🕰️ The Time Machine – Chapter X: Into the Dark

Armed with matches, a strong iron bar, and a box of camphor, the Time Traveller set out again.

“I decided it was time to go underground,” he said. “I was sure my Time Machine had been taken into one of the Morlock tunnels. If I wanted it back, I had to face the danger.”

He returned to the place where he had first seen the metal doors in the hill. This time, he was ready.

“I climbed down carefully with my torch. The smell was bad—damp and rotten. I heard the Morlocks moving around in the dark. They didn’t expect me to come with fire.”

He lit a stick of camphor. It gave off a bright, white light and a strong smell. The Morlocks screamed and ran back.

“I walked deeper into the tunnels. The walls were wet and covered in moss. Strange machines hummed in the background. I could feel the fear building in my chest, but I didn’t stop.”

He found large metal machinery, still working after thousands of years. But there was no sign of the Time Machine.

Then, in a quiet chamber, he found it.

“My machine was there,” he said. “Just sitting in the corner, as if waiting for me. The Morlocks had brought it here. I moved closer, slowly. I knew they were nearby.”

He lit another match.

“I could hear them breathing. I could feel them waiting. They hated the light, but they were many, and I was alone.”

He jumped into the saddle of the machine and quickly began turning the levers.

“They rushed at me just as I pushed the lever forward. I felt hands grab at my legs. One Morlock tried to pull me off. I hit him with the bar.”

Then, suddenly—it all disappeared.

Darkness, noise, the Morlocks—it all vanished.

“I was moving through time again.”

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📖 Glossary

Word/Phrase	Meaning
Armed	Carrying weapons or tools for protection
Torch	A stick that gives off light, often with fire
Damp	Slightly wet, usually in a bad way
Rotten	Bad-smelling or decayed
Moss	A soft green plant growing on damp surfaces
Chamber	A small room, often underground
Lever	A handle used to control a machine

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. What tools did the Time Traveller take with him underground?

2. Why did he decide to return to the metal doors?

3. How did the Morlocks react to the light?

4. What did he find deep inside the tunnels?

5. What did the Time Traveller do when the Morlocks attacked?

6. How did he escape from the Morlocks?

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✅ Answers

1. Matches, camphor for fire, and a metal bar for protection.

2. He believed the Morlocks had taken his Time Machine into their tunnels.

3. They were afraid of it and ran away.

4. He found his Time Machine in a quiet room.

5. He jumped into the machine, turned the levers, and fought them off.

6. He pushed the lever and disappeared into time again.