Terror filled me. I gazed around frantically, searching the crowds for my dear friend, Florae. I saw the horror and chaos flowing around me. Beginning around this afternoon our dear city of Pompeii’s inhabitants had understood that in Vulcan’s anger he did not see in reason; the smith god would not stop his crazed work deep in the heart of the great mountain. Throughout the day people had begun packing their belongings and running away in terror. Now, at only a few hours past noon, the sky was filled with a cloud so dense, it blocked out the sun completely. Dark as a stormy night, people were now running here and there hurrying to take shelter from the ash and falling buildings.

      I dashed through the crowd, the urgency of the moment making my movements feel as if they were made under the pressure of murky water. Ash rained down around me, coating everything in sight. I made my way to Florae’s house, pushing through the tide of terrorized people. Without pausing to knock, I burst through the doorway calling out to my friend. I heard a feeble, horrified reply to my call. I ran swiftly to Florae’s sleeping quarters, as fast as I could make my unnervingly slow legs move me forward.

      As I swept aside the curtain she hung in her doorway, I took in the scene. Florae lay near the far window, her back against the wall. The room was a shambles; the couch was overturned, tables were knocked askew; chunks of the walls and ceiling had begun falling down around us, littering the floor with debris. I saw what had happened to delay Florae’s departure and paused only a moment in shock before rushing to her side. As she had been frantically trying to pack her belongings, a large piece of ceiling had fallen upon her leg, breaking the bone neatly underneath the badly bruised and bleeding skin. In horrific pain, Florae had pulled herself into a better position, unable to drag herself to her couch.

      I sat next to her holding her hand. There was nothing more we could do; Florae could not flee with her leg thus injured and I would never leave her to such a peril. Tears cascaded down our faces as we talked over the roar of our surroundings of how much we appreciated one another’s love and support through our lives. We had known each other all our lives and at least we could die together and not alone. We sat huddled together, holding each other close, fighting our terrors together. And then, instantly, for one moment that seemed to last a lifetime, I felt, we felt, utter agony. Our flesh burned away in less than a second, but we felt every cell burn away until nothing was left to support our souls. In that lifelong instant, we departed, but only after feeling the worst, most long lasting pain ever felt by any of our friend and neighbors or either of us. In just around two days, our grand, strong city was destroyed and buried below ash and rock. Never to be found again for many a year.