The Story of a Young Life cruelly cut short.

Sensitive themes - references to sexual activity and to violence.

As a journalist I try to report things without judgement or emotion. At least, controlled feelings, focusing on the facts. Louise Armstrong’s parents agreed to give me full access to their daughter’s diaries. I hope that my choice of extracts will give you, the reader, an insight as to how she came to be a part of the terrible events of last January.

2025

November

5th. It’s my birthday and I’m EIGHT!! This is my first note in my first diary. My Nan gave it to me and made me promise to put an entry in every day from now on. It’s a five year book. I don’t know if I could do that but I’ve promised to try. I love my Nan.

2026

January

1st. It was New Year last night. That was fun but the trip today was special. Dad took me out of town, this evening, away from the lights. He said I was old enough to learn about the stars. He brought his telescope. Oh boy! The night sky out of town is wonderful. Thousands of sparkling lights. Dad said he would bring me again – I made him promise!

9th. We went back to see the stars. Dad told me more about the constellations.

27th. Back to school. I don’t like school. They don’t teach you anything worthwhile! I already know my numbers and I can write. If I couldn’t, then I wouldn’t be able to keep my diary and that’s fun.

2027

November

5th. I’ve got my own telescope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6th. Weather is rotten. Still can’t use my telescope – it’s all cloud up there. Bored! Started looking on my computer for bits about the sky and the stars. The universe is big – very big – even bigger than I can believe. Perhaps that’s something that’s wrong? What my Dad calls fake news? I’m going to ask him when he gets home.

8th. Dad’s home and gosh, I wonder if they have fooled him. He says the universe is so big we must measure it using the speed of light and that that is very very very fast. I don’t understand. But I want to.

9th. My teacher at school is useless. Sometimes I wonder if she knows anything. I asked her about the speed of light and she told me off for asking about things that I shouldn’t be worried about at my age.

15th. Mum was crabby today, just like last month and the month before. Dad says it’s something to do with being female and I’ll find out one day. Does that mean I can get mad every month?

23rd. Mum says she’s sorry about being crabby.

2028

June

12th. Felt rubbish today. Mum just squeezed me, which made me feel worse.

July

10th. Felt bad again, like last month. Mum still won’t tell me why. I think it must be the female thing Dad talked about but I’m only ten.

August

19th. We had sex lessons at school today. Boys’ bits look weird and they get bigger and harder so they can stick them in a girl’s bits. Don’t think I’d like that. We’ve got to have more lessons about this next week.

26th. The teacher talked about kissing – yug! Who wants to kiss a boy? Or a girl for that matter. And tongues?! Pretty sure the teachers don’t like talking about this subject, they look very uneasy.

September

2nd. I’m horrid today. More lessons on sex – suppose we have to make kids but there’s got to be more about it than that. Isn’t there?

November

5th. My eleventh birthday and Mum picks today to give me a pack of tam. Oh, can’t remember – tampons that’s it. She thinks I’m about to make the change. That I’m going to be a woman soon. She told me what to do. They talked about periods at school but not much about the mucky side of them. That’s for another lesson next week. Girls only!

10th November. Wet my panties today. At least that’s what I thought at first until I got to the toilet. It was blood. I felt ill. Had to get a tampon out and press it in then put the spare pair of panties, Mum had insisted I take, on. Once I was done though I felt good. I’m a grown up; I thought. Then the teacher took one look at me and sent me to the nurse’s office to be checked up on and sent home. That was degrading. This is a big entry isn’t it and big words. Teachers don’t seem to understand that I have been reading and writing for years now and I know lots of big words. Don’t think they’d like what I write in here though.

2029

January

23rd. Moved up schools and I’m going to learn physics and other sciences properly from now on. Three cheers! Missed lots in my diary about my telescope and what I’ve found on the web about astronomy. It’s too exciting to put down in a boring old diary; sorry Nan. Now I feel bad. Where’s that tissue? I’m a woman. I shouldn’t be crying but I miss you, Nan. You were supposed to be with me all the time. Not go and get cancer.

February

10th. Got detention. Argued with my physics teacher about pulsars. She said they were spinning black holes. I told her they were neutron stars. Told me I needed to walk before I run. The deputy head told me I shouldn’t argue with my betters. Told him I would always argue if they were wrong and that she was. He took her side – I mean what he knows about astronomy and the stars could be written on the back of my hand. In large letters!

