June 1959 School Magazine

Jqly, 1959

Brisbane Gids' Grammar School Magazine

Jqly, 1959

'Brisbane Girls' Grammar School Magazine

ENGULFED It all started in Calcutta. I left my ship to do some sight- seeing, and before long was standing before a bazaar, examin- ing some pottery. The Indian, not wishing to miss an oppor- tunity, began pestering me to buy something. .Seeing I was not interested, he brought forth a bronze lamp of such wonderful workmanship that I was immediately attracted to it, and he• had no difficulty in persuading me to buy it. However, my wife did not like it, and for years it stayed in the attic. Then, five years later, when I was searching for a picture frame, I discovered my lamp lying in a dusty corner. I picked it up and wiped off the surface dust. This operation brought to light an inscription I had not previously noticed. With the help of a friend of mine, an expert on Sanskrit, I managed to decipher it. The gist of it was that the owner of the lamp was granted a hundred wishes. Naturally I was sceptical, but, on trying it out, found, to my amazement, that it actually worked! The years after that discovery were happy ones. I procured myself a new laboratory and with the help of the lamp, con- ducted many successful experiments. One day, while studying an amoeba under a microscope, and watching it engulf a minute animal I had placed on the slide, I said, without thinking, "Looking through a microscope always seems to put me at a distance. Wish I could get down there among them and watch from close up." Next moment I found myself on the slide with the amoeba towering above me. The cries of the entrapped animal were ear-splitting-and I had to cover my ears in order to be able to think at all. I realized, of course, what had happened, and was about to wish myself out of this fantastic situation, when a sudden thought occurred to me. "Why, I'll bet no one has ever been in .this position before, I'll wait until it has moved close enough for me to touch it, and I'll be the only man ever to have touched an amoeba!" The unfortunate animal I had put on the dide was now gone, and the amoeba was advancing slowly towards me. I touched it lightly. The sensation sent chills down my spine and I hurriedly wished myself back in my original position. But nothing happened.

With rising apprehension I wished again. Panic stricken, I realized I must have used up my wishes! I turned to run, but found myself surrounded by a wall of protoplasm! I ran and threw myself at it, trying to break through by sheer force of weight. With a sob of terror I found myself held tenaciously by a strong sticky substance. Struggling to fre13 myself I noticed a layer of protoplasm seal off any hope of escaping through the top. Another layer closed over the bottom, trapping my feet as effectively as quick- sand. Screaming, I tore my hands out of the horrible stuff, but the impetus flung me headlong into the ghastly wall of death! I felt myself sucked in to the white stickiness... Gasping for breoth I swollowed o mouthful of water-my lungs bursting, it flashed upon me that I wos in the contractile vacuole, and I swam about desperately, looking for an opening. I knew I was drowning-! could not breothe. Enzymes were poured upon me-l screamed, and my lungs were filled with water-the pain was excrucioting-as I gasped out a final prayer the whole universe exploded with a blinding flash . ... Next instant I found myse lf standing in my laboratory. The windows had been shattered with the onslaught of the violent storm and rain was blowing into the room. The lamp lay-shattered on the floor. I realized that · its power was no more. With a prayer of thanks I went out to tell my wife, knowing of course, that she would never believe me.

-BARBARA KAY, VA.

- ROSLYN TAYLOR. Form IV C.

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