Another body; it never gets easier.
She was young, her face, clothes, once vibrant, now a mere plaster-filled void, an ash-entombed statue, agonies frozen that disastrous day, centuries ago.
Her belongings emerge; linguists decode the ancient markings:
“Timex” – “Nike” – “iPhone”
And occasionally, rarely, paper fragments survive:
“Pompeii Tourist Guide: 2026”.
William Mitchell lives in East Sussex in the South of England. He is an award-winning author, having had early success with various Horror and Science Fiction publications before winning the Writers of the Future contest in 2012. His first novel, CREATIONS, came out in 2014 with John Hunt Publishing.
So good. Especially having been to Pompeii.
I’ll bet there would be a few hearing aids and joint replacements too😂
Thank you! I was there this summer, amazing place – and I think you’re right about what would be left behind!
Your stories always deliver such a stinging warning! Thank you for this one.
Thanks Joanna, glad you liked it!
Lovely! I enjoyed this very much.
Thank you!
Well done. Very clever.
Thank you!
I always love a good twist. I also liked it before twist!
Thanks very much, I’m glad you liked it!
I’m not sure I ‘get’ this. Why would something like Pompeii happen in the same place? Clearly there has been a number of tectonic and sociocultural shifts since then.
It’s a good question, and I had to check this out before I wrote it. Vesuvius is still there though – and overdue for its next eruption. Historically, the longer they build up, the bigger they are. The mountain is covered in sensors now (the Naples evacuation plan relies on 72 hours notice) though there’s always a chance the next big one will come faster than anticipated. The whole area is a danger zone…
❤️ it. Neat twist at the end. Made me 😃. Well done.
Thanks Sue, it’s much appreciated!