[NB: there is no entry suggesting that Louise got an apology from that physics teacher.]

2030-31

[Nothing significant during these two years other than that Louise was making strides forward in her science studies.]

2032

February

25th. Back home after, what a trip! We went to the Parkes Observatory. There’s a new science teacher and he organised the trip for those students who wanted to learn more about the universe. WOW! Was it great! There was this young astronomy uni student. She’s Hannah Glyster (or was it Gleister?). She spent ages with all of us but I think she liked me more because I asked her some questions that she didn’t know the answers to, not without help from one of the professionals, and because I want to do the same degree. We swapped emails; she wants to help me; if I manage to get to university. Now I’ve met a woman who is studying astrophysics, I know it’s not an impossible dream. Dad has always told me I could do it but Mum is more reserved. She worries that I might be let down, that my aims would be too high.

April

13th. Oh my! I had wondered if Hannah had meant what she told me but, today, I’ve had an email from her! And she asked if she had upset me and that was why I hadn’t sent her any messages. She wanted me to know that she is graduating later this year and she hopes to go to ASKAP radio telescope in Wajarri Country to complete her PhD (must look up what a PhD is).

[NB: There is a series of entries referring to repeated email correspondence between Louise and her new friend before…]

November.

5th. What a birthday gift! Hannah has sent me a pile of text books and notes from her first-year course – she hopes they will help me! Better than that she has graduated with a First Class Honours (Had to beat that information out of her!) and will be going to the ASKAP. Her PhD mentor will be a Professor Maeve Stanway. I looked her up. How did Hannah get accepted by her? She’s the best doctorate mentor in the country; maybe in the world!

8th. Bad day – again. They call it the time of the month as if it is great – that’s rubbish. I’m depressed – what if I can’t get the grades I’ll need to get on the course at uni.

[NB: Again, there is a series of entries referring to repeated email correspondence between Louise and Hannah.]

2034

May

25th. Finally gave in and went on a date with Tom. He’s ok but his view on the stars is limited – to whichever sport he is interested in! Still, he kisses good, at least I think so; he’s my first boyfriend and first kisser except for the “under the mistletoe” sort and I’ve got him ahead of that bully Theresa who seems to think she should have all of the boys first.

June

15th. Winter has arrived and with-it cloudy weather, which stops me having the excuse of star gazing to stay out. And it happened! Tom and I had already progressed from those first tentative kisses to what I found out are called heavy petting sessions. I would have to agree that he had never really pushed it past touchy feely cuddling but last night we finally went the whole way. He had brought condoms which made it easier (he doesn’t know that I have been on the pill for ages). I hope his innocence was the equal of mine, at least I don’t think he has had sex with anyone else, but it wasn’t great fun; rather mechanical in a way – maybe it will get better.

2035

January

10th. It’s over! That idiot got himself drunk. At seventeen! He decided to have a one-night stand with Theresa. Well, he can have a long-term relationship with her, as far as I am concerned, he’s a rat and she’s no better. I hope they get each other into trouble!

31st. Oh boy, they, I mean Tom and Theresa, did get themselves into trouble! Oh, she isn’t pregnant, at least I don’t think so but it seems she had been shoplifting for ages and got Tom to do the same and they got caught. That’s two who won’t be going to university next year. And I won’t have to put up with her crowing over winning him. I can concentrate on my exams.

February

22nd. I can’t believe it. How? Why? Hannah’s dead! Murdered! She was such a friend and that’s even though we only met face-to-face that one time. The police came to see me. I think they wanted to check I was here at home or school. That I didn’t have anything to do with it. Are they crazy? She had kept all our emails and that gave them reason to wonder if I might have been jealous of her relationship with another woman; jealous enough to travel hundreds of miles to kill her. I didn’t even know she was with someone.

March

27th. There is a mystery about Hannah’s death. Like she went missing one day but her body wasn’t found for days even though it was in the middle of a path. Sounds weird to me and I keep wanting to rush to help but I can’t and somehow my exams must come first. My Mum comforted me, a little anyway, told me the best thing I could do for my friend was to go and get that degree; the one she had encouraged me to do because she believed in me.

