he Journal of Jacob Maddings
Ceryna - November 20, 2005
Ceryna walked slowly into the Gallow's End Tavern, a
cloth-wrapped bundle under her arm. She trembled slightly as she
walked, tongue licking desiccated, half-rotten lips. It was
quiet. Good. She pulled out a chair at the table near the fire,
and sat.
Zepmir, the bouncing, yapping imp that followed her in, leapt
onto the table, clawed hands grabbing for the bundle in her arms.
She snatched it away, delivering a resounding slap to his face,
and he sat back, whimpering. She fought the urge to do it again,
to hurl him into the fireplace, and took a calming breath.
The bundle was unwrapped slowly, cloth falling away to reveal an
old, leather-bound book, tattered and wet. She ran her talons
down the cover, along the spine, shivering despite the heat of
the roaring fire.
The Journal of Jacob Maddings.
They'd found the journal in Corin's Crossing, when Father
Maledictus had led them to Light's Hope Chapel. She didn't have
time to investigate it that night. Now, she would.
She opened it carefully, fearful of destroying what was left of a
book that had been worn with age and misuse. It was in
surprisingly good condition. Her eyes followed the words in a
language that had once been native to her, and was now as foreign
as Elven.
She grabbed Zepmir by the scruff of his neck and shook him,
eliciting a yelp. "You... once you served a human warlock, yes?"
Zepmir yapped an affirmative, and she hauled him over,
practically forcing his face into the pages. "Translate, worm."
Zepmir snarled at her, but she shook him again, and his anger
turned to fear. Slowly, grudgingly, he began to translate the
pages...
The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"October 1st "
I am not a well-spoken man... this journal was a gift from my
wife, Allison, a place where my thoughts could be my own, and
never be shared. She gave me my privacy... how could she have
known?
"I have never known a woman like Allison. When my father told me
I was to wed her, I thought her silly. She seemed to me like a
simple girl, good at cooking and sewing and little else. But she
was pretty enough, and I knew I could do worse, so I did not
object.
"How could I have known? She is sweet and kind, and more
intelligent than I gave her credit for... perhaps too intelligent
for her own good. She speaks more than a woman should, but when
she does, she speaks of things that make me happy.
"Do I love her? No. We have been married for six months, now, and
I do not think I will ever love her. I do not think there is a
woman I would ever love, and it is not a slight to Allison.
However, I think I care for her as much as I possibly could care
for a woman, and she knows that. I tend her, keep her fed and
clothed and warm, and she warms my bed at night, and my mind in
the day. I sometimes think about her when I am tending the
fields. It eases the work for a moment.
"The crops are ready for harvest, and in the morning I will see
to it. The corn seems to have fared poorly this year... too many
crows and ravens about, I fear. Dark tidings. Fortunately the
wheat seems to have made up for the lack. It will be a thin
winter, but I have seen worse.
"Allison tends to her garden, most days. It is a small thing, and
grows more flowers than food, but it does season her fine
cooking. She has had the devil keeping the chickens from eating
her seeds, but she managed somehow. She gave me a flower from the
bed, and I gave her a kiss. She seemed pleased by the trade.
"The candle is burning low... I should retire. Tomorrow will see
the first of the harvest, and a the first of many days' hard
work.
Jacob Maddings"
I am not a well-spoken man... this journal was a gift from my
wife, Allison, a place where my thoughts could be my own, and
never be shared. She gave me my privacy... how could she have
known?
"I have never known a woman like Allison. When my father told me
I was to wed her, I thought her silly. She seemed to me like a
simple girl, good at cooking and sewing and little else. But she
was pretty enough, and I knew I could do worse, so I did not
object.
"How could I have known? She is sweet and kind, and more
intelligent than I gave her credit for... perhaps too intelligent
for her own good. She speaks more than a woman should, but when
she does, she speaks of things that make me happy.
