~London~

Alright, To all of you out there you have now noticed that I have joined the Hetalia bandwagon and have my own favorite Character. I have actually had this idea for a while now, I just love Pirate Iggy. ( And I love how flustered he can get but also be an amazing Pirate in the next. ) England had grabbed my heart from the moment I saw him drinking tea. And that was at the very beginning. I know this story is probably not historically correct, Or maybe not even correct to the show. So I apologize to that. I had to compromise with some dates so that this story would match up. I assure you that I am trying to keep it good to History. ( Although I may just fail. ) This story Takes Place in the past and in the future. It begins around 1665. You r that right. The beginning of the Great London Plague. Like I said it might not be fully accurate. But please be patient with me. I love history and will try to keep it good. ( But like I said before. I had to change a few things to fit the story just a bit. )

Now the beginning of the Story.

London 1665~

I have a story I want to share with the whole lot of you. Maybe you will listen and continue to read this story. Maybe you will not. But I think I’ve kept this to myself to much. So far long that it hurts to even think about it if I try.

It happened oh so long ago. And it had become a part of history that was taught to children in every walks of life. A story that stretched imagination, Or maybe stretched your naptime in class, I suppose its weither or not you were interested.

This story is about a girl.

Well.

Not just any Girl.

Hello, My name is London.′

Yes, You heard me correctly, London. A name that has now become common, and yet this was my name for many a year. I am not a girl named London, like many of the other Londons out there in the world. I have a human name... Human emotions.

But I AM London.

And this is my story...

Or at least this is the story of the girl named London... And Maybe even the city itself.

I haven’t talked about it for years. Maybe it was me keeping it in, or maybe it because I was keeping bloody Wankers from asking to much about my business. But non the less. I shall tell you a story...

A painful one.′

~ London 1665~

" BY GOD!”

" WHAT ON E’RTH IS SHE DO’IN!?”

A rukus was sounding loudly in a nice, quaint little house in the outskirts of the town of London. A town usually busy with life, beauty and foremost alot of peotry, reading and historic arts. Even fashions and beauty. The town was nice, blossoming.. and ...

Well.′

It was also...

If you could put the town into a body....

Well...

" And Tha’ts the Jolly Ole Sound of the cr’ashin waves, Or Yonderrr!!!!” A girl... With brown hair and bright sparkling blue eyes cackled, dangling from the thatched roof, swinging her legs back and forth in nothing but her pettycoat, undergarments and a loosened corset. Very unsightly was the girl... As her hand waved back and forth, holding tightly to something that the neighboring countries and sadly most of the backwater people knew as rum.

The blasted girl was drunken into a stupor if anyone knew any better. And in this time and day and age.... Well. The servants and the house maids that the sweet girl lived with were yelling, screaming and waving their brooms in hopes of getting her down.

One would of been stocked for this.. Maybe even of had holy salt thrown on them. Or worse yet she would of been hung, or burned at the stake for this.. Horrid display of actions. But no.

No...

No one would ever dare try to kill her.

Not at all.′

They all loved her so much.. and what she represented. She was in fact the city itself, wrapped in human flesh and sadly wasting away just like the sewer sludged streets given all of the wasit was just being thrown about. She was beautiful... had not it been for the lack of proper clothes, knatted hair and sadly the sloshed rum that was now marking her bossom.

Sightly indeed.′

" Mi’ss Lond’on!!” One woman screeched, gathering her thick skirts and looking like she was getting herself in a damned tissy over something that would of probably been hilarious-If the higher ups weren’t glaring and saying their Nation was on its way to the firey depths. She giggled, slung her head back, placed the bottle beside her and then, with fuzzy eyes looked back at the women that wore a thick, dress. It swayed beautifully and on her head she wore a bonnet that made her rosy cheeks flutter.

She was mighty pretty. Anyone saw it. The way her large grey dress bellowed. her bonnet sitting just right in her blonde curls and her naturally red lips that formed pouts for all walks of life to stop and gawk at. She was a walking beauty.

