Look I know I should be writing my other stories but I found this in my old English Language book and I was quite chuffed by it so I decided to write it for you all to read. Hope you like it.
This is an account of what happened on the night of Romeo and Juliet's death, from Mercutio's servant's point of view.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Shakespearean at all. (I mean, who would unless you're Shakespeare yourself?)
In Another's Eyes.
I was just sitting with the horses by Mercutio's grave one night. I thought it best to visit him and tell him what has happened to Romeo, although he probably already knew, being in heaven and all, but it's always best to talk to someone. And he and Romeo were best friends, so surely he would want to know what's happening with Romeo.
So I was talking to Mercutio's gravestone, when all of a sudden the Friar came running up to me telling me to come quick to the Capulet tomb. He said something like "terrible deed has happened" I said goodbye to Mercutio quickly and then ran to the Capulet tomb after the Friar, leaving the horses in the cemetery.
I picked up a torch and walked through the entrance and down the stairs. Something was seriously wrong. All I could see was the darkness and the orange torch flame. A foul smell hit me like a blow to the head so I clapped my hand to my mouth and nose so I wouldn't have to breathe it in. There was rotting, maggot-filled Capulets all on plinths and dusty skeletons with worn out silk gently placed on top of their decaying bodies. All of the bodies were like this...apart from the three on the floor.
Three fresh dead bodies all covered in blood, two males and a female. Who were they? Maybe they were grave robbers? I walked over to one of the bodies and carefully turned it on its back. I gasped, it was Paris! His face was blank, pale and covered in dirt and blood. Who did this?! I started to walk backwards still looking at Paris' face. I bumped in to an empty plinth and dropped my torch. It rolled on the floor by the other two bodies on the other side of the plinth. I turned around and I froze in shock.
The two bodies were Romeo and...Juliet Capulet? Why was the only daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet sprawled over Romeo, like some drunken prostitute? Unless...no, they couldn't be...they wouldn't...wait! Back after Mercutio was killed, Romeo said something like "Oh Juliet, why does your beauty make me so effeminate?" and he also wanted to talk to Mercutio about something. I personally thought he was drunk but after seeing this, I don't really know. Before I could think more about this theory, the Friar started babbling.
He said "Poor young lives, had so much life ahead of them..." I didn't know what he was talking about. He must have been grieving. He was close to Romeo after all. But then he said "They could have been so happy together. Start a new life in Messina; live in peace away from their warring families." Then he couldn't speak anymore.
I then realised that that must have been what Romeo wanted to talk to Mercutio about. He wanted to run away with Juliet Capulet! But that's just crazy, it would never work! But wait, Romeo was exiled from Verona after he murdered Tybalt, Juliet's cousin. How is he even here? He should have been killed as punishment for breaking the sentence. Benvolio must know something. He did go missing a couple of days ago; he could've gone to tell Romeo about Juliet's death.
The Friar then suddenly took hold of my upper arms and shook me saying "Don't you dare tell Lord Capulet and Lord Montague! If they find out that they're mar-, I mean, that they were going to run away, they will kill me and the Nurse!" His eyes were wide with fear, I had never seen him like this scared before, but then I started shouting. He was covering up something, I just knew it.
I shouted "What, and you and the Nurse knew? Why didn't you stop them! This is just about as bad as if they were married, which would be stupid!" The Friar suddenly couldn't meet my eyes. He was looking at the ground at his shuffling feet. It was then I realised the truth. "They were married, weren't they? You knew the families wouldn't allow it! Why did you marry them? Who was the witness? It was Nurse wasn't it? How could y-"
The Friar clapped his hand over my mouth. "Be quiet they'll hear you!" he spat, his breath smelt of week old wine. He started to look around, still holding on to me, probably so he doesn't fall over. Then I started to remember the day that Mercutio died...
I was walking to the market square to buy some provisions for Mercutio when I noticed that Tybalt and Mercutio were fighting there. Romeo was trying to stop the fight but kept being pushed away. I then started to run towards the fight to see if I could help Romeo stop the fight. It wouldn't do for Prince Escalus saw his very own court man fighting, he would get executed! I was too late to stop them. Tybalt lunged at Mercutio and struck. He then removed his sword, but was then dragged away by his Capulet friends. Odd.
However, Mercutio was on the floor, clutching his chest. He looked hurt but as always he's probably joking around keeping everyone laughing. I thought he was joking around but the next minute he staggering over to me and shouting at me to fetch a surgeon. I looked at him blankly. Was he hurt or was he joking around?
Then he slapped me twice on the face. Twice! I didn't want to get slapped a third time, so I ran trying to find someone, but then Mercutio was on the top step on the stairs outside the church. What was he doing?
He shouted something, i couldn't quite figure out what it was, but then he staggered down the stairs, falling in front of Benvolio and Romeo. I ran back, was he alright? Romeo was trying to wake him up, everyone was laughing and then everyone gasped in shock.
At that time, Romeo had lifted Mercutio's hand from his chest, to reveal a stab wound. Mercutio was dead. I dropped to my knees. That was why Tybalt was dragged away, he KILLED him! As I looked at my dear old friend lying on the floor, all of the noise was blanked out apart from footsteps and someone screaming "ROMEO! Romeo, my poor son!"
I was then back in the Capulet tomb. The Friar had let go of my shoulders and he was in the corner by the entrance of the tomb. The tomb was filled with people, most of them Capulets and...uh oh, Lord and Lady Montague!
"My poor child! What has happened to you?" Lord Capulet cried out as he saw Juliet's limp body over Romeo. If only they knew they were married, he'd be heartbroken. I looked around at everyone else in the room. They looked as if they were going to burst out crying any minute. Well, some were.
Lord and Lady Capulet, and Nurse were crouched over Juliet, Lord Montague was being held back by the Friar, Benvolio was comforting Rosalind as she cried on to his shoulder. Friar sat Lord Montague down, walked over to me and whispered in my ear, "Don't tell anyone what I told you, do you hear? No one!"
"How could I? They're already devastated!" I replied, giving one last glance at everyone in the room. "I wish to leave now." The Friar nodded and I quickly slipped out of the tomb.
Later that night, I fell asleep and the images of Romeo slipped in to my dreams. I saw his blank face staring at me, then I saw Paris' bloodied face slide in and push Romeo's out of the way. Then the last image that I saw was Juliet's blank face with her long brown hair acting as a pillow for her porcelain, china doll-like head. Her bright green eyes were wide open with a single sparkling tear falling from the corner of her eye. I woke up panting, got out of my bed and then without thinking I walked to Mercutio's grave in the cemetery.
"You'll never guess what's happened tonight." I said.