[NB: perhaps not surprisingly there are very few entries in the current diary for some time.]

July.

17th. I had to travel to Sydney today. Tomorrow, I have an interview with the head of the science department at the university! He wants to meet me, before they decide on what grades I will need for acceptance for my degree. It’s a bit scary. This isn’t the way they usually do it, at least that’s true as far as I can find out.

18th. The head of science proved to be anything but. It was the Chancellor! He was polite and quite welcoming but I sensed he was not very happy. He told me that I came with a recommendation from a graduate who had insisted I would be a fine student! It was Hannah! I asked why he was still interested in me. Hannah is dead! Then I learned that she had been the finest student he had ever had. A recommendation from her was more valuable than a string of A grades in my school exams and now he had met me he was happy to confirm that if I passed my exams, whatever grades I got, I was in!

November

5th. And now for a year away from home. Ooh-eck that sounds as if I don’t like home which would be wrong. I love my family but now the excitement of following my wish to be an astrophysicist was one step nearer. I got the written confirmation of my place at Sydney. Right on my birthday!

2036

January

4th. Today is my first day. Its Freshers Week and everyone is going for a drink.

5th. Oh, my head! I guess I’m just not used to that much booze. That nice guy helped me back to my room. What was his name? Haru, he’s Japanese and seems a real gentleman. Better get my head working. He promised to call on me later.

6th. What a day. In the end we came back to my rooms and slept together. He was much better at it than Tom. He’s been around and he’s older. I think he’s a mature student not a true fresher but it doesn’t matter.

7th. We went to Uru’s rooms; he says its better as he’s got a double bed. It was as good.

8th. Why do I feel uneasy? He wants much more than I got used to with Tom. Nothing bad just - it seems a rush.

9th. This is a cheat. I’m writing it two or is it three days later now. It was; it was terrifying. No-one believes me except, I think, for those people who talked to me afterwards and they know more. Haru and I had made love and I wanted more but he had to go to the bathroom. Then he came back and it wasn’t him! Something had taken his mind and then it took mine. Then my Hannah; I know it was her now; came back from the dead to save me. She told me to run; to hide and I did. She was not a simple human anymore but something more. God help me, it was crazy! Maybe I’m going mad.

10th.

I had hidden, like Hannah told me, but the soldiers found me and they took me to the hospital and then the police station. They showed me film. Haru is dead and I won’t weep over him; the bastard was filming us having sex. It was the photos of Hannah and then the woman who saved me – she was Hannah; I have no doubt now. But she is dead you’ll tell me and I know but… it was her. Then they scared me even more. I was the only student on the campus that day who isn’t either dead or missing – no-one knows which.

11th.

They let me go yesterday and I’m back home. I don’t think I can ever go back to the university. I’ll have to go somewhere else. Or maybe I’ll just hide away at home.

16th.

The news is out and Australia is weeping. They found evidence that some, if not all, of those missing had been killed and dumped in an (alien?) artifact that had mostly melted but not enough to destroy everything. We mourn but the world is terrified. We know now that there have been other instances where people have vanished but nothing on the scale of our wonderful university’s loss. Over four hundred of our brightest gone, and I mean gone.

March

10th.

The press have found me and want interviews. The police have been trying to keep them at bay but I don’t know for how long.

15th. The Sydney Herald is finally allowed to talk to me on the basis that they would share the story. Of course, no-one believes me and I don’t blame them.

April

18th.

Someone threw a rock through our living room window. They blame me for the others! How could they?

26th.

A woman hit me as I tried to stop another attack on my Dad. I know they are suffering from their losses but how can they treat us that way. It wasn’t my fault.

[That is the last entry in Louise’s diary. On April 27th she was brutally beaten by three men who broke into her home. She is now in a coma from which the doctors do not expect her to recover.]

May 20th. Postscript: Since I finished writing this article, another impossible event has taken place. Despite extensive security to protect the unconscious girl from any further attacks, she has vanished. Doctors have denied that she could have done so of her own accord and the security and CCTV film confirm that she never recovered consciousness. In one frame of the film Louise is there, connected to her life support; one frame later she is not.

This leaves unanswered questions. Just what is going on? Where has she gone? And how?