" ABI-Hic-GAL!” The brown-haired girl. That was lacking in the curves department that Abigal did have, swayed to the side, yelped and then laughed as she slid back into the window.... And then came crashing out the front door with wobbly steps, ” ABIGALLL!!” She giggled, flung herself into the woman and almost sent them crashing into the ground like pigs to the slaughter.′

The woman was not pleased at all.′

" Lady London!” She gasped, Quicky straightening herself and then placing her sweet hands on her hips to show that the woman was in for yet another scolding from her. Maybe she was being too tensed by everything around her..new ideas, new poetry... New wines ( Although she tended to enjoy the thickness and the burning sensation that the rum gave her. ) ” Look at you!? Where is your garments? Your letting all the men in the county see you like that! Do you know this is scandalous!?!?”

Oh, she knew.

" But Abigal!” London sniffled, a hair stick slid past them and landed out of her beautiful curls that were still tangled from sleeping and running her hands vigorously through them, ” Oh Abigal. Just cause I’ma L’dy doesn’t mean I can’t h’ve me some ’un too!” She slurred, wobbled and nearly cried when Abigal brought her hand to her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose.

" Heavens! Let’s just get you inside before the crowds start talking ’bout you!” She pushed the lady back into the door. Hung up her bony bonnet and then led the messy girl back to her chambers. She closed the windows.. and then went to the spit to start warming fire for a well-deserved bath- Not for her of course. London smelled horrible.

The said city stumbled, whined.. and then fell onto the nice sheets that had been imported just for her. She whined... snuggled into them and then stared up at the ceiling with hazy blue eyes.

It wasn’t her fault the cook left the rum here like some idiot. He left for somewhere better he did..... Something about Pirates. She furrowed her brow, pinching her lips together and taking her time to process the information. If he got caught pirating they’d probably put him to death like the others.. it was becoming more and more frequent.

London sighed, rolled on her stomach and watched as Abigal poured the water into the large basin, Checked with the tips of her soft and gentle fingers and then strutted over to London in the most ladylike manner that was invented... If you could call strutting ladylike at all.

And then she proceeded to drag the wasted girl only, stripped her down in an awkward manner and then shoved her into the water, but also made sure that the drunken city did not drown herself- Which she had almost done before in the past.′

And then began the lecture as Abigal got the tough and harsh lyre soap. The one that if you use too much rubs your skin raw and gives you red spots?

Yes... that one.′

London whimpered.′

" Of all things! I leave for one week to visit my cousin and you’re off getting yourself drunk and in a tizzy!”

" I.. I was lonely!” London whined. Sure she was a city, but she was also as much of a person as well. She got hungry, cried easily and happened to get annoyed at the silliest of things. If anything she was still maturing, just like the city was maturing each year.′

" I do not care! if anything you’re lucky your a city or they would have burned you alive by now! It’s like looking over an overgrown child!” Abigal scolded, took some water and poured it over the girls head.. it felt good and tingled her skin to the touch, and she happened to wonder if maybe she really was as dirty as Abigal was saying.′

She huffed and sunk down into the tub. Letting her feet dangle out- Given this tub was not one you could lay down in.′

" OH STOP IT!” Abigal cried and yanked her head out of the water when the bubbles almost stopped. London gasped and then looked at Abigal with a sheepish smile that said thank you, and ′ I could have handled it myself, ” All in one glance.

Oh, sure she could of...

Sure she could of.′

" You’ll nearly drown yourself again and then what!? And why were you on the roof? What if you had fallen off of it!?”

" I wouldn’t have died.. perks of being a city.′

" No, But you would have gotten hurt in every way imaginable! And then I’d have to take care of you once again. Really London, I thought you’d be more responsible then this given how much the city has been changing. It’s growing but I really see no growth in you at all!” She scolded, wagged her delicate finger and helped scrub the dirt from Londons arms and legs. The other girl sighed and then glanced at the murky water.′

" I wonder what it would be like.....′ She whispered leaving Abigal to stop waving her hands about like a mad woman and then to just look at her confused.′

" What exactly? Have you even been listening to me!? She snapped.

London shrugged, ” I H’ve.. She whispered and then stretched her neck upwards to look at the roof and lean the back of her head against the metal tub... She blinked and then swooshed the water a bit, ” I was wondering what it’d be like to drown.......′

" HEAVENS!!” Abigal snapped again, ” You are still muddled by the rum you induced into your body!” She was getting into a tizzy now and London furrowed her brow before glancing back at the ceiling.

