It’s been five months since we’ve arrived here at Roanoke, and five months we’ve suffered. It’s rained little, and the food rations have been shortened. The people have been restless, demanding that John return to England to re-supply. Being the governor of this colony, John had no choice but to take a boat back to England. It so happened though, that Eleanors sister Margrett was coming from England to live here in Roanoke.

“Daddy, I’m going to miss you so much.” Eleanor said as she hugged John at the waters edge.

“ I know darling, but the people will form a mutiny if I don’t. I can’t have another failed colony on my hands so I must leave,” John turned to Ananias who stood next to Eleanor and put his hand on his shoulder, “ Ananias, you’re the governor while I’m away. I trust that you’ll take good care of Eleanor and the people.”

The small rowboat pulled up to the shore and a woman stepped out of the boat, to grin at Eleanor.

“ I will sir, godspeed.”

“ Godspeed.” John stepped onto the boat and waved as he was rowed towards the boat that waited to take him back to England.

I whined softly, and looked up at Eleanor and Margrett.

“ ‘Ello Eleanor!”

“ Margrett! Oh I’m so happy you’re here! Tell me dear sister, how fairs our homeland?”

“ Oh the Queen and King are doing wonderful, I had tea with them the other day. As for the rest of the country everything is doing just fine!”

“ Oh that’s simply marvelous! Come, I must show you to your house.”

“Lead the way dear.”

Eleanor walked away with Margrett by her side chittering away like two happy song birds. John sighed as they walked away, and bent down to pet my ears.

“ Oh Maximus, what am I to do? I know nothing about running a colony….Oh if only you could speak, then you could give me advice on what to do. You always seem to know what to do in times of need Maximus.”

“ Oh no,” I thought to myself. “ I don't always know what to do Ananias. I have to consider what will happen to you and Eleanor, if I didn’t have you two I would be nothing more than a defenseless pup.” I nuzzled his hand and looked up at him. The poor man was so scared, yet he had to act brave for his wife and the colony.

John stood up and stretched his legs, he whistled sharp and high, the whistle that lets me know it’s time to follow him. I padded along beside him. I sniffed the air, and abruptly stopped. The air smelled the way it did the first day we came here. I snarled and walked off the path, and into the woods.

“ Come on you mongrel, show yourself!” I sniffed the ground and followed the scent of the savage. I kept sniffing until I came to a bush. I sat outside and bore my fangs, “ Alright savage, come out of there and face me like a man”

“ I’m no man. I’m a woman.” A dog stepped out of the bush, and sat down.

“ What are you savage, what do you call yourself?” I sat down in front of her and tilted my head.

“ I have no name, although the village leader calls me Trouble.”

“ I see..Trouble...you speak English?” I tilted my head to a side in confusion. This native...thing could understand me and speak to me.

“ Most animals have a common tongue, you are very fortunate I get to speak to you.”

“ Me? Fortunate to speak to you? A gentleman like myself shouldn’t feel graced to speak to filth such as yourself! If anything you’re fortunate to even be in my presence, or even be breathing the same air as me.”

Trouble snarled and bared her fangs, “ Just wait and see foolish foreigner,if you keep up this selfish and arrogant attitude it will be the end of you and your people.” She backed away into the shadows, her warning echoed in my mind.

“ Surely it’s nothing Maximus, that savage was just trying to scare you….” I started to walk down back to the path and to the camp, there was no doubt in my mind that this savage was insane, yet something about her warning made my fur stand on end. It was a bad omen, I said a silent prayer, in hopes that the ‘curse’ would be fake.


-------------Two Weeks Later---------------



Men have been going missing lately,it’s the natives I know it. Sadly enough though, the humans have no idea that the natives are behind it. I knew that it was the natives, the warning that Trouble gave me was enough to prove it.

The humans aren’t taking this series of disappearances very well, I sat at the feet of Ananias as he and the other men sat at a table and discussed what should be done about these disappearances, I fear that the men might do something irrational and blood will be spilled.

“ Ananias, you have to address the situation! Our people are dying and going missing, there’s hardly any food and little water. What do you expect to do about this? We’ll have no chance of survival if this keeps up!” One of the men banged their fist on his other hand and the men yelled “Aye” in agreement.

“ Gentlemen, gentlemen, our problem can be easily resolved! We simply must do as the Spanish did and trade with them. They’ll supply us with everything we need!” Ananias readjusted just musket on his belt and frowned deeply.

“ Oh there you go again John, with your ridiculous ideas that the natives will help us! Don’t you know what happened to the first failed colony John? The natives ATTACKED them!”

“ I know what happened James ! But maybe we can make peace with them….”

Reginolds eyes widened as he pointed to the bushes and he backed away slowly, “I don’t believe that peace is an option with them anymore Ananias...look” he whispered in a husky voice.

Ananias looked panicked, “ Someone go and tell the women to evacuate the camp, to get out as soon as possible...Get Eleanor and Virginia to safety, she’s with her elder sister Margrett in the house,” he turned to Reginold and loaded his gun,”Tell them to go to the island of Croatoan. Go, NOW!” Ananias looked at me, and I knew without any words that I was to go with him.

