Thunder rolled above her head. Lighting streaked the sky as a dark cloud loomed over the city. Zelda's heart thumped hard against her chest and trembled before the display miles before her. Mount Vesuvius, a volcano, she believed was dormant, billowed great balls of fire and clouds of ash into the atmosphere. Zelda swallowed a lump in her throat. The rumors, her father had spoken, where true. Today Pompeii would fall before the heavens.

Gazing at the darkened sky as flames fall around her in a brilliant rain, Zelda's eyes widen with fear. Somewhere in the city, her father could need her help. Hiking up the hem of her pink dress, she raced through the streets. Buildings made of stone rose and fell as she passed by. Black flakes burned her porcelain skin, as she pressed on. The ground underneath her convulsed creating a fracture. Pausing, Zelda straddled the road. The left side of the road made a sudden drop while the right. Squealing, she wobbled at the sudden drop. Stumbling forward, she reached for something she could grab.

Falling, her nose made hard contact against the ground. Pain exploded through her skull. Moaning, she grabbed her nose feeling a liquid covering the back of her hand. Letting out a small whimper, she struggled off the hard dip before rearing back on her knees. Shaking her head, she placed one foot in front of her, pushed herself up and regained her stance and continued her descent down the cobblestone streets. Debris crumbled on the ground as she passed by. The ash in the air thickened around her as she progressed. Smoke was thick all around her. With each breath, Zelda labor for fresh air, yet she pressed on. In the back of her mind, all she could think of was her father. Was he safe? Was he trapped in the house burning from the lava and flames with no one there? Questions burned in the back of her mind as she turned down several alleyways. If only they hadn't lived so close to Vesuvius.

Reaching the housing district, at last, Zelda came to an abrupt halt. Underneath her, the ground convulsed violently. She lengthened her stride as the road rose once again. Gritting her teeth, she started walking, making sure of my footing, up ahead the house where she grew up was encased in an orange hue. Thunder shook the ground on which she stood. Fear froze her in place. Casting her gaze on the volcano's mouth, she watched Lava pour over the volcano's mouth and race towards her home. Biting her lip, Zelda raised a silent prayer to Mars, the god of destruction, for her home to be spared. Gritting her teeth, she strode forward. Scared or not, she had to press on. With each movement, thunder grew louder, and the earth trembled harder.

Picking her head up, a shrill high pitched ringing followed a clap of thunder. High above her, a circle overshadowed her, it kept growing the closer it became. Screeching, she turned on her heels and hastened down the street. A large boulder had freed itself from the volcano and hurled over her head. Right now she could care less about the uneven road. Getting out of the way was the first thing engrossed on her mind. Hitting her toe against raised cobblestone, she squealed as she tumbled forward then her nose hit the pavement with a hard smack. A shadow grew above her causing her to forget her pain. The darkened circle grew bigger and bigger by the second. Turning, she glanced behind her. The boulder drew closer. 

Throwing her hands above her head, she curled her body into a half-circle. This was the end. In mere seconds, her life would cease before it had the chance to start. Smashed under a heavy boulder and what little remained burnt to an unrecognizable crisp. Closing her eyes, she waited for the boulder to hit. Seconds passed, but to her, they felt like hours. Out of the darkness, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist jerked to the left and pulled her along. Once the motion stopped. A loud bang followed by a loud crunch entered her ears. Opening her eyes, a man held her tight in his arms. His head nestled against her right shoulder. Her eyes widened in horror, the man's silver hair glowed orange in the light of the lava and attire was that of a centurion general. "Father?" She cooed. Her voice was low and full of sorrow; fearing the worst. 

Struggling, she wormed her body out from underneath the man and sat back on her knees. Tracing the length of his body, her eyes rested on the boulder that rested on top of his calves. Zelda cried out, reached down, and hugged her father. The old general, not only was he now trapped, but he had used his body as a shield to protect her. Grabbing his shoulder, she shook him violently, "Father, wake up, we have to flee the city. I'm sorry for not believing you. You were right and are always right. Please, you have to wake up." She screamed the last two words, hoping that he would come back to her. Gritting her teeth, she turned away. The man who showed her more compassion than she deserved as a baby, now laid helpless at her feet. Shaking her head, ash began coating her hair. She could have cared less about the burning sensation, all she wished was for her father to wake up so she can help him get to safety. 

"Zel-Zelda," His voice finally quaked.

Snapping my head downwards, she leaned closer to him and caused him to rest his head on my lap. The old general placed his forearm on her leg before meeting her gaze. "Please, Father, do not speak, we have to get you to the port. Several people are leaving by boat." She began to rise but was stopped from him grabbing her arm.

"Zelda, listen to me. It's too late for me. I have old, battered and broken. Leave without me before it becomes too late for as well." He labored with every breath.

"Father, you know I can't leave you behind."

"You mean the world to me, please go." 

Silent prayers rolled off my quivering lips. He was gone. She felt the whole world around her crash and burn. Yes, she could leave him, but how could she? Hw could she leave the family she had in the streets of a fallen city to be burned alive and forgotten about with the passing of time. Shaking her head, she ran over to the boulder and began pushing against it; hoping it would move enough to be pushed aside. Glancing around, she noticed villagers who weren't successful in running away were covered in coffins made of ash. Her father began to succumb as well. Lava rushed past her burning everything in its path. A wave rolled up in front of her, falling to the ground, she winced as the lava burned her legs and the bottom of her dress. Tears slide down her face as the wave approached. "Father." She whispered one last time as the wave swept over her; burning her alive. 

