Undying

An original tale within the Bluey universe

By: StorMello

"Chapter 2 - The Masque of Red Death"

August 28, 1651

It has been 9 years since I woke up here in England, and when I did, everything has changed. Turns out England has fallen into a complete, bloody civil war; between us Royalists, or Cavaliers, against those Roundheads, or Parliamentarians. They believed that the beautiful land of England should be ruled by a republic of people, rather than a good king to look after the people. Sounds like complete donkey's ass if you ask me; a bunch of buffoons who think that a group of certain indegenerates can rule this land, just for the so-quote "greater good". Don't make me laugh…Yet, maybe they could be right. I mean, it could end up with everyone serving as a republic, so…..you never know. But I know that I'm in a great, big….

"Who are you writing to?", asks Lennox Terrier, the Scottish-born Cairn Terrier friend of Dustin.

"No one, just some—-free writing, that is all," Dustin says, closing a ragged notebook with an old-homemade pencil, "it is just my journal."

"Hmm, I see. I used to do it, but got tired before even writing my first note in the book," Lennox adds on, grabbing some sticks and throwing them at the ground, "I just saw them pretty meaningless and useless to begin with."

Dustin tilts his head down, giving thought to what Lennox has said. After doing so, he turns his attention towards his new weapon, a firearm, also called a "matchlock musket".

Dustin continues with a new topic, "So, this…."

"Musket," Lennox responds.

"Musket, right. This is the new weapon everyone uses nowadays, right?"

"That's right. It's a new kind of warfare that everyone is getting used to."

"Oh, I see. Forgive me for being new, it's just, you know—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You made a pact with the devil and now your life is on loop, over and over and over and over and over and over and ov-"

"I GET IT, I get it, I just thought that you would view me as a mad man or another similar being."

"Oh I DO, but, what do I have to lose in trusting someone," Lennox ends lying down on his back.

"Right," Dustin finishes, being even more thoughtful than usual.

"I am taking a nap. Night," Lennox covers himself up with heavy blankets.

"Night," Dustin says in response, looking up to the stars. He then starts closing his eyes slowly…..until….

*Gunshots*

"WHAT IN THE ABSOLUTE SHITE," Lennox screams out, panicking.

"Men, we are being attacked. Get your asses up and grab your muskets. NOW!," orders Sir Edward Massey, our General Smithfield leading the army.

The battalion all got up and grabbed their weapons, heading to the nearest bridge where the attack was held, River Severn.

Once everyone got there, the Roundheads had also sent men to reinforce the squad attacking. Once visible, Edward had ordered the battalion to start firing at the enemy across the river and on the bridge. Dustin and Lennox, both side-by-side, started firing at the enemy, both taking longer time than the other to reload once fired.

"Keep firing men, don't leave a single one alive," Edward commanded with anger and power, firing at the enemy as well on his horse.

As everyone did so, the enemy started reinforcing faster, and unexpectedly, Dragoons, or soldiers on horses, started attacking from behind the Royalists. With this change in tactic, the Royalists started losing on both sides, not having an idea on who to shoot on either side. While the dragoons slashed soldiers with their sabres, the enemy would take a shot at the back of the soldiers, or even headshot them.

"FECKING HELL, WE'RE BEING SLAUGHTERED HERE, SIR!," Lennox shouts out to Edward.

"RESIST SOLDIER, RES—AUGH!", Edward barely orders, falling on top of his wounded horse, getting shot in the thigh and hitting head-first on the floor, causing a concussion.

A soldier screams out then, "The General has fallen, the General has fallen. Retreat, Retreat!"

Once announced, everyone started to retreat from the settlement and into their entrenchments. Some of the soldiers grabbed the badly wounded General and took him with them, although it didn't matter in the end. Everyone ran as fast as they could back into the trenches, yet it didn't last long for the Roundheads to catch up and start shooting at the leftovers of the battalion. After a solid 5 minutes, the Royalists gave up, some surrendering, while Dustin, Lennox, and some others ran away along the Worcester Road. In the end, it was to no avail. The Roundheads had taken Upton, and were coming for Worcester.

September 3, 1651

"KEEP FIRING! We are NOT to give way to these Roundheads," exclaimed Charles II, the King of Scotland and Charles Spaniel dog, "I am to round up the troops, I will be back!"

Once he left, the Royalists started to have worrying thoughts and soon after, started running out of ammunition. Some soldiers started running away, causing them to be shot from behind. But even so, all the Royalists fled, including Dustin and Lennox. Once in the center of the city, the Royalists got news that the city was being taken from all sides, making them victims in the center of a death circle.

"What do we do?," asks Lennox to one of the soldiers in charge.

"Look, there really aren't many options in this battle, so you can either fight," the soldier pauses to finish reloading his musket, "or surrender."

"Are you really bluffing," Lennox responds.

"I wish I could say, but, you know the answer already. So don't obey me, because I didn't ask to be in charge. The fucking king left us with no other order so damn him, and the Roundheads are storming all sides so try anything you want, but know that it won't work. Not even praying to God will help us now."

After saying this with exhaustion, the soldier left the others to think for themselves and survive on their own. Some of them started reloading their muskets, or even grabbing pieces of wood and rock, and some started to walk around, lost in thought and dragging their muskets on the ground.

Although, one screamed out, "J'emmerde les deux options, je préfère mourir," and continued to take out a knife and slit his throat open.

As everyone watches the poor French man die, Dustin asks Lennox, "So what now? I mean, fight and die, or surrender and die."

"What do you mean, I'm fighting to death for my country," Lennox responds.

"You can't be serious?! You heard him, we are lost. There is no hope of us winning at this point."

"Well, we shall try, and fend them off somehow."

"Lennox, you are not seeing reason. If we die, then—"

"Then so be it."

"Lennox, think! If you die, what will your family think of you?"

With this said, Lennox makes a slight head turn towards Dustin.

"You do have family, right?"

Lennox nods, and adds, "My wife, and my son. Two of the most special people in this world. And yet I promised them, that I'd be back for them."

When he finished, he dropped down and bursted out crying on the ground. Dustin followed after, pleading, "Lennox, forgive me. I shouldn't have said that. I am stupid for saying such shite to you, please—-"

"If what you say you are, some cursed time traveler," Lennox pauses to take in a deep breath, "please, say hello to my generation for me. Us Terriers tend to have the same faces as our ancestors, so please, do me that favor."

Dustin smiles and responds, "I will, and I shall."

After talking, both get up and Lennox says, "I feel better now, thanks."

*Gunshot*

Lennox looks down to his chest area, to find a bullet hole through his heart, and Dustin finds a bleeding cut on the arm due to the shot. Lennox then drops to the floor with no movement.

"LENNOX!", Dustin shouts out, dropping down to check on him.

Dustin presses Lennox's throat to check for breathing…..nothing. Dustin looks up to find the Roundheads have reached their location and have started rounding up all the people. "They are all useless, pretty much dead dogs rather than live ones. Kill them," commands a General mounted on a horse. But what Dustin saw was different; he saw a Red Death mounted on a dark horse, and what he said was, "You're learning."

Dustin responded, "What?", and then…..*Gunshots*

And so began the nightmare over again, another long nap, but with a different setting. This time, there was no England where I was. Nothing seemed to be similar to what it was. I was in new lands, and had no idea where I was. I spent only 9 days surviving, then a nice family took me in, told me where I was, and informed me of everything. I was nowhere near England, I was in Strausstown, Pennsylvania.

But I won't forget my promise…For you, Lennox………………….

P.S. - I hope you're enjoying this so far, and know that it's just getting good. Read now Chapter 3, "Bloody Springs."