I was there when the Black Death swept though Europe

Screams where heard from all around the town, the Black Death was getting closer and there was only a matter of time before I would be contaminated, I don’t know if there is anything I can do to stop it becoming my fate.

It was 1349 when it swept through all of Europe including my town. I was scared and I know that there was really nothing I could do but wait. I know my family is scared, I can see it in their eyes, but they are trying to stay calm.

I slowly turn my head to look out the door, and I immediately wish I hadn’t. What I see is horrifying, scarring and only adds to my fear. Their is one little girl covered in swollen Buboes. Her mother looks to be devastated. I know that her mum is rushing her to the doctor, hoping he can give her a chance to live, but I already know it is too late. There is an unsettling feeling in my stomach as I remember the sights from in town earlier this morning, sights of dead and blackened bodies being pulled away from the people and into piles into large piles on the back of a truck.

I remember the people screaming for everyone to leave town because the Black Death was upon us. Many people believed that it was going to be the end of the world, and some people were purposely getting contaminated with the deadly disease because they believed that sacrificing their life would allow them to go to heaven.

I feel a sudden and overwhelming wave of tiredness and immediately drift into a very deep sleep, with nightmares of zombie like people cover in swollen and oozing buboes, limping toward me.

I was suddenly awoken by the screams of my mother. I sat up in panic, but felt so ill that I had to lie down again. All my family is gone except for my mother who is looking at me in horror.

I feel feverish. It feels like something is slowly trickling down my face and as I slowly move my hands up to my face, I feel the swollen Buboes. Oh no, I have caught the Black Death.

Jaya

I was there when the great conqueror Julius Caesar showed off his weird and wild animals from Africa. I am Augustus Octavius one of Julius’ best man. In the year 47BC I heard that Julius was sending troops run by Alexandria to find different animals to perform in the colosseum. When Alexandra came into Rome in the year 46 BC he was carrying 5 big crates on the back of a carriages. Everyone was had one thing on there mind “What’s in the crates?”.

When Alexandria arrived in front of Julius Caesars’ palace. Julius said something very quiet that sounded like “take them to the court yard”. Then I was speaking to Julius I asked him “so what’s inside the humongous crates, has Alexandria found more creatures to fight in the colosseum that are bigger then snakes”. “yes” he replied “Alexandria said these creatures are mutated and are very hard to focus on what they evolved from, if you would like to join me now to see these weird animals”.

I followed Julius to the court yard were 5 crates stood up all the same width apart on in between all 5 doors. Many people came out with a confused face all asking each other “what’s inside the crates, is it wine, is it gold, is it dangerous or is it kind”. Julius shouted over everyone who was in the court yard and explained what they were about to see. “these 5 crates hold animals who have never been seen by man from Rome, these animals are dangerous, giant and very different from other animals.

He revealed the first animal. This animal was in chains and about 7 feet tall with a horn about 1 yard big it was grey and had four feet. Julius said confidently “meet the rhino”. Everyone gasped with surprise. He himself was curious and couldn’t work out what type of animal it was. Then he resided to revealed the next animal. This animal was also in chains and was growling like a cat in fact it was a cat Except it was much bigger. Then Julius announced “the jaguar” this animal was much easier to recognize cause it was just like a cat. Then he unfolded the next animal. Yet again this animal was like a cat but the fur on its neck was very hairy like a laurel reef around a neck of large cat. Then Julius yelled with a fierce voice “the king of the jungle, the lion” then he revealed the 4th crate which was the biggest. Out came a ginormous creature with ears the size as me and a nose which was about 3 yards long. It was grey and had two horns on each side of the mouth.

Alexandria stood up and said “the elephant” Julius Caesar was not impressed by what Alexandria and everyone had to leave the court yard and come back tomorrow to see the 5th and final crate. All that was going through my head that night was in that last crate was it more weirder then the last 4. I couldn’t sleep so I hopped out of bed and traveled my way through the palace to the court yard where the crate was standing in the centre with 4 guards around it I thought I was best if I went back into my bed.

