Emericus was outside The Owl Tavern when a tremor shook the ground. It traveled up his bones, locking them in place. People on the street stopped in their tracks and looked around. The roof tiles rattled and danced like waves. Parents pulled their children close.

"Jupiter, have mercy," a man said, eyes fixated on the mountain.

Emericus followed the man's gaze. Vesuvius was visible between two buildings up the road. The grey cloud that had been on its peak earlier had doubled in size and darkened.

Slowly, the earth relaxed but the street remained still. Emericus's heartbeat echoed in his chest. Was it over?

I hoped so. But honestly, when was it ever? If only I could have told them all to run...

Emericus forced his feet from the road and hurried to buy what he needed. As his basket grew heavier, his mind began to process his new options. He needed money. He could get said money by telling stories at taverns. But he couldn't go there every day and every time he did go, he'd have to lie to someone, likely Gaia. He sighed and pulled out a pair of coppers to pay for a jar of olives. A step away he froze and glanced at the pouch on his hip.

Would anyone notice if, let's say, one copper went missing every other day? Emericus entertained the thought for a moment before burrowing his nails in his palms. If Master Hadrianus found him stealing he'd be sold to a farm, or worse, the mines. He cursed his options and made his way home.

Emericus hoised the full basket into the kitchen and placed the pouch with money by the stove. "Gaia, there's some weird cloud coming from Vesuvius. Have you seen it?"

It's not a cloud! I wanted to shake them until they ran. But for that, I'd need a bloody body. Or at least a hand. That would be enough, honestly. Maybe even a finger would have caught their attention.

Gaia looked up, her arms still submerged in a tub with water and clothes. "What? It's probably nothing. Here, take this outside to dry." She wrung out a chiton and tossed it to him.

By noon the first batch of laundry hung to dry in the garden. Emericus ate a pear in the shadow of the porch, watching them sway in the wind that smelled faintly of smoke.

He rose to throw away the pear core but a lurch of the ground tipped his balance and he fell hard to his knees on the marble floor. The roof tiles began to dance and then jump over the edge, breaking upon impact with the white gravel paths. The rattle of the roof soon mingled with a clatter, reminding Emericus of hail. But as they landed on the grass before him, he saw stones instead of ice. He dropped the pear and reached to pick one up. It was a rough, light stone the size of a walnut, warm like newly baked bread. One hit his outstretched arm and he threw himself back under the roof.

He swore and massaged the scraped and bruised spot as the garden filled with stone.

Master Hadrianus and Gaia rushed to the porch. Gaia bent down to help Emericus up and master Hadrianus stared up at the dark cloud that had grown so big it dwarfed the mountain.

"Master, what do you want us to do?" Gaia's question snapped Hadrianus back from whatever thoughts had frozen him.

"Gather everyone in the atrium. Take all the valuables." He stumbled inside, still facing the rain of stones. "We need to leave! Hurry!" He ran into his study, leaving Gaia and Emericus to carry out his will.

"I'll get some protection," Emericus said and ran off.

Lysandra came out of her room. "What's happening?"

"I don't know," Emericus yelled from the dining room, "but we're leaving! Take your jewelry." He entered the atrium with arms full of pillows. The whole family stood there, watching stones fall in through the opening in the roof. Emericus handed out the pillows and darted into the kitchen. He took hold of one filled tub in each hand and tipped them. The dirty water covered the white floor instantly and took the liberty to follow Emericus as he ran back to the atrium and handed Gaia one of the tubs.

"Everyone ready?" master Hadrianus yelled over the clatter on the roof. "Stick together, we're going to the port!"

They left the house with pillows and tubs as shields. The sound of rock on metal drowned out the screams from scared people seeking shelter in the houses or means of escape in the port. Emericus was faster than the rest and soon found himself at the front of the troop while Gaia and master Hadrianus fell back. The layer of stones now covered the street, causing every other step to wobble or slide. Unaware that the others fell behind and despite being an unlucky step away from falling, he didn't shorten his stride. He turned a corner and ran headfirst into someone with a wooden crate over their head. He fell back and scraped his elbows bloody. A pair of stones hit his exposed legs and he swore loudly. Scrambling to his feet, he pulled the tub back over him. As the other person did the same, he noticed a white chiton with red edges. "Bion?"

Bion lifted the crate and stared back. Relief washed over him. "I wasn't sure I'd find you! We can take Aquila out of here, hurry!" Bion turned and ran.

"You shouldn't have come for me!" Emericus yelled back as he picked up speed. Now he was the one falling behind while the rest had reached the end of the street.

Out of arm's reach before Emericus, Bion's ankle gave way, knocking him out of balance. Emericus rushed to grab him, dropping one side of the tub so it hit his head. Bion fell forward and caught himself with outstretched arms. The momentum carried the crate in an arc before him, exposing him to the cursed rain. Emericus dove towards him, but a rock from the sky was faster. The fist-sized stone hit the back of Bion's head with a sickening crack. His arms and legs went limp, causing his face to fall flat on the layer of stone.