"Do I love her? No. We have been married for six months, now, and
I do not think I will ever love her. I do not think there is a
woman I would ever love, and it is not a slight to Allison.
However, I think I care for her as much as I possibly could care
for a woman, and she knows that. I tend her, keep her fed and
clothed and warm, and she warms my bed at night, and my mind in
the day. I sometimes think about her when I am tending the
fields. It eases the work for a moment.
"The crops are ready for harvest, and in the morning I will see
to it. The corn seems to have fared poorly this year... too many
crows and ravens about, I fear. Dark tidings. Fortunately the
wheat seems to have made up for the lack. It will be a thin
winter, but I have seen worse.
"Allison tends to her garden, most days. It is a small thing, and
grows more flowers than food, but it does season her fine
cooking. She has had the devil keeping the chickens from eating
her seeds, but she managed somehow. She gave me a flower from the
bed, and I gave her a kiss. She seemed pleased by the trade.
"The candle is burning low... I should retire. Tomorrow will see
the first of the harvest, and a the first of many days' hard
work.
Jacob Maddings"
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"October 20th, "
The harvest is a disappointment. The corn is an almost total
loss... we'll be keeping what we have, instead of taking it to
market. We'll need it for the winter. Fortunately, Andorhal is
asking for wheat, and that we have in spades. I will be taking it
to market on the morrow.
"Allison has asked to come with me, and despite my misgivings, I
have agreed to let her. She's spent a lot of time in the house
lately, and a trip out will brighten her cheeks. After all, we
won't be going back until winter breaks. Here in the north, the
winter comes hard.
"She loves me, I think. It wrings my guts. I can tell, by the way
she talks to me, the way she is content to just sit beside me,
the way she touches me when I bed her. I wish I loved her.
"I take care of her... is that enough? She deserves better than a
farmer's life. This life will age her faster than she should. She
is but fifteen... she'll be an old maid by twenty-one and dead
before she sees thirty.
"I do care about her... she is my wife. It is my duty to take
care of her, to make her happy, and so I tell her I love her when
she asks. It always makes her smile. She knows the truth... she
always has. I can tell by the hint of melancholy in her eyes, but
it still makes her happy to hear, and so I tell her.
"I keep wondering... if she loves me so much, why hasn't she
given me a son? "She is coming. I will write more after I return
from Andorhal.
”-Jacob Maddings
The harvest is a disappointment. The corn is an almost total
loss... we'll be keeping what we have, instead of taking it to
market. We'll need it for the winter. Fortunately, Andorhal is
asking for wheat, and that we have in spades. I will be taking it
to market on the morrow.
"Allison has asked to come with me, and despite my misgivings, I
have agreed to let her. She's spent a lot of time in the house
lately, and a trip out will brighten her cheeks. After all, we
won't be going back until winter breaks. Here in the north, the
winter comes hard.
"She loves me, I think. It wrings my guts. I can tell, by the way
she talks to me, the way she is content to just sit beside me,
the way she touches me when I bed her. I wish I loved her.
"I take care of her... is that enough? She deserves better than a
farmer's life. This life will age her faster than she should. She
is but fifteen... she'll be an old maid by twenty-one and dead
before she sees thirty.
"I do care about her... she is my wife. It is my duty to take
care of her, to make her happy, and so I tell her I love her when
she asks. It always makes her smile. She knows the truth... she
always has. I can tell by the hint of melancholy in her eyes, but
it still makes her happy to hear, and so I tell her.
"I keep wondering... if she loves me so much, why hasn't she
given me a son? "She is coming. I will write more after I return
from Andorhal.
”-Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"October 23rd "
We have returned from Andorhal. The trip to market was, as I
feared, disappointing. Corn would have sold well, this year, but
I cannot afford to sell what meager stocks we managed to grow.
They will be what keeps us and our animals alive through the
winter.
"Wheat, on the other hand, was confusing. New men worked the
mills in Andorhal, this year, and they bought all my grain at
prices I never would have imagined. Yet, later in the day, they
returned, telling me they had purchased too much, wanting me to
purchase my own grain back!