The next morning I woke up with a spring in my step. I was so exited I walked out to the court yard with my sleeping wear. I didn’t notice it till I saw everyone look at me weird with there hand over there mouths gasping some actually laughed. I rushed over to Julius who was very freaked out and I said “wait for me” he replied with a whisper “I will” I got dressed and rushed down stairs in a flash. When I got there Julius was mad but when he saw me he was relieved. Then he said in suspense “this creature is a mutated animal it is mixed with animals to make this weird being”. He revealed this animal and everyone was in shock saying “What is it?”. This animal had long skinny legs brown spots and under neath them was yellow. It had two little horns on the top of its head and hovers on the bottom of its feet. But what everyone one was looking at was the size of its neck this was colossal it was about 5 yards long then Julius said with a brave and powerful voice ” meet the one and only, the giraffe.

Martin

I was there when my family were taken to the Jewish camps, presumably to be killed. It was the winter of 1933, we were settling for be night, into our beds of wool from our sheep farm.

Bang.

Initially I thought it was just a sheep escaping from its pen, I thought nothing of it. But then, I heard screaming and deep voices shouting. My instinct was to race out there and see what was going on, but my gut feeling was telling me different.

I raced out there, wanting to know what the hell was going on. I found my mother in the arms of a man that was not my father, he was dragging her outside.

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?” My voice was very shrilly, betraying my fear. A young man nodded my way, and a much older man was rushing towards me, raising his gun incase I tried to escape; but from what, I did not know. Before I could put up a fight, he has my arms behind my back, I struggled against him, but he would have nothing of it, he knocked me out cold.

I remember waking up on a train, occupied with about 100 people, young and old. They all looked scared. They were holding their children, cradling them, singing to them, telling them everything was going to be ok. But by the look on their faces and the surrounding people, I could tell they knew otherwise.

It was then I remembered that they would have taken my whole family, not just me. I started crawling through the people, because I knew if I stood up I would fall other. I started saying my mothers name “Gretel, Gretel, are you here? It’s joy, mum, are you on here?” No one responded, she must have been on another carriage, I hope.

About 3 hours later, we come to a complete halt. We must have arrived to wherever we were going, because the doors opened and what appeared to be soldiers were standing by it with guns, ordering us to get out of the carriage. Everyone got up slowly, taking their time. They must have known what was going on.

We were herded around like sheep, with men yelling at us and babies crying in their mothers arms. We were moved into a bunker and told to claim a bed, put on the clothes on the bunk and line up. The clothes looked like that of prison clothes, but I am suer that was what the purpose of it all was, we were the prisoners of Adolf Hilter. We were also given a star, it was a clear reminder that we were jewish.

I was scared to say the least. Even in the space of a day or maybe even more, I had given up on finding my family. The last time I was ever to see them was the night where we were taken from our house, where we were taken to certain death.

We were lined up and they shaved our heads. Everyone was free of hair, and we all looked exactly the same.

We were starved, they rarely ever fed us, it was pure torture. Everyone around me was frail and delicate, including myself. It was like if I touched them, I would break every bone in their body.

We never saw the man behind it all, but all I knew is that he was cruel and heart-less. I wished a horrible death upon him, like those around me who were emaciated and slowly dying, suffering.

The conditions there were terrible. As time went on, less and less people would return to the bunker. Sometimes, when instructed to, the soldiers would line up 10 men and execute them by shooting them in the head. We weren’t allowed to practise our religion, and if anyone even tried, they too would be executed.

One day, very early in the morning, we were roused and forced into a very crowded room. Everyones face was very solemn and afraid, but I didn’t quite understand what for. They locked us inside the room, with no army personnel around. I assumed that this meant the situation couldn’t be good, and I was fretting for the worst.

It was then that a gas started filling the room. I heard screams and saw people collapsing to the ground. I tried not to breathe, hoping that if I could hold my breath for long enough, I might have a chance at survival.

My lungs started to burn, and I had to give in to my own demon. By then, most of the people had fallen, most likely dead or in the last stages. My life flashed before my eyes; running with my little in the meadow, mum braiding my hair and humming a song that almost put my to sleep if it weren’t for her yanking and pulling every last strand on my head, my dad holding me in his arms when I was sick. Those were my only moments of happiness in the last 6 months, all taken away from me in an instant.

The last thing I remember seeing was my mum, gorgeous as ever, smiling at me. She held out her hand and I was more than happy to take it.

