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The Black Death.
It crept up in the dark of the night and smothered all who breathed. Just like how it did to the Garret family.
It was 1347, just a year of the start of the plague. They had done so well at being careful, staying healthy and to themselves as much as they could. But it wasn’t enough to keep the spread of the sickness away from them.
Hunk’s little girl died in his arms, body now cold as her father held her, pushing back her hair, singing a little lullaby. He was still crying, even if she did pass away fourteen hours ago. His poor, beautiful little girl.
Hunk Garret coughed, feeling his end coming soon as well as the sickness already took the others. He was just the last one left.
Slowly, he stood up, carrying his baby to her bed, laying her down gently as if she was still here, covering her up with her knitted blanket. His babygirl… she didn’t even have a chance.
He gripped onto the bars of the crib tightly when a man suddenly appeared behind him.
“Do not longer weep. I can help.”
Hunk spun around, eyes wide, a bit frightened as a man was in his home. Not once did he hear him come in. “Who are you- how did you get in-“
“I have the cure,” The mysterious man spoke softly, his voice becoming a beacon of hope to Hunk. “I can help.”
Cure? A cure to the black death? This couldn’t be true. If so- If only this man had shown up just sooner- My family would still be here-
A tear fell down his cheek, his face sickening pale, weak from it. He remembered who fell first with it, his lover. It broke his heart seeing them like that, almost lifeless as they barely clung to him as he whispered sweet nothings, hoping that it brought peace to their end. Soon after, barely a few hours, he and their daughter fell ill.
“A cure?” He whispered, the man in the black cloak nodded, holding out a small vile of red liquid. Hesitatingly he took the vile, staring down at it. This had to be witchcraft if it worked.
“Drink,” The mans voice seemed to echo around him, coaxing him to the gentle order he was given.
And Hunk, a desperate man, popped it open, swigging all its containments down.
Licking his lips to the taste, only to grimace before sudden pain lit up in his chest and airway, dropping the vile which shattered as he clutched at his throat as it tightened. He fell to his knees, glass embedding into his palm as he caught himself as he was hunching over, gasping for air.
“W-What have yo-you-“ Hunk choked before crumbling to the wooden floor beneath him.
The last thing he saw was the shadow of the man disappearing into thin air, leaving no trace of him behind.
Hunk Garret stilled, his heart coming to a stop.
And he woke up dead.