The Journal of Maven Ella Gael

5th August 1351

5th August 1351

Salutations my friend,

It's now been 6 weeks since they took Harry away. Today we received a letter telling us that he has died. Sam sat down in the corner and cried, his sobs echoing along with my mother's throughout the house. I also cried, but I ran out of tears long ago. I don't think that my mother's tears will stop for a long time. Harry was buried a few hours ago in the parish cemetery. Samuel didn't want to go, but we talked him around, watching the bag with my little brother's body in it being lowered into the ground was the last straw. I was trying to be strong, for Samuel and my mother, but as they shovelled dirt into his grave, silent tears were streaming down my cheeks, my body racked with sobs. Samuel reached out for my hand and gave it a weak comforting squeeze, I gripped his hand and we walked, hand - in - hand, back to our broken little alley. The house seems cold and dark without the hope Harry's sense of humour and bright smile ever returning. We took it for granted when he was here, and now that he is gone, it's like there is a big gaping hole in our lives. It's horrible, every day the nurse's venture into the homes of the infected to check for fatalities and when all the houses residents are dead they take all valuables to be documented and then traded to cover costs for the blacksmith and the nurses. I try not to think about it but... That could be our things. Our valuables scavenged and our lives gone. Living in Cock and Key alley these days is frightening and surreal. I also try avoiding thinking about Harry, what's he doing now? Hopefully, he is running around free in Heaven with all of our neighbours enjoying the pain free world that they are in now. People are getting really desperate and are throwing whatever they can think of at the disease, such as rubbing live chickens against their wounds and allowing leeches to suck themselves dry.

That is all friends,

I shall continue to write as the insanity goes on,

Maven Ella Gael