"I took pity on the poor fools. They've obviously never bought
grain before, and I did not want to see them freeze this winter.
I bought back a quarter of what I sold. In the morning, I will
unload the sacks from my wagon. I was not the only farmer that
did so, either. We all know that, in the dangerous lands, the
entire community works together or we fall apart.
"Allison enjoyed herself in the city, though, like me, she was
glad to return to our farm. In the end, like me, she is simple.
She has promised to make good use of the grain, and I know she
will. She is the finest cook I have ever known.
"It is late... tomorrow is another day, with much work yet to be
done to prepare for winter.
" -Jacob Maddings
We have returned from Andorhal. The trip to market was, as I
feared, disappointing. Corn would have sold well, this year, but
I cannot afford to sell what meager stocks we managed to grow.
They will be what keeps us and our animals alive through the
winter.
"Wheat, on the other hand, was confusing. New men worked the
mills in Andorhal, this year, and they bought all my grain at
prices I never would have imagined. Yet, later in the day, they
returned, telling me they had purchased too much, wanting me to
purchase my own grain back!
"I took pity on the poor fools. They've obviously never bought
grain before, and I did not want to see them freeze this winter.
I bought back a quarter of what I sold. In the morning, I will
unload the sacks from my wagon. I was not the only farmer that
did so, either. We all know that, in the dangerous lands, the
entire community works together or we fall apart.
"Allison enjoyed herself in the city, though, like me, she was
glad to return to our farm. In the end, like me, she is simple.
She has promised to make good use of the grain, and I know she
will. She is the finest cook I have ever known.
"It is late... tomorrow is another day, with much work yet to be
done to prepare for winter.
" -Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
October 24th
"The grain is spoiled!
"When I bought back my grain from those men, they must have sold
me another farmer's harvest. Who here would be cruel enough to
sell rotten grain at Andorohal I do not know, but this grain is
green, unhealthy. Tomorrow, I will return to Andorhal to try and
solve the problem.
"Allison remains optimistic. She has looked over the grain, and
she feels that, even if I cannot trade it, she can still use it.
It gives off a foul odor, though, and I do not trust it. Then
again, if I cannot trade it back, we will have little enough else
to eat this winter.
"I am, for the first time, afraid. I have ruined everything... I
have bought foul grain, failed at our corn harvest, and even the
animals seem unwilling to eat the green meal. I have to wonder if
we will survive the winter... have I killed us all? Will my
neighbors come to see us after the thaw, only to find us frozen
or starved, huddled together for warmth?
"Tomorrow will tell. Maybe I can still save us.
" -Jacob Maddings
"The grain is spoiled!
"When I bought back my grain from those men, they must have sold
me another farmer's harvest. Who here would be cruel enough to
sell rotten grain at Andorohal I do not know, but this grain is
green, unhealthy. Tomorrow, I will return to Andorhal to try and
solve the problem.
"Allison remains optimistic. She has looked over the grain, and
she feels that, even if I cannot trade it, she can still use it.
It gives off a foul odor, though, and I do not trust it. Then
again, if I cannot trade it back, we will have little enough else
to eat this winter.
"I am, for the first time, afraid. I have ruined everything... I
have bought foul grain, failed at our corn harvest, and even the
animals seem unwilling to eat the green meal. I have to wonder if
we will survive the winter... have I killed us all? Will my
neighbors come to see us after the thaw, only to find us frozen
or starved, huddled together for warmth?
"Tomorrow will tell. Maybe I can still save us.
" -Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"October 27th
"I have returned from Andorhal, and I have failed. I could not
find the men who bought my grain. I begin to fear I have been
tricked, that I have been duped into destroying my family. I
cannot imagine why, though. The way those men bought grain, they
cannot have made much coin, and why would someone want to ruin
farmers?
