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October 17, 1348

I, Johann Smith, have seen some pretty bad things in my life.   Like the passing away of 

my grandfather, or when my little son went missing.   I have also had some joyous 

occasions. Like the marriage of my wife, Mary Smith, and the birth of my two beloved 

children,   John and Alice.   But never, in my 27 years, have I ever experienced anything 

like I am now.  

My wife, Mary, has been acting really weird lately.   She has begun to get fevers, and she 

will get them multiple times a day.   She will just lie in bed the entire day.   I don't know 

what is wrong with her.   Maybe just the sudden change of temperature caused her 

health to be bad, but I think that leaving her alone will do some good for her.   The 

stress she has on her back is already enough, so I can try to do the house chores for her 

tonight.  

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I have just found out that there is something going around the entire country of 

England.   My closest friend, and partner Tom Pyzdek, was traveling the country, when 

he came across a city that wasn't doing so well.   It was a fairly large city way back 

when, maybe a little bigger than ours (ours has about 1,500 people).   But now, they are 

down to 192 people.   There has been an outbreak in their city, of something, but they 

don't know what.   It starts with tiny little swellings, and then comes headaches, and 

fevers.   Then comes chills, then weakness.  

The worst part is though when the huge bumps come.   They can be the size of apples.  

There was a barber in the city who apparently was 'draining the infected blood' from 

people.   They all thought that it would help.   Tom had said to me that since I was the 

only barber in the city, that when the news and the disease travels, I will be the one 

doing all of the (literal) dirty work.   I really don't want the use all the tools that I use for 

hair on people and cut open their skin.   After all, I am just a barber.   I cut hair for a 

living.   But, if it will help when the disease travels to us then I must do it.  

October 18, 1348

I have seen the first victim of the disease: my wife.   I have noticed the swelling on her 

body, and like I had said before, she has contracted fevers.   Now, she is getting these 

big bumps all over her body.   Even though I can't bring myself to think it, I know that 

she is going to die.  

October 20, 1384

Ever since yesterday there has been a huge breakout of the disease in our little city of 

Chester, England.   I hate seeing the people whom I know so well in a condition like 

this.   I can't stand seeing those in my family catch this disease, and eventually die.   But, 

I 

must not worry abut it.   I have a life to live.   I need to focus on my own self, and make 

sure that I and my family can survive throughout the duration of this epidemic.  

October 21, 1348

In the two days that have passed since my last entry, I have had over 230 people 

come into my shop.   And so far out of those 230, 80 of them have died so far.   I helped 

wheel the bodies out to the pit we have dug.   We couldn't dig graves fast enough 

because everyone is dropping like flies.   In the meantime, the meat shop had shut 

down completely.   Everything was cleared out this morning, and the husband and the 

wife moved away.   They were worried that their meat was contaminated, so they 

packed up shop and moved down to Scotland.   Their son Walter lives down there, and 

so far there hasn't been any news of the plague hitting there.    So, now we have no 

meat supply.   Plus since the cold is hitting us, all our plants are beginning to die.  

enter text here

October 22, 1348

I have been up all night throwing bodies into the pit.   My eyelids are as heavy as rocks, 

and I don't want to leave my bed.   About a minute or so after I wake up, I hear a loud 

pounding on my front door.   It continues on, and eventually I get to to go see what it is 

because I don't want them to bust down my door.   I look out the window, and see a 

cluster of about 30 or so people standing on our doorstep.   I figured they'd leave as soon 

as they realized I wouldn't answer the door, so I just got back into bed.   But they just 

wouldn't quit.   They started to yell at me to come out, and I got sick of listening to all of 

the pounding and yelling, so I rolled out of bed.   I got on some clothes, and walked 

down the stairs, but I left through the back.   I didn't want them to see me, so I tried to 

sneak past them.   In my mind, I thought that since they were so focused on getting me 

outside, they wouldn't notice me if I already have left.   But, alas, it didn't work.   They 

saw me in the reflection of the window.   They turned and started to follow me.   I walked 

for about 20 feet and then began to jog, then began to sprint.   I kept running as fast as I 

could.   I didn't look back for the fear that I would trip and fall and lose ground.   Once I 

reached my office, I turned the sign hanging on the from that said 'Be Back Later', 

slammed the door and locked it.   I could literally feel that vibrations that shook the

 whole house as the people chasing me body slammed into the door because they 

wanted to get in so desperately.    I just sat there for about two minutes.   Soon, I just 

got up and opened my door.   The men and women, and even children there were just 

staring at me, their eyes like big gaping holes that were embedded into their skulls.   

I could feel my eyes begin to well and tear up, but I tried as hard as I could to hold 

back, because these people were in an even worse state that I am.   The thought in the 

back of their minds that there is no possible way that they are going to live.   I let them 

in, and waited until my partner came into work.  

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Tom came in a while after I let them in.    We began our work, when Alice came 

running into the room.   There were tears in her eyes.   'Dad..." she said, 'Mom is.. 

dead.'   I just stood there in shock.   After I thought for a minute, I dropped my tools 

and started to run home.   When I arrived, I busted open the door and made a beeline 

for the upstairs bedroom.   I threw open the door and saw her lying in the bed.   She 

was covered from what I saw in black bumps.   It was exactly what I heard from Tom.  

And speaking of him, a few minutes after I came threw the door, Tom was standing 

there with Alice.   I backed away from the bed.   I walked out of the room and they both 

followed.   I locked the door behind me.   Then I slowly walked down the stairs and out 

of the house, and all the way down to the cemetery.   There was a man standing there, 

with a huge overcoat and a long, birdlike nose.   I ran to him.   Tom had told me about 

someone like this when he was in that other city.   There was a strong scent of some 

sort of flower by him.   As soon as I got close I had to back away because that scent was 

just too much.   I went up to the man far enough where I couldn't smell him, and I had 

asked him to look at my wife.   He looked at me and said, 'Is she dead?'   I tired not to 

cry as I uttered the word, 'yes.'   He simply shook his head and told me to lead him to 

the house.     

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