Kalynda

I was there when Hector & Achilles fought to the death. The battle was back and forth. Achilles used a long spear with a flint head as well as a very durable wooden shield with iron lining. He also used a short iron sword for close combat. Hector fought with an iron sword and a banded iron shield. Both swung their swords in honour and both blocked with pride. Hector was more powerful with his swings but Achilles was faster. The fight went on for a good five minutes. Back and forth as I said. This happened until Achilles stabbed Hector in the right knee. It was so obvious that Hector was feeling the sharp pain of the flint. Then he dropped to the knee that wasn’t feeling the pain. Then Achilles clenched his fist around the spear and drive it into Hector’s chest. The sharp flint pierced into Hector’s heart. Achilles then slowly removed the spear from Hector’s chest and Hector fell to the ground with the loud thud. The Trojans were devastated to see their leading man die to the hands of Achilles.

Achilles got on to his chariot and grabbed a yarn rope. He tied it around Hector’s ankles and attached the rope to his wooden chariot. He then whipped the two horses and they trampled back to the Greek base. Hector was dragged by the chariot to the Greek base. By the time they got to the shore, Hector was covered in multi-coloured sand. The Greeks cheered in joy whereas the Trojans weeped in sorrow. I could see the look on the Trojans sad but angry because of the theft of their leading and now diseased warrior Hector.

In the night Hector’s wise and mourning dad went down to the Greek camp by the shore. He found Achilles’ tent which was very luxurious for those times. He was sharpening his already very sharp blade. Then Hector’s father asked for Hector’s corpse. Achilles answered yes. He also added that he killed Hector to avenge his cousin who Hector had killed the previous day. So the wise man picked up his sandy, dead son and put him in the back of his chariot. Hector’s father whipped the two horses tied to the chariot and they started to gallop but to the kingdom.

The next day the Trojans cremated the corpse of Hector. Tears dropped from the Trojans faces as they watched their greatest warrior burn in hay on a wooden structure. The Trojans did not give up even though their leading warrior is in the skies. The war had just gotten intense.

The day after the cremation of Hector the Greek camp had disappeared, but there was a very tall wooden horse. The leader of the Kingdom of Troy thought it was a sign of surrender. Others said it was a gift from the Gods. The only person who thought it was a trap was Paris, Hector’s younger brother and soon to be King of Troy. He insisted that it should be burnt but no one agreed. Despite Paris’ thoughts the Trojans came to an agreement to take the horse inside the kingdom to show all of the people the so called “gift of the Gods.”

Everyone cheered as the horse entered the kingdom. It took ten men to roll the horse to the kingdom on a bunch of wood logs. It stands just outside of the castle in which the royal family lives at.

At night a flap was pulled off of the Trojan Horse but from the inside. It was a trap. The Greeks has outsmarted their opponents once again. Achilles came out of the large wooden horse with a torch in hand. He climbed to the top of one of the tallest towers in the kingdom. He held the torch up high to let the rest of the Greeks know that the coast is clear.

The colossal steel doors which is the entrance of the castle swung open. The Greek army flooded into the kingdom. The Trojans suddenly woke to a sudden roar of might that came from the Greek mouths. As the Trojans came out of their houses, the Greeks killed them with one swing of the sword. But then the Trojan army emerged from the castle and the real war started. Greeks were dying but so were Trojans. It was chaos.

Achilles searched the castle for the woman he loved “Briseis”. The kingdom was burning to the effects of the Greeks. Dead bodies lay throughout the kingdom. Hector’s wife “Andromache”, was told earlier that week that if the Greeks were to invade the Kingdom that she should escape as well as Helen. So they did. Achilles was looking for Briseis and Breseis was looking for Achilles.

Then they finally found each other in the burning kingdom of Troy. They were so relieved to see each other. But that didn’t last long as Achilles took an arrow to the back. It was Paris, Hector’s brother! All that is in Paris’ mind is ‘Avenge Hector, Avenge Hector’. Achilles got back up but Paris shot him again, this time in the stomach. Achilles did not fall. Breseis demanded Paris to stop but Paris just ignored her. Paris kept firing arrows at Achilles chest. He now has four arrows in his chest and is still standing. He is slowly walking towards Paris but Paris kept firing. More arrows are now in Achilles chest and he finally falls. Paris has one last arrow and he draws his bow, arrow ready for fire. He lets go of the fine string and the arrow flies right into the bone that connects your foot to your leg. Achilles slowly dies.

Paris fled the kingdom along with Helen and Andromache. The Greeks have won but they have also lost Achilles, the best Greek warrior to ever live. They found Achilles dead and saw the arrow in the connection between leg and foot. They named the bone the achilles and that was the end of the Trojan War.

