Plagues and deaths
Deaths and plagues
That’s the way it's known
Even after being attacked… with stones.
But this very one was different
So very insistent
Leaving all who encountered it lacking, wanting, needing,
Or simply indifferent.
The art of the aftermath would be more accurate
Than book keeping of the very estimate
Almost like they were abstinent.
So now a story
A short fiction in place of history
About a girl named Abigail
A 12 year old Jewish girl
It’s morning, the crack of dawn
The maid, louise gets the little kids ready, in turn
Abigail was the last born… the devil's spawn in a family of forty
Her life was lavish, spoilt, happy, nothing was faulty.
She rushes down to the table
Sits next to her best sister
Who was doing what she is most able
Knitting socks, gloves, for her father
And scarves for her mother.
Slowly they all make it to the table
Again nothing is faulty, only stable
Eventually they are all sat down, ready to break their fast
The only person that remained was their father
Eventually he comes out
A little with a start, they notice his arrival
“What’s wrong papa?” she asked
And indeed something was wrong
He refuses to sit with her mother
His wife, Abigail, the rest of their family
No one knew what was wrong
But he did…
He knew he had caught the disease
He knew he did not have much time left
He knew he had to get his family out of there
And he swore…
He would not spread the disease.
But the plague had begun spreading in his own home
That he did not know
After all, the symptoms did not show.
He had ten days
Ten days to plan… to prepare
Ten days he spent wisely.
But still not enough
They came to the estate
Dragged every one out, even the maid
She had no idea what was going on “why? What's going on?”
She looked around, no sign of her father
But her mother was dead on the lawn
Stabbed in the stomach while trying
to reach her youngest daughter.
Abigail did a 360, it was all sickness and slaughter.
The last of them were rounded up.
She wanted it to stop, for her mom to make it stop
As they walked on her fear was raised an octave higher
They were heading towards a fire.
They started throwing people in, her mind was lost
Her father died of the plague, her mom… shot.
Her family was being thrown in, she started crying
While one of the women kindling the fire just stood there… watching.
In a moment of impulse, the woman ran
“Run, run, don’t stop, run as fast as you can!”
The woman dragged her through the woods without a plan
As she put Abigail on the ground, her words, did she cram.
The woman led them away, in the opposite direction.
On the surface of a nearby lake Abigail saw her reflection
Then she ran as fast as her legs could go
Before they gave out in a place she did not know.
She succeeded, the only survivor
In her entire family, the one conqueror
A conqueror of the plague... And death
She became the teller of tales, and then lived on in stealth.
Never staying anywhere long
The words forever on her tongue
“Run, run, don’t stop, as fast as you can”
Run…
don’t stop…
run as fast as you can...
Don’t stop...
As fast as you can…
And she did that for the most part.
Until of course her frail body could no longer
keep up with her unending need for self-preservation.
There you have it, a fictional representation of
what could have been, at least from my point of view.
But as we all know when it comes to sense perception
It is all up to you...