What would it be like to drown? She wondered this deep down and even scrunched up her nose at the idea.

Did it hurt? Or did you fall asleep and that was it? Did it sting? Was there any pain, did your brain process it or did you die before you realized you were going to?

She laughed at the gest of the idea- and then was yanked out of the tub so that she could be dressed as a normal lady of that time and day.′

Great.′

Damned corsets...′

" So What fun did you have at your cousins?” London tilted her head but winced. She was trying to minimize the tilting and prodding she did with her head. Mostly because each time she turned it, it felt like her brain was bouncing off the walls of her skull- saying hi and what not.

She cringed as Abigal fixed her bonnet and almost let her golden tendrils fall into beauty. Like golden rays of sunshine or even the golden coins that you found in Church offering bins-Not that London knew what those looked like or anything.′

" It was quaint. The house is growing and flourishing in every possible way. Cousin sends his regards from where he is.′ She pinched up her nose adorably, ” You know. Cousin is soon to become a Duke.′ She whispered and glanced at London.

London now wore a nicely colored sundress, one of bright yellow with white ribbons cascading down the sides. Her beautiful hair was pulled back and the long tendrils trailed down to her bottom. Her shoes were buttoned up to the ankles and she squirmed and huffed as if the corset was strangling her with each second she had to wear it.

She was like a little girl being forced to learn how to sew as the boys played outside. London was almost like one of the boys.... young, free, growing, prospering... and also... Beautiful. Not that she would ever tell you that. Not that she ever saw that in herself. All she saw was herself- and then her crud filled streets.

She was disgusted with herself half the time and bored with the rejection of women. She was a woman and men with their social standing wasn’t exactly what she was looking for. She was merely passing by and growing... She was alive before Abigal... And she would be alive long after Abigal passed.

It was sad...

But. That was the fate of the cities, capitals.. and even countries.

All human but with the immortal roll of staying alive as each place thrived and grew. It was said the countries had it harder, but something in London made her want to laugh. Harder?

Tell that to someone who cared.′

She scrunched up her nose and then leaned back, almost already getting what Abigal was suggesting to her. If she wasn’t a lady she would of cursed and almost doddled of the idea of being married to Abigals Cousin.

To be married at all...

He’d grow old. terror... would not.′

" Oh, Abigal! You jest!” She giggled and covered her mouth with her white gloved hand, ” You know as well as I that I am not one to marry.... It is you dear love that should be marrying and having dukes and princes asking for your hand. ”

She smiled faintly, ” You are an English woman. With your bright blonde hair and green eyes, maybe a man will find you a catch in the rightest of ways.′ She chuckled,

" As for me... Marriage, love... It is not an opinion. We have already discussed this before.′ She smiled faintly... and watched as her friend paused, lowered her teacup from her lips and then sighed.′

" I suppose. I am sorry, I was merely thinking about your happiness.′ She whispered, ” I forgot of the aging.′ She smiled faintly and then sipped her tea. Her rosy lips puckering to take in the flavor of what they had managed to get their hands on.

It was London’s favorite at the moment.′

She smiled, her eyes dancing with bright light as Abigal suddenly placed her cup down and sighed.

Now London, although hung over from her little adventure, did know when things were wrong and things were right. The look reflected in Abigals eyes was not anything to be mistaken for. It was not happiness or kindness. It was dred.....

How strange.′

" Actually.... We did not only talk about marriage when we were there London...′ She puckered her lips as if thinking about how to word everything. Careful she turned it over and over inside her head before glancing at her in worry. Her beautiful emerald eyes dimmed at the slightest mention and London caught a note of the goosebumps that rode about on her best friends skin.′

" What is wrong-

" London..... Have you been feeling sick lately?” Abigals lips pintched together. London blinked, placed a hand over her tender heart and then tilted her throbbing head to the side.′

" No.. Why.... What ever do you mean-

" The Plaque London....′ She shivered and then glanced out the window.

Only then did London notice something burning in the distance.... A stench she had never smelled before rode up into her nostrils. It almost seemed to seep into her windows. The windows that had been paid pretty penny for. She scruched up her nose and saw black smoke rising in the distance. She knew where... the town square.′

Her stomach suddenly turned, and as she watched, a cart rode by....