"I have spoken with my neighbors, and they, too, tell the same
tale I tell. Some of them say they have tried the grain, and
though it tastes odd, it is edible. I am still not convinced, and
so we will continue to use what good food we have before the
grain. That will be a last resort.
"Allison seems paler today than she did when I left, and she
seems to have less energy. She goes about her chores with a hint
of listlessness. Her smiles do not seem as bright. She assures me
she is simply tired, that she did not sleep as well with me gone.
Her cooking is still the finest in the land, however, and, even
tired, she is soft and warm and willing.
"Let us hope the winter does not harden her. She does not deserve
a farmer's life. If fate were kinder, she would have been a
nobleman's wife, but fate has placed her in my bed, and I will
not complain. I am most fortunate.
"If only she would bear me a son. Then again, perhaps with a thin
winter upon us, a child would not be best served by coming here
now.
" -Jacob Maddings
"I have returned from Andorhal, and I have failed. I could not
find the men who bought my grain. I begin to fear I have been
tricked, that I have been duped into destroying my family. I
cannot imagine why, though. The way those men bought grain, they
cannot have made much coin, and why would someone want to ruin
farmers?
"I have spoken with my neighbors, and they, too, tell the same
tale I tell. Some of them say they have tried the grain, and
though it tastes odd, it is edible. I am still not convinced, and
so we will continue to use what good food we have before the
grain. That will be a last resort.
"Allison seems paler today than she did when I left, and she
seems to have less energy. She goes about her chores with a hint
of listlessness. Her smiles do not seem as bright. She assures me
she is simply tired, that she did not sleep as well with me gone.
Her cooking is still the finest in the land, however, and, even
tired, she is soft and warm and willing.
"Let us hope the winter does not harden her. She does not deserve
a farmer's life. If fate were kinder, she would have been a
nobleman's wife, but fate has placed her in my bed, and I will
not complain. I am most fortunate.
"If only she would bear me a son. Then again, perhaps with a thin
winter upon us, a child would not be best served by coming here
now.
" -Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"October 30th,
"There is no question, now: Allison is ill. She has been getting
progressively worse over the last three days. This morning, she
was so bad, she could not rise from her bed for the aches and
cramps. She is feverish, yet clammy by turns. She complains of
stomach cramps. She is constantly hungry, yet the food she eats
never stays down for more than a minute.
"I am worried for her. Nothing I do can fix her, and I dare not
leave her side to fetch a healer, for I fear to return to her
corpse. There is a fear in her eyes, as if she knows this is
serious. I have tried every herb in her garden, tried to
administer cold water to her feet and head, and I have even
fetched leeches to drain the ill humours from her, but they only
seem to worsen her condition.
"I am no physic. I cannot heal her, and while I stay inside with
her, the animals lack my attention. Yet, how can I leave her
side, when she cries out for me if I go? Her grip grows strong...
I hope and pray that means she is recovering.
"She is calling me again... the fear and loneliness in that call
breaks my heart. I will write more tomorrow.
" -Jacob Maddings
"There is no question, now: Allison is ill. She has been getting
progressively worse over the last three days. This morning, she
was so bad, she could not rise from her bed for the aches and
cramps. She is feverish, yet clammy by turns. She complains of
stomach cramps. She is constantly hungry, yet the food she eats
never stays down for more than a minute.
"I am worried for her. Nothing I do can fix her, and I dare not
leave her side to fetch a healer, for I fear to return to her
corpse. There is a fear in her eyes, as if she knows this is
serious. I have tried every herb in her garden, tried to
administer cold water to her feet and head, and I have even
fetched leeches to drain the ill humours from her, but they only
seem to worsen her condition.
"I am no physic. I cannot heal her, and while I stay inside with
her, the animals lack my attention. Yet, how can I leave her
side, when she cries out for me if I go? Her grip grows strong...
I hope and pray that means she is recovering.
"She is calling me again... the fear and loneliness in that call
breaks my heart. I will write more tomorrow.
