The Plattner Story by H.G. Wells
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head, albeit with singularly large eyes, and wearing such an expression of distress and anguish as he had never seen before upon mortal countenance . he_was surprised to_find that_it did_not turn to regard him, but seemed to_be watching and following some unseen moving thing . for a moment he_was puzzled, and then it occurred to him that_this creature was watching with its enormous eyes something that was happening in_the_world he had just left . nearer it came, and nearer, and he_was too astonished to cry out . it made a very faint fretting sound as it came close to him . then it struck his face with a gentle pat-- its touch was very cold-- and drove past him, and upward towards the crest of_the hill .

an extraordinary conviction flashed across Plattner's mind that_this head had a strong likeness to Lidgett . then he turned his attention to_the other heads that were now swarming thickly up the hill- side . none made the slightest sign of recognition . one_or_two, indeed, came close to_his head and almost followed the example of_the first, but he dodged convulsively out_of_the way . upon most of_them he_saw the same expression of unavailing regret he had seen upon_the first, and heard the same faint sounds of wretchedness from_them . one_or_two wept, and one rolling swiftly uphill wore an expression of diabolical rage . but others were cold, and several had a look of gratified interest in their eyes . one, at_least, was almost in an ecstasy of happiness .Plattner does_not remember that he recognised any more likenesses in those he_saw at_this_time .

for several hours, perhaps, Plattner watched these strange things dispersing themselves over the hills, and not till long after they had ceased to issue from_the clustering black buildings in_the gorge, did he resume his downward climb . the darkness about him increased so_much that he had a difficulty in stepping true . overhead the sky was now a bright, pale green . he_felt neither hunger nor thirst . later, when he_did, he_found a chilly stream running down the centre of_the gorge, and_the rare moss upon_the boulders, when he tried it at last in desperation, was good to eat .

he groped about among_the tombs that ran down the gorge, seeking vaguely for some clue to_these inexplicable things . after a long_time he_came to_the entrance of_the big mausoleum- like building from_which the heads had issued . in_this he_found a group of green lights burning upon a kind of basaltic altar, and a bell- rope from a belfry overhead hanging down into_the centre of_the place . round the wall ran alettering of fire in a character unknown to him . while he_was still wondering at_the purport of_these things, he heard the receding tramp of heavy feet echoing far down the street . he ran out into_the darkness again, but he could_see nothing . he had a mind to pull the bell- rope, and finally decided to_follow the footsteps . but, although he ran far, he never overtook them; and_his shouting was of no avail . the gorge seemed to extend an interminable distance . it_was as dark as earthly starlight throughout its length, while the ghastly green day lay along the upper edge of_its precipices . there were none_of_the heads, now, below . they were all, it seemed, busily occupied along the upper slopes . looking up, he_saw them drifting hither and thither, some hovering stationary, some flying swiftly through_the air . it reminded him, he_said, of " big snowflakes"; only these were black and pale green .

in pursuing the firm, undeviating footsteps that he never overtook, in groping into new regions of_this endless devil's dyke, in clambering up and down the pitiless heights, in wandering about_the summits, and in watching the drifting faces, Plattner states that he spent the better part of seven or eight days . he_did_not keep count, he_says . though once_or_twice he_found eyes watching him, he had word with no living soul . he slept among_the rocks on_the hillside . in_the gorge things earthly were invisible, because, from_the earthly standpoint, it_was far underground . on_the altitudes, so soon as_the earthly day began, the world became visible to him . he_found himself sometimes stumbling over the dark green rocks, or arresting himself on a precipitous brink, while all about him the green branches of_the Sussexville lanes were swaying; or, again, he_seemed to_be walking through_the Sussexville streets, or watching unseen the private business of some household . and then it_was he discovered, that to almost every human being in_our world there pertained some_of_these drifting heads; that everyone in_the_world is watched intermittently by_these helpless disembodiments .

