science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest ...

H. G. Wells Herbert George Wells"Wells, H. G."
Revised 18 May 2015. ''

The Strand Magazine (November 1898); collected in ''Twelve Stories and a Dream'' (1903)See ISFDB listing in #External links and ''Tales of the Unexpected'' (1924); reprinted in '' Weird Tales'' magazine (November 1925) and was later reprinted in many collections and anthologies.

Plot summary

The story's main characters are a pair of casual paranormal researchers who are experimenting with the idea of

astral projection Astral projection (also known as astral travel) is a term used in esotericism to describe an intentional out-of-body experience (OBE) that assumes the existence of a subtle body called an " astral body" through which consciousness can functio ...

. One night, one of them inadvertently succeeds in projecting his spirit from his body, which is then taken possession of by a malevolent entity in his absence. His partner receives a vivid sensation of him calling out for help and rushes to his residence, only to find him absent and the place in shambles. The researcher continues to search for his partner and learns that he has perpetrated a series of violent incidents around

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. He seeks the aid of a

medium Medium may refer to: Science and technology Aviation *Medium bomber, a class of war plane * Tecma Medium, a French hang glider design Communication * Media (communication), tools used to store and deliver information or data * Medium of ...

, who channels his partner's spirit and finds that he has fallen down a well and subsequently been abandoned by the possessing entity. They locate the well and rescue him, after which he recounts the story of his possession.

Notes

External links

* * * 1898 short stories Astral projection in popular culture Short stories by H. G. Wells Fantasy short stories Works originally published in The Strand Magazine {{1890s-sf-story-stub