" -Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
November 3rd,
"She is dying. I have no illusions about this, now. Her once
soft, tanned skin is pale and hard to the touch, and beginning to
flake away in places. Her hair seems to be losing its vibrancy,
and it comes out in clumps sometimes. She is always hungry, she
says, constantly hungry, but she cannot eat anything I offer.
"I do not know what has caused this illness. Whatever it is, some
of the animals have been getting worse, as well. They move
listlessly, patches of skin worn, red, raw. And all the time, my
lovely Allison wastes away.
"I have begun digging her grave, though she does not know it. It
is behind our home, near a pair of lovely oak trees. She has
always enjoyed sitting beneath them, and I know she will enjoy
sleeping here. Sometimes, I cannot wok, because I cannot see
through my tears. I think now, when the end has come, I finally
love her. It burns my heart.
"I found one of the sacks of green meal torn open, some of the
wheat scattered about. Vermin, apparently, will eat the grain. I
have to wonder, though... is the meal somehow related to my
wife's illness? Have I killed her with the poison I have brought
home?
"I do not expect her to last the night.
" -Jacob Maddings
"She is dying. I have no illusions about this, now. Her once
soft, tanned skin is pale and hard to the touch, and beginning to
flake away in places. Her hair seems to be losing its vibrancy,
and it comes out in clumps sometimes. She is always hungry, she
says, constantly hungry, but she cannot eat anything I offer.
"I do not know what has caused this illness. Whatever it is, some
of the animals have been getting worse, as well. They move
listlessly, patches of skin worn, red, raw. And all the time, my
lovely Allison wastes away.
"I have begun digging her grave, though she does not know it. It
is behind our home, near a pair of lovely oak trees. She has
always enjoyed sitting beneath them, and I know she will enjoy
sleeping here. Sometimes, I cannot wok, because I cannot see
through my tears. I think now, when the end has come, I finally
love her. It burns my heart.
"I found one of the sacks of green meal torn open, some of the
wheat scattered about. Vermin, apparently, will eat the grain. I
have to wonder, though... is the meal somehow related to my
wife's illness? Have I killed her with the poison I have brought
home?
"I do not expect her to last the night.
" -Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"November 5th,
"My beloved Allison is dead. She passed in the night... passed.
What a peaceful word. Her death was far from peaceful.
"For the last few days, she grew worse and worse, her skin
flaking off in strips, leaving bared, glistening muscle beneath,
and sometimes flashes of bone. She did not seem to notice... all
she knew was her hunger. It grew and grew, and nothing I fed her
seemed to sate it. She raved in a fever, but her skin was pale
and cold as death.
"Last night, I went to see her, and found her tearing strips of
her flesh off, chewing them up, eating herself... the thought,
even now, makes me nauseous. I tried to restrain her, but she was
so strong... her flesh so hard. She snarled at me like an animal,
and I could do nothing but watch her as she consumed herself.
"Almost immediately, she began shaking and screaming, clutching
her stomach hard enough to draw blood. It was as if she was
trying to tear out her own stomach. I huddled in a corner,
shaking, sobbing, terrified. She screamed for hours, thrashing on
the bed, occasionally chewing on hunks of her own body. She
screamed until her voice gave out, and she still screamed through
ragged flesh, one solid, unending scream that became a gurgle and
a howl through her own shredded throat, until she literally
screamed blood, and then she collapsed, her eyes staring, and I
watched the light fade from her.
"All night, I huddled in the corner, frightened out of my wits.
All night, she stared at me, her lifeless eyes accusing, her
blood soaking into the bed we had once shared, now forever
tainted.
"I buried her this morning. I have heard similar screams echoing
from the farms around us... dear gods, what is happening?
"The world is ending...
"-Jacob Maddings
"My beloved Allison is dead. She passed in the night... passed.
What a peaceful word. Her death was far from peaceful.
