“Ɖ nxt nît I dd nt slīp wel. Probbli mî hlʈ wz a litl dsordrd. I wz oprest wɖ pplex̣ti n dǎt. Wns or twîs I hd a fīlñ v intns fir fr ẃć I cd psiv no defiṇt rīzn. I rmembr crīpñ nôzlisli intu ɖ gret hōl ẃr ɖ litl ppl wr slīpñ in ɖ mūnlît—ɖt nît Wīna wz amñ ɖm—n fīlñ ri’śurd bî ɖer prezns. It ocŕd t m īvn ɖen, ɖt in ɖ cors v a fy dez ɖ mūn mst pas ʈru its last qortr, n ɖ nîts gro darc, ẃn ɖ apiṛnsz v ɖz unpleznt crīćrz fṛm b’lo, ɖz ẃîtnd Līmrz, ɖs ny vrmin ɖt hd rplest ɖ old, mt b mor abundnt. N on bʈ ɖz dez I hd ɖ restlis fīlñ v wn hu śrcs an inevitbl dyti. I flt aśurd ɖt ɖ Tîm̦śīn wz onli t b rcuvrd bî boldli peṇtretñ ɖz unḍgrǎnd misṭriz. Yt I cd nt fes ɖ misṭri. F onli I hd hd a cmpańn it wd hv bn difṛnt. Bt I wz so hoṛbli alon, n īvn t clambr dǎn intu ɖ darcnis v ɖ wel apōld m. I d’nt nǒ f y wl unḍstand mî fīlñ, bt I nvr flt qt sef at mî bac.

“It wz ɖs restlisnis, ɖs inṣkṛti, phps, ɖt drouv m frɖr n frɖr afīld in mî xplorñxṗdiśnz. Gwñ t ɖ sǎʈ-wstẉd twdz ɖ rîzñ cuntri ɖt z nǎ cōld Cūm Wŭd, I obzrvd far of, in ɖ drex́n v nîntīnʈ-snćri Banstid, a vast grīn strucćr, difṛnt in caṛctr fṛm eni I hd hɖtu sìn. It wz larjr ɖn ɖ larjist v ɖ paḷsz or ruinz I ń, n ɖ fsād hd an Orientl lc: ɖ fes v it hvñ ɖ lustr, az wel az ɖ pel-grīn tint, a cnd v bluiś-grīn, v a srtn tîp v Ćînīz porṣlin. Ɖs difṛns in aspect sjstd a difṛns in ys, n I wz mîndd t pś on n xplor. Bt ɖ de wz growñ lêt, n I hd cm upn ɖ sît v ɖ ples aftr a loñ n tîrñ srcit; so I rzolvd t hold ovr ɖ advnćr fr ɖ folowñ de, n I rtrnd t ɖ welcm n ɖ c’resz v litl Wīna. Bt nxt mornñ I psivd clirli inuf ɖt mî krioṣti rgardñ ɖ Palis v Grīn Porṣlin wz a pìs v slf-dspśn, t inebl m t śrc, bî anɖr de, an xpirịns I dredd. I rzolvd I wd mc ɖ dsent wɖǎt frɖr west v tîm, n startd ǎt in ɖ ŕli mornñ twdz a wel nir ɖ ruinz v granit n aḷmińm.

“Litl Wīna ran wɖ m. Ś danst bsd m t ɖ wel, bt ẃn ś sw m līn ovr ɖ mǎʈ n lc dǎnẉd, ś sīmd strenjli discnsrtd. “Gdbî, litl Wīna,” I sd, cisñ hr; n ɖen ptñ hr dǎn, I bgan t fīl ovr ɖ paṛpit fr ɖ clîmñ-hcs. Rɖr hesṭli, I me az wel cnfes, fr I fird mî curij mt līc awe! At frst ś woćt m in amezmnt. Ɖen ś gev a most pitịs crî, n runñ t m, ś bgan t pl at m wɖ hr litl handz. I ʈnc hr opziśn nrvd m rɖr t pṛsid. I śc hr of, phps a litl rufli, n in anɖr momnt I wz in ɖ ʈrot v ɖ wel. I sw hr aġnîzd fes ovr ɖ paṛpit, n smîld t ri’śur hr. Ɖen I hd t lc dǎn at ɖ unstebl hcs t ẃć I cluñ.

“I hd t clambr dǎn a śaft v phps tū hundṛd yardz. Ɖ dsent wz ifctd bî mīnz v mtalic barz pṛjctñ fṛm ɖ sîdz v ɖ wel, n ɖz biyñ adaptd t ɖ nīdz v a crīćr mć smōlr n lîtr ɖn mslf, I wz spīḍli cramt n ftīgd bî ɖ dsent. N nt simpli ftīgd! Wn v ɖ barz bnt sudnli undr mî weit, n olmst swuñ m of intu ɖ blacnis bnʈ. Fr a momnt I huñ bî wn hand, n aftr ɖt xpirịns I dd nt der t rest agn. Ɖo mî armz n bac wr prezntli aktli penfl, I wnt on clambrñ dǎn ɖ śir dsent wɖ az qc a mośn az posibl. Glansñ upwd, I sw ɖ aṗćr, a smōl blu disc, in ẃć a star wz vizibl, ẃl litl Wīna’z hed śoud az a rnd blac pṛjx́n. Ɖ ʈudñ sǎnd v a mśīn b’lo grù lǎdr n mor opresiv. Evrʈñ sev ɖt litl disc abv wz pṛfǎndli darc, n ẃn I lct p agn Wīna hd dis’pird.