what_are they-- these Watchers of_the Living ? Plattner never learned . but two, that presently found and followed him, were like his childhood's memory of_his father and mother . now_and_then other faces turned their eyes upon him: eyes like those of dead people who had swayed him, or injured him, or helped him in_his youth and manhood . whenever they looked at him, Plattner was overcome with a strange sense of responsibility . to_his mother he ventured to_speak; but she made no answer . she looked sadly, steadfastly, and tenderly--a little reproachfully, too, it seemed-- into his eyes .

he simply tells this story: he_does_not endeavour to explain . we_are left to surmise who these Watchers of_the Living may_be, or, if_they_are indeed the dead, why they should so closely and passionately watch a world they_have left for ever . it may_be-- indeed to my mind it seems just-- that, when our life has closed, when evil or good is no longer a choice for_us, we_may still have to witness the working out_of_the train of consequences we_have laid . if human souls continue after death, then surely human interests continue after death . but that_is merely my own guess at_the meaning of_the things seen .Plattner offers no interpretation, for none was given him . it_is well the reader should understand this clearly . day after day, with_his head reeling, he wandered about_this strange lit world outside the world, weary and, towards the end, weak and hungry . by day-- by our earthly day, that_is-- the ghostly vision of_the old familiar scenery of Sussexville, all about him, irked and worried him . he could_not_see where to_put his feet, and ever and again with a chilly touch one_of_these Watching Souls would come against his face . and after dark the multitude of_these Watchers about him, and their intent distress, confused his mind beyond describing .a great longing to return to_the earthly life that was so near and yet so remote consumed him . the unearthliness of things about him produced apositively painful mental distress . he_was worried beyond describing by his own particular followers . he_would shout at them to desist from staring at him, scold at them, hurry away from_them . they were always mute and intent . run as he might over the uneven ground, they followed his destinies .

on_the ninth day, towards evening, Plattner heard the invisible footsteps approaching, far away down the gorge . he_was then wandering over the broad crest of_the same hill upon_which he had fallen in_his entry into_this strange other- world of_his . he turned to hurry down into_the gorge, feeling his way hastily, and was arrested by_the sight of_the thing that was happening in a room in a back street near the school . both of_the people in_the room he_knew by sight . the windows were open, the blinds up, and_the setting sun shone clearly into_it, so_that it came out quite brightly at first, a vivid oblong of room, lying like a magic- lantern picture upon_the black landscape and_the livid green dawn . in_addition_to_the sunlight, a candle had just been lit in_the room .

on_the bed lay a lank man, his ghastly white face terrible upon_the tumbled pillow . his clenched hands were raised above his head .a little table beside the bed carried a few medicine bottles, some toast and water, and an empty glass . every now_and_then the lank man's lips fell apart, to indicate a word he_could_not articulate . but the woman did_not notice that he_wanted anything, because she was busy turning out papers from an old- fashioned bureau in_the opposite corner of_the room . at first the picture was very vivid indeed, but as_the green dawn behind it grew brighter and brighter, so it became fainter and more and more transparent .

as_the echoing footsteps paced nearer and nearer, those footsteps that sound so loud in_that other- world and come so silently in_this, Plattner perceived about him a great multitude of dim faces gathering together out_of_the darkness and watching the two people in_the room . never before had he seen so_many_of_the Watchers of_the Living .a multitude had eyes only for_the sufferer in_the room, another multitude, in infinite anguish, watched the woman as she hunted with greedy eyes for something she_could_not find . they crowded about Plattner, they came across his sight and buffeted his face, the noise of_their unavailing regrets was all about him . he_saw clearly only now_and_then . at other times the picture quivered dimly, through_the veil of green reflections upon their movements . in_the room it must_have been very still, and Plattner says the candle flame streamed up into a perfectly vertical line of smoke, but in_his ears each footfall and its echoes beat like a clap of thunder . and_the faces ! two, more particularly near the woman's: one a woman's also, white and clear- featured, a face which might_have once been cold and hard, but which_was now softened by_the touch of a wisdom strange to earth . the other might_have_been the woman's father . both were evidently absorbed in_the contemplation of some act of hateful meanness, so it seemed, which they_could no longer guard against and prevent . behind were others, teachers, it may_be, who had taught ill, friends whose influence had failed . and over the man, too--a multitude, but none that seemed to_be parents or teachers ! Faces that might once have_been coarse, now purged to strength by sorrow ! and in_the forefront one face, a girlish one, neither angry nor remorseful, but merely patient and weary, and, as it seemed to Plattner, waiting for relief . his powers of description fail him at_the memory of_this multitude of ghastly countenances . they gathered on_the stroke of_the bell . he_saw them all in_the space of a second . it would seem that he_was so worked on by his excitement that, quite involuntarily, his restless fingers took the bottle of green powder out of_his pocket and held it before him . but he_does_not remember that .

