state of shock. A large mechanical being was pulling itself out from under the street. Soil and debris was sent flying, as the dome began to rise. It was standing up on three huge legs. It was the strangest thing I ever saw. Once it had reached its full elevation, it stopped moving. It just stood there. It had a large, round, metallic body, with various appendages that looked like arms and tentacles! It swayed on the spot, in the same way an octopus or squid might move. There was a large, rectangular viewing window on the front of the body, with a massive spotlight in the centre, peering down at the terrified people below. Several people who had been hiding behind, and under cars, began to crawl out to get a better look at this awesome spectacle. Mike was aghast. “What… the hell… is that?”
“I… I don’t know…”
The air was suddenly filled with the sound of a horn – almost like the foghorns on a light house – only this was much deeper, and far more chilling. The ground vibrated, and you could feel the sound right through your body. It reverberated around your head and through your bones. People began to run again. And that was when the carnage began.
Two, snake-like appendages on the side of the tripod emitted two bright lights. Several people who had been standing only yards away burst into flames. They screamed in agony, before falling to the ground. They burnt so quickly, that they turned to dust as soon as they hit the floor. “Oh… my… god…” Mike turned to run too. I followed. People began running out of the buildings, into the street. It was pandemonium. There was shrieks and cries all around. The sound of the heat-ray sent a chill down my spine. Any second now, I could be dead. Struck down, and burnt to death. “Keep running!” I shouted at Mike. I thought my heart was going to burst through my chest. “Mike! Keep going!” he had begun to slow down. He stumbled to the floor just a few feet in front of me. Suddenly, he erupted into a pillar of hot, orange fire. “NO!” I screamed. “HELP...ME…..” Mike screamed his last words before he died, and crumbled away – blown away by the unforgiving wind.
Turning the corner onto another street, I screamed at everybody. “RUN! DON’T GO THAT WAY! IT’S COMING!” The people on the street looked at me, but did nothing. Several cars at the end of the street caught fire. The tripod turned the corner, and sent it’s heat-ray into the pedestrians below. More terrified screaming. I didn’t know what to do. I just kept running. There were explosions, as the tripod stepped onto cars in the middle of the road, crushing the occupants inside. Shop windows blew out, sending glass into the panicked crowd.
I must have been running for what seemed like an age. I turned onto the common. The very same common that myself and Mike used to go to when we were kids. I took refuge, in a ditch created by a newly fell tree. Forcing myself into the recesses of the roots, I hid. The shock still hadn’t set it. Mike was dead. A murderous tripod had crawled out of the ground. The storm. That was no normal lightning. Trying to comprehend what was going on, gave me a headache. I closed my eyes, and all I could see, was the terrified look in Mikes eyes as he turned into a flaming torch right before me. That was when I felt myself fall. Into a state of unconsciousness. I thought I was dead.
Coming Soon
written, and I have the first chapter for you to read now, if you are interested, that is
War of the Worlds:Invasion Stories
War of the Worlds:Invasion Stories is a collection of short stories based on the paramount pictures motion picture of “War of the Worlds”. Featuring references to the original H.G. Wells novel, and events taken place in the movie, we follow the lives and incredible stories of those caught in the middle of the invasion.
Volume One
Synopsis
For Dave, today seems like any other day. But the freak storm brings with it death, destruction and horror. Heading cross-country with a friend, they try to escape the maurauding tripod invaders.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Prologue
As I stared over the edge, I felt my pulse quicken. The adrenaline was pulsing through my veins. I held my breath, and I jumped.
How I got this far, is beyond me. It started three days ago, when the storm struck. This is my story.
-- Chapter One –
-- The Beginning --
-- The Beginning --
Day one.
18th July 2005
I had been working late at the office, and fell asleep at my desk. I was awoken with a start by Gabriella, the cleaning lady.
“Mr Haskin? It’s seven am, you should probably get home and get some rest!”