"For the last few days, she grew worse and worse, her skin
flaking off in strips, leaving bared, glistening muscle beneath,
and sometimes flashes of bone. She did not seem to notice... all
she knew was her hunger. It grew and grew, and nothing I fed her
seemed to sate it. She raved in a fever, but her skin was pale
and cold as death.
"Last night, I went to see her, and found her tearing strips of
her flesh off, chewing them up, eating herself... the thought,
even now, makes me nauseous. I tried to restrain her, but she was
so strong... her flesh so hard. She snarled at me like an animal,
and I could do nothing but watch her as she consumed herself.
"Almost immediately, she began shaking and screaming, clutching
her stomach hard enough to draw blood. It was as if she was
trying to tear out her own stomach. I huddled in a corner,
shaking, sobbing, terrified. She screamed for hours, thrashing on
the bed, occasionally chewing on hunks of her own body. She
screamed until her voice gave out, and she still screamed through
ragged flesh, one solid, unending scream that became a gurgle and
a howl through her own shredded throat, until she literally
screamed blood, and then she collapsed, her eyes staring, and I
watched the light fade from her.
"All night, I huddled in the corner, frightened out of my wits.
All night, she stared at me, her lifeless eyes accusing, her
blood soaking into the bed we had once shared, now forever
tainted.
"I buried her this morning. I have heard similar screams echoing
from the farms around us... dear gods, what is happening?
"The world is ending...
"-Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"November 7th,
"The world has gone mad. The land of Lordaeron has never been the
most peaceful, but doom has befallen us. The end must be near.
"My neighbors are all dead... the ones who did not die like
Allison were torn to pieces by the walking monstrosities that now
claim our lands. I think I am the only one who survived...
"I went to see Allison's grave this morning, but found only a
yawing hole. She had been reborn as a thing damned, one of the
festering monsters that now walks my fields! I was attacked by
one of them, and I still recognized my neighbor's face, even
after I decapitated it with a pitchfork. The face still seems to
haunt me...
"I took all the food I could and locked myself in the cellar. It
will not last the winter, but it might last until these demons
leave. I am here now, barely daring to light the candle to write,
yet I fear if I do not, I shall go mad. The world is ending.
"It is pitch black here, even in the middle of the day, and so I
have no idea how long I have been here. I must spare the candle.
" -Jacob Maddings
"The world has gone mad. The land of Lordaeron has never been the
most peaceful, but doom has befallen us. The end must be near.
"My neighbors are all dead... the ones who did not die like
Allison were torn to pieces by the walking monstrosities that now
claim our lands. I think I am the only one who survived...
"I went to see Allison's grave this morning, but found only a
yawing hole. She had been reborn as a thing damned, one of the
festering monsters that now walks my fields! I was attacked by
one of them, and I still recognized my neighbor's face, even
after I decapitated it with a pitchfork. The face still seems to
haunt me...
"I took all the food I could and locked myself in the cellar. It
will not last the winter, but it might last until these demons
leave. I am here now, barely daring to light the candle to write,
yet I fear if I do not, I shall go mad. The world is ending.
"It is pitch black here, even in the middle of the day, and so I
have no idea how long I have been here. I must spare the candle.
" -Jacob Maddings
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Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"November ??
"I can only assume it is still November... the passing of days
and nights means almost nothing here in the depths of the cellar.
I think the creatures have gone, moved on to more fertile hunting
grounds, but occasionally I hear scratching at the cellar door,
and I dare not leave to find out. I only have a few candles, and
not much ink, so I do not know how many more entries I can make.
"Allison is out there, one of them... in one of my forays for
supplies, I found my neighbor's wife, her head and chest
completely gone... eaten. I know these things did that to her. I
could not help but wonder... did Allison feed on her flesh? Did
my once-beloved wife gorge herself on the meat of a human being
until her stomach was distended?
"The mere thought makes me nauseous... I mourn the death of the
woman I cared for, and weep at the birth of this new monstrosity.
