• The story of the black plague ruined many lives, but some resisted
    Introduction:
    Who knows how the Black plague started. For years it scattered across lands taking lives of many. People believed it was a punishment of God. Other scientists said it came from rats and fleas. When a flea would bite a rat it would suck the blood from it and the disease in the rat was now it the flea. Then when the rat would die The flea would have to find another host. So it would jump on a human and the disease was now on the human.
    The bubonic plague it is also called.
    You may be familiar with the nursery rhyme:
    Ring around the rosy,
    Pockets full of poesies.
    Ashes, ashes
    We all fall down.
    It was the rhyme of the black plague.
    Rumor grew that it started by an evil cursed man named Argon.
    Though many believed him not to be a man.
    ‘God cursed him’ they believed. He cursed him to live forever. No one knows why God punished him.
    No one but two people.
    I take up my pen to tell the tale.

    John Grayhan.



    Chapter one
    The sea.
    Darkness of an early dawn crept away as the sun arose from the horizon of the sea. Greyhan town awoke and readied for another day of peace. Like everyday, The town seemed of little importance of the big world around them. Ignoring what happens outside of the town, they grow their own food. Make their own clothes, and live as if no one knew of their existence. The townsfolk there usually never have even been out of the town unless they were called away by their families from other distant places.
    It was founded by my great, great grandfather Jonathan Greyhan.
    My name is also John, and I am the only person in the family who still bears the last name of Greyhan. Except for my uncle Clay Greyhan.
    He visits scarcely to the town, but when he does it is the most excitement the town has ever came to know.
    I myself will travel away from the town for a while, for my uncle Clay has prepared a ship for me.
    He said I was to be captain of it! Although I was only fifteen I think I could manage.
    I lived with my aunt Rose and uncle Charles for almost eight years now. My mother and father died in a blazing fire inside our home. My uncle Clay was able to save me but we couldn’t get to my parents in time.
    Any way, I walked for the ship as I heard shouting behind me. “Jonathan Greyhan, you will not go off and leave us!” It was my aunt Rose and Uncle Charles. And I noticed they brought their unpleasant little brats with them! There were three of them and every one of them acted as savages. Its rude to say such things about family but I speak the truth! My aunt did not take me in their home for charity, but for me to do their own work. Clean their messes and prepare their food. But now, I was free of them! That is if they don’t catch me!
    I ran to and fro around the docks but couldn’t find the right way to the ship. The docks were as if a maze! I managed to out run them. When luck finally came to me, bad luck came and spit at me in the face! I ran straight off a dead end on the dock and went crashing into the coldness of the sea. Swimming around a bit, I had gotten use to being in the water and I swam for the ship. I was not about to get on the same dock as my aunt and uncle.
    I climbed aboard the vessel and ordered the crew to cast off before anything else could happen. I waved a goodbye to my aunt, uncle, and the three rodents as we cast the lines off and went to sea. The picture of them grinding their teeth would make me smile for months to come.
    “suddenly I heard a voice behind me. So you thought you could escape the clutches of family did you?” I turned to see uncle Clay staring at me with a pipe in his mouth. There was a long awkward pause and we both started giggling. Giggles turned to laughter, and laughter turned to boisterous stomach aching pains of excitement!
    “It’s great to see you uncle Clay!” I said wrapping my arms around him. “
    don’t I get any friendly welcome?” Another voice said behind me. It was Peter Wilson. My very best friend who had talked his parents into leaving with me. Laughter came back to haunt us again. It took a good ten minutes for us to calm down.
    We enjoyed our day at sea and when it came night, we enjoyed some music. The crew danced around while others played the cello and violins. We clapped as they would dance about making fools of themselves, but it was for our entertainment.
    The crew went on and I talked to uncle Clay. “What is the reason you sent me on this voyage with you?” He said nothing and just looked at me, sucking his pipe. “All right keep your secrets! But I know your up to something.” He gave a sigh. “I brought you with me because I knew you wanted to get away from your dreadful aunt and uncle. I knew you couldn’t stand it with them so I brought you with me, to travel with me.”
    “Okay, I guess I can believe that!” And with that we turned in for the night and slept in the big captains cabin. In the ship, there were two captains cabins. Both at the back of the ship, one above the other. The top one had a desk in the front and in the back there is two big beds. There is a large window in the back as well as the windows on the sides.
    The bottom cabin is the most unusual. It has windows on each sides and there it one big window at the back. There is also a big pipe organ in the back. I found no use for that room since I don’t know how to play any instrument. That night, uncle Clay slept in one big bed and Peter slept in the other. I didn’t like the feel of the beds so I made a hammock. I sat up half an hour trying to tie it up but it was useless. Luckily uncle Clay awoke and seen me tangled in the rope. “Let me show you hoe to tie it.” He took the rope and tied it perfectly up.
    Then he untied it and handed it to me. “Now you try.” I looked at him as if he were nuts and attempted to do what he did. I found my self tangled once again and gave up. He mumbled a bit and tied it back. “I’ll show you tomorrow. Get some sleep.” He lifted me up by my armpits and put me on the hammock. We exchanged goodnights and went into a slumber.