A cart with ....

With.

Her cup slipped past her hands and piled into her carpets and rugs. The splash... the break.

They were burning the bodies.

How had she not noticed it? Was she too caught up in her adventures of rum that she had not noticed the state of her city? She almost detested the thought of being so blinded by it.

They had plague before and each time London wished it was over and gone..... Sometimes? She’d wish for the sweet fingers of death. The plague was just that. Plague. Cold harsh. It was the mistress of death that swooped in and dug in its vile fingernails. Trying to suck you into its vile unadulterated sin.

It killed many without remorse... How long had this been going on? Her city was thriving! Growing... and yetFrench What did her eyes see? But the corpses of many...

When had it begun? She didn’t feel sick...

Was it not affecting her yet?

And would it?

Her stomach turned, her wide blue eyes darted to Abigal... who was now silent and staring out the window with fear reaching upon her beautiful features.

" London...... The Plaque has reached the city....′ Her voice cracked, and she looked back at the friend... Distress was actually in her eyes for once.′

" Oh, London.′

" What are we going to do?”

But Abigals weak question faded into the background along with London’s headache. Dred settled into the pit of her stomach... and something told her.

This would be worse than the other times.

Much,

Much,

Worse.

~ London 1666~

" Just take them there I guess.....′

" Blimey. So much..... Are we all going to die? Is this punishment!!?”

“It’s those seamen’s fault it is!”

" No... It is’ the wo’ks of the de’vil hi’self, I say!”

Men hissed and probed. Would you not do the same? Day after day, after day... Taking your family members. Taking your friends.. With black on them, some already rotting. Some contagious.... Taking them all and burning them in a pile as if they had never lived? The smell was horrible..... The plaque was spreading.′

And what was worse was this was the worst case to hit them yet.

Mothers cried for babies that would never return. Men drank themselves to sleep and some prayed to god for sweet release.....

London was practically in tears.

Of all the places in England...

Why her?

It had been six months since it had hit them..... Six gruesome months. And now she was walking down the streets... praying for a miracle. Praying for someone to swoop in and take this thing away from them. But she was a city. She couldn’t catch the plague.... but she could feel its pain and after effects.

She coughed into her hand and trembled, feeling the people that lived within her slowly dawdling away to nothing but dust.. dirt.. and death. She cringed at the thought.... it was like raking her brain with something sharp and telling her to think of something else other than pain. She didn’t use rum for drunkenness anymore..not like the good old days. No. She used it for wounds.

She cringed and walked past a street, only to tremble in terror at the black crosses doomed on many of their doors. Black crosses meant the plague...... And she had heard terrible news that it had hit Paris as well. Her lips trembled.

She knew the personification of Paris, Although they did not get along.... It didn’t seem right that this plague was sweeping across Europe like the devil himself.

If only she knew what was causing this.... horrid event to happen. She wished she could help, but the smells that came from the main square only scared her away from it. The screams of mothers, boys, and children.

She couldn’t handle it much longer.

London gripped her black cloak hard around her skinny frame. She was yet again not wearing a proper dress.. just one cotton throw over. One that moved with her body. She was very quick to not get caught and she didn’t think people cared right now at the moment anyway. Almost every house was in mourning. Almost every person was screaming for sweet release.′

And she was protected by some unforeseen barrier.′

Not a barrier to protect her people... but a barrier to take her people away. Her stomach never treated her well anymore... and she vomited almost every day now. Her fingers trembled as it scraped some blood-drenched walls and her heart pleaded that she stop touching what was once her beautiful city.

It was slowly being painted over with death.... Death on death, on death.

London stopped in the middle of the street and trembled. When would it stop? It had ony been six months... and so many people have died already. It was like something out of a ghost tale that was brought in from Scotland. She cringed....

And then she ran.

She ran to her little quaint house, rushed in.. Bolted the doors and held up her arms as Abigal rushed over to her, and started o clean her off... She wore a mask that was made of thick cotton, she didn’t even touch London with her bare skin until they knew London was clean... and then she collapsed on the couch in the corridor... And looked at her friend.′

" How bad is it?” Her pink lips trembled and London couldn’t steal herself to look at her lifelong friend. Should she tell her that the baker was gone now too? That the child from the Petterson family was all but in the pile that was burning almost right in their backyard? Her stomach reeled and she quickly covered her mouth.

