Then the most peculiar thing happened. We were getting back to normal and had almost forgotten about Vesuvius, when all of a sudden all went dark. However it was still day, the sun had gone. Father tried to reassure Mother and I that it was only an eclipse but I wasn’t so sure. Mother ordered the slaves to light candles so that we could go on as normal, it didn’t last long. I was studying with our Greek slave when we heard something hitting the roof; we took a candle to the window and looked out to see little stones falling. He put his hand out the window and smiled, they’re like pebbles he said. It was then that a massive rock, bigger than my head, came crashing down from the sky without warning, and straight into his arm. He yelled, I screamed also.
From that moment on Pompeii was chaotic. People were panicking and screaming, slaves were even risking fleeing. “The gods have decided to kill us all” my slave-girl told me. Father gathered us all in his study, the largest room in the house, and said to all 20 of our slaves, “you are all free men and women now, go to your families.” Only 5 left and the others choose to stay with us.
We sat for what seemed like forever. I talked to my slave-girl and our Greek slave for most of the time; they both always seem to have something interesting to say. The pebbles continued to fall outside, and although no one would point it out, it was obvious our roof was weakening. Me and my slave-girl watched out the window as lightening began outside. Mother insisted on praying the whole time to the gods, she repeated the same words over and over again.
It happened so suddenly. One moment we were all sitting in the study, the next all I can fell is a crushing wait on top of me. I could hear my father and my slave-girl shouting my name. I tried to call out to them, thankfully they heard my tiny cries and I was pulled from the rubble by my tutor and my father. I didn’t even have time to mourn for my mother or the others; I was pulled along by the hand through the streets. My father led the way, carrying a candle and a blanket over his head, followed by me and my slave-girl with a shawl over us both, and the Greek at the back cradling his broken arm with his good one. As we went we could see men running ramped in the darkness, with bags of gold and other valuables. Father kept saying he knew a man at the harbour who could take us to safety. That thought was all that was keeping us going. We were so thirsty that at one point, if it had not been for my slave-girl, I would have fallen over completely.
We heard a Sound from behind us. We turned to see that an enormous ball of fire was racing towards Herculaneum. Father said if we were to live we must get away from the mountain. So we walked as fast as we could to the harbour. There was another massive earthquake, father looked back at us and I could see genuine fear in his expression, a fire ball was headed straight for Pompeii. We all stopped and turned to watch it, paralysed by fear. It stopped just short of the city though and we carried on.
When we reached the harbour we were so relieved. The air had tasted fowl and our candle had gone out. We had no water, no air and no light. Fathers friend took us away in his boat, we felt horrid because so many people begged us to let them on the boat with us. Father and his friend refused. From a safe point we watched two more fire balls come from the mountain. The first one headed straight for the countryside and the other, we watched as it destroyed our home, Pompeii.
When we landed we were at Misenum. There weren’t pebbles falling, however it was still dark. I held on to my slave-girl and my father as the sounds of people crying out to their loved ones and screams was too much to handle. It wasn’t until 3 days after the mountain began its terror that daylight returned.
Since then I’ve been staying at Mienum with my aunt, uncle and 2 cousins, along with my father and loyal freedman and woman. There house is much bigger than ours was at Pompeii and I feel quite comfortable. I’ve had time to mourn for my mother and all the friends I may never see again. Father, along with uncle and some other local men tried a rescue attempt whenever the sun returned. But they said the devastation was too great. I can’t see how things could ever be the same again. I have to get used to calling my slave-girl by her name now, which I always forget about and my Greek tutor also. So now you know what happened. I hope that day wasn’t as tragic for you.
