Paris, France, 1336~

August~

I am scared, shaking-scared.  The plague that has decimated much of Europe has once again come upon us; I am worried for my family ...

I have lost uncles, aunts, cousins to the last round of the plague; now fears arise anew as I hear of people sickening and dying not even twenty four hours or days after falling ill.  People develop high fevers, shaking, bone-rattling chills, confusion, severe headaches, and develop hard, painful "lumps" on their bodies; not long after this, they start to have trouble with their breathing, and they die hours or days after becoming ill.

People think it is the infiltration of black or brown rats that have caused this misery upon the population.  Animals as well as people die; once a person (or animal) becomes sick, there is really nothing much that can be done except, perhaps, to make them comfortable or to ease their fevers or breathing problems.

I am scared that I will lose Maman, Papa, my brothers or sisters; I don't know what I would do if any of them were to become ill with this .... this ... plague!

September, 1336~

One of my worst fears have been realized:  Maman has fallen victim to the plague:  she lies in bed, caughing and gasping for air, and I have seen the telltale "bulboes" that hang onto her armpits like leeches; it is terrifying to witness such suffering!  I dearly love my Maman:  if I were to lose her, I think I should go mad with grief ...

One day later~

Maman, my beloved, beautiful Maman, has passed away; she got worse during the night; when I saw her shortly before she died, she was shaking and gasping for air as she coughed up bright-red blood, which got all over her front and all over her pillow; it was terrifying to see!  Papa yelled at me to get a doctor, but I knew it was already too late; not even five minutes later, Papa told me she had just passed away.  He then told me that he was probably the one to sicken next; he said for us to get our things and to go with the neighbors, because he would probably be dead once the symptoms first appeared ...

October, 1336~

Out of my family, I and my brother, Toulouse, are the only ones left:  Marie, Celeste, Josephine, Roubidoux, Jean-Luc, and baby Yves-Charles, have since died of the plague; Toulouse and I are the only two left.  Maman and Papa, they have already gone; now my brothers and sisters are with them, in Heaven, above.  I miss them most horribly!

Toulouse and I are now in an orphanage; the disease still runs rampant in our fair city.  We are terrified to go outdoors, for fear we may sicken with the plague-symptoms; why, the very air smells of death and disease ...

November, 1336~

We now live in the home of a rich spinster who is raising us as her children.  We don't like it here:  Mother Martha, as we call her, is cruel towards us: she makes us toil day and night; by the time we go to sleep late at night, we are both bone-tired; it is all too soon before we are up and at it again the next day.  I don't think I shall ever smile again; our once-cheerful, happy life is over; our futures are uncertain; with this plague still running wild, I secretly wish Mother Martha would sicken and die with the plague; I cannot stand her so ...

December, 1336~

Still with Mother Martha; she has somehow escaped the plague; our lives are still spent working, working; no time for play or schooling; we must be dumb as a bag of rocks, according to her.  If we do learn anything, we do it at home, and most of it is directed at how we should behave; Mother Martha wants us to be civilized, "proper" children, particularly when she is entertaining guests, which is every day, it seems.  I really do hate it here ....

Christmas will be anything but merry for Toulouse and myself, as well as for many families; as long as this plague continues, we don't have a chance ...  o, God, why has thou forsaken us??  Don't you hear the desperate cries of your people? When are You going to do something about this plague???  It rules our lives!

*to be continued.*