Blood and everything else vile came up.. and she doubled over as Abigal paled and quickly rushed over...

It had to of been bad to affect London like this.

Very bad.′

" Its.... Its.....′ London trembled. Her once happy eyes that jived with emotion and drunkenness... Her eyes that danced with happiness and longed freedom dulled and screamed for mercy. Her stomach turned and twisted like it was mad at her, Blood dripped from her nose and she cringed from how much it hurt her insides.

And yet she wouldn’t die.′

She shivered bitterly and felt her heart jerk in her chest,

“It’s terrible........ Little John, Merci...′ She choked. Even the French couple from down the block. Gone, wiped out... Wiped out like they were nothing. Some people were even leaving London just to get some freedom... But there was news that this horrid plaque was wiping Europe clean. Some said it was purifying the evils of the world...

But it that was the case then apparently they were all damned to hell.′

" Oh My God....′ Abigal choked, placing a hand over her mouth but then looking down. Even her beautiful blue eyes shimmered with tears that crashed down like waves from the ocean docks. She was trembling.. terrified... London had seen things before, but this was terrible..... So terrible.′

" I can’t.. stand... ” London whispered, suddenly the tired feeling in her diminished to nothing more than the weak feeling of her people being drained out from under her..... Countries could not possibly of had it worse then Capitals and cities... it couldn’t be. She felt like she was dying one day and the next she WATCHED her people die.

" L-London!” Abigal cried out and quickly caught the women... She helped her to the couch and quickly checked her forehead. She shivered from the coldness of Abigals skin..... And then swallowed when she got sick on blood again.

Abigal was crying, not knowing what to do.′

" L-London!” She wailed, and buried her face in her hands. Her tendrils seemed faded of their natural glow.. maybe it was because the water was not to be trusted at the moment.. and they had not bathed in a while. Or maybe it was because of the depressive pains that everyone was going through in this day and age.

Some had even taken their own lives, knowing that it would be better to die then to catch the, ′ Black Death.′ As they managed to call it now. London shivered softly... She had not thought about much before. She knew London was growing and bringing life to the world..

And now she felt as though nothing but death filled her streets.

And when that realization hit her... Along with the pain...

Tears welled up in her ocean blue eyes and traveled down her pale white skin.′

It was only to get much worse..... Wasn’t it?

" I can’t show up anymore London....′

It was words she didn’t want to hear. Words she new would come but words she wished was part of some damned nightmare she had before. Abigal was beautiful, still thriving... she wasn’t sick.. or she didn’t appear to be. But something was off in her eyes and the way she held herself.′

" Susan is dying....′

Susan.

Ah, Abigals little sister...

it was a known fact that it was spreading like wildfire... Some had somehow avoided it. Some had avoided the pain and torture of dying from the black death.... It was now ten months. Almost a blasted year of torture, pain, and suffering. London had almost never left her room.. sometimes she had to be carried to her bed... and bathed at will.

The pain was so much for one person to take. And now this one person had to take it alone.

" I’m so sorry London....′ Abigal cast her green eyes to the floor to show how off she was feeling about leaving London alone after so long. London was like an unruly older sister.... But she had blood family to take care of and London knew all too well what that meant. She was a city.. she wouldn’t die. But Abigal only had a short time left with her dear.. dear sister.′

So she cracked a weak smile and nodded,

" Very well Abigal..... Tell Susan I love her...′ She smiled faintly... And Abigal choked into her hands. Before flinging her arms around her friend and weeping. It was almost a death sentence to be in the same house as one with the black plaque..... it had killed more people then it had ever killed.′

It felt like the end...

The end of everything right and good.

London bitterly held onto Abigal, half for support and half for one last gripping notice of her friend. If this kept up.. then this would be the last time she saw Abigal.. and maybe the last time before she too died into the existence. Cities couldn’t die... at least not till their cities died and laid waste to nothing.

Tears welled up in her eyes and she held tight to her friend.. before opening her eyes and noticing that Abigal had run out without saying goodbye. She laughed bitterly as she stood there in her quaint little English room...

