Sent Home From Work
By Colin MacKenzie
A short story used to test the speech synthesis functionality of the browser
“Shut up”, I said.
“What’s the matter? Can’t handle the truth?”
“You don’t know what you are talking about” I replied.
Simon just laughed. He loved winding me up over football and today’s discussion was based on one of the Big Teams dominance. I knew he actually agreed with me, but we would have the arguments to break the boredom of the day. Computer programming could be so engrossing but only if you were working on a project you enjoyed. If not then the time seemed to stop and you would will the minute hand round the clock. Arguing over football matches was one way to pass the time in between the endless hours typing code and testing the results. Working in the same place for five years, going to the same desk and sitting opposite the same people, got pretty monotonous after a while.
“What’s that noise?” I asked. We both became quiet and listened. The sound we could hear was an air raid warning sound. We both knew we worked near a high security mental asylum housing some of England’s most notorious psychopaths, and they tested the alarms every Monday morning, but today was Thursday and the alarm sounded different. I realised the entire office had gone very quiet as everyone tried to determine what the alarm was for. Suddenly everyone’s concentration was broken by a phone call on my manager’s desk.
“Hello…oh hi Maureen. Really ok..” He looked up from his call and announced to the entire office that everyone was to leave the office immediately.
“What’s the problem Carl?” Rebecca the Accounts manager from the other side of the office shouted across the room.
“Don’t know Becky must be something to do with the alarm though I guess”
“Must be serious if they’re sending us home”
We all started packing our stuff everyone suggesting reasons what was going on. I clicked on my internet browser to check the time of my next train. All trains had been suspended.
“All my trains have been cancelled” I announced wondering what the hell is going on. I could see an hyperlink saying Latest Service Bulletins. I clicked on the link and read the words out loud to the rest of the office:
“Due to the national emergency in Surrey all train services are suspended. Please listen to BBC radio for instructions”
“All trains have been cancelled “ I said “All of over the county says “Due to the National Emergency”
I suddenly realised everyone had become quite pale.
“Has anyone got a radio?” Carl asked.
“I’ve got one on my phone” Karishma suggested. The whole office had stopped and had crowded round the IT department’s desk. Everyone wanted to know what was going on. The mobile phone wasn’t very loud and we missed the first part of the announcement as someone suggested Karishma turn the volume up. Eventually we heard a voice announce:
“The emergency was announced by the government around 11am. Everyone in the county is instructed to make their way home and do not venture out until further notice. All roads into Surrey have been blocked and all train routes have been diverted.“
“What is going on?” Rebecca said.
“Shh”, said Karishma angrily
Again we listed to the broadcast this time the voice was that of the Prime Minister:
“I have had no choice but to make this decision. This is a serious matter and a curfew across the South of England will be in force. There must be no-one outside beyond this time. Please go home and do not venture out. I beg you please it is a matter of the utmost urgency and it is highly dangerous for anyone to be out beyond this time.”
“Prime Minister can you give us specific details of the emergency”
“I can only give you the advice I have been given which is that everyone return to their homes”
“Must be some kind of chemical leak” Simon said “Come on let’s go, Colin I’ll give you a lift home”
WE headed out of the building and could see the roads packed with car’s chocker blocked in both directions.
“Great “ I said looks like everyone is stuck here.
The rain was bucketing down so I put up my umbrella and we made it to where he was parked and got in to the car. He switched the radio on but it was the same broadcast as we had just heard.
“The radio personnel must have gone home “ I said “They are playing a recorded message over and over”
I was becomingly nervous as to what had happened and what would cause this announcement. I found I was physically shaking. It seemed like something dramatic was about to happen but no-one knew what.
Simon started the car and a white car let us into the queue of traffic. We waved our thanks and he acknowledged it.
“He looks as worried as I feel” I said.
“I know me too “ said Simon.
“You were wrong about the football” I said Trying to change the subject
“A goal is a goal” He laughed, joining the charade of normality.
Our progress was painfully slow, followed by arduous minutes of silence as we waited to move again and were left in our own thoughts about what could be wrong. I typed a text:
“Been sent home from work early. No one has a clue why. Hope you are ok.”
