The Walls of Pompeii

If walls could talk, they would tell us stories beyond what we could imagine. Some walls stood the test of time, remaining standing after hundreds of years. The sights they’ve seen and the wonders they’ve experienced would be beyond human understanding.

A gentle hand brushed the derelict walls that had seen too much. The stories these walls could tell would be unbelievable if only they had the ability. Ancient civilisation, wars, and conquests. Disaster beyond all imagination.

Power emitted from the small hand, sending shockwaves through the broken stone. Memories rocketed through the crumbling walls as the hand traced the cracks. Explosions, screaming, and people running in every direction. Heat and death.

A natural disaster is what humans call it now. There was no word for it back then. The heavens seemed to open and reigned down hot rock and boiling lava. They had no idea what was coming for them or the disaster that awaited them. Each day was the same, living their lives in the city until one day changed everything.

It started as a typical day. The city bustling, movement everywhere. Children played in the streets, men prepared for battle, and women tended to the home. Nothing was out of the ordinary, but the large mountain was simmering, ready to erupt. It came without warning, and the people didn’t know what was coming for them.

The first sounds from the mountain were loud and explosive. No one had heard such a sound before. People were afraid, and the fear turned to panic as smoke started spreading from the mountain’s peak. Rocks were flying through the air, instantly killing the people they hit. Hot liquid didn’t take long to emerge, melting everything in its path.

Panic spread. The people started running, trying desperately to get away. Mothers grabbed children while other children were left behind, legs too small to run themselves to safety. Some people tried to fight, not truly understanding what was happening. Were they being invaded?

Nothing prepared them for what happened. There was no invasion other than the invasion of molten rock and dust. It coated the town, covering the walls and suffocating them in ash. The debris reigned for too long, taking every living thing with it. Nothing was left alive in the city.

The screaming soon fell silent, and the dust settled over the walls. Thick layers of dirt and rock covered the walls, leaving the city in darkness. No more people wandering the halls or living in the houses. Only silence and darkness for longer than the walls could comprehend. The silence was deafening for walls that once harboured hundreds of people. They were left alone, standing the test of time underneath layers of rock and dirt.

Until noise broke through. Humans had made their way back to this godforsaken city. The walls trembled as the ground shook around them. Heavy dirt started shifting off the crumbling walls, exposing them to light and sound. The walls groaned as the breeze bombarded their fragile foundations. Stone crumbled away, weak after spending so long buried.

The humans were different from what the walls had known. They had strange machines and dressed differently. They were excited with each wall they uncovered and devastated when some foundations fell, unable to cope with the sudden exposure. Many buildings emerged, welcoming the sunlight, wind and noise once again.

Soon, people started visiting the walls. No one dared to live within the city, but the humans loved to visit. The walls relished the noise and attention. Once again, they were exposed to life and speech. The world was different, but the stone walls remained the same.

The hand abruptly left the crumbling wall, trembling slightly at the memories that had coursed through. Magic was powerful and allowed some humans to see what the walls had seen. But no one should see the disaster that once took place in this city.

The wall returned to its silent state, remaining frozen and unmoving. If only walls could talk, they would have stories to tell everyone that would listen. Stories to warn humanity of the disaster that once happened on these streets.