Sofia was mesmerized. She watched a lady carefully arranging flowers in a terracotta pot outside her home.
A tiny bird flitted past, chirping a happy song. The sun shone down, warm and golden, on the colorful city.
Everything felt so wonderfully normal, so full of life and cheer.
Then, a very low sound started. It wasn’t a human sound, or an animal sound.
It was a deep, rumbling noise, like a giant’s tummy grumbling very, very loudly.
The sound came from the mountain that stood majestically in the distance, Mount Vesuvius.
It had been a beautiful backdrop to the city, green and peaceful. But now, it rumbled again, a little bit louder this time.
The lady with the flowers paused, a worried look on her face. The bird stopped chirping.
The children chasing the hoop looked up, their laughter fading into quietness.
The rumbling grew stronger. Sofia felt a tiny vibration in her feet, a subtle tremor that seemed to shake the very ground.
People in the market stopped their bustling and looked towards the mountain, their smiles replaced with frowns of concern.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke, dark and ominous, rose from the top of Mount Vesuvius.
It wasn’t a fluffy white cloud like she’d seen on sunny days. This was a gray, shadowy cloud, like someone had torn a piece of the night sky.
Then, tiny specks began to fall from the sky. They looked like snowflakes, but they weren't cold and soft.
They were warm and gritty. Little bits of ash, fine and dusty, began to drift down onto the streets and rooftops.
The people of Pompeii looked at each other, their eyes wide with fear.
“It’s Vesuvius!” someone cried, their voice trembling.
More ash began to fall, thicker and faster, like a sudden, strange rain.