I sprinted after Reginold to the colony, “ Get out!” he shouted, “ The savages are attacking! We haven’t a moment to spare, everyone leave the village and get to a safer place!” I barked a few warning barks to the women, who started to run to the north-eastern direction. Reginold opened the door in one swift, strong movement.

“ Eleanor, Margrett, get yourselves and Virginia out of here! The natives are attacking and Ananias-” SWING, an arrow flew into Reginolds back, Eleanor screamed and Margrett grabbed Virginia.

“WHAT ABOUT MY ANANIAS?! REGINOLD YOU CAN’T DIE NOW WHAT ABOUT ANANIAS?! IS HE ALIVE?! REGINOLD TELL ME!!!” Eleanor shook Reginold by his shoulders but was grabbed by the free hand that belonged to Margrett.

“ Eleanor! Control yourself women, we have to leave!”

Eleanor stood up and nodded, “ Come Maximus, you’re coming too.” They started to run and I followed close behind making sure that there was nothing to surprise Eleanor and Margrett.

“ Eleanor! Eleanor stop running and wait for me!” We all turn our heads to see Ananias running behind us, holding his arm in pain, an arrow was sticking out and a trail of blood followed him.

“Ananias!” Eleanor stopped running and grinned when she saw he was alright.

“Elea-” there was a soft thud and Ananias fell to his knees.

“A-Ananias…?” Eleanor ran to him as he fell to his chest, his back revealed an arrow sticking out of his back, the blood was spreading quickly down his back.

“ Ananias! NO!!!” Eleanor was pulled by Margrett away from the fresh corpse of her husband, with the baby in her arms.

“Eleanor please, we can’t save him, it’s too late! We have to save you and the child!” Margrett continued to pull Eleanor to get her to the other side of the forest.

Eleanor had tears running down her face, “ But my Ananias, he can’t be gone! He can’t! We have to go back Margrett, we must!” The baby started to cry, it seemed to be mourning with Eleanor.

“ He’s gone Eleanor, just accept that. You weren’t the only one tonight who lost a husband today! You can’t stop just because you lost Ananias does not mean you have the right to stop moving!!”

I followed close behind them questioning to myself how we got ourselves into this mess. How something that was supposed to go so right went so terribly wrong.


More arrows flew from behind us, and we tried to run faster. Margrett was hit in the back with an arrow, she screamed out in pain and fell to the ground.

“ Margrett! Sister you can’t leave me too! We have to get out of here together!”

Between strained breathes Margrett managed to smile, “ You’ll be alright Eleanor, you’ve got Virginia after all….I….sister….I love you.” tears trickled down the cheeks of Margrett and Eleanor.

“ I love you too sister, I’m sorry you have to die…”

“ Oh darling don’t be sorry...just keep running, run and don’t stop until you’re safe. Goodbye Eleanor...it’s strange...I can see mother oh so faintly behind you..”

“ Go to her Margrett...I must go now.”

“ Goodbye Eleanor.” Margretts head rolled to the side and the life left her eyes, I let out a soft whine. We had lost so many people in one day, all the people Eleanor and I cared about were gone, at least we had eachother and Virgina.

Eleanor struggled up a hill, and sat down. She had an expression of defeat on her face, as if she was accepting the fate of death that was coming ever nearer.

“ I suppose this is it...isn’t it Maximus…? We came to this world with such grand hope and expectation that turned out to be nothing more than the petty dreams and fantasies of a child! Oh we were such fools to think that everything would be fine, now an innocent child has to suffer the ultimate price before she can start to live. I’m sorry Virginia my darling, I’m sorry Margett my dear darling sister, and I’m sorry Ananias….I’m so sorry…” She broke down sobbing and held Virginia close. Only moments later Eleanor was pierced by several different arrows. A native came and took Virginia from her arms, and I? I was the only one spared. I tell this tale now from that dry stream by our settlement. I was taken in by the natives, and that evil wolf that I saw that first day is now my ‘pack leader’. I miss my Eleanor and Ananias, but I at least get to see Virginia on a daily basis, they keep the poor girl as a slave and it pains me to see her that way.

So there you have it, the story of how we arrived in Roanoke, and the story of how most of us died. It’s sad, but the truth, if I could go back and tell the humans what was in store for us I would without hesitation. But alas, I suppose this is the way it was meant to be...perhaps new colonies will come and settle with more success than we had. There will be other families with the beloved dog at their side. All I know is that I couldn’t save them, I failed keeping them safe, and the name Croatoan will leave its mark on history forever.

“Dear Lord...what happened here?!” John took a good look around the abandoned colony, four other men with muskets stood beside him.

“ It seems that they’ve all disappeared sir.” one of the men said.

“ But they couldn’t have. Where’s my Eleanor, and sweet Virginia?!”

“Gone sir, they all are.”

“ Well that can’t be!” John got a dumbfounded look on his face, one filled with worry and doubt.

“ Sir,” one of the men went to a tree, “ I’ve found something. You might want to take a good look at it.”

John walked over to the tree, only to see the words Croatoan carved on the bark. “ Well what does it mean?”

“ I don’t know sir, I don’t know.”

John would never know what happened to his family, the world will never know what happened, there’s only me who knows, Maximus Dare, the foxhound.