STRANGE SCIENCE FICTION AND FANTASY OMNIBUS by Benson Grayson

Author:Benson Grayson [Grayson, Benson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Benson Grayson
Published: 2014-09-17T07:00:00+00:00

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The first sensation William Morrison had was one of floating on a body of water. He struggled to open his eyes, and when he succeeded, he found he was lying flat on the deck of what seemed to be a wooden boat. Raising himself up, he saw the boat was indeed on a body of water, the extent of which he could not ascertain because of a dense fog on all sides. The boat appeared to be moving at a slow but steady pace through the water. The stern of the boat was enveloped in fog; he saw no crew member, sails and heard no engine, so that he had no idea of what was propelling the craft.

After some period, Morrison saw what seemed to be land in the distance. The boat moved steadily forward and it became clear that what he saw was indeed land. A white sandy beach along the shore gave rise further inland to a peak covered with trees. There were no traces of human habitation. The boat touched gently on the sand and stopped. Nothing happened. After a few minutes, Morrison climbed out of the boat and cautiously took a few steps.

Turning to reassure himself that the boat was still there, he was horrified to see it had silently departed and was now disappearing into the fog. He had no choice. Apparently he was marooned here, whether for good or evil he knew not...Having no other alternative, he decided to explore. Possibly he might find some civilization, though that appeared too unlikely. Morrison saw no birds or any other form of animal life. Curiously, all of the vegetation seemed to be of a single type, each some dozen feet tall and bearing a reddish fruit he had never seen before.

Morrison found that he was famished. He was tempted to taste the strange fruit, but decided not to because it might be poisonous. He wished that there were some birds around since if he saw them eating the fruit; he could be reasonably sure it would not harm him, Further on; he encountered a small stream, rapidly flowing down from the mountain into the sea. He knelt and tasted it. The water was clear and cold. At least, he thought, he would not suffer from thirst.

He continued along the beach until reached a point at which a high ridge ran down from the mountain to the sea, making further progress impossible. He thought of ascending the mountain, but decided to postpone it for another today, hopefully after he had found something to eat. Returning the way he had come, he was heartened and excited when he saw a round thatch hut a short way off beyond the beach under some of the trees. There was no sign of any inhabitant, and when he approached and entered it, he found the hut completely bare. No furniture, no implements, no sign that anyone else had ever been there. Who had made it, since it clearly could not have made itself or put together by nature, was a mystery.

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