Liam

I was there when the Spanish battled, invaded and colonized the empire city Tenochtitlán of the Native American Aztecs in Central America, from 1519 to 1522. For I am Hernan Cortés, leader, settler and current governor of the Spanish…..

I will begin my reselling of these events with accounts of myself. I was born in 1485 and after many years became a soldier, but as a passionate and driven young man, I was not satisfied and travelled to the ‘New World’ to seek more money for my workings. I was given a huge estate after being an officer when we invaded Cuba, but it just didn’t feel like enough. When the Governor began sending out notices to find a leader for an expedition, by putting on the most convincing manner I could, I made sure I got the job as I knew those who led invasions gained much wealth.

By 1519, I was leading roughly 600 men in 11 ships to the mainland. Upon reaching it, we engaged in a fierce battle with the natives that were attempting to protect their land and their civilisation. Despite their unmovable determination, we knew we had the upper hand as, being a much further developed race than these ignorant beings, we had horses and a fairly wide range of guns, which resulted in our victory. The natives provided slaves, bedding and hospitality for us, including the first chocolate we had ever seen or eaten – it was really something!

After some prompting, I soon learned of the Aztecs – powerful and more experienced warriors than these we had just fought and who controlled the whole area. This disappointed and interested me at the same time – disappointed because it meant that we had not had a complete victory yet and I could not properly claim the land for the king of my country, yet interested because I wanted to find out more about these people and just who they thought they were.

I soon told my men about the Aztecs and my decision to continue the expedition to their area, where we would attack them and hopefully win control of the land. Their reactions were conflicted like mine, but being the loyal men I knew they were, they agreed with my decision and joined in my quest for victory, I guess you could call it.

When one more week (spent resting and recuperating) had passed, we prepared our ship once more, along with provisions, before beginning the five day journey to the Aztec city Tenochtitlán. Along the way we actually met a number of tribes who that were under Aztec control and whom we convinced to join us.

Oh and one small detail that I forgot – it was on this small yet arduous journey that I first learned of the Aztec ruler, Montezuma and his blind ignorance of my men.

For Montezuma was placed in a rather difficult situation, it was his blessed people’s Year One Reed; the time that a god of theirs meant to come to their land, so when he received messages of our approaching ships, he was unsure of whether he was dealing with friends or enemies. In the end, the stupid man sent us gifts, believing that we had come to bring peace (we learned of this long after we got the gifts).

And so, it is now, at the current point in time, that I Hernan Cortés, the elected governor of Spain, am working with the king and my country to transform what was once Tenochtitlán of the Aztecs, into Mexico City of the Spanish.

This, of course, made it much easier to enter the city, which was on the 8th, I think, of November 1519. It was at this time that Montezuma learned of our real identities and, being a much weaker character than I would have thought of one so powerful, let himself be taken hostage, with no will not to allow it to happen!

Anyway, after staying two nights in comfortable accommodation with no immediate threats, I decided it would be safe to leave the city for a time on personal business, which is another story to tell. I left my deputy in charge of my men, which seemed like the wisest idea at the time, but what a foolish mistake it was!

On the morn of the third day, just after I had left, the Aztecs – men, women and children – gathered together for a traditional religious festival, when my deputy (this still shocks me after many years) led out troops to attack our unsuspecting enemies. Despite the fact that this spontaneous move probably helped our side, I still shudder to think of the amount of innocent people just trying to earn a living that were cold-heartedly massacred on that long winters day.

Excuse me, for I am making this sound like these people, these strong, slightly barbaric, quick-thinking warriors were weak, with no drive or determination like their leader. Well this is wrong. For upon my return to Tenochtitlán, I found my men hopelessly trapped in a palace due to the fiery uprise of the Aztecs for revenge on our attack. I will give them this though, they were very thorough and efficient in what they did – they had every possible escape route covered with a number of armed guards, causing my men to be stuck in that cramped palace for two days while I struggled to to come up with a way out for them. Soon enough, I discovered an inconsistency in their guarding and attempted to bustle out my troops that night. I’m afraid we didn’t get far, being brutally attacked by the Aztecs, who we then knew for sure were our enemies after they murdered three quarters if my men.