No one has come looking for survivors... is everyone in the world
dead? Am I the last human being in Azeroth?
"I must sleep... my food supplies will not last, and it is
growing colder...
" -Jacob Maddings
"I can only assume it is still November... the passing of days
and nights means almost nothing here in the depths of the cellar.
I think the creatures have gone, moved on to more fertile hunting
grounds, but occasionally I hear scratching at the cellar door,
and I dare not leave to find out. I only have a few candles, and
not much ink, so I do not know how many more entries I can make.
"Allison is out there, one of them... in one of my forays for
supplies, I found my neighbor's wife, her head and chest
completely gone... eaten. I know these things did that to her. I
could not help but wonder... did Allison feed on her flesh? Did
my once-beloved wife gorge herself on the meat of a human being
until her stomach was distended?
"The mere thought makes me nauseous... I mourn the death of the
woman I cared for, and weep at the birth of this new monstrosity.
No one has come looking for survivors... is everyone in the world
dead? Am I the last human being in Azeroth?
"I must sleep... my food supplies will not last, and it is
growing colder...
" -Jacob Maddings
-
Keeper Of Lore
- Lost
- Posts: 1749
Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
?? ??
"I no longer have any idea what day or month it is. It is cold...
I ventured forth yesterday and found snow. What was left of the
fields has been destroyed, either by the creatures or the
weather. I scavenged what I could, but already my supplies
dwindle.
"I did find a bag of the green meal... and I brought it into the
cellar. I will not eat it until I must, but rancid food is better
than starving to death.
"I must assume I am the sole survivor... when Spring comes, I
will attempt to make it to Andorhal, or perhaps Lordaeron, but
for now, no help is coming. I am alone in a frozen wasteland, and
must assume I will be for the foreseeable future.
"I have been thinking more about Allison. Why did she become one
of them? I look fearfully at the grain, but I cannot imagine it.
How can spoiled food damn a person? No, there must be more to it
than that. I have to know why...
" -Jacob Maddings
"I no longer have any idea what day or month it is. It is cold...
I ventured forth yesterday and found snow. What was left of the
fields has been destroyed, either by the creatures or the
weather. I scavenged what I could, but already my supplies
dwindle.
"I did find a bag of the green meal... and I brought it into the
cellar. I will not eat it until I must, but rancid food is better
than starving to death.
"I must assume I am the sole survivor... when Spring comes, I
will attempt to make it to Andorhal, or perhaps Lordaeron, but
for now, no help is coming. I am alone in a frozen wasteland, and
must assume I will be for the foreseeable future.
"I have been thinking more about Allison. Why did she become one
of them? I look fearfully at the grain, but I cannot imagine it.
How can spoiled food damn a person? No, there must be more to it
than that. I have to know why...
" -Jacob Maddings
-
Keeper Of Lore
- Lost
- Posts: 1749
Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"Winter
"The snows are deep on the ground. It has been some time since my
last entry, but I could not guess how long. Maybe a week, maybe a
month, and I still spend most of my time in the cellar. I dare
not start a fire, but the earthen walls keep the wind from biting
like the house, in disrepair, does not. I am always cold.
"I only have a few days of good food left. I tried to catch a
rabbit, today, but I have not the skill. In a few days, I will be
forced to try the spoiled meal.
"Allison Maddings... did I ever really know her? She became a
monster. Why? I can only assume it was some punishment levvied by
the Light, some cruel reprisal for some crime in life. I miss the
woman I thought I knew, but did she ever really exist? Can you
miss what you have never had?
"Regardless, she became a monster. She left me alone to face the
end of the world, and became a flesh-eating monster. She must
have deserved it... for if she did not, then there is no reason
in this world, no justice. That thought would drive me mad.
"Allison... how could you?
" -Jacob Maddings
"The snows are deep on the ground. It has been some time since my
last entry, but I could not guess how long. Maybe a week, maybe a
month, and I still spend most of my time in the cellar. I dare
not start a fire, but the earthen walls keep the wind from biting
like the house, in disrepair, does not. I am always cold.
