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The Great Fire of London (Storytelling EX #3)
by Lanier Carson
I was turning and everything I did to stop it was futile. You may have heard of the Great Fire of London, that was me. It was legendary. It was unfortunately, and quite inadvertently, my doing. So you can you see why I am guilty of killing the innocent. Oh, the horrors of that night began hours before the burning children. The smell of flaying, searing flesh. I would never wish this catastrophic nightmare upon even my worst enemy. And there are a few, but not even they would ever be deserving of such memories.
Once again, I have gone on ahead of myself…
The hunger was rising within me. Within my very capillaries, I could feel a fire, lava jack-knifing along the highways toward my dying heart. I had to feed. Yet, I mustn’t.
“Forgive me father,” I sputtered, sweating a sort of acidic slime. My eyes itched. My skinned crawled. I could no longer hold myself accountable.
The priest’s beating heart was in my ears, pulsing with mine as one. Our eyes locked and he was helpless as I flew faster than I’d ever moved, even on the football pitch. I had covered the small sanctuary from my chair, dove over his desk and was upon him. Papers, a Bible, some Eucharist wafers were airborne with my attack. The lantern upon its cradle near the ample bookshelves swayed, creaking to and fro.
“My child, what has become of you?” his eyes flew open in his last moments of understanding.
I ripped his shirt and collar to shreds with long yellow claws I’d never noticed before and plunged my mouth powerfully, into his rapid, beating heart.
Moments later, or it could’ve been days, I recovered from my momentary and wanton lapse of reasoning only to awaken to the nightmare. The lantern’s flickering glow cast light upon darkness before pivoting, returning darkness where light once was.
Blood covered me and the floor before the priest’s desk. A globe spun, standing upright on the bookshelf behind it. The glow of the lantern illuminating Australia then South America and returning to the South Pacific once again. I rose slowly, afraid of what I might find and praying that something else was responsible for whatever was behind that desk.
My feet were weighed and every step was agony. Finally, the maimed body came into view and the glut I’d just swallowed threatened to come back up again. Eerie shadows grew longer across the dead man’s disfigured torso. A wolf. A lion. No, only me.
“Forgive me father,” I gasped. “I must do away with this feral thing that I have become.”
I rose, picking up his body gingerly, as if I could hurt him even further. I brought him down three flights to the sepulcher and pulled aside a stone door that was the vaulted entrance to several coffins of the ancients. It must’ve been at least 25 Stone, or roughly a quarter of a ton. It was a paperweight to me. I carefully placed the good man of the cloth atop the acrid dust of another venerate Man of Acton and replaced the stone, closing them within for all eternity.
In an attempt to invalidate my crimes I walked the cobblestone streets of London, rubbish and debris fodder for the scurrying vermin that own the night. I among them. It is true what they say in your new expression, “the guilty always return to the scene of the crime”. For, I found myself at the Southwark Cathedral again. I was longing for absolution or anything to invalidate my existence.
“Though I have not the strength to plunge a stake in my own dark heart,” bantering to myself. “I must do my father’s bidding one last time before I do more harm.”
I thought I could end this agony, this thirst that would only grow again, and perhaps grow even stronger, this need to feed.
“I am the only one that can end this,” I said, resolutely, climbing the spiraling stairwell to the belfry.
The city that night was the most splendid of sights. Steeply slanted roofs, reflected the full moon, even as wispy clouds drifted by, as if the eye of the night was hiding its shame of my deeds. The oblique, muddy roads that were quiet in these early hours carved up the city like a madman’s attack of a canvas. Like mine, on the unsuspecting priest. The Thames, murky, dark and brooding rippled beyond the cathedral’s walls one hundred and fifty meters further below.
“I am cursed.”
I threw myself out from the tower of the cathedral, “I am cursed, no more!”
The thrill of falling was exhilarating. I would never have believed the sensation could be so inspiring. I was awestruck. I began a futile prayer with the dark city-scape blurring in my water-filled eyes. Yet, strangely, everything became clear and bright, though the moon had once again refused to acknowledge me. Things passed, not in a rate of normal acceleration, but it seemed to almost slow down, bringing every brick in the stone wall toward which I was approaching and every ripple in the river into greater focus. It took quite some time for me to finally hit and, needless to say, the impact was quite a jolt, though not in the least fatal.
From my sprawled and temporarily maimed body, I spied the spire from which I had just flung my decrepit dead body at its total height as though it were only inches away. Snapping a few dislocated limbs back, including a pelvic joint swiveling around to meet its ball and socket—like your legendary King Elvis—I got up and walked away.