"Bion!" Emericus cried. He threw himself down by his side, shielding them both with the tub. With one arm, he turned Bion on his back. His eyelashes fluttered but stayed closed. He wrapped an arm under Bion's shoulders, still holding the tray over their heads.

Gaia had stopped by the intersection. As she yelled, her words barely reached them through the clatter and panic in the air. "Hurry! They will leave us!"

"I'm coming. Go!" Emericus grit his teeth and began to half carry, half drag Bion towards the port. He was soon drenched in sweat.

The river was filled with ships and boats racing to the safety of the ocean. On a ship that had just left the dock, Emericus spotted Hadrianus and his family. Gaia and Lysandra scanned the edge of the city, but Emericus and Bion were lost in the panicked crowd.

Emericus let Bion fall to the ground into a sitting position against his legs and waved his free arm. Lysandra seemed to notice him and pointed him out to Gaia. She yelled something and turned to Hadrianus. He shook his head.

The distance was now so vast that Emericus couldn't distinguish any facial features of those on the ship. He lifted Bion again and walked further towards the river, hoping to find Aquila, but she was gone like all the other boats. He spun around, desperate for safety. There was nowhere to go. Reluctantly, he turned back to the city. He dragged Bion up to the first door he saw and knocked intensely to be heard over the falling stones.

After an eternity, the door creaked open and a ghostly pale face dusted with ash peaked out.

"Please, let us in!" Desperation radiated from Emericus as he begged for his life.

They nodded and opened the door wider, pushing away the growing layer of stones.

Emericus dragged Bion into a small, square room. A bunch of sailors, merchants, slaves, and children were already crammed inside and on the stair leading to the second floor.

Emericus laid Bion on the side in the corner and placed a green pillow under his head. His black hair had come undone and framed his face, gleaming with blood on one side. His chest rose but a hair's width, but he was still alive.

Emericus sat by his side, oblivious to the others in the cramped room. The sight of Bion and the sound of falling stones on the roof was his whole world.

Time stood still as Emericus held Bion's hands.

After what could have been minutes or days, Bion's eyes fluttered half-open. They were unfocused but soon found Emericus's face. "What happened?"

If Emericus hadn't been as close as he was, the words would have been lost in the clatter from the roof.

Emericus squeezed his hands, tears welling up. "You were hit in the head, but it's okay, I won't leave you."

Bion looked at me. "They won't either..."

"Who?" Emericus turned to face me, but his eyes focused on the wall behind me.

"They'll make sure we're okay." Bion closed his eyes.

What?! How would I do that? He couldn't put that kind of faith in me!

The light from the small, high windows weakened to a dull glow as the ash cloud spread over the sky. The dark grew warm as the cloud trapped the people still in Pompeii.

By dusk, the sun was suffocated by the ash. Furniture had been placed against the door to keep the pressure of the stones from welling inside. The layer would reach a grown person's waist if anyone had cared to stay put in the streets. Fear left those in the room sleepless. By midnight the layer of stone had reached the windows.

Since Emericus couldn't see anything in the dark, he placed a hand on Bion's chest. His heartbeat was deafening as he waited for the slightest of motion.

It never came. Bion's soul was already by my side. It flickered with newfound colours as it tried to comfort Emericus.

Tears flowed down Emericus's face, leaving trails in the ash. He curled up into a ball by Bion's side, sobbing uncontrollably.

I begged the Gods I had never seen that he wouldn't have to die like this. If I had had a body, I would have sheltered him. If I had had a voice I would have comforted him. But as always, I could do nothing but listen and watch.

Listen to the roof crush the second floor.

Watch the building collapse from the weight of two meters of stone.

The ones inside were crushed. Indifferently or equally, depending on how you choose to view it. The roof killed everyone just as quickly.

I pushed myself out of what had recently been a house. Through rubble and flesh that was nothing more than visuals. The souls rose by my side, but they weren't as unfazed. They stopped above the debris and layer of stone and ash as if still weighed down by their bodies. Emericus' and Bion's souls lingered the longest. I got close, wishing nothing more than to embrace them. Wordless regret radiated from them like cold from ice. If only they had left. If only I could have warned them...

By dawn, the stone rain ceased and the people still alive jumped out of second-story windows and balconies. None made it far. They couldn't outrun the avalanche of scolding ash rolling down from Vesuvius.

I rose higher towards clear air, expecting them to follow but they lingered above the dark cloud. Petals of ash flew around them like leaves in the wind.

Vesuvius fell silent, the ash settled, and eventually, grass began to cover the edges of Pompeii, but still, they stayed. Not until all signs of grey were covered with green did they rise with me towards the stars. But they were still, ghostly even.

I left them from time to time, bored by their distance to life. Seemingly at will, they could have been reborn, but they chose not to. Sure, their death had been horrible, but before that, life had been decent. It had been something.

It took them 12 centuries, but eventually, boredom triumphed over fear of pain and inevitable death. As it had before and would again.