Screaming, Zelda shot upwards from her. Sweat poured down her forehead and her heart pounded wildly. Glancing around, she expected Pompeii to be covered by lava and ash. A smile spread across her face. The sun shone brightly through her window and she rested in her own bed in her room. Holding her blanket close, she fell back against her pillow. A sigh escaped her lips. Her eyes wandered the ceiling, it was made of white marble and shone with the bright sunlight of the morning. "It was all a dream" She muttered. A sense of relief sipped into her tone. 

Shaking her head, she sat up, swung her feet over the edge and stood on the cold stone beneath. "I have to tell Dad all about it. Maybe it means something." Pushing off the bed, she stood up. The ground beneath her feet trembled. Screaming, she fell back on to her bed. The room bounced with every movement. Zelda sighed as she waited for the tremor to end. This must of triggered her dream. Perhaps another one hit in the night which started everything. Turning her head, she glanced out her window towards Mount Vesuvius. Where were these tremors coming from? They had been plaguing the city for days, yes no one knew what started them. She giggled. Her father, however, believed Vesuvius was waking up from its long nap. Zelda, on the other hand, never considered it for a moment. Her father doesn't know what he's talking about, does he?

Finally, the room stopped shaking. Gawking about, Zelda took in the damage. Several pictures had been askew on her that were painted with trees, while other pictures fell completely to the ground. Walking over to one, in particular, she picked up the broken golden frame and smiled at the picture within. When they first arrived close to twenty-five years ago, Octavius ran into a man who drew pictures of people. Laughing, Zelda ran her hand over the small baby in the picture. She was glad her father left the centurion when her mother passed. Shaking her head, she placed the picture back on the wall before turning to leave. Octavius had always told her, he left because her mother died after giving birth since she wasn't in the best of health. Now, he took care of her by himself. 

Stepping gingerly on the floor, she wished not to disturb any more pictures. Once she reached the doorway, she brushed away beads that served as a privacy screen and walked into the hall. Turning her head, both ways, the pictures in the hallway had also been tossed about. Several tables littered the corners and walls for added decor, had vases resting on top that had also turned over from the shaking. Broken glass coated the flooring below. Sighing, she stepped lighting trying to protect her toes from the loose shards. She had to know if her father was okay. Turning down several corridors, she arrived at a small room, that also overlooked Vesuvius.

Gawking about, fear gripped her heart. On the far end of the room, a bookcase had fallen on its face with parchment scattered everywhere. Venturing closer, her heart skipped a beat. The bookcase wasn't laying flat. Something or someone was underneath. Whispering a silent prayer for my father, she reached the bookcase, then squatted down for a closer look. Gripping the sides of the bookcase, she tried lifting it upwards, yet she was too weak and couldn't move it an inch. Biting her lip, she dug her hand under the self, hoping that she could at least feel if he was trapped under the shelves. All her hands could find, however, were broken pottery and turn up scrolls. 

Coming from behind, a shadow of a strong broad-shouldered male, appeared over her. Zelda was too engrossed in the pottery and scrolls, the shadow went unnoticed. "Boo." cried the male from behind. Screaming, she jumped upwards, and spun towards him, and flung her fist with right hook, ready to ward off her attacker. Chuckling, Octavius caught his daughter's fist in his right hand; disarming her. The old general had taught her how to fight in case she was ever in harms way. After the shock, Zelda smiled at the warrior, flung herself towards him, and hugged him in a warm embrace. "Dad, you're alright. I was so worried." Pulling back from him, she smiled. "I had feared the worst when I..."

Raising his hand he placed a finger over her lips. "I know. When the tremor hit, I went to check on you, but you weren't there. I figured you would come here looking for me." Pulling away, she watched him walk over towards the shelf and grab a hold of the side. Doing likewise, she lifted up on the left, and together the duo set the shelf back in its proper place. Taking a step back, Octavius began placing scrolls and pottery back into place. "Father," she began as he stood once more to reach the higher shelves, "I had a nightmare last night and I wondered if it meant anything." Octavius turned towards her.

"Zelda, I wouldn't worry about it. A dream is just a dream. Some people say they are vision given to them from their God, but they are just stories that entertain us while we sleep. Whatever the dream was, I would just shrug it off and not worry about it. However," he turned towards her. "There is one thing I would worry about if I were you."

"Like what?" Zelda's mind ran. What could she be worried about? Her father was saved, that's all that mattered to her at the moment.

Seeing his daughter process what he had said made him laugh. "Does a wedding ring bells for you."

Zelda's eyes widened with realization. "I'm getting married tomorrow, we have last-minute planning and setting up to do." She squealed. How could she have forgotten her own wedding? "I need to go to the market." She stated as she turned to leave. Before she could make it out of his study, he grabbed her by the shoulder and handed her a scroll.

"While you're out, we need a few things if you don't mind."

Smiling, she took the scroll from his hands. "Yes, father, that seems like a good place to start." With that, she raced down the hall, threw on a toga, grabbed some fruit from the kitchen for breakfast then walked out of the door and towards the market.