“There must be a way to kill the animal within,” I pondered disdainfully.
____________________________________________________________________________
Now the Great Fire of London was a real event that took place in the early hours of September 2, 1666. It started in a bakehouse on Pudding Lane at approximately 1 a.m. The fire spread to the Star Inn, on Fish Street Hill. Finish this story of Carlisle’s attempt to kill himself with fire…before saving himself? Or being rescued???
Include dialogue, other characters and something that evolves this plot.
http://www.luminarium.org/encyclopedi...
(1,032 words 5,800 spaces total)
Action of Saving Bellaby Emily Chen P1
“Alice, there you are. Where is Bella?” I asked as I rushed through the crowd to where Alice was sitting. She stood up and came over to me, “Bella went to get some breakfast with Jasper.”
“Where did they go to get breakfast? I want to make sure she is safe.” Alice seemed like she could read my mind just like what I usually did. Then she turned to Carlisle and Emmett, “Edward and I will go to find Bella and Jasper, okay Carlisle?”
“Sure, but please be fast, we have to leave soon.” Carlisle replied. Alice and I tried to make our way among the crowd. I couldn’t wait to see Bella. I had to make sure that she was safe.
Unexpectedly, I saw Jasper run over with a serious face, but I didn’t see Bella. What happened to her? I was so distraught I couldn’t force on his thought.
I ran to Jasper and grabbed his arm, “Where is Bella?” Jasper looked at Alice and then turned to me, “I lost Bella. She said she had to go to the ladies’ room, so I waited outside. After awhile, I still didn’t see her coming out. Then I asked a lady to help me look for her. But the lady said she didn’t see anyone in there.” Jasper ended his apology with a sigh and a feeling of guilt. “Sorry, Edward, I lost her. I promised you I’d look after her.”
“It’s not all your fault,” I said trying not to look angry. “I know……care of her….danger.”
I walked over toward the airport bathroom, sniffing the air, holping to catch her scent.
“Now……. possible,” I turned back to my brother quickly, my eyes growing black. It is very dangerous for her to be out alone, James could find her any minute. Alice, do you have any clue where Bella may go?”
“I don’t know, let me look for her.” Alice stood still, her eyes were unreadable, “The mirror room! She is in the mirror room!”
“Is it the mirror room you saw before, where James was?” Jasper said eagerly.
“Alice, do you know where the mirror room is,” I asked
“I remember Bella said the mirror was familiar to her, she thought there was a ballet studio somewhere near her house. She went there for dance lessons when she was eight or nine.”
“Okay now, Alice you go back to tell Carlisle and Emmett and then take them to the ballet studio. Jasper, you come with me, we are going to the ballet studio right now.” As I finished, swiftly Jasper and I tore out of the airport and ran to the ballet studio. On the way to the ballet studio, I couldn’t stop worrying for Bella’s safety. I couldn’t imagine what James might do to her. He was a thirsty and crazed monster. Bella smelled so good that sometimes she made my mouth water too. How could James not take her as a meal? The more I thought, the more scared I felt. I was afraid I would be late. I kept running, I knew Bella was waiting for me to save her. We ran like a blast of wind in the crowd, I thought no one would really see our face, and I didn’t care!!
When we arrived in the front of the ballet studio, the door was unlocked. I touched the handle with my cold hand, tugged on it quietly. I tried to keep myself calm. I held my breath and opened the door.
The lobby was dark and empty. And then I heard some kind of sound, the sound of water dropping and footsteps. I ran to the sound of footsteps, Jasper ranning after me.
Suddenly I stopped, a man with a cool face stood in front of me with blood on his left hand, it was dripping in the floor. It smelled like human blood, Bella’s blood. I grinned my teeth then glanced at Jasper and the rope on the floor. Without a word, he understood me. I grabbed the rope, then we both pounced on James. We caught his hands, twisted and pressed to his back.
“Edward you are coward. If you want to beat me, don’t get help from another.” James was growling as he said it. I didn’t care what he said about me. The only thing in my mind was Bella. And then we tied his hands with the rope. James tried to scrabble away from us, but we held his arms tied, we didn’t give him any chance to escape. Finally Carlisle, Emmett and Alice arrived.
“James, where is Bella? What did you do to her?” I asked him
“Ha……you will never find her, I am still the winner.” He laughed as I grabbing him by his collar.