abruptly the footsteps ceased . he waited for_the next, and there_was silence, and then suddenly, cutting through_the unexpected stillness like a keen, thin blade, came the first stroke of_the bell . at that_the multitudinous faces swayed to and fro, and a louder crying began all about him . the woman did_not hear; she was burning something now in_the candle flame . at_the second stroke everything grew dim, and a breath of wind, icy cold, blew through_the host of watchers . they swirled about him like an eddy of dead leaves in_the spring, and at_the third stroke something was extended through them to_the bed . you_have heard of a beam of light . this_was like a beam of darkness, and looking again at it, Plattner saw that_it_was a shadowy arm and hand .

the green sun was now topping the black desolations of_the horizon, and_the vision of_the room was very faint .Plattner could_see that_the white of_the bed struggled, and was convulsed; and_that the woman looked round over her shoulder at it, startled .

the cloud of watchers lifted high like a puff of green dust before_the wind, and swept swiftly downward towards the temple in_the gorge . then suddenly Plattner understood the meaning of_the shadowy black arm that stretched across his shoulder and clutched its prey . he_did_not dare turn his head to_see the shadow behind the arm . with a violent effort, and covering his eyes, he set himself to run, made, perhaps, twenty strides, then slipped on a boulder, and fell . he fell forward on_his hands; and_the bottle smashed and exploded as he touched the ground .

in another moment he_found himself, stunned and bleeding, sitting face_to_face with Lidgett in_the old walled garden behind the school .

* * * * *

there the story of Plattner's experiences ends . I_have resisted, I believe successfully, the natural disposition of a writer of fiction to dress up incidents of_this sort . I_have told the thing as far as possible in_the order in_which Plattner told it to_me . I_have carefully avoided any attempt at style, effect, or construction . it would_have_been easy, for instance, to_have worked the scene of_the death- bed into a kind of plot in_which Plattner might_have_been involved . but, quite apart from_the objectionableness of falsifying a most extraordinary true story, any such trite devices would spoil, to my mind, the peculiar effect of_this dark world, with its livid green illumination and its drifting Watchers of_the Living, which, unseen and unapproachable to_us, is yet lying all about us .

it remains to add that a death did actually occur in Vincent terrace, just beyond the school garden, and, so_far as can_be proved, at_the moment of Plattner's return . deceased was a rate- collector and insurance agent . his widow, who was much younger than himself, married last month aMr Whymper, a veterinary surgeon of Allbeeding . as_the portion of_this story given here has in various forms circulated orally in Sussexville, she has consented to my use of her name, on condition that I make it distinctly known that she emphatically contradicts every detail of Plattner's account of her husband's last moments . she burnt no will, she says, although Plattner never accused her of doing_so; her husband made but one will, and_that just after their marriage . certainly, from a man who had never seen it, Plattner's account of_the furniture of_the room was curiously accurate .

one other thing, even at_the risk of an irksome repetition, I_must insist upon, lest I seem to favour the credulous, superstitious view .Plattner's absence from_the world for nine days is, i_think, proved . but that_does_not prove his story . it_is quite conceivable that even outside space hallucinations may_be possible . that, at_least, the reader must bear distinctly in mind .

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