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Hodges' Lavish Italian Countryside Villa With Modern Comforts

Arthur Hodges and his wife Frances enjoy a lavish lifestyle, residing in a picturesque white-painted wood house with a stone chimney and a designed stone terrace, located on a hill near Sestri di Levante on the Italian Riviera. The villa boasts an exquisite view of the sea and is surrounded by lush gardens filled with magnolias and roses, nestled amidst chestnut woods on the hillsides transitioning to pines at the crest.

Hodges' Climate-Controlled Room Shields Arthur From Hay Fever

Despite the idyllic setting, Arthur struggles with severe hay fever. To alleviate his suffering during the peak pollen seasons from July to September, Arthur has a specially designed hermetically sealed study and bedroom where no external air can penetrate. The room is made possible by an efficient air conditioning unit from Acme Air Conditioning Company in Detroit, Michigan, which comes at a high cost due to the need for extra air proofing to ensure a perfectly sealed environment.

Hodges Are Wealthy; Arthur, a Successful Writer, Can Afford Costly Air Conditioning

The couple's wealth is apparent in their ability to afford modern luxuries like two new cars, Frances's expensive wardrobe, and the speci ...

Residents in a small community begin to face unexplained occurrences that indicate something unusual is brewing, leading to a sense of foreboding and isolation.

Signs Hint At Larger Events

Numerous signs have started to emerge, suggesting that what is affecting the residents might be indicative of larger, more ominous events.

Hodges' Friends in Nearby Towns Show Unusual, Drugged-Like Symptoms and Become Unreachable

Arthur Hodges attempted to reach out for help for his friends, the Fisks, but what he encounters points to something far from ordinary. Upon contacting his friend Tim, Arthur finds Tim's responses to be slurred and lethargic, resembling symptoms of being drugged. Arthur, deeply concerned, advises Tim to seek medical attention or contact the local authorities. To his distress, other friends in nearby towns, including Cynthia who mentioned that Jack had passed out, also display similar unsettling symptoms.

Hodges Isolated by Communication Breakdown

Adding to the distress, Arthur's wife, Fran, experiences difficulty in connecting via telephone. The operator takes an uncharacteristically long time to connect her call, during which Fran's call rings interminably. Arthur echoes this experience when he endeavors to call Dr. McCollum and finds the connection taking an eternity. He also endures a long wait from the village operator, which suggests a serious breakdown in communication across the area.

Mysterious Creatures Are Spotted, Foreshadowing the Catastrophe

Whil ...

The Hodges find themselves in an increasingly dire situation as they become trapped and seek to comprehend the events taking place and their chances of survival.

Trapped, the Hodges Seek Understanding and Survival

Rationing Oxygen, Scavenging For Food, Unsure how Long They Can Last

Emerging from a cave with nearly airless atmosphere, Fran and Arthur Hodge have been conserving oxygen and gathering food in an attempt to survive. Arthur brought back all the food from the house and calculated that their stock of canned goods could last almost indefinitely if properly rationed, while the oxygen supply would only last seven or eight days with continuous use. To save their precious supply of air, they decide not to use the oxygen mechanism continuously. Arthur adjusts the flow of the oxygen downward, and this careful rationing even extends their supply an additional five days. However, their situation remains uncertain, and on what they believe to be the last day, the oxygen runs out early in the morning, and they don't open a can of food.

Arthur makes attempts to contact local authorities and neighbors but receives no human response; the phone calls either go unanswered or are met with slow, nonchalant replies, escalating their concern for the rapidly deteriorating situation. They also listen to their radio for any sign of life outside but are met with only silence.

Fran and Arthur's Uncertain Predicament

Inside the cave, the Hodges feel better than in other parts of the house but are aware of something sinister taking place outside their safe haven; yet they cannot discern what it is. As they run out of mechanically cooled oxygen, lethargy sets in, and Fran has a close call with outside air that feels dangerously sedative. They decide to remain in their cave, only venturing out if utterly necessary and ensuring one remains inside to perform rescue if needed. They resort to humor to cope with the fear of their unsure predicament, but even their last moments in the cave are marked by a growing sense of doom.

Hodges Venture Out, Succumb To Atmospheric Changes Wiping Out Humanity

Ultimately, the Hodges emerge from the cave, preferring the hot, stuffy air outside to the cave's atmosphere. When they venture onto their lawn, they are struck by debilitating symptoms again. Overwhelmed by sleep and lacking strength, they succumb to the changes in the atmosphere.

Hodges' Final Records Discovered Centuries Later By ...