When it was finally possible, I led the single quarter of my army away, far away, where those Aztecs could not reach us. I did not even know the location of where I settled the very few depleted souls of men that still remained and hadn’t been taken like the rest of them. For those men had believed in me, trusted me enough to lead them – trusted me with their lives basically – and now I had just gotten so many of them killed due to my reckless decisions. I felt that I had failed my men as their leader, they had become like brothers to me on if voyages and the loss was excruciating.

My mental state continued in this manner for many a week until my thoughts turned to that of the ones who played a big part in this – in the killing of my troops, my men, my FRIENDS, MY BROTHERS! The blood-lustful, cold-hearted maniacs, the Aztecs. The name brought a red hot fury so gripping and tormenting that I knew, I just knew I had to get revenge on them or it would drive me insane.
For the next few months, I and my men travelled far and wide, gathering many – Spanish and Native American – anyone who would fight for us against the Aztecs. Despite the time it took, despite knowing little of the people, despite failing to convince many, I kept pushing and letting that blinding fury drive me, until we ended up with a force of 1000 Spanish and 25 000 Native American peoples.
It was a bittersweet return to Tenochtitlán on May 1521, tinged with sadness upon seeing the site of where I lost so many, yet a cruel pleasure in knowing I would finally be getting revenge on those hated beings. And revenge did we get!

Surveying the results, we knew we finally had the victory once and for all and I claimed the land for the King of Spain.

My new force and I led a siege, blocking up Tenochtitlán, completely destroying the water supply and stopping all food sources. This meant that the Aztecs had to suffer through a slow and torturous death, starving, thirsting and being driven almost insane by the helplessness of the situation. We continued the siege for 80 long days before breaking into the city to take complete control.

Belinda

I was there when the English and Americans dropped bombs on the northern Italian town of Villar Perosa, on the 9th of November 1943. I was an innocent teenager, 14 years old, when the world had its second war.

There I was in my home town, everyone minding their own business. Inside the ball bearings factory, in the centre of town, and the shops were men and women working hard to support their families. Inside schools, were small innocent children not knowing what lie ahead. Suddenly loud alarms sounded, signalling an incoming invasion.

Crowds of people poured from every door visible. Children ran from schools, their parents running out of their workplaces. The people were frantic, looks of fear spread across their faces as they ran towards the hills. In these hills were large bunkers, their safe haven. Bunkers were located deep into the grassy hills, they were dug out rooms prepared for an enemy invasion. These bunkers were made from concreted tunnels connecting to a main large, dark room with concreted walls.

Huge airplanes followed soon after. Dark, armoured, terrifying airplanes carrying huge bombs. I was lucky enough to have found my father in the bunker and we huddled together as we waited. As they flew over the town I feared for my mother’s and brother’s life, even more than my own. Not knowing where they were was the worst feeling in the world. Unsure of whether they were safe in a bunker in the hills, trapped in a building or running for their lives. I knew my mother would have had to escape carrying my little brother who was four years old. This feeling I had was the worst I had ever had. I was so frightened, so nervous, I was in total panic mode.

Within the next 10 minutes multiple bombs went off. One of which was so loud and powerful the hills shook. This bomb scared me the most of all, because after it went off a German soldier shouted ‘Fabrik kaput’. Because there had been many German soldiers around my town I had learnt part of their language and understood what this meant.
This sentence was probably the thing that scared the people the most, it meant that the factory in our town had been hit. This factory was the workplace of hundreds of people in our area. Many people in the bunker broke down as they now had no place to work, or for the fact that their family members may have been trapped inside when the bomb went off.

After a few hours we were allowed out of the bunkers. Many were devastated at the sight of the centre of our town. Our ball-bearings factory was now a pile of rubble, smoke still rising from the fallen building. This factory was the main source of our town’s money. Here many things were made including weapons, such as the ‘Villar Perosa’ gun.

My father’s first instinct was to look for my mother and brother. He began to jog between people frantically, while I tried to keep up. We dodged in and out of weeping women and terrified children. Suddenly we saw them and ran straight towards them embracing in a family hug. Without hesitation we all then walked quickly towards our home, scared that it had been bombed, but were relieved when we saw it still standing. All that had been hit was the towns factory, that was it.

As amazing as this may seem, within a few days we had heard that not a single person was killed in the bombings. Some had minor injuries but nothing life threatening. Our town had survived this bombing and we had the strength and courage to rebuild our factory and continue on with our lives. People who worked in the ball-bearings factory previously had been asked to return to help rebuild it. Our lives continued on, yes we had been shaken with fear but now we were strong, strong enough to get back on our feet and carry on.