And then she proceeded to break the china that had been on the tea table.

Tears trailed down her eyes as she fell to her knees... getting glass in them. But she cared not, nothing hurt more than being alone when you yourself was probably dying because of nature deciding it was your time.

She choked and buried her face in her hands.′

This damned plaque.... this damned... PLAGUE!

She cried out bitterly.. but no one was there to wish her happiness... To calm her down. It was time... She knew.. to stand up and fix herself up a bit. She had to help her people... Not just for their sake but also for her own. She couldn’t stand saying goodbye to Abigal... she couldn’t stand saying goodbye to her maids that one by one slowly died in their homes.

She trembled and looked down at her hands.

Ah...

She was crying blood.′

London laughed weakly as the irony liquid stung her view and vision. And then she looked up and out the window...

She listened to the screams and terrors that rested into the streets.

Her people.

Her culture.

Her face twisted...

She grabbed the side table and then lifted herself up.′

Blasted it all to hell.

She was London!

She wasn’t some damn colony to be fooled with....

" Is that the last of em Miss?”

A man asked. Weather-worn was his eyes as he glanced at London. She wore her hair back to keep it out of her eyes as she looked down at the pile of bodies in the London square. It had been eight months.... So that was a total of Eighteen.

And sadly she still saw nothing in sight. She was getting weakly each day, but she kept that to herself and then glanced back at the man, trying to hide the fact that blood was threatening to pour out of her already naturally red, rosy lips.′

" Yes ‘Ir..’ She whispered and then tilted her head. She had not heard from Abigal in so long.. and sadly something in her gut told her she was gone..... Whether she was dead she knew not. But she knew she was gone... Dead or having left London period.

She did not know...

But the warmth was not there.′

London sighed out bitterly and glanced all around her...

Mourners were less and less these days. People were afraid to get out of their houses, One, Or two there was no one really left to mourn. She didn’t know if she should count how many had passed already... but the number was heading towards the dreaded One hundred thousand. She bit her lower trembling lip... held the flame and looked down at the bodies that were spreading the disease.

Tears welled up in her eyes... as she dropped the torch, and the heat scorched her face just a bit.

" Goodbye....′ She whispered. Tears clouded her eyes and trailed down in puddles and droplets. She cringed... She had to stop crying. Sometimes the pain would shoot through her eyes and blood would come out... if she was not careful people would think she was infected.. and then avoid her.

Or in some cases... Burn her alive.′

She shivered and gripped her cloak. Some people knew WHO she was. Others did not and she was learning that maybe it was a good thing... people were learning to despise her slowly. She didn’t know why... But apparently knowing you had a free ticket from death... Well. it was frowned upon by people who were fighting for their lives.

It was amazing. Just last year everyone loved her. And now all she felt was hatred because of her unability to pass away like everyone else. She wanted to pass sometimes. Just to feel it. Just to experience it. But then her heart would remind her that as long as London stood, So would she.′

She had been charged with helping clean the houses....

Scrubbing them down, making sure all the death was out of them. She never got Abigals house... maybe someone else did. She didn’t know. Susan was probably long dead now... Her lips pinched in thought before she stepped back so the licking flames wouldn’t grace her skin.

And then she paused.

Pain zipped through her sharply.

More sharply then anything she had felt...

Had the fire burned her? It was a possibility.... But she had her face turned to the fire.. not her back or sides. London paused, tossing a look at the fire. She glanced at her clothes... No burns, or burn marks on her cloak at all.

And yet...

There was something red bubbling past her white dress underneath.

Her eyes widened.....

W-What.

The...

Bloody...

Hell?

She touched it.

It was sticky.. her fingers were so gooey and goopy that her mind reeled... She looked around and then peeled the cloth up to see a large, red, irritated burn mark... So bad that it burned through, letting blood suddenly drip onto the ground in a bubbly mess. It dripped down her thighs... and onto her feet.

Her eyes widened...

A shock went through her.

W-Wh-

" FIRREE!”

She jerked her head up. Men ran past her, screaming.. howling. Shouting. She looked up at the small fire of bodies, but they were running towards that area.... She looked behind her.

And was greeted by heat.. bellowing flames and screams.′

It was like hell itself coming to visit.