"I only have a few days of good food left. I tried to catch a
rabbit, today, but I have not the skill. In a few days, I will be
forced to try the spoiled meal.
"Allison Maddings... did I ever really know her? She became a
monster. Why? I can only assume it was some punishment levvied by
the Light, some cruel reprisal for some crime in life. I miss the
woman I thought I knew, but did she ever really exist? Can you
miss what you have never had?
"Regardless, she became a monster. She left me alone to face the
end of the world, and became a flesh-eating monster. She must
have deserved it... for if she did not, then there is no reason
in this world, no justice. That thought would drive me mad.
"Allison... how could you?
" -Jacob Maddings
-
Keeper Of Lore
- Lost
- Posts: 1749
Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
"Winter
"I haven't eaten for four days. I keep staring at that grain,
terrified. My mind started playing tricks on my yesterday, and I
keep seeing a full course meal laid out before me, but when I
reach for it, it's just a hallucination. Oh, how I miss Allison's
cooking.
"Allison... that bitch! How could she do this?! She left me here,
starving and alone... and she became a thing! A flesh-eating
monster! Oh, Light, I'm so hungry...
"I caught and ate a rat, four days ago. I didn't dare light a
fire. It was terrible... none of it stayed down, and it brought
more up with it. I cannot eat raw meat. Not like them...
"It's so cold. I have to stay awake as much as I can. I'm afraid
if I sleep too long, I'll never wake up again. Those things are
gone, I'm sure of that. Still, they terrify me.
"I'm so hungry... oh, Light, please let that grain not be
rancid...
" -Jacob Maddings
"I haven't eaten for four days. I keep staring at that grain,
terrified. My mind started playing tricks on my yesterday, and I
keep seeing a full course meal laid out before me, but when I
reach for it, it's just a hallucination. Oh, how I miss Allison's
cooking.
"Allison... that bitch! How could she do this?! She left me here,
starving and alone... and she became a thing! A flesh-eating
monster! Oh, Light, I'm so hungry...
"I caught and ate a rat, four days ago. I didn't dare light a
fire. It was terrible... none of it stayed down, and it brought
more up with it. I cannot eat raw meat. Not like them...
"It's so cold. I have to stay awake as much as I can. I'm afraid
if I sleep too long, I'll never wake up again. Those things are
gone, I'm sure of that. Still, they terrify me.
"I'm so hungry... oh, Light, please let that grain not be
rancid...
" -Jacob Maddings
-
Keeper Of Lore
- Lost
- Posts: 1749
Re: The Journal Of Jacob Maddings by Ceryna
-
"The grain was rancid.
"I tried a little, and then a little more, and it didn't taste
too bad. It WAS unprepared grain, but that's edible for a while,
and I don't have an oven I can use. When it didn't immediately
kill me, I started wolfing it down. It tasted wrong, but after
four days of starving, it tasted wonderful.
"Then came the cramps. I felt like something was gnawing on my
guts. I spent what I think was a day, writhing and cramping,
trying not to cry out in pain. I vomited up every last seed of
that grain. Exhausted, I passed out.
"I'm so hungry... Allison.... why did you leave me? What did I do
to deserve this? Oh, Light...
" -Jacob Maddings
"The grain was rancid.
"I tried a little, and then a little more, and it didn't taste
too bad. It WAS unprepared grain, but that's edible for a while,
and I don't have an oven I can use. When it didn't immediately
kill me, I started wolfing it down. It tasted wrong, but after
four days of starving, it tasted wonderful.
"Then came the cramps. I felt like something was gnawing on my
guts. I spent what I think was a day, writhing and cramping,
trying not to cry out in pain. I vomited up every last seed of
that grain. Exhausted, I passed out.
"I'm so hungry... Allison.... why did you leave me? What did I do
to deserve this? Oh, Light...
" -Jacob Maddings