Sienna

I was there when the Russian Imperial Family was murdered. My name is Anna Demidova. I was good friends with Nicholas’ youngest daughter Anastasia and Alexandra. We where held in captivity to look after the Russian Family while the white army was trying to overrun the city whose name I don’t know. We were living in peace and even let out to tend to our gardens and swim in the stream.

Used to take pictures of the girls and the family al together plastering their fake smiles with fear only a word away to bring them to tears. I laughed along with them as well as added in jokes when we all full well knew our fate. I always thought that one day we might get out and I would be able to resume my place as Maria’s servant but fate had other plans.

I don’t know the day of when this betrayal happened because they didn’t allow us to have a calendar. But I knew it was past Ana’s birthday. My beloved Romanov family was murdered in the early hours of July the 17th. At around midnight Yakov Yurovsky was order by Yakov Sverdlov to execute the prisoners. Yakov.Y ordered DR. Eugene Botkin to get us all into the basemen. He was told that we were going to leave and gave us all false hope. When we got in there Nickolas and the Grand Duchess Olga sat down on 3 chairs. Letting The Empress sit on the other.

Yokav.K stood in front of us all and read out “Nikolas Aleksandrovich, in view of the fact that your relatives are continuing their attack on Soviet Russia, the Ural Executive Committee has decided to execute you”. Nickolas turned to us all and said “What”? Yokav repeated and I shrunk back into the corner of the room. The guards raised their guns and fired at Nickolas, The Empress and Grand Duchess Olga. The Empress and the Grand Duchess tried to protect themselves but failed. Nickolas was killed instantly and they all fell to the floor.

The soldiers then continually fired and Ana, Tiatiana and Maria. The bullets hit then but the jewels they were wearing saved them from the first onslaught. When Nick had fallen smoke was clouding the room and guards were opening the doors. Ana, Alexi and Maria were the last. Alexei was shot twice in the back of the head trying to escape. He was so young. Tatiana was killed by a single bullet to the back of the head and Maria and Ana were trying to protect their heads in the coroner of the room and Maria was obliterated with bullets and Ana was speared several times with bayonets.

I saw one of the back doors open and saw my chance. My eyes were cloudy and I never saw it coming. He jumped out at me smacking me into the back window covered in bars. I felt my bones crack form the force. He was panting and out of breathe. I struggled to get back up and kicked him in the side of the head. He fell to the ground with out a word.

I limped my way towards the door sending pain up and down my back from each step. I got outside the room and found a window. I looked out it and knew if I jumped I would die. I was still clouting onto my pillow. The last thing that I had of my second family. I was half way down the hall when I heard that the guards had finally found their fallen Conrad. I tried to quicken up my paced and made it to the end of the hallway. I turned right I always wonder what would have happened if I turned left.

I limped as fast as I could to end of the hallway and looked out the window. I saw river that was probably deep enough to stop my fall. I stepped up onto the ledge and was about to jump when someone grab me around the stomach. I tried to hold onto the wall with my free arm but the pain was excruciating in my back. I was forced to let go and I started to kick and scream for him to let me go. He covered my mouth with his hand and I knew that since no one could hear me on one would come to save me. I thrashed and kicked with all my until several more pairs of hands toke control of my body rendering me useless. I am a small person but that didn’t stop them from chucking me in between them like their personal puppet.

I was still clutching to my pillow and saw the moonlight shining in through the bared window. I could feel the tears stinging my eyes and saw my second family piled up on the floor in the corner. I saw that they had tossed the man that attacked me in the other corner. The guard holding me tossed me down onto the floor letting the diamond in the pillow cut into my hand. I stood up and thought that I wasn’t going down without a fight. I looked around and the guards had smug looks on their faces. I was going to wipe them off or die trying. I saw on pull out a knife and I kick him in the leg making him fall onto the ground. I was about to turn around when something pierced into the back of my gown.

I could feel the warm blood trickle down my back. I turned to face my attacker and he went to slit my throat but I raise my pillow up in defense. The knife sliced it open and all of Maria’s diamonds scattered onto the floor. He stabbed me in the heart and held it there letting go. I knew I was going to die so I yanked it out and sliced the top of his chest blood pooling out and he collapsed to the ground. I could feel my strength fading so I threw the knife and fell onto the floor. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed forever was the beauty of Maria’s favorite diamond glimmering in the moonlight.

