Post 1591. Wednesday August 30
The speckled monster it was called. Pock marked skin, bloodshot eyes and foul smelling breath. Folk died here, scores of folk who realised too late they'd passed close to the speckled monster.
They say it went away, but some believe it still lurks up there, disguised as creeping ivy waiting to strike again. Others say it moved on and found new ways to cause misery and destruction by inhabiting the minds of those who would do us harm.
Beware the speckled monster.
* In 1796 Edward Jenner, pioneer of the smallpox vaccine referred to the virus as ‘the speckled monster which grasped every opportunity to colonise the world’
Thank you, Rochelle, for once again hosting Friday Fictioneers and Roger Bulltot for the photograph.
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Dear Keith,
ReplyDeleteWith the halting of administering the vaccine in the States I wonder if the Speckled Monster isn't lurking around the corner. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
You never know! Thanks for hosting Rochelle.
DeleteThis may interest you ....
Deletehttp://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/07/six-vials-smallpox-discovered-us-lab
Thank you so much for that. It's incredible that those vials of the virus got forgotten. Fascinating.
Deleteooh sinister!
ReplyDeleteIndeed! Cheers Bettina
DeleteA sinister tale and a nice bit of history there too. Nicely done Keith.
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated Iain
DeleteVery nicely done. I've seen a picture of a smallpox sufferer, and 'speckled monster' fits the bill very appropriately.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I want to see that picture! Cheers Sandra.
DeleteOh that speckled monster... they say it's gone forever... but I wonder. So many diseases still lurking in the shadows.
ReplyDeleteThey say what goes around comes around...who knows?
DeleteNice piece of history. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThe pleasure is mine James.
DeleteNice historical reference Keith. Nicely twisted the prompt photo there too. Great stuff
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Lynn.
DeleteVery well done!
ReplyDeleteKind of you to say so Dale.
DeleteNice story!
DeleteThanks so much.
DeleteWe can only hope the disease has been eradicated... but who knows what lurks beneath... Nicely done!
ReplyDeleteWho indeed? Thanks for dropping by.
Deletethis story made me shiver. scary stuff.
ReplyDeleteSorry about that! Cheers plaridel.
DeleteLet us hope that the once dreaded disease doesn't raises its ugly hear er its ugly mark.
ReplyDeleteA bit of background history of the vaccine. A good post, Keith.
https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.in/2017/08/helpless.html
Hopefully not , but if it were to we would be better able to control it today I imagine. Thanks KLalpana
DeleteThe speckled monster sure sounds scary. Loved your take on the prompt
ReplyDeleteVery kind of you Akshata
DeleteI wasn't familiar with the term, Speckled Monster. Thanks for sharing that bit of history. Well done, Keith. - Russell
ReplyDeleteCareful it doesn't creep into your garden Russell!
DeleteNice bit of history, I hadn't heard that term before. Lurking just round the corner to strike again... urk!
ReplyDeleteI really hope it's not Aistair! Cheers.
DeleteBrilliant take.
ReplyDeleteThat's most kind of you.
DeleteMost cool. That comment at the end describing the "real" spectacled monster pulled it all together. Very nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much.
DeleteThank you for that bit of information. I loved how you have taken that into the story.
ReplyDeleteIt was something I heard many years ago and it stuck in my mind. I hoped it might come in useful one day!
DeleteWonderfully written – a beautiful blend of history, metaphor, and atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteThanks Joshua, I'm so pleased it worked for you.
Deletea bit creepy
ReplyDeleteNice take on the picture.
Click Here to see what Mrs. Dash Says
That was the plan DeeDee! Cheers.
DeleteGosh! That made my stomach churn :(
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I hope you hadn't just eaten!
DeleteVery good use of the prompt.
ReplyDeleteThis is really haunting. From the monster disease to the monster minds, and finding protection from each is very difficult.
ReplyDeleteActually, that's a pretty accurate way of looking at any microbial. They never know when to quit.
ReplyDelete