“Edward, don’t waste time with him,” Carlisle said calmly. “He won’t tell you anything. I think Bella is somewhere around here, Alice and I will go with you. Emmett and Jasper will take care of James, they know what to do.”
We kept walking inside and checked every single room until we got to the mirror room where Alice saw Bella. There was debris from the mirror all over the floor and some more with blood. It was Bella’s blood, I knew I must find her. We followed the blood on the floor all the way to an entrance of the underground. We walked into the underground, there was all the dark water and it smelled disgusting. Suddenly I saw a head floating above the dark water.
“Carlisle, I found her, she is over here,” I yelled and flew to her. I carried Bella out of the dark water. I could see she was really hurt. She lost a lot of blood and her leg was broken. Furthermore, her hand was bitten by James. Luckily, Carlisle was here. When Alice and I were flustered and didn’t know what to do, Carlisle was calm and told us what to do. He took care of Bella’s injuries carefully. I felt dizzy smelling her sweet blood.
When we came out, I only saw Emmett and Jasper and the pile of fire. These things told me that James had died. The only way to kill a vampire was to burn them until nothing was left.
We didn’t want to kill anyone human or vampire. We only killed others unless they attacked us, we had to kill them to survive. We killed James because we had no choice. We had to kill him protect and save Bella. I was so glad to have a family like that. For my sake and Bella’s safety, they had to be in danger and they never said anything. I am thankful for my family!
Victoria’s Secretby Mandy Zhao p1
Chapter 1- Life With Sarah
A hundred years ago, during late 1800s, before the vampire was born…
“Vicky, do the chores, where the hell are you going! Come back!” Victoria’s mother, Sarah, screamed out. Victoria hated her mother and the name Vicky, her mother seemed to think that she was her servant.
Victoria was a beautiful and kind 18-year-old who, unfortunately, had the worse mother. Men she loved had wanted her as a girlfriend, but were rejected by her mother every time.
“I want to go outside! Please Sarah, my friend err, Joyce, wanted me to go over her house, so we can plan this huge project,” Victoria begged her mother, even though she knew that begging was worth nothing. “And, don't call me Vicky, I hate that name!” Sarah liked the name. She did not stop calling her Vicky because her daughter disliked the name. This was the third and last time Victoria ever begged her mother.
Sarah grew angry, “What? You damn child, you’re lyin’ to me again?! I knew that you liked to be alone, and who is this Joyce?”
“Okay! I’ll do the chores later…”
Victoria went to her room whispering to herself, “I wish I had a better mother, Sarah is the worse mother I’ve ever known.”
Victoria never knew her father. Her mother never told her anything about him. Every time she started a conversation about her father, her mother always yelled, “Don't ever talk about him again” or “Go do your chores! We don't have time for this.” Victoria knew Sarah had been through tough times with him, but she refused to say what exactly.
She still disliked Sarah. She was the kind of person who just yelled. Sarah never did anything around the house, everything was left for Victoria.
A MONTH LATER…
There was yelling coming out of the house marked Victoria on the mailing box.
“I’ve had enough of this, mother. I just want to tell you, YOU’RE ON YOUR OWN!”
Victoria couldn't take it anymore. Sarah told Victoria to wash her undershirt just because she DIDN’T want to wash it herself. ‘It was just not fair! Why did I have to be Sarah’s child?’ Victoria thought angrily. She stomped to her room making loud noises leaving Sarah alone with her yelling.
Chapter 2 - Finding the FatherVictoria thought of going to find her father. She knew her dad was a good man because of their amazing relationship she remembered as impression. She had little memory of her father before the took off, after getting into a huge fight with Sarah. Victoria cried for a long time after her father left. She missed him dearly, but after so many years, she nearly forgot about him. All she remembered was that she once had a great relationship with him. She clandestinely searched through Sarah’s personal belongings looking for something about her father while she was away. She found a picture of her father and took it. She also discovered that he once lived at a place four miles away from her house. So, there she was, out in the streets with her bag, a picture of her father and a few dollars with her.
First, she was thinking about going to her dad’s old place and maybe finding something new about him. She knew a shortcut – the woods. She had been there twice before when picking plants for medicine, she knew the shortcut well enough to not get lost. However, there was one problem, it was daytime then and now, it was completely dark. Except the moon. She was in a hurry so she didn't care about that, besides, she was not afraid of dark.
‘What a creepy forest……’ Victoria eventually thought, even though she was not scared of the dark.