I then went through my address book selecting my siblings, my mum and Dad. The last name on the list was the girl I loved. We hadn’t spoken for months and she was still angry at me. I ticked her name and sent the text. I received a reply a few moments later and eagerly opened it hoping it was from her, but it was my brother telling me he had already been sent home and had no idea why.
“My brother’s home already” I said
“Does he know what’s going on?” Simon asked
“No” I replied.
About 45 minutes later we had made about 2 and a half miles and were talking about the football again. Suddenly we passed a girl walking along the side of the road, and we recognised it as our friend Michelle who we worked with. She was on her mobile phone. I wound down the window and shouted out her name. She didn’t hear me.
Simon sounded the horn but she again did not hear us. The car behind was using their horn thinking the car ahead of us was blocking the traffic. Simon moved on about 20 metres.
“Jump out and she if she wants a lift” simon said.
I opened the door and ran back.
“Alright mate want a lift” I said
“Hi mate, no Brad is coming to pick me up but he says he is stuck in this traffic so I’m walking to meet him”
Suddenly we both were startled by a herd of deer come running out of the woods in the fields across from us. There were about 6 of them all galloping at top speed across the field where they disappeared to the other side of the wood.
“You see” she said, “they know something bad is going to happen”
She turned to me and smiled. I hope Brad get’s here soon. She shivered and I suddenly realised it had stopped raining and the sun was out but there was a slight chilled wind blowing.
“Look” I said “Why don’t we cross these two fields and you can meet Brad and I’ll meet Simon when he get’s there”
“Ok” she said
I ran back to tell Simon popping my head in the car and telling him we would head across the fields and meet him.
“Take your time “ Simon said looks like it’s going to take me hours to get round there.
I ran back to Michelle who was still on the phone to her boyfriend.
“Ok see you later”.
“You ready” I asked with a smile.
“Ready when you are “ she said
We climbed over the stye and headed out over the field.
“What do you think this is all about?” I asked
“Dunno” she said “Probably a chemical leak”
“Yeah that’s what Si reckons, I don’t know though. IF it was chemical leak wouldn’t they tell everyone to stay put?”
We walked on coming up with several possibilities for the dramatic events, but finding faults with all our theories.
My mobile suddenly went off. It was my Mum:
“Are you coming home?”
“Yeah on my way home now”
“Duncan is here” Said they sent him home from the barracks this morning. Duncan was my twin brother.
“Really?” I said. “Did they say why? No one has a clue why this is happening.”
“No said it was a national emergency and they are not to report back until told”
“Ok I’ll see you later I might not be home for ages though as the traffic is terrible.
“Ok bye”
I hung up and turned to Michelle:
“My army brother has been sent home”
“Did he say why?” Michelle asked
“No I replied. No one knows anything surely it would be better to tell people so they know what to do and can prepare for the worse.”
My phone buzzed again it was a text message saying I had missed a call. I recognised Simon’s number and called his phone, he was engaged though. So I sent a text. The text failed to be sent though and I cursed as I realised the signal was too poor. As we walked on though the signal improved and my phone vibrated to tell me of an incoming call.
“Hi Si” I answered
“I can’t meet you at the other side of the field, some sort of military checkpoint they are diverting us towards Hatchgrove. I can’t turn around.”
“Ok” I said, I turned to Michelle, apparently Simon is having to go to Hatchgrove and he can’t turn around in the traffic.
“Tell him to go home Brad can drop you home”.
“Thanks mate” I said relieved.
“Thanks Si” I said again “You’ve let me down again haven’t you, I bet there was no roadblock”
“No honestly..”
“It’s ok I’m joking. Clarkie says Brad can drop me home”
“Ok sorry mate”
“See you”
I hung up. Michelle and I continued to the next field where the field ascended to a ridge. As we topped the slope we could see the streams of traffic heading away from us and the Army personnel turning people away from the main road. Michelle’s mobile rang
“Hello where are you?”
