Buried

Screams of pure terror wrenched the air as panicked people ran in every direction. Some ran towards their homes, hoping that they would offer some protection from the wall of ash and pumice that blotted out the sky. Others were running towards the gate of the city, hoping only to save their own lives.

"Quick, grab all the children in the building that you can find, load them with the golds that we already have in storage, and lead them to the rendezvous point as quick as you can. If you see any of ours on the street have them stop whatever they are doing and follow you!"

I yelled, reaching into the desk in front of me and snatching up a bag of coins and tossing it to her.

"What about the other children, and the rest of the cargo? We can't just leave them!"

"We're going to have to. I'll loose the animals, they at least deserve a chance to run, not that they'll make it very far. This city won't be here for much longer, it'll be gone! Completely covered in soot and ash and all the people stupid enough to stay in their homes will die with it. Now go!" I snap back at her in agitation already reaching towards the fabric draped across the doorway.

She nods and stands up straight with her legs spread in a fighter's stance, one arm behind her back and the other over her heart.

"It has been an honor to serve you." She said formally with a slight bow.

"It has been an honor to lead you." I reply in kind.

Ash, ash, ash. Ash everywhere, I can't see, I can't breathe. The sky has gone completely dark. The ash is now over the city, drifting lazily to the ground without a care of the insignificant creatures living where it landed. I shift my gaze slightly to the volcano, and can see slow trails of molten rock flowing from it.

I am suffocating, pressed down by the blackness surrounding me. I lie in the corner of a building, a place where I was able to drag myself, slowly, painfully, after tripping over a loose brick. I had just finished releasing the last animal ten minutes ago and was on my way to finding a ride out of Pompeii.

I am starting to lose focus. I know that there will be no new city to start over in, no more looking after children, no more smuggling. I will die here, in this place, among the other nameless masses, covered already to the top of my hips in ash. I feel a brief flash of grief over the ones that I couldn't save, myself included.

"Diana, I thank you for letting me serve you so faithfully these past six years. I pray that the kindness I have shown will give me a spot in your hunt so that my services may continue even after death." I whisper hoarsely as ash begins to coat my throat. My eyes begin to drift shut and as they do my gaze shifts downward to the crook of my arm where a baby Capuchin monkey lay nestled.

"I would beg that this little one be spared the wrath of the gods, however, I don't believe that likely. If it cannot be spared at least let it go peacefully into the afterlife." I shifted the monkey closer, vainly trying to shelter it. The ash has climbed higher. The Capuchin had stuck with me after I had opened the cages, and even when I fell it had stayed by my side knowing that it would die.

I take a breath, and then another. The last breath I ever took as a human being choked in my throat as I gave into the sweet lull of death.

Rising from the Ashes

The first thing I hear is the unearthly screeching of a monkey. I grumble a little in my sleep and try to turn over, only to succeed in breathing in dust. My eyes fly open as I choke, only to see nothing but gray. I panic, I begin to scrape and claw my way up, or what I assume is up. In my panic I forget the Capuchin, which makes its displeasure about my movements known. My shifting the ash only makes it screech louder.

"Grab onto me." I chokingly command to it getting a mouthful of ash. It instantly latches onto my peplos (a type of dress used by roman women). It seemed like forever until I breached the layers of ash to the air above. My arms were weak as they scraped back the last layer separating me from the sweet freedom I so longed for.

As I pulled my head above the soot, and had my body follow, glad to be free from the confines of my ashen coffin. I then turned to gather my bearings. It was night time; the moon was out, full and glorious, shining above my little patch of land. The ash was still falling. It was slower and I could see the landscape better, but still it was falling. Everything else was gray and black and glowing a hellish red as far as the eye could see. Pools of molten lava sat spitting thick yellow globs at the sky daring it to rain more ash. The moon seemed like the only real thing out there, glowing so bright, illuminating a landscape directly out of the deepest pits of hades.

And that was when I realized I shouldn't be alive. I had been buried, completely covered under tons of ash.

I heard a harsh dry sound that was scraping through the air, and realized it was me. I was crying like I had only as a small child, when I was lonely and lost within the dank streets of Pompeii. I looked down at the capuchin as it wiggled its way up my ash caked arms to my shoulder. It reached its hand down to my cheek and rubbed some of the tears away. I turned my head achingly slowly to look at it, leaning into the hand for what little comfort it offered.

"S… Sa.. Saffeee." Came its quiet voice, as it looked me in the eye.

I stared at it like an ijit, my mouth agape. I had barely any time to register that the capuchin was speaking, when I felt a warm tingle go up my spine. I gazed upwards to the moon.

"Diana?" I whispered hoarsely.

I got no reply, only the briefest ray of warmth and comfort, and then it was gone.

I shakily pulled myself up, planting my hands in the ash to help steady myself. My arms sank almost to my elbows.

Then out of nowhere a slight breeze picked up. It steadily grew stronger and seemed to almost circle me, as if wondering what a person was doing in a wasteland such as this. For some reason unknown to me, to this very day, I used two words I had only ever uttered twice in my life.

"Help me."

Yeah, chapter 2 (and i guess three) are finished! I even looked over them to make sure I didn't have to many mistakes. Please rate and review, I promise the story will pick up a little bit after this, as soon as I figure out what I want to do with it. I know what kind of spirit she'll be, and what the basic plot will be, but everything else I'll come up with as I type. I hope you like the Capuchin! (Monkeys are cute).

Again Please review!