She saw a shadow that looked like a man. Victoria screamed out, ”Who’s there?!” The man walked over to her, “Hey beautiful lady, I’m James.” ‘He seems nice,’ Victoria thought, ‘he looks about my age, or maybe a year or two older.’
“Oh, hi James, what are you doing out here, alone?”
“Oh, I’m kind of lost… Hey, what’s your name?”
“I’m Victoria,” she introduced herself,” I’m from that side of the forest.” She pointed out toward her back
“Oh, hi Vicky, I came from the same side, my relative lived there.” He said it as if they were old friends who met after a long time, “I’m going to the other side now, but I got lost.”
“Please don't call me Vicky!” Victoria cried,”I don't like that name, okay? By the way, I’m going that way, too, wanna come with me?”
“Okay, sorry about that.” He smile apologetically, “Sure, since I’m lost already.”
“Don't worry about it,” Victoria seemed not as angry when Sarah called her that.
Victoria was glad she had company. Even though they just met, they seemed to have a lot to talk about as they walked, beginning to like each other. They talked and talked…until they saw the way out.
“WOW! You did know how to get out of this creepy forest!” He joked.
Victoria laughed, ”So nice to meet you, but I gotta find my father. Hope to see you again!” She pointed to the picture with her dad in it.
“I think I can go with you, if you don't mind, I mean,” James was a very nice guy, “I don't have anywhere to go. I was wandering around anyway, I lost my family, and my house…” he sighed with grief.
“Well, sure,” Victoria agreed to let him stay with her, “If I can’t find my dad, I’m staying on the other side of the forest.”
“Thanks, you’re going back to where you were living?” James asked curiously.
“Heck no, I hate my mother, she is spoiled … by ME!” Victoria grew indignant.
Finally, they got to where Victoria’s father was living a long time ago! They found out no one lived there for a long time, as there were spider webs at the front door.
“Guess I have to go back, are you coming with me?” Victoria having no alternative turned to James.
“Yes of course!”
This time, it was dawn, after they built two tents at Victoria’s father’s front yard since no one would know because of a huge tree blocking and slept. Next day, they walked back to the forest. As usual, they talked as they walked. Then, there was someone hiding behind the tree. A scary “someone”.
Chapter 3- Getting Turned “Come out, whoever you are. We are only passing by the forest. Are you lost, too?” James asked.
The man came out of his hiding place. He looked beautiful even with dim lights. He was tall, like a model. His face was perfect, there’s nothing ugly about it. He had a handful of long hair tied up behind him. He was the kind of man who women fell in love with at the first sight, realizing you wanted to know more about him later. He stood extremely still, as if he wasn't breathing. There’s no word to describe such a beautiful thing.
Victoria froze. That man ran to her and bit her. Victoria felt the coldness of the man. She didn't struggle. She couldn't move at all, she was controlled by the man now. The next second, he was holding Victoria and giving her the venom. She had no idea what was being done to her. She felt like she was being eaten by that man.
Then he did the exact same thing to James while Victoria lied on the ground with blurry vision.
Victoria and James both fainted.
When they woke up, the strange man was still here. Victoria realized that something had happened. The man said in a soft voice, ”I’ve always wanted two friends, and now I found you two, that's exactly what I needed!”
Victoria was confused, ‘what was done to me?’ She wondered, ‘I felt coldness inside me. My heart isn't beating anymore and I’m still alive? I thought when the heart wasn't beating anymore, we die??’ The man’s face was unreadable. He answered Victoria’s question as if he could read her mind, ”I am Laurent, a vampire.”
Victoria gasped, but strangely, she did not freak out. She was actually happy. James, however, had changed. He was not as talkative. He sat on a giant rock. He was thinking about something. He became quiet, and still as Laurent. James seemed to be planning something.
“Do you want to hear my story?” Laurent seemed nice. Victoria and James nodded. “When I was a kid, my father took off with another woman and never came back. I was left with my mother, who was very sick and she lied in bed all day long. She always needed someone to take care of her.” Victoria realized he used ‘needed’. “Two years ago, my mother went to sleep one night and never woke up. I felt hopeless. But at least I have Irina, my fiancée out somewhere going to college. I decided to go to Irina’s family, but it turned out that they moved years ago to a place I’ve never been to before. I wrote to them, and they replied that I could go to live with them. After I got there, I realized that they all had become extremely pale, yet, I found Irina there. I asked Irina, ‘aren’t you supposed to be in college.’
she replied, ‘I’m on vacation.’
