Una Cosa Più Grande ~ A Short Sprace Story

IV ~ A Visit To Roman Ruins

Has anyone noticed how I've been using Roman numerals as chapter titles?

Okay, this place sounds very freaking cool -- Herculaneum/Ercolano. I can't WAIT to write tons of random facts about this place.

I really wanna go here some day.

Okay, so I hope you love learning, because I love learning, and Antonio knows how to infodump, so get ready for a lot of fun learning.

I'm excited for this one.

Enjoy! :)

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Antonio inhales deeply as he comes upon the ruins of Ercolano, and then lets out a deep exhale. He doesn't know how many times he's been here. It's amazing every single time.

In 79 CE, when Mount Vesuvius erupted, sure, Pompeii was destroyed, but so was Herculaneum -- or as Italians call it, Ercolano. But unlike Pompeii, this place was totally preserved in the eruption. So even in the modern day, anyone visiting here can still get the feeling of what it was like to be here nearly 2,000 years ago.

Antonio explains all of this to Sean, who is looking at everything with wide eyes. Antonio grins. It's obvious that Sean has never seen Roman ruins before.

Antonio has seen a lot of Roman ruins in his time in Italy, but this is always the place that he comes back to. The history just seems to jump out at him here. And he loves that. So, so much.

There's a sense of quiet and wonder as they, as well as the other tourists, walk around, as if talking too loud would disturb the sacredness. That, and many are usually left speechless as they see these ruins with their own eyes. Well, this is a place that is breath-taking.

Antonio is one of the people who feels a sense of peace here. He imagines that Sean is one of the people who is simply speechless.

Sean looks cute when his eyes are as wide as full moons.

Not that Antonio would ever say that out loud. 

He shakes his head slightly as an attempt to get the thought out of his head.

I only met him 24 hours ago. At most.

That's still kind of hard for him to believe. It feels like they've known each other much longer.

Antonio's surprised that Sean still wants him around. Not many people can randomly spend nearly 12 hours together one day and want to do it all again the next day. Or, rather, not many people want to stay around Antonio. But this is different. This is nice. Antonio doesn't know how it happened, but it's nice.

And maybe...

Maybe it happened because Sean feels the connection that Antonio feels.

Two people can't sing a duet and just feel nothing. Especially an unplanned duet. That seems like a one in a million chance of happening. But somehow it happened to them.

But Antonio files those thoughts away for later. In this moment, though, he is going to show Sean the best of this city of long ago.

Antonio puffs out his chest dramatically. "As your tour guide, I feel it is important that I show you all this place has to offer, and tell you all the history behind it too."

Sean chuckles with amusement. "I expect nothing less."

Antonio's heart flutters a little. He loves it when Sean encourages him like this.

"So back when Mount Vesuvius blew up and Pompeii got destroyed..." as they walk, Antonio explains how this place got destroyed by the eruption too, but it's much better preserved."...the ash and pyroclastic material combined kind of 'mummified' this place, which is why pretty much everything is still in tact."