Paul M

On April the 12th 1961 I was there when the Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin was sent into space, I am john jay, CIA agent undercover spying on the Russian space station under the name of yakov gulukavich to steal and uncover secrets on how they have constructed a rocket and here I am seeing that we lost the race of the first man in space.

I watched him get selected out of 19 pilots for the soviet space program and he was chosen. I also observed when they asked the pilots which other person they would like to see to first be in space and all but three chose Gagarin. When I told my superior officers at the CIA they replyed that he would be able to take the force from the launch, but even so I believed he could.

I watched as they sent him into space hoping that something went wrong but even though we had the advantage on landing in water, they still beat us considering that they had to land on the ground.

Through the heavy cheers he commented “I see earth it is so beautiful” and through these words he also told us that he couldn’t see us but couldn’t see God.

As he re-entered earth’s orbit, just before impact he ejected from the craft and launched his parachute and landed finally, as we rushed up to greet him he walked slowly towards us, we backed away and he remarked “don’t be afraid fellow Russians” he placed his hand on my shoulder” I’m a fellow soviet like you” and he smiled at me.

Yani

I was there when the RMS Titanic was in the process of sinking. There were a lot of anguished screams onboard. Mothers were running with children, and most unfortunately, there weren’t enough lifeboats for everyone. There were 2223 passengers on board, with over 1517 dying. It was such an unfortunate disaster. It all had started out so well, no one could have possibly thought a disaster like this could have ever taken place…

Wednesday, 10th April 1912, the Titanic set sail from Southampton, and planned to sail to New York. I was a third class passenger, meaning that I was first to board. The first and second classes came within an hour. It seemed ages until we were ready to start the voyage. The departure finally began at 9:30am. Only about an hour later, the Titanic narrowly avoided a near collision with SS City of New York. This scared everybody, but it was just the starting point of the ordeal that they would soon face…

The Titanic continued to sail steadily through the difficult rivers of Southampton and Solent. The weather was clear, cold and overcast and soon took a turn for the worst. The Titanic received signals from other ships of large blocks of ice in the area. But Captain Smith decided that nothing could happen to the ship, and he didn’t do anything about it. Instead ignored the pleas of other passengers to take actions and precautions. That was could possibly be the worst decision he ever made…

At around 11:40 pm, the lookout Frederick Fleet spotted an enormous iceberg directly in front of their path and immediately notified the captain. Officer William Murdoch commanded the ship to be steered around the iceberg, and ordered the engines to be put in reverse but by then it was too late because then disaster struck…

The Titanic crashed into the iceberg, smashing the watertight compartments, and soon created a numerous amount of holes below the waterline. But by then everybody knew that they were doomed because the ship had already started to sink bow-first. The Titanic began to get steeper and steeper into the water…

The crew onboard the Titanic had not been well prepared for such an emergency. There were only enough lifeboats for half the passengers on board. Unfortunately only one-third of passengers were able to make it onto a lifeboat. The mother and children were first to leave, with first and second class passengers next. Third-class passengers, such as myself, were left to fight for our lives…

I remember the water closing up my escape. I remember struggling to get out. I remember seeing so many people dying, drowning and screaming. I remember struggling to stop myself from drowning. I remember someone pulling me onto a lifeboat, telling me that I would be okay. Then everything went black…

By some miracle, I was still alive. Exhausted, weary and utterly worn out, but alive. I could scarcely remember what had happened. The disaster had scared everybody. Nobody had expected the Titanic to sink. I guess it just goes to show that an event as tragic as that can happen, when your least expecting it. Anytime. Anywhere.

Thushani

I was there when Abraham Lincoln was unfortunately assassinated on Good Friday at the famous Ford’s Theater in Washington D.C by a man named John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators Lewis Powell and David Herold. Lincoln was not entirely shot, he was wounded slightly by a pistol which had a dagger attachment on it and when stabbed it is referred to as being shanked.

I was one of the others who was wounded in the gun blast injuring in total myself and 3 others including Abraham Lincoln. The cinema was then filled with people panicking in fear as the gunman continued to fire. Luckily no one else besides myself and the President were harmed. The next day the men were caught hiding out in an abandoned house near by the theartre in the bush and were executed the following day.

Jordan