“Yeah Simon has just been diverted to Hatchgate as well. Well I don’t know Brad. What do you want me to do? There’s no point shouting”
Luckily I had caught the train home with Michelle and knew she and Brad frequently had these kind of arguments. He was laid back and she was a workaholic and the two complemented each other perfectly. She was telling him to go to a small village the other side of Hatchgate. I couldn’t help feeling this was some sort of disaster movie, with everything that could go wrong going wrong.
“He is going to meet us at Hatchgate” she said hanging up.
“Everything is going wrong I observed to her.”
“It’s strange” she said “because I haven’t noticed any wildlife other than the deers we saw earlier.”
“You’re right” I said. “There is no bird song either”
We both listened but could hear none. It suddenly occurred to me of another time in my life when I had experienced this.
“I remember a solar eclipse when I was younger” I said “The same thing happened all the birds went quiet in the middle of the day.”
“Maybe that’s it” she said, “some kind of solar eclipse”
“Hmm I’ve just had a though what if it’s some kind of satellite that is out of control and is going hit somewhere in the south of England” AS I suggested the idea, it all seemed to fit.
“Or a meteorite” Michelle said
“I don’t think they can predict meteorite impacts” I said remembering some tv programme I had watched.
“OF course they can” she said
“It does make sense” I said
We were nearing the end of the 3rd field of 6 between us and the checkpoints when we noticed the traffic had all gone. We could see a single landrover approach the checkpoint and drive off. We could see one of the soldiers on a mobile phone and it was this man who spotted us as we crossed the sty for the fourth field. He waved us over. It took us several minutes to reach him.
“This area is out of bounds I’m afraid” the soldier said. He was smiling and I’m sure he assumed we were some kind of courting couple on a countryside diversion.
“Sorry” I said “We got stranded. We need to get to Hatchgate.”
“Head down that road the soldier replied”
“That’s a dual-carriage way” I said, it has no pavements.”
“All the traffic has gone” said the soldier “I’m just awaiting permission to leave here and I’ll catch up with you in the landrover and give you a lift.”
“What is all this? I asked knowing he wouldn’t tell me. I had asked that question so many times today and was beginning to wonder if I would ever find out.
“My orders are we to seal off this road, why I don’t know.”
“Ok thanks” I said.
The first soldier answered his mobile and waved us off. The other soldier approached us, to this point he had not spoken.
“It’s just a precaution I believe” he said
“A precaution against what” I asked sensing a new source of information.
“All I know is we have been told to clear a 3mile radius for some kind of impact later. My advice to you is to get home.”
“So it is a satellite or meteor “ then I said triumphantly
The first soldier was coming close again now and he seemed more active. The second soldier now refrained from confirming my question. He hung up:
“Right you two we have been told to clear this area now so we will take you to shelter now”
We got into the landrover and sped off down the road. Suddenly the lieutenants phone went again and he answered sharply.
“What???? Ok” He hung up “Johnson stop the car. Everyone out take cover in the ditch”
WE rushed out and over behind a small brick wall next to the road. We waited, crouched behind the wall waiting for the impact. A full minute went past with no one saying anything. I waited still nothing. The first soldier relaxed and made a call on his mobile. My mobile phone then vibrated in my pocket to say a text message had been delivered. I reached into my pocket and removed the phone and looked down. It was a message from my the girl I loved:
“Yeah me too, hope you are ok as well”
I felt thrilled she had texted back forgetting the tension of the situation. I put the phone back in my pocket and waited. Still nothing.
Then we felt a thud. There was no bang just a sound of a heavy weight hitting mud. We all looked up from behind the wall, but couldn’t see anything from our position. Stay here ordered the lieutenant. He dialled a number on his phone and began reporting the situation. Suddenly there was a bright light like someone turning on a light when you have been in darkness. I covered my eyes unable to see anything clearly. Slowly I could make out the wall in front of me and I hugged it more closely. I could see vaguely the others doing the same. Then I could hear a humming noise and the light was gone. Then a buzzing noise like a swarm of wasps. I looked over the wall and saw three spherical objects floating in the air spinning round one after the other in a circular motion of a metre or so. They looked like disco lights spinning round on a carousel. The buzzing noise was being created from them as they spun round and round. They moved at the same speed but became the procession seemed to get faster and slower, faster and slower. I became aware the others were also watching them over the wall all of us transfixed. The lieutenant rang his phone again reporting the sighting.