Then, after living with them for a week, I realized that they always had excuses for meals, and always went out ‘hiking’, so I asked them. They told me Irina became a vampire first, and then turned all of them into vampires because they wanted her to. I asked her to turn me into a vampire as well. She hesitated, but didn't refuse. So that's how I became a vampire, now I’m out finding new friends while Irina goes to school.” Laurent ended his story.
Victoria was impressed, there was a sadness in Laurent’s life, so she said having no alternative, “Now that you found us, we’ll be on your side.” James nodded.
Ninety years passed by with Victoria, James, and Laurent eating all the people and the animals in town and all around.
“We’ve got to go, I want to pay a visit to Edward’s, who’s a friend of mine in Forks in northwest Washington state.” Laurent demanded one day.
They set on feet for Forks and spied them playing baseball while hiding something delicious.
(The story goes on in Twilight)
James130 years ago, during the 1800s...
“I am thirsty now. Let’s go hunt,” I said to Laurent.
“Sure, let’s see what kind of human can we catch today,” Laurent was thirsty, too.
We started to run. We were racing with one another in a little forest. But after a long time, there weren’t any humans that we could find in that forest. Finally, we noticed there was a girl walking into the forest.
Laurent was so thirsty, “Finally!” he said, chasing the prey with me. I was too far behind.
We ran to our food as soon as we saw her. Vainly, the girl noticed us quickly and started to run back out the forest in an unexpectedly fast speed. We never saw any human run like that! We were shocked by what we were looking at. The girl wasn’t deep in the forest, so while we were stapled to the ground, she was already running out of the wood.
“What are we waiting for?” Laurent was so thirsty that he lost temper. “Why don’t we pursue after her?”
“No, we can’t. She is out of the line. Do you want the Volturi after us?” I said, “But how did she run that fast? It was not normal human speed!”
“I don’t know. All I can see was her red hair, and her blood smelled really good!” Laurent calming down, he always came down quickly.
“If I can meet her again, I want to change her for our own. She would be very useful. In the meantime, let’s go hunt.” I was very interested in that red hair girl.
“Okay, but we should make it fast this time.” Laurent agreed with me.
Several days later...
“Don’t run!” I said to the red-haired girl, and then Laurent and I began summoning her to make her stop. I held on to her as hard as I could. She was not strong.
“Why are you chasing me?” she said wrathfully.
“What is your name?” Laurent ignored her question.
“Victoria.” she did not keep asking, we were too strong for her will.
“How did you run that fast?” I asked curiously.
“Clearly you guys ran faster than me.” She didn’t answer my question.
“But...”
“Can we change her first then ask questions?” Laurent cut me off.
“Wait. What the...” Before she could finish her sentence, I caught her off guard and put venom into her neck, she fainted.
Three days later...
“What had happened to me?” Victoria said in her new baby voice.
“You are a vampire now. I don’t think it is necessary to explain, though. You will know everything in time. Did you feel the burn?” I asked audaciously.
“Well... Yes, I did. And I think I might need some blood now, if that is what we are thirsty for.” She was not as tough as when she was still a human. She seemed really comfortable with her new life as a vampire. Her eyes were locked on me, and she looked very meek.
“You learn pretty fast. Ok, let me see how your legs are working.” I said calmly, but she seemed hurt. What was wrong with her? Did she fall in love with me just like that? I only took care of her for her gift! But I couldn’t let her go! After all, she had a gift of runner. I could pretend to be her soul mate, that wouldn’t hurt. Then she would be very useful to me. She would comply with me servilely as a slave.
“I mean, how are you doing? Are you feeling better?” I changed my tone immediately.
“I’m great. Thank you, and thanks for the care while I was in bed,” she answered without doubt.
“You know, you don’t look or act like when you were a human at all,” I told her noticing her reaction.
“Did I really? I didn’t feel any changes happened to me.” She said incredulously.
“No, I was just kidding. Let’s go hunt,” Finally, I could really use her for my own goods. “Laurent is already outside waiting for a long time.”
As I expected, she ran faster than either of us. She
was a good tracker, too. When she hunted, she could find her prey immediately, and then track them down. However, she was not gifted in the pounce. I was. I believed when we hunted together, we could be the perfect partners.
***********
Did James really fall in love with me? That was the only question in my mind every day these years. After I was changed, I fell in love with him stantly, and he did notice that. It had been ninety years, he was being very kind, but not enough to consider as a lover. In fact, it was more like him using me than loving me. And I knew that. I knew it from the beginning. But why did I still stay with James?
