Harpenden
In the dark mist-enshrouded town that is Harpenden, deep within the Hertfordshire countryside, squatted Rothamstead Experimental Station. It was here that John Furniture worked.
“Well John”, said Lillian Cranwell as she packed away her test tubes, “I’m off for the day.”
John stopped adjusting the equipment on the laboratory bench.
“I’ll probably be off myself soon. I just need to run a few more atoms through the particle accelerator.”
Lillian couldn’t help but notice, not for the first time, Furniture’s uncanny resemblance to Christopher Lee.
“Don’t work yourself to death now John. There’s a fog building up outside and the radio said it was going to be extra dark tonight.”
Furniture smiled. Was this more than just the courtesy of a colleague? Was there real concern? Furniture had always admired Lillian Cranwell and now he and she had moved into the same laboratory, he wondered whether it might be time to make his move. But not tonight.
“Don’t worry Lillian, I’ll be extra careful in direct proportion to the darkness of the night.” He indicated his equipment animatedly, his normally deep voice rising several octaves, “I think I’m onto something here. A breakthrough at last. I just need to collect some more sunlight particles to make sure.”
Lillian loved to see Furniture excited with his equipment. At these times he seemed almost boyish, albeit a boy six foot eight inches tall.
Smiling back at Furniture, Lillian said warmly, “Well you won’t be able to collect any more sunlight particles tonight.”
“True. I’ll just test the ones I’ve got here and then I’ll be going home myself.”
He fixed her with an intense stare, “If I’m right. I won’t need to collect any more particles ever again.”
Later that night, John Furniture left the Station with a look of extreme satisfaction on his face. He began to cross the road, was distracted by a strange electronic noise coming from the bushes and run over and killed by a speeding ambulance.
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