“Keep still he ordered us, we have not been spotted.”
I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off of them as they span round and round. Suddenly one of the spherical objects broke off from the others and buzzed towards the wall. We all ducked and waited and then the buzzing sound moved away again back to the main source. We looked and could see all three of the spherical objects again following their spinning orbit.
“Right let’s move over there slowly the lieutenant said, keep your heads down”
The first soldier moved off and reached the edge of the barn he signalled for me to go. I crawled across relieved to get to the perceived safety of a roofed building. Michelle was next to go she was about 3 metres from the wall when again one of the spherical objects broke from the others and headed to the wall. She didn’t see it and I signalled for her to stop. She froze terrified and unable to see what was going on. The object again returned to the other two and continued to spin round.
I signalled for her to come but she wouldn’t move. I crawled back to her but couldn’t pull her, so crouched over her and began to lift her. She got to her feet, but Johnson was signalling for us to wait. I could suddenly hear the buzzing again and realised one of the balls was right next to us. I swallowed unable to breath as the ball went past my face and stopped face to face with Michelle.
I looked to the lieutenant for advice and whispered what do we do.
“Don’t touch the orbs” he said
I looked back at Michelle and she was holding the spherical object. The buzzing had stopped. One of the remaining orbs broke off and flew towards the other. It stopped opposite me and floated down into my leg, I was petrified but when it hit my leg it suddenly burst like a bubble and I didn’t even feel it touch me. Michelle’s one burst too. They were bubbles with no residue left on us. At this point the lieutenant stood up pulled his gun out and shot the last orb. This one though did not disappear on bursting and instead looked like a melon had been sliced.
I could hear the lieutenant swearing loudly. For a whole minute he stood cursing next to the wall. He then approached us angrily, his rage seemed to know no bounds.
“Do you realise what you’ve just done???” he screamed. “They’ll be coming for us now”
“What’s the matter? Can’t handle the truth?”
“You don’t know what you are talking about” I replied.
Simon just laughed. He loved winding me up over football and today’s discussion was based on one of the Big Teams dominance. I knew he actually agreed with me, but we would have the arguments to break the boredom of the day. Computer programming could be so engrossing but only if you were working on a project you enjoyed. If not then the time seemed to stop and you would will the minute hand round the clock. Arguing over football matches was one way to pass the time in between the endless hours typing code and testing the results. Working in the same place for five years, going to the same desk and sitting opposite the same people, got pretty monotonous after a while.
“What’s that noise?” I asked. We both became quiet and listened. The sound we could hear was an air raid warning sound. We both knew we worked near a high security mental asylum housing some of England’s most notorious psychopaths, and they tested the alarms every Monday morning, but today was Thursday and the alarm sounded different. I realised the entire office had gone very quiet as everyone tried to determine what the alarm was for. Suddenly everyone’s concentration was broken by a phone call on my manager’s desk.
“Hello…oh hi Maureen. Really ok..” He looked up from his call and announced to the entire office that everyone was to leave the office immediately.
“What’s the problem Carl?” Rebecca the Accounts manager from the other side of the office shouted across the room.
“Don’t know Becky must be something to do with the alarm though I guess”
“Must be serious if they’re sending us home”
We all started packing our stuff everyone suggesting reasons what was going on. I clicked on my internet browser to check the time of my next train. All trains had been suspended.
“All my trains have been cancelled” I announced wondering what the hell is going on. I could see an hyperlink saying Latest Service Bulletins. I clicked on the link and read the words out loud to the rest of the office:
“Due to the national emergency in Surrey all train services are suspended. Please listen to BBC radio for instructions”
“All trains have been cancelled “ I said “All of over the county says “Due to the National Emergency”
I suddenly realised everyone had become quite pale.
“Has anyone got a radio?” Carl asked.
