My younger brother was in London when the Martians landed. He was a medical student (a person who studies to be a doctor). He was busy studying for a big test. He did not hear about the Martians until Saturday morning.
The morning newspapers had a small story about Mars. The story said the Martians were in a pit. It said the Martians killed some people with a fast gun. But the newspapers said the Martians could not move easily. They said the Martians were heavy because of the Earth's gravity (the natural force that pulls everything down). The news made people feel safe.
My brother went to his science class that day. All the students talked about the Martians. But the streets of London were normal. People were not excited. Later, the evening papers said the telegraph lines were broken. People thought a tree fell on the wires. No one knew about the real fighting yet.
My brother was not worried about me. He knew my house was two miles away from the Martian pit. He decided to visit me that night. He wanted to see the Martians before the soldiers killed them. He sent me a telegram, but I never received it.
On Saturday night, there was a big storm in London. My brother went to the train station. He waited for the midnight train to Woking. But the workers said the trains were not running. They said there was an accident on the tracks. The workers did not know the Martians caused the accident.
On Sunday morning, most people in London were still calm. They did not read the Sunday newspapers. They felt very safe in their big city. But the news was becoming worse. One newspaper said the Martians destroyed a whole group of soldiers. It said the army's guns did not work against the Martian metal.
The news said the Martians were moving toward London. A new story called the Martians "a group of wild animals in a small village." But no one in London really understood the danger. They thought the Martians were slow and could only crawl.
On Sunday morning, my brother went to church. He heard a special prayer for peace. After church, he bought a newspaper. He saw the scary news and felt afraid. He went back to the train station. The workers told him that more train lines were broken.
"There is fighting near the river," a worker said. More people arrived at the station. They were angry because the trains were late. Some people arrived from the towns near Woking. They looked very afraid. They said the Martians were coming.
At five o’clock, my brother saw big guns on the trains. Many soldiers were going to the fight. The soldiers laughed and told jokes. They thought they would win easily. Then the police told everyone to leave the station.
The sun was setting over London. The sky was gold and purple. It looked very peaceful. My brother walked into the street. He saw men selling new papers. They shouted, "London is in danger! The Martians are winning!" My brother bought a paper and read it.
Finally, he understood the truth. The Martians were not small, slow creatures. They were giant, metal machines. They were like tripods (a machine with three long legs). They were 100 feet tall and moved as fast as a train. They had a Heat-Ray (a beam of light that burns everything).
The newspaper said the Martians destroyed many soldiers. The army tried to stop them, but the Martians were too strong. However, the soldiers did kill one Martian. The news said there were only fifteen Martians. It told people not to have a panic (a sudden, strong feeling of fear). It said London was still safe.
My brother saw many people reading the pink newspapers. Everyone was talking at once. In the street, he saw some refugees (people who run away from danger). They had carts with furniture and bags. They looked very tired and dirty. They were very different from the clean people in London.
One man was on a tricycle. His face was white with fear. My brother asked people for news about Woking. One man said Woking was completely destroyed. The man said a soldier told him to run away. People began to feel that the leaders were not doing a good job.
Late at night, my brother heard the sound of big guns far away. He walked to his room near the park. He saw more carts full of people. But many people in London still did not know the danger. Couples walked together under the street lamps. The night was warm and quiet.
My brother went to bed, but he had bad dreams. In the early hours of Monday morning, he woke up. He heard people running and bells ringing. He saw a red light on his ceiling. He ran to the window.
People were shouting in the street. A policeman knocked on every door. "The Martians are coming!" the policeman shouted. "They are coming!" Every window in the street opened. People were scared and confused.
Cabs and carriages drove past very fast. My brother’s friend came into the room. He was only wearing his trousers and a shirt. "Is there a fire?" the friend asked. They looked out the window together.
Men were selling newspapers again. They shouted, "Black Smoke! London is in danger!" People all over the city were waking up. They were starting to feel the great panic.
My brother went outside. The sky was becoming pink with the morning sun. Many people were running away. A man was selling papers for a lot of money. My brother bought one. He read a message from the leader of the army.
The message said the Martians had a new weapon. It was Black Smoke (a dark, poisonous gas). The smoke killed everyone. The army could not stop it. The leader said everyone must run away immediately.
Six million people in London began to move. They were all running north. "Black Smoke!" they cried. "Fire!" A cart crashed in the street. People were screaming. The city was full of yellow lights and loud noises.
My brother went back to his room. He took all his money. He had ten pounds. Then he went back into the street to join the crowd. He had to leave London to stay alive.