The Last Days of Thunder Child: Victorian Britain in Chaos! by C.A. Powell

Author:C.A. Powell [Powell, C.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Retro Brit Publishing
Published: 2013-12-28T07:00:00+00:00

The Patience of Mister Stanley

“I think it will have to be me who goes out first,” said the young sailor nervously in the confining gloom. He was trying hard to be courageous, but he was terrified. “If anything happens to you, Mister Stanley, it’ll be difficult for Mrs. Wade and myself.”

“It’ll be difficult for all of us whatever happens, lad.” Mister Stanley’s ever consoling voice was the one soothing thing the darkness thankfully contained. “It is my earnest ambition to get us all out of this mess. I intend to do it and, by God, it will happen. Strike another match, lad, and I’ll see what the time is.”

The young sailor fumbled in the darkness for a moment, then suddenly there was a welcome flash that once again caused them to blink while they adjusted to the light. Mister Stanley was quick to look at his watch.

“Five past seven,” he muttered. “God, its June and we still have at least two hours of daylight.”

“I’ll go out carefully and stand against the backyard wall,” offered the young sailor again. “I’ll open the backyard door just a wee bit to look.”

“It’s too risky, boy. Not yet, let’s wait a little longer.” Mrs. Wade was fighting a battle of containment. Her voice was shaky and the strain was beginning to tell.

Mister Stanley took a deep breath as the match light went out. “Well, we can’t continue like this. I’ll go.”

There followed immediate protests from Mrs. Wade and the young sailor. Mister Stanley raised his arm for silence. It was a foolish thing to do as none could see in the pitch darkness.

“I’ll be extremely cautious and will make straight for the wall, which this bunker is against. I don’t know why, but I think the creature was on the other side of the wall.”

“It might see you,” protested Mrs. Wade.

Again, Mister Stanley reached out and touched the frightened lady’s hand. “Mrs. Wade, we must attempt something sooner or later and we need to know the lay of the land. I’ll be as watchful as I can. I promise you.”

He gingerly pushed up the lid a fraction and peeped out into the yard. The mist was all but gone and the clear day was once again in place. It was deathly quiet, however, and the absence of seagulls was notable. It left an uncanny impression upon the little world of Mrs. Wade’s backyard.

Cautiously, he raised the lid further and gingerly climbed out, closing the lid once his feet were firmly on the ground. For a moment, he waited while gathering his frightened wits and regulating his breathing so that he calmed. Climbing out of the coal bunker had been a major feat—more so then he imagined it to be. After a while, he began to look cautiously about him. The evening was clear and the recent foul-smelling mist had cleared. At any other time, it would have been a wonderful late summer evening. All he could hear was the sound of the sea, almost haunting as it splashed upon the distant and unseen shingle at the front of the cottage.

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