I wearily lifted my head. nuts. I didn’t even remember closing my eyes. Was I really that tired?
After logging off, I grabbed a stale coffee from the old machine in the corner, and made my way down the stairs. It was mid July, and it was surprisingly dark for a summer’s morning. As I stepped through the glass doors, and into the brisk morning wind, I had the strangest feeling. All the hairs stood up on the back of my neck. It was like there was a high static charge in the air. I buttoned my jacket right up, and headed towards the car park. Within a matter of seconds, the wind was blowing almost like a gale. Fighting against the fierce wind, I struggled on. And that was when it happened. The lightning touched down at the end of the street. I froze. And then it happened again. And again. Flash after flash. It kept on coming. I didn’t feel safe. I ran for cover in the nearest shop I could find. A dank old charity shop ran by an old widow. She was harmless, but senile. “Oh good morning sir” she chimed as I walked in. “Oh, hello”.
“Strange weather” she mumbled, as she pottered around the dusty shelves of useless bric-a-brac.
“Yes, it’s rather extreme for this time of year!” I mused, as I flicked through a dusty copy of “The Time Machine”.
And then, just as quick as the storm had begun, it stopped. We were greeted with utmost silence. Dropping the book back on the shelf, I ventured back outside.
The air was thin, and the wind had gone. One by one, doors up and down the street opened, and the various inhabitants tentatively stepped out onto the pavement to see the aftermath. It was then, that I noticed the hole – from where the lightning had struck. “Strange” I whispered to myself. I hadn’t realised the destructive force of lightning – until now. The ground was steaming, and cracks were forming outward – like when you hit a pane of glass. People were shouting and screaming in excited voices. I reached in my pocket for my phone. This would make a great story for down the pub. But nothing. It wouldn’t switch on. “nuts. No battery”. But it was then, that I realised that nothing appeared to be working. A few cars lay littered over the road. Its furious occupants, making lots of noise under the hoods of their car bonnets.
“Hey Dave?!”
I turned around. It was Mike. A colleague, and a good friend of mine.
“Did you see that? I’ve never seen a storm like that before. Was pretty intense!”
I looked at Mike. He loved all this freak weather stuff. As much as he hated people knowing about it, it was obvious to everyone, that his subscription to “The Weather Channel” was the best thing SkyTV had to offer.
“Yeah, I know” I started. “I was caught right in the middle of it. I’ve never, in my whole life, seen that many lightning hits. Especially in such a short space of time”.
“Let’s have a closer look - that’s some pot-hole that made” Mike said. He was such a kid. We’d met when we were kids. I was new to the area, and he befriended me, no questions asked. Every weekend, we would go camping up the common – making dens under fallen trees and in disused army training grounds. It was great. When we were both 18, we went off to university together, and then, at the age of 25 – we both got jobs at the same company. We were joined at the hip.
I gingerly followed Mike to the hole, which was attracting quite a lot of attention. Children gathered round, picking up tiny fragments of the road. “Aw man, its dead cold” exclaimed one, dropping his rock to the ground. Odd, I thought. I would have expected it to be hot – not cold. Mike picked up a piece, and threw it at me. Flinching, I instinctively threw my hands up to catch it. Cold, was an understatement! “It’s freezing” I exclaimed. Throwing it back at Mike, I decided it was time to go. “Listen, as exciting as this is, I need to get home. Fancy goin’ to the pub later on?” Mike grinned. “Of course. See you later…” He stopped mid sentence. In fact, the whole crowd had gone silent. There was a faint rumbling – coming from underneath where we were all standing. “What’s that?” someone cried. “I don’t know” shouted another.
The cracks in the ground got wider. The low rumble got louder, into a deafening crumble of tarmac. The ground was moving. The crowd panicked. People fell over themselves, and the road. I made a dash for it, followed by Mike. We headed straight for the other end of the street. The noise was incredible. We turned around to see the ground rotating. Like a turntable – spinning slowly. Masonry from the surrounding buildings began crashing to the ground. Terrified screams filled the air. As the ground span, it began pulling away at the walls of the houses and businesses, trapped on the perimeter of this… crater.
