Then, on the ninth day, we saw the Martians eating
Inside the hood of their new machine
They were draining the fresh living blood of men and women
And injecting it into their own veins
Argh! It's a sign! I've been given a sign
They must be cast out
And I have been chosen to do it
I must confront them now
No Parson, No!
Those machines are just demons in another form
I shall destroy them with my prayers
I shall burn them with my holy cross
I shall
The curious eye of a Martian appeared at the window slit
And a menacing claw explored the room
I dragged the parson down to the coal cellar
I heard the Martian fumbling at the latch
In the darkness I could see the claw touching things; walls, coal, wood
And then, it touched my boot. I almost shouted
For a time it was still, and then, with a click, it gripped something
The parson! With slow, deliberate movements
His unconscious body was dragged away
And there was nothing I could do to prevent it!
I crept to the blocked window slit and peered through the creeper
The Martians, and all their machinery, had gone!
Trembling, I dug my way out and clambered to the top of the mound
Not a Martian in sight!
The day seemed dazzling bright after my imprisonment and the sky a glowing blue
Red Weed covered every scrap of ground but a gentle breeze kept it swaying
And oh, the sweetness of the air