“I’ve got one on my phone” Karishma suggested. The whole office had stopped and had crowded round the IT department’s desk. Everyone wanted to know what was going on. The mobile phone wasn’t very loud and we missed the first part of the announcement as someone suggested Karishma turn the volume up. Eventually we heard a voice announce:
“The emergency was announced by the government around 11am. Everyone in the county is instructed to make their way home and do not venture out until further notice. All roads into Surrey have been blocked and all train routes have been diverted.“
“What is going on?” Rebecca said.
“Shh”, said Karishma angrily
Again we listed to the broadcast this time the voice was that of the Prime Minister:
“I have had no choice but to make this decision. This is a serious matter and a curfew across the South of England will be in force. There must be no-one outside beyond this time. Please go home and do not venture out. I beg you please it is a matter of the utmost urgency and it is highly dangerous for anyone to be out beyond this time.”
“Prime Minister can you give us specific details of the emergency”
“I can only give you the advice I have been given which is that everyone return to their homes”
“Must be some kind of chemical leak” Simon said “Come on let’s go, Colin I’ll give you a lift home”
WE headed out of the building and could see the roads packed with car’s chocker blocked in both directions.
“Great “ I said looks like everyone is stuck here.
The rain was bucketing down so I put up my umbrella and we made it to where he was parked and got in to the car. He switched the radio on but it was the same broadcast as we had just heard.
“The radio personnel must have gone home “ I said “They are playing a recorded message over and over”
I was becomingly nervous as to what had happened and what would cause this announcement. I found I was physically shaking. It seemed like something dramatic was about to happen but no-one knew what.
Simon started the car and a white car let us into the queue of traffic. We waved our thanks and he acknowledged it.
“He looks as worried as I feel” I said.
“I know me too “ said Simon.
“You were wrong about the football” I said Trying to change the subject
“A goal is a goal” He laughed, joining the charade of normality.
Our progress was painfully slow, followed by arduous minutes of silence as we waited to move again and were left in our own thoughts about what could be wrong. I typed a text:
“Been sent home from work early. No one has a clue why. Hope you are ok.”
I then went through my address book selecting my siblings, my mum and Dad. The last name on the list was the girl I loved. We hadn’t spoken for months and she was still angry at me. I ticked her name and sent the text. I received a reply a few moments later and eagerly opened it hoping it was from her, but it was my brother telling me he had already been sent home and had no idea why.
“My brother’s home already” I said
“Does he know what’s going on?” Simon asked
“No” I replied.
About 45 minutes later we had made about 2 and a half miles and were talking about the football again. Suddenly we passed a girl walking along the side of the road, and we recognised it as our friend Michelle who we worked with. She was on her mobile phone. I wound down the window and shouted out her name. She didn’t hear me.
Simon sounded the horn but she again did not hear us. The car behind was using their horn thinking the car ahead of us was blocking the traffic. Simon moved on about 20 metres.
“Jump out and she if she wants a lift” simon said.
I opened the door and ran back.
“Alright mate want a lift” I said
“Hi mate, no Brad is coming to pick me up but he says he is stuck in this traffic so I’m walking to meet him”
Suddenly we both were startled by a herd of deer come running out of the woods in the fields across from us. There were about 6 of them all galloping at top speed across the field where they disappeared to the other side of the wood.
“You see” she said, “they know something bad is going to happen”
She turned to me and smiled. I hope Brad get’s here soon. She shivered and I suddenly realised it had stopped raining and the sun was out but there was a slight chilled wind blowing.
“Look” I said “Why don’t we cross these two fields and you can meet Brad and I’ll meet Simon when he get’s there”
“Ok” she said
I ran back to tell Simon popping my head in the car and telling him we would head across the fields and meet him.
“Take your time “ Simon said looks like it’s going to take me hours to get round there.
I ran back to Michelle who was still on the phone to her boyfriend.
“Ok see you later”.
“You ready” I asked with a smile.
“Ready when you are “ she said
We climbed over the stye and headed out over the field.
“What do you think this is all about?” I asked
“Dunno” she said “Probably a chemical leak”
“Yeah that’s what Si reckons, I don’t know though. IF it was chemical leak wouldn’t they tell everyone to stay put?”