The flames held faces she didn’t want to see....

And held nightmares that often haunted her.

Her eyes widened.... It was burning everything!.... It was burning the buildings, the trenches, the waterways! Everything! All of London was being burnt down... All of... London-

" AH!” London suddenly screamed.. a burn appeared deeply on her back. Blood squirting and soaking her dress. Her legs trembled. Blood appeared past her lips. No.. No.. NO! It felt like she was being burned everywhere. Like at the stake... it felt like she was being burned at the stake!

She cried out and grabbed her arms.... only to realize she had been running. Running... pounding on peoples doors and pulling them out for them to escape the upcoming fire... Some people were already gone in the flames and others headed for the docks so they could get the bloody hell out of there.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she handed a baby to its mother. She choked, grabbed the baby.. that was perfectly healthy. Thank god.. and then glanced back at the whimpering flames. Her eyes grew as the red danced in them...

" L-L’DY LON’DON!.. Come on!” A male shouted and stretched out his hand...

What was the point?

London was burning down...

Her lips trembled.. her brown hair scattered down her blood-soaked back and her vision blurred with the heat. The heat that was now numbing her body... How long had that fire been burning? How long had it been? Her blue eyes stared with terror...

And then something hit her.′

She jerked around and stared at the crowds...

Abigal....

" Go on W’thout Me!” She cried, grabbed her dress and ran off... kicking off her shoes and running through the dirty streets barefooted. She didn’t care for once. This was her.. This was herself. But her sister. Her sister... She had to save her. She was her best friend.. a best friend that earned the sister title a long time ago.

Abigal!

She cried and ran right through the hot flames... Buildings were burning around her and she coughed. She grabbed her cloak and wrapped it around her face... until it caught fire and she had to discard it. She cried from the burns prickling at her skin and she quickly rushed to the little green house that she herself had helped color.

Abigal!

She ran up to the black crossed door, took her now bloodied fist and hit it.. over and over and over again. Until it cracked... She rushed in.. Jerking her head around for some sign of life.

... But all she was met with was this rotting.... Corpse.′

Susan......

Her eyes met ones that were no longer there.... Rotten flesh reeked the house. Some things were gone. But Susan...

Fire-cracked.. the body moved a bit from the spark.

London screamed...

She had never screamed out of terror like this before.

But she screamed...

There on Susan’s neck....

Was Abigals necklace...

She screamed....

And Screamed...

.... That wasn’t Susan... Was it?

London screamed and covered her mouth, tears pouring down her face as she threatened to gag and cough up the vomit in her system. But she hadn’t eaten anything so she just dry heaved until the fire made a large beam snap down and nearly crush her.

The woman yelped and backed away, nearly falling over something more obscene. Tears burst from her eyes at the pain of the burns... the perhaps loss of her best friend.... And the feeling of dying.

Dying just like the city.

She cried.. rushed up to the body.... and grabbed the necklace... She ripped it off, not caring if the hot metal scolded her hand. It was a heart pendant that Abigals mother gave her before she too died. It had gold, and silver.. and was imported from a foreign country so far away, In it? Was a perfume... One that Abigal refused to wear until she could at least have a honeymoon.

If that was Abigal, as mangled as the body was...

It didn’t seem she would be having it.

London choked... Bowed her head, and then ran out of the house before she burned into it.. just like that body..... She ran.... but then screamed when more houses crashed around her. Hell... Hell.. This had to be hell! This is what happened to witches, pirates, and others! Hell, Hell!

She was in Bloody Hell!!

She screamed and cried.. looking for a way out... anyway out would do! She cried out as her feet got cut and bruised.. her cloak ripped away completely and the necklace as firm in her hands that she ignored everything around her.

All she felt like doing was dying...

All she felt was sorrow...

And then she came into a clearing that led to the cliffs....

Her eyes widened and she screamed as her foot nearly hit the edge.... She clung to a hanging tree, pulling herself back to land before looking back at the large drop off that led down to the sharp rocks at the bottom. Her eyes widened... her lips were parched and her body trembled with every new burn she received. She was bloody and bleeding everywhere...

But she had a choice of HOW to die right?

She glanced back at the raging fire.. one that was coming close to her... And then at the ocean below.′

Then her thoughts flashed before her.