“Victoria, what are you thinking about?” James asked me impatiently.
“Oh! Nothing really, just thinking where to next,” I lied to him badly. He saw the panic on my face, but he didn’t care anyway. He was too sure about me bowing to his every will.
“Ok. We shall hunt south. There, I will track the humans and you will chase them. Laurent doesn’t even have to do anything. We are perfect together!” He always said that complacently.
I didn’t say anything. I was pretty sure that I was just no more than a tool to James, or even Laurent, too. But I didn’t care. I loved him. I wanted and still, want to stay with James as long as possible.
***********
Thirty years passed by...
Laurent and I were talking about where we could go next.
“Why don’t we go to Forks?” Laurent suggested.
“Where is that?” I asked.
“I know. It is somewhere in the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State. But why are we going there?” Victoria cut in.
“Well, I used to live very close to that little town with Irina. There is a little forest, too. We can hunt there. And in the forest, there live the Cullens.” Laurent explained every single detail.
But Victoria seemed confused, “Who are the Cullens?”
“They are some friends of the Tanyas. I shall pay a visit to them. After all, I haven’t heard about them since I left the Tanya.” Laurent said.
Victoria wanted to say something, but I stopped her.
“Sure, let’s go hunt there.” I told Laurent, “I’m sure there will be many people waiting for us.”
Just like that, Laurent, Victoria and I went to
Forks. We hunted all over the place, and of course, Victoria was a big helper to our games.
“The humans are stupid. How would it be for them to find out about us vampires? Ha! It is so funny to watch them search all over the forest and never find any clues except for dead bodies!” I was teasing.
“We did make a big mess for the Cullens though. Let’s go apologize to them, and then we will go to some other places.” Laurent felt very guilty.
“Sure. We will have to go anyway.” Victoria said looking at me.
“Everything is fine for me.” I answered the question that Victoria did not ask. “We will visit the Cullen then go.”
We ran to the Cullens, and we saw they were playing baseball...
(The story continues in Twilight...)
1. All submissions must first be peer edited by at least three other people.
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Welcome to the Carlisle EX #2
by Lanier Carson
My fathers were demons. Both killed the innocent indiscriminately, without compunction. I, too, have become like them, killing the innocent…feeding on them. The only difference, I had remorse. I had compassion. And later, after many, many, many decades, I finally taught myself a little self-control. Scratch that, I have become accustomed to an extreme amount of restraint. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.
London 1658
“Carlisle, you must never flinch in the face of danger,” Cullen, was a righteous and stern man. “Be sure to drive the stake completely through.”
I held the sharpened, three-foot wooden spike above the squirming woman on the table.
He was my father, my sole caregiver, the man that stood only for truth and justice. Yet, I couldn’t quite see the justice of killing this “witch”, in this manner.
“Why, if she were truly a witch, didn’t she simply cast a spell upon us to…?”
The back of Cullen’s fist crashed across my face.
“Why do you think I have drugged her with arsenic and gagged her? Look how she still writhes. No mortal could withstand such a dose.”
Stunned, blinking back the tears, I glared into his black eyes.
“But, what proof do we have that she is a witch? Perhaps it’s the affects of the arsenic that are causing these reactions.”
“If you can not be the man,” he said grabbing the wooden mallet and stake from my sweating hands and shoving me to the muddy floor, “I will show you what must be done to rid this pestilence from our beloved city.”
Before I could recover, he raised the mallet high and brought it down upon the worn, ragged end of the stake. It pierced the woman’s breast, her bones audibly cracking.
“Forgive me father,” the woman screeched as the bondage around her mouth fell away in her writhing, hands clenching to break free and her head snapping from side to side.
“You blaspheming demon, how dare you pray to my God,” he said bringing the mallet down again and again, blood spattering his gown, some reaching me as
I rushed to this poor victim, but too late.
“…for …I have…sinned,” the woman spasmed several times, and moved no more.
I would not forgive my father for many years after that night, as I still cringe thinking of my lack of fortitude in preventing her demise.
I have done far worse, so I cannot condemn him too severely. Yet, perhaps if he weren’t so adamant about ridding the world of so-called vermin, my turning never would have happened.
August 13, 1666
I remember the day clearly, for it was the day, or rather the night, my father created me. My birth-day, if you will. His name, I came to learn years later was ____________. (469 words 2,600 total spaces)
Your assignment, finish this part of Carlisle's history...