We walked on coming up with several possibilities for the dramatic events, but finding faults with all our theories.
My mobile suddenly went off. It was my Mum:
“Are you coming home?”
“Yeah on my way home now”
“Duncan is here” Said they sent him home from the barracks this morning. Duncan was my twin brother.
“Really?” I said. “Did they say why? No one has a clue why this is happening.”
“No said it was a national emergency and they are not to report back until told”
“Ok I’ll see you later I might not be home for ages though as the traffic is terrible.
“Ok bye”
I hung up and turned to Michelle:
“My army brother has been sent home”
“Did he say why?” Michelle asked
“No I replied. No one knows anything surely it would be better to tell people so they know what to do and can prepare for the worse.”
My phone buzzed again it was a text message saying I had missed a call. I recognised Simon’s number and called his phone, he was engaged though. So I sent a text. The text failed to be sent though and I cursed as I realised the signal was too poor. As we walked on though the signal improved and my phone vibrated to tell me of an incoming call.
“Hi Si” I answered
“I can’t meet you at the other side of the field, some sort of military checkpoint they are diverting us towards Hatchgrove. I can’t turn around.”
“Ok” I said, I turned to Michelle, apparently Simon is having to go to Hatchgrove and he can’t turn around in the traffic.
“Tell him to go home Brad can drop you home”.
“Thanks mate” I said relieved.
“Thanks Si” I said again “You’ve let me down again haven’t you, I bet there was no roadblock”
“No honestly..”
“It’s ok I’m joking. Clarkie says Brad can drop me home”
“Ok sorry mate”
“See you”
I hung up. Michelle and I continued to the next field where the field ascended to a ridge. As we topped the slope we could see the streams of traffic heading away from us and the Army personnel turning people away from the main road. Michelle’s mobile rang
“Hello where are you?”
“Yeah Simon has just been diverted to Hatchgate as well. Well I don’t know Brad. What do you want me to do? There’s no point shouting”
Luckily I had caught the train home with Michelle and knew she and Brad frequently had these kind of arguments. He was laid back and she was a workaholic and the two complemented each other perfectly. She was telling him to go to a small village the other side of Hatchgate. I couldn’t help feeling this was some sort of disaster movie, with everything that could go wrong going wrong.
“He is going to meet us at Hatchgate” she said hanging up.
“Everything is going wrong I observed to her.”
“It’s strange” she said “because I haven’t noticed any wildlife other than the deers we saw earlier.”
“You’re right” I said. “There is no bird song either”
We both listened but could hear none. It suddenly occurred to me of another time in my life when I had experienced this.
“I remember a solar eclipse when I was younger” I said “The same thing happened all the birds went quiet in the middle of the day.”
“Maybe that’s it” she said, “some kind of solar eclipse”
“Hmm I’ve just had a though what if it’s some kind of satellite that is out of control and is going hit somewhere in the south of England” AS I suggested the idea, it all seemed to fit.
“Or a meteorite” Michelle said
“I don’t think they can predict meteorite impacts” I said remembering some tv programme I had watched.
“OF course they can” she said
“It does make sense” I said
We were nearing the end of the 3rd field of 6 between us and the checkpoints when we noticed the traffic had all gone. We could see a single landrover approach the checkpoint and drive off. We could see one of the soldiers on a mobile phone and it was this man who spotted us as we crossed the sty for the fourth field. He waved us over. It took us several minutes to reach him.
“This area is out of bounds I’m afraid” the soldier said. He was smiling and I’m sure he assumed we were some kind of courting couple on a countryside diversion.
“Sorry” I said “We got stranded. We need to get to Hatchgate.”
“Head down that road the soldier replied”
“That’s a dual-carriage way” I said, it has no pavements.”
“All the traffic has gone” said the soldier “I’m just awaiting permission to leave here and I’ll catch up with you in the landrover and give you a lift.”
“What is all this? I asked knowing he wouldn’t tell me. I had asked that question so many times today and was beginning to wonder if I would ever find out.
