8 Weena

CHAPTER 8 Weena So the world was a mystery. But at least I was able to make a friend. On the third day of my stay, I was watching some of the Eloi bathing and playing in the river. One got caught in the faster part of the river and started to drift downstream. None of the Eloi did anything. They just watched as their friend cried for help

and was carried farther away. So I quickly waded into the river and grabbed the young Eloi's arm. I could see now that it was a young woman. I pulled her to shore, carried her to a shady spot, and gently laid her down on the grass. After a few minutes, she felt better and I left her alone. Later that day, I was returning from a hike. Suddenly, the same young woman appeared carrying handfuls of flowers. She laughed with delight and handed me the gift. I had been feeling lonely since arriving in the future. It made me feel good to see her smile and to receive the flowers from her. We sat on a bench and talked as best we could. I discovered that her name was Weena. From that day, she followed me everywhere. She even tried to come with me on my hikes. But I needed to explore the countryside, and I wasn't sure she would be able to keep up, so I made her stay at home. When I did this, she became very upset. But we both felt happy when I returned at

the end of the day. It made me feel like I was coming home. I soon discovered that Weena and the Eloi were afraid of the dark. They were happy and carefree during the day, but when night fell, the little people hurried into their great buildings. I never saw one outside after sunset. I also discovered that they never slept alone. In fact, they became quite upset when I slept in a small room by myself. I also noticed that if I entered one of these large sleeping rooms at night without a light, they became frantic. One morning, I dreamed that I was drowning and that sea creatures were crawling over my face. I woke up suddenly and thought I saw an animal run from my room. I couldn't fall back to sleep again, so I got up and stepped outside for some fresh air. I stood at the top of the front stairs and looked out at the countryside. The moon was setting. The dawn light was dim, and the bushes were still very dark. I looked

at a nearby hill and, to my surprise, saw some animals running about. They looked like large apes, and were as white as ghosts. When they disappeared into the bushes, I wondered if I'd really seen them or if it was my imagination. As the sun rose and the light got brighter, I looked for the creatures again. But they were gone. Maybe they were ghosts, I said to myself as a joke. I laughed. But inside, I was worried about these new beings.