31 Day Challenge 2014

Day 11

Remember that time I made you get with an enemy that had changed into someone you liked? And then you died? Well, that scene, but in Ancient Rome.

My time has come.

We watched from the roof as the sky darkened in the middle of the day down the shore and as the day turned into night raging fires flew threw the air and the ground. We couldn't see it at night only a bright fire even told us it was still present but it didn't matter because by that time the news had come of Pompeii. Mike and I finally came down from our perch when we got hungry and ran down the streets chasing each other while shopkeepers yelled at us as they closed and we tripped and stumbled over their goods. A few people looked at us disapprovingly but that was probably because we dared to have fun while people died on Roman soil and we should be praying for their journey to Hades or something. We ignored them.

"Ash!" Mike yelled when I ran into him as he stopped to let a cart get onto a small bridge over the Tiber.

"Sorry." I giggled and managed to keep a straight face as a few officials walked past before catching Mike's eye and causing us both to collapse on the floor laughing.

"Come on." Mike wheezed eventually standing up and pulling me to my feet. I rolled by eyes.

"what's the hurry? It's not like a giant burning rock is going to fall down from the sky and crush us." I moaned and Mike smiled.

"Be careful what you wish for."

"When did you become all wise?"

"I believe it was a seven forty six this morning." he said seriously pulling me over the bridge and down the road to our homes. "Was the dinner party tonight or tomorrow?" he asked.

"Tonight." I replied.

"Okay so if anybody asked we were out snogging in the rose bushes not sitting on a roof all day watching people burn." He turned slightly and smiled at me, I smiled back and then stopped dead as a man in rags ran around the corner looking behind him holding a knife like he'd never even seen one before, he was running straight at us and unless we moved we were about to get impaled, before Mike got impaled. I didn't stop to think, I just moved, shoving Mike out of the way the man ran straight into me and we both collapsed on the floor and I gasped in pain. The man looked down at me in horror before getting off me and stumbling away.

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry." he chanted over and over again, his face drawn and Miek dropped down on the floor next to me and pulled me up into a hug and I tried not to gasp in pain, I could see the blood staining my white tunic red and the ugly knife sticking out of my chest. Gently Mike grabbed its hilt and tugged it out letting more blood spill over before glaring up at the man and drawing his own sword.

"Miek I whispered as a shout came from down the road the man had run from and six soldiers ran into view and grabbed man forcing him to his knees. I let out a small whimper of pain and Mike dropped his sword with a clatter to pick me up. One of the soldiers glanced over at is saw the blood and grabbed another man running over towards us.

"What happened?" the second soldier asked pulling out a bit of cloth and holding to to my chest to stop the blood.

"He ran into her, she pushed me out of the way and got stabbed." Mike sobbed and the prisoner started to laugh madly. We ignored him and I closed my eyes against the pain.

"Do you know somewhere you could go? Near here?" the first solider asked and Mike nodded.

"Last villa on the road is hers, her father is throwing a party." The first man nodded and took off running, the second slid his hands underneath me and picked me up before starting to walk as quickly as he could don't he road. Mike grabbed his sword and ran to catch up with us, grabbing my hand and rubbing circles in it.

"You'll be fine." he murmured. "You'll be fine." I couldn't tell if he was reassuring me or him. "The man will be charged with assault. He'll be thrown into the Tiber in a sack for the wolves." I smiled weakly and opened my eyes to look at Mike's face but my vision was blurring. The solider carrying me looked down and started murmuring under his breath and from the few words he was saying I could tell that he was praying to the gods that I would be well again. It as the that it hit me, I wasn't going to make it.

"put me down." I gasped but it came out more of a whimper that sounded vaguely like down. The solider got the message however and set me down on the grass under a pin tree, a strange look in his eye like he's never heard of wanting to die independently, or at least never taken an order from a girl before. Mike glanced between us before retaking his position kneeling next to me and I smile do at him.

"It's all my fault." he murmured and unable to speak I shook my head and gingerly pointed to myself. "Its not your fault." he said at once, I rolled my eyes and pointed down the road where we had come from. "Yes, his fault." he agreed and then added when I stared at him some more. "And I'll never let anybody tell me differently." then he kissed me and I kissed him back and my heart swelled and the pain vanished because all there was was now.

"I love you." he whispered and I kissed him again and closed my eyes, even as I felt my soul leaving my body I heard Mike sobbing in agony and I left to face the judges of the dead. I hope somebody left me shining reviews.