“My orders are we to seal off this road, why I don’t know.”
“Ok thanks” I said.
The first soldier answered his mobile and waved us off. The other soldier approached us, to this point he had not spoken.
“It’s just a precaution I believe” he said
“A precaution against what” I asked sensing a new source of information.
“All I know is we have been told to clear a 3mile radius for some kind of impact later. My advice to you is to get home.”
“So it is a satellite or meteor “ then I said triumphantly
The first soldier was coming close again now and he seemed more active. The second soldier now refrained from confirming my question. He hung up:
“Right you two we have been told to clear this area now so we will take you to shelter now”
We got into the landrover and sped off down the road. Suddenly the lieutenants phone went again and he answered sharply.
“What???? Ok” He hung up “Johnson stop the car. Everyone out take cover in the ditch”
WE rushed out and over behind a small brick wall next to the road. We waited, crouched behind the wall waiting for the impact. A full minute went past with no one saying anything. I waited still nothing. The first soldier relaxed and made a call on his mobile. My mobile phone then vibrated in my pocket to say a text message had been delivered. I reached into my pocket and removed the phone and looked down. It was a message from my the girl I loved:
“Yeah me too, hope you are ok as well”
I felt thrilled she had texted back forgetting the tension of the situation. I put the phone back in my pocket and waited. Still nothing.
Then we felt a thud. There was no bang just a sound of a heavy weight hitting mud. We all looked up from behind the wall, but couldn’t see anything from our position. Stay here ordered the lieutenant. He dialled a number on his phone and began reporting the situation. Suddenly there was a bright light like someone turning on a light when you have been in darkness. I covered my eyes unable to see anything clearly. Slowly I could make out the wall in front of me and I hugged it more closely. I could see vaguely the others doing the same. Then I could hear a humming noise and the light was gone. Then a buzzing noise like a swarm of wasps. I looked over the wall and saw three spherical objects floating in the air spinning round one after the other in a circular motion of a metre or so. They looked like disco lights spinning round on a carousel. The buzzing noise was being created from them as they spun round and round. They moved at the same speed but became the procession seemed to get faster and slower, faster and slower. I became aware the others were also watching them over the wall all of us transfixed. The lieutenant rang his phone again reporting the sighting.
“Keep still he ordered us, we have not been spotted.”
I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off of them as they span round and round. Suddenly one of the spherical objects broke off from the others and buzzed towards the wall. We all ducked and waited and then the buzzing sound moved away again back to the main source. We looked and could see all three of the spherical objects again following their spinning orbit.
“Right let’s move over there slowly the lieutenant said, keep your heads down”
The first soldier moved off and reached the edge of the barn he signalled for me to go. I crawled across relieved to get to the perceived safety of a roofed building. Michelle was next to go she was about 3 metres from the wall when again one of the spherical objects broke from the others and headed to the wall. She didn’t see it and I signalled for her to stop. She froze terrified and unable to see what was going on. The object again returned to the other two and continued to spin round.
I signalled for her to come but she wouldn’t move. I crawled back to her but couldn’t pull her, so crouched over her and began to lift her. She got to her feet, but Johnson was signalling for us to wait. I could suddenly hear the buzzing again and realised one of the balls was right next to us. I swallowed unable to breath as the ball went past my face and stopped face to face with Michelle.
I looked to the lieutenant for advice and whispered what do we do.
“Don’t touch the orbs” he said
I looked back at Michelle and she was holding the spherical object. The buzzing had stopped. One of the remaining orbs broke off and flew towards the other. It stopped opposite me and floated down into my leg, I was petrified but when it hit my leg it suddenly burst like a bubble and I didn’t even feel it touch me. Michelle’s one burst too. They were bubbles with no residue left on us. At this point the lieutenant stood up pulled his gun out and shot the last orb. This one though did not disappear on bursting and instead looked like a melon had been sliced.
I could hear the lieutenant swearing loudly. For a whole minute he stood cursing next to the wall. He then approached us angrily, his rage seemed to know no bounds.
“Do you realise what you’ve just done???” he screamed. “They’ll be coming for us now”