‘I wonder what its like to Drown....’

Tears welled up in her eyes.′

She had only been thinking out loud and now... Now it was like a reality that was closing around her neck and strangling her. She didn’t think she’d have a choice on HOW to die... She just thought she’d die...

But....

London looked back at the raging flames that engulfed the world- Her world...

And then back at the ocean below, splashing and hissing.. grabbing up needy fingers for another soul to claim.

Her eyes trembled.

Hell.. Or drowning.

Burning to death, Or drowning...

‘I wonder what its like to Drown...’

She had always loved the sea. She had always loved how it felt on her skin. The taste of the salt.. the adventure of all the stories from the castle. She swallowed bitterly. The purge of the fire, or the greeting, endless depths of the waves?

Ha...

London fought back the tears, Placed the necklace around her neck and then pressed bloody lips to the hot metal.′

" For England....′ She whispered. Tears welled up in her eyes and she willed the last of her strength. Turned to the ocean.... Choked, clenched the necklace in her injured hand...

Ran back.

And jumped.′

She would have screamed, had it not been for the experience of falling so far....

Her eyes threatened to shut so that she didn’t have to anticipate hitting the water below. So she didn’t have to think about the rocks that would crush her bones- But she must have had some type of luck for her last breathe..

She missed them all.′

Her body crashed through the already crashing waves. Pain shot through her back screamed at every bone in her body and willed herself to go limp. Her hand never let go of the necklace... her hair floated about her.

The water washed her softly, wrapped around her in its warm embrace, and then seemed to suck deep into her. Into her lungs, into her cavities... Her eyes slowly started to close. The pain was there, but she was so weak.. so on the edge that the panic of losing her breath wasn’t there anymore.

The water seemed to weigh on her chest cavities... and then wrapped about her like a blanket. The deeper she went.. the colder she got. And yet it was still so warm.. so inviting. Her fingers clasped the necklace harshly.

Blood stained the water.′

‘My name is London.....’

’There was a great plague that hit my land. They call it the great plague of London. It killed almost more than One hundred thousand people this time around. And then, The fire hit... London burned, along with some other areas. London is burning...

Burning...

Burning........′

All that is left is ashes and the flames still riding high into the sky. Blood. All I taste is blood, everything is dark.....

Dark... Inviting...′

" OI!”

" L’ok He’r Cap’n!”

" We g’t Ou’selves a F’loater!”

Torchlight cast upon the men as their gruff, callused hands pulled at the nets...Water and blood traveled down as the limp women was lifted from the water. A heart necklace hung around her neck.... Her eyes barely open, her lips forming an ounce of last breathe.′

" ‘Is a l’dy it is!” One hooped and scanned the woman... She was wearing nothing but her petties and a skinny cotton get up. It clung to her burned and bloodied body, her hands hung limply to her sides and her wet brown hair almost looked black had it not been for the torchlight that surrounded all on board.’

" S’he’s ’Etty B’rned up C’ptin. Sh’old we throw ‘er back o’er?” The man holding her stared down at her, and then up at the cliffs that were ablaze. Swears filled the area in along with some laughter about how jolly and lucky they had been to not of docked there...’

" Looks like we will not be docking in London.′ A younger man sighed out and scratched his bandana covered head. He pouted, given he was a wee little one.′

“Put her down.′

They all stopped and looked back...

Before dropping the lady hard on the deck of the boat.′

She didn’t even move, didn’t even blunder.

All London could do was take in the blurry pictures... Blurry lights...

And then the blurry green orbs staring down at her.′

‘Pirates....’

{ The Great Plague of London: Starting in London at 1665, It is said that sea capatins brought in the illness from overseas. It was from an infected flee. It had broken out many times before and was bought under control, but the last time it broke out, it sent London into horrid circumstances, killing over 100,000 of her people. It lasted Eighteen, Brutal Months.′

The Great Fire of London: It is not said how the fire was started, Nor why. But it was started September 2nd of 1666. It lasted till September 5th 1666. It burned down most of London, Many people were evatuated. But it did clear the plague out of the towns and London was soon sent into being Rebuilt. It is said that the fire cleaned out the death... I wonder if people thought they were in hell when the flames licked the city? }