It was an awe-inspiring sight. “What the hell is going on?” screamed Mike. “I have no idea!”
I continued to look on in horror, as the road collapsed into a pit. The small shockwave knocked people to the floor. The air was thick with dust, and several cars that were dragged down into the pit exploded, sending shards of burning metal into the frightened crowd. And once again, there was silence. People began getting back on their feet. A few people slowly edged themselves closer to the pit, in order to see what had happened. Mike moved closer too. “Mike? Stay back. I don’t think this is such a good idea.”
“Relax – it’s over now” he said. If only he was right. It was then, that the middle of the pit began to heave – as if something was pushing its way out. Shocked and muffled gasps filled the air, as a large unknown object began to force its way from underground.
People began to run. In any direction they could. It was unprecedented. I was in a state of shock. A large mechanical being was pulling itself out from under the street. Soil and debris was sent flying, as the dome began to rise. It was standing up on three huge legs. It was the strangest thing I ever saw. Once it had reached its full elevation, it stopped moving. It just stood there. It had a large, round, metallic body, with various appendages that looked like arms and tentacles! It swayed on the spot, in the same way an octopus or squid might move. There was a large, rectangular viewing window on the front of the body, with a massive spotlight in the centre, peering down at the terrified people below. Several people who had been hiding behind, and under cars, began to crawl out to get a better look at this awesome spectacle. Mike was aghast. “What… the hell… is that?”
“I… I don’t know…”
The air was suddenly filled with the sound of a horn – almost like the foghorns on a light house – only this was much deeper, and far more chilling. The ground vibrated, and you could feel the sound right through your body. It reverberated around your head and through your bones. People began to run again. And that was when the carnage began.
Two, snake-like appendages on the side of the tripod emitted two bright lights. Several people who had been standing only yards away burst into flames. They screamed in agony, before falling to the ground. They burnt so quickly, that they turned to dust as soon as they hit the floor. “Oh… my… god…” Mike turned to run too. I followed. People began running out of the buildings, into the street. It was pandemonium. There was shrieks and cries all around. The sound of the heat-ray sent a chill down my spine. Any second now, I could be dead. Struck down, and burnt to death. “Keep running!” I shouted at Mike. I thought my heart was going to burst through my chest. “Mike! Keep going!” he had begun to slow down. He stumbled to the floor just a few feet in front of me. Suddenly, he erupted into a pillar of hot, orange fire. “NO!” I screamed. “HELP...ME…..” Mike screamed his last words before he died, and crumbled away – blown away by the unforgiving wind.
Turning the corner onto another street, I screamed at everybody. “RUN! DON’T GO THAT WAY! IT’S COMING!” The people on the street looked at me, but did nothing. Several cars at the end of the street caught fire. The tripod turned the corner, and sent it’s heat-ray into the pedestrians below. More terrified screaming. I didn’t know what to do. I just kept running. There were explosions, as the tripod stepped onto cars in the middle of the road, crushing the occupants inside. Shop windows blew out, sending glass into the panicked crowd.
I must have been running for what seemed like an age. I turned onto the common. The very same common that myself and Mike used to go to when we were kids. I took refuge, in a ditch created by a newly fell tree. Forcing myself into the recesses of the roots, I hid. The shock still hadn’t set it. Mike was dead. A murderous tripod had crawled out of the ground. The storm. That was no normal lightning. Trying to comprehend what was going on, gave me a headache. I closed my eyes, and all I could see, was the terrified look in Mikes eyes as he turned into a flaming torch right before me. That was when I felt myself fall. Into a state of unconsciousness. I thought I was dead.
-- Chapter Two --
-- Taking Refuge --
-- Taking Refuge --
Coming Soon