“I wz in an aġni v dscumf̣t. I hd sm ʈt v trayñ t g p ɖ śaft agn, n līv ɖ Unḍwrld alon. Bt īvn ẃl I trnd ɖs ovr in mî mînd I cntinyd t dsnd. At last, wɖ intns rlif, I sw dimli cmñ p, a ft t ɖ rît v m, a slendr lūphoul in ɖ wōl. Swññ mslf in, I faund it wz ɖ aṗćr v a naro hoṛzontl tunl in ẃć I cd lî dǎn n rest. It wz nt tù sn. Mî armz ect, mî bac wz cramt, n I wz tremḅlñ wɖ ɖ pṛloñd terr v a fōl. Bsdz ɖs, ɖ unbrocn darcnis hd hd a dstresñ ifct upn mî îz. Ɖ er wz fl v ɖ ʈrob n hum v mśīnri pumpñ er dǎn ɖ śaft.

“I d nt nǒ hǎ loñ I le. I wz rǎzd bî a soft hand tućñ mî fes. Startñ p in ɖ darcnis I snaćt at mî maćz n, hesṭli strîcñ wn, I sw ʈri stūpñ ẃît crīćrz siṃlr t ɖ wn I hd sìn abv grǎnd in ɖ ruin, hesṭli rtritñ bfr ɖ lît. Livñ, az ɖe dd, in ẃt apird t m impeṇtṛbl darcnis, ɖer îz wr abnorṃli larj n snṣtiv, jst az r ɖ pyplz v ɖ abizml fiśz, n ɖe rflectd ɖ lît in ɖ sem we. I hv no dǎt ɖe cd si m in ɖt rêlis obskṛti, n ɖe dd nt sīm t hv eni fir v m apart fṛm ɖ lît. Bt, so sn az I struc a mać in ordr t si ɖm, ɖe fled incontinntli, vaṇśñ intu darc gutrz n tunlz, fṛm ẃć ɖer îz glerd at m in ɖ strenjist faśn.

“I traid t cōl t ɖm, bt ɖ lanḡj ɖe hd wz apaṛntli difṛnt fṛm ɖt v ɖ Oṿwrld ppl; so ɖt I wz nīdz left t mî ǒn unedd ef̣ts, n ɖ ʈt v flît bfr xpḷreśn wz īvn ɖen in mî mînd. Bt I sd t mslf, “Y r in fr it nǎ,” n, fīlñ mî we alñ ɖ tunl, I faund ɖ nôz v mśīnri gro lǎdr. Prezntli ɖ wōlz fél awe fṛm m, n I cem t a larj opn spes, n strîcñ anɖr mać, sw ɖt I hd entrd a vast arćt cavn, ẃć strećt intu utr darcnis bynd ɖ renj v mî lît. Ɖ vy I hd v it wz az mć az wn cd si in ɖ brnñ v a mać.

“Nesseṛli mî meṃri z veg. Gret śeps lîc big mśīnz rouz ǎt v ɖ dimnis, n cast gṛtesc blac śadoz, in ẃć dim spectṛl Morlocs śltrd fṛm ɖ gler. Ɖ ples, bî ɖ bî, wz vri stufi n opresiv, n ɖ fent haliṭs v freśli śed blud wz in ɖ er. Sm we dǎn ɖ sntṛl vista wz a litl tebl v ẃît metl, leid wɖ ẃt sīmd a mīl. Ɖ Morlocs at eni ret wr carnivṛs! Īvn at ɖ tîm, I rmembr wunḍrñ ẃt larj animl cd hv svîvd t frniś ɖ red jônt I sw. It wz ol vri indistñt: ɖ hevi smel, ɖ big unmīnñ śeps, ɖ obsin figrz lrcñ in ɖ śadoz, n onli wêtñ fr ɖ darcnis t cm at m agn! Ɖen ɖ mać brnd dǎn, n stuñ mî fngrz, n fél, a riġlñ red spot in ɖ blacnis.