    The next morning the smell of eggs, toast, and bacon woke us up. We ate breakfast and went up on the main deck. The sun shone brightly on us. “how much longer till we’ve reached shore?” Peter asked. “It’ll take three or four more days to reach land. We’re going around Cape Horn First. Its not to far from here.” uncle Clay replied.
    Cape Horn Is a bad place to travel this time a year. But uncle Clay is confident about us making it around. It is always rough there and scarcely is it calm. A few hours passed and I wandered around the ship. I noticed the clouds grew darker and the waves, rougher.
    Suddenly The doctor came up on deck. “Why is this ship rocking so much!? I cant work on patients with this swaying back and fourth nonsense!” he said. “Cape horn, my dear doctor! I cannot control the weather of the world!” uncle Clay shouted. He went back below deck grumbling. “Confound this dreadful weather! Who knows how long this will go on!” no sooner than he said that a wave crashed on the side of the boat, making us broadside.
    Uncle Clay looked at me. “Go inside the cabin or somewhere! Go help the cook prepare dinner!” he shouted over the rumbling of the sea and thunder.
    I obeyed orders, angry though. I wanted to stay out there and help them but now I was the cooks servant!
    “Go fetch them there vegetables and meat! Cut them up and put then in the pot there!” I took my anger on the vegetables, chopping vigorously when all the sudden I heard growling from inside the cabin!
    Just then a wave hit the ship and we broadsided again! I fell flat on my knees under the table. The growling continued. Then I felt air hitting the side of my face. Something breathing! Less that a few feet from me. My eyes widened and my heart sank. I, being brave, managed to turn my head and see what was causing this. “A dog!?” I shouted.
    It was a yellow Labrador maybe one or two years old. I scratched behind its ears and it rewarded me with seven big sloppy licks on the face.
    Then the cook rushed in.
    “eh! What are ye doing!? Your supposed to be making soup lad!” I jumped to my feet and began chopping again. “You can have that dog, lad. I have no use for it. It’s useless on a ship.” With joy I said my thanks to the cook and hugged the dog. And again it slopped its wet, warm tongue on my face. “Okay, okay! that’s enough. Now finish the soup lad.”
    I began putting the meat and veggies in the soup then when the cook had his back turned I would give the dog some food. Uncle clay rushed in the room soaking wet. “We are still around Cape Horn. You can stay in here or hurry to your cabin. Either way just don’t go on deck or you’ll be swept away. Peter is in the cabin already.” With that he turned around and went back to the helm.
    I rushed out of there and headed for the back of the ship, with the dog by my side. Instead of going to the regular cabin I go to, I went to the cabin with the pipe organ. I sat with the small dog on the bench of the pipe organ. I never played one before but I seen some papers on it that showed you the notes. It explain it the most simplest way possible. On the lines of the music sheet was: e,
    g,
    b,
    d,
    f.
    Easily known by:
    Every Good Boy Does Fine.
    And
    F,
    A,
    C,
    E ,
    Between the lines.
    I t also shown where the notes where on the organ.
    The petals are for when you can’t play three parts with your hands. You use your feet! Amazingly I was bored enough to think of music in my head and right it down.
    I spent a good hour and a half writing music and finally, I was finished. I studied the organ a bit more and began playing a slow, sad tune. As the song kept going it got louder, faster, and scarier! But at the end of it, it went back to the slow part in which it began.
    I turned looked by my side and saw the dog laying beside me with big sad eyes. I turned completely around and seen Peter, uncle Clay, and some of the crew members looking at me smiling from the music I played. There was a long pause and silence then the crew split up, going back to their cabins. Uncle Clay walked over to me. “Never before had I heard greater music than what was just played. And at the age of fifteen! I didn’t know you knew how to play!” He smiled. “I didn’t know how. I just sat here, learning the notes then it popped it my head.” The dog came whimpering over to me and sat beside me. “Were did you get that thing?” he asked. “The cook found it wandering around and brought it aboard. He said I could have it.” He looked at me. “It’s a good thing he did! He would have turned it into dog soup!
    What are you going to name her?” another short pause entered the room. “Christy,” I said. Since it is almost Christmas. I figured her to be a Christmas present!” I said smiling. “well you and Christy better get to the other cabin and sleep. We have a long day tomorrow if it is going to be this sort of weather again!”
    I rushed up to the cabin with Christy running by my side. I met Peter there and explained how I had gotten a new dog. “Wow I want one!” he said laughing. I finally figured out how to tie the hammock up! Me and Peter said our goodnight and our prayers to the Lord, then headed to sleep. The thunder had finally stopped but it continued to rain, and waves rocked the ship. Luckily, sea sickness didn’t affect us.
    I laid sacks on the floor for Christy to sleep but she did want to sleep. Every time I’d look at her she’d wag her tail. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She must have been abused by the cook or her master before him, if she had one. I decided to let her sleep with me on the hammock.
    I whistled and she jumped in my lap. We laid our heads down. But when we did the hammock ropes broke and we fell to the ground!