“I hv ʈt sins hǎ ptiklrli il-iqipt I wz fr sć an xpirịns. Ẃn I hd startd wɖ ɖ Tîm̦śīn, I hd startd wɖ ɖ absrd asumśn ɖt ɖ men v ɖ Fyćr wd srtnli b infiṇtli ahd v ǎrslvz in ol ɖer aplaynsz. I hd cm wɖǎt armz, wɖǎt medisn, wɖǎt enʈñ t smoc—at tîmz I míst tbaco frîtf̣li—īvn wɖǎt inuf maćz. F onli I hd ʈt v a Codac! I cd hv flaśt ɖt glims v ɖ Unḍwrld in a secnd, n xamind it at leźr. Bt, az it wz, I std ɖr wɖ onli ɖ wepnz n ɖ pǎrz ɖt Nećr hd indaud m wɖ—handz, fīt, n tīʈ; ɖz, n for seftimaćz ɖt stl rmend t m.

“I wz afred t pś mî we in amñ ol ɖs mśīnri in ɖ darc, n it wz onli wɖ mî last glims v lît I dscuvrd ɖt mî stor v maćz hd run lo. It hd nvr ocŕd t m untl ɖt momnt ɖt ɖr wz eni nīd t icoṇmîz ɖm, n I hd westd olmst haf ɖ box in astoṇśñ ɖ Uṗwrldrz, t hūm fîr wz a novlti. Nǎ, az I se, I hd for left, n ẃl I std in ɖ darc, a hand tućt mîn, lanc fngrz cem fīlñ ovr mî fes, n I wz snsibl v a pkłr unpleznt ǒdr. I fansid I hrd ɖ briɖñ v a crǎd v ɖoz dredfl litl biyñz abt m. I flt ɖ box v maćz in mî hand biyñ jntli disingejd, n uɖr handz bhnd m plucñ at mî cloɖñ. Ɖ sns v ɖz unsìn crīćrz xaminñ m wz indiscrîbbli unpleznt. Ɖ sudn rịlîześn v mî ignṛns v ɖer wez v ʈncñ n dwñ cem hom t m vri vividli in ɖ darcnis. I śǎtd at ɖm az lǎdli az I cd. Ɖe startd awe, n ɖen I cd fīl ɖm aproćñ m agn. Ɖe clućt at m mor boldli, ẃisṗrñ od sǎndz t ć uɖr. I śivrd vayḷntli, n śǎtd agn—rɖr dscordntli. Ɖs tîm ɖe wr nt so sirịsli alarmd, n ɖe md a qir lafñ nôz az ɖe cem bac at m. I wl cnfes I wz hoṛbli frîtnd. I dtrmind t strîc anɖr mać n iscep undr ɖ pṛtx́n v its gler. I dd so, n īcñ ǎt ɖ flicr wɖ a scrap v pepr fṛm mî pocit, I md gd mî rtrit t ɖ naro tunl. Bt I hd scers entrd ɖs ẃn mî lît wz bloun ǎt n in ɖ blacnis I cd hír ɖ Morlocs ruṣlñ lîc wind amñ līvz, n paṭrñ lîc ɖ ren, az ɖe hurid aftr m.

“In a momnt I wz clućt bî sevṛl handz, n ɖr wz no mstecñ ɖt ɖe wr trayñ t hōl m bac. I struc anɖr lît, n wevd it in ɖer dazld fesz. Y cn scers imajn hǎ nōzietñli inhymn ɖe lct—ɖoz pel, ćinlis fesz n gret, lidlis, pnciś-gre îz!—az ɖe stérd in ɖer blîndnis n bwildrmnt. Bt I dd nt ste t lc, I promis y: I rtritd agn, n ẃn mî secnd mać hd endd, I struc mî ʈrd. It hd olmst brnd ʈru ẃn I rīćt ɖ oṗnñ intu ɖ śaft. I le dǎn on ɖ éj, fr ɖ ʈrob v ɖ gret pump b’lo md m gidi. Ɖen I flt sîdwez fr ɖ pṛjctñ hcs, n, az I dd so, mî fīt wr graspt fṛm bhnd, n I wz vayḷntli tugd bcwd. I lit mî last mać … n it incontinntli wnt ǎt. Bt I hd mî hand on ɖ clîmñbarz nǎ, n, cicñ vayḷntli, I disingejd mslf fṛm ɖ clućz v ɖ Morlocs n wz spīḍli clambrñ p ɖ śaft, ẃl ɖe steid pirñ n blincñ p at m: ol bt wn litl reć hu foloud m fr sm we, n wel-nî ṣkrd mî būt az a trofi.

“Ɖt clîm sīmd intrmiṇbl t m. Wɖ ɖ last twenti or ʈrti fīt v it a dedli nōzia cem upn m. I hd ɖ gretist dificlti in cīpñ mî hold. Ɖ last fy yardz wz a frîtfl strugl agnst ɖs fentnis. Sevṛl tîmz mî hed swam, n I flt ol ɖ snseśnz v fōlñ. At last, hvr, I got ovr ɖ welmǎʈ smhǎ, n stagrd ǎt v ɖ ruin intu ɖ blîndñ súnlît. I fél upn mî fes. Īvn ɖ sôl smelt swīt n clīn. Ɖen I rmembr Wīna cisñ mî handz n irz, n ɖ vôsz v uɖrz amñ ɖ Īlô. Ɖen, fr a tîm, I wz insnsibl.