Dog Diaries by Betsy Byars Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers

Author:Betsy Byars, Betsy Duffey & Laurie Myers
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466889613
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Then, a light gray ash began to fall from the sky.

“The mountain is alive,” screamed one of the slaves.

My master called for us to go to one of the lower rooms of the house. I followed, although it is not what I wanted to do. Everyone entered the room. I stood at the door. The children, huddled in one corner, called to me.

“Come, Marcus. Come.”

I would not enter the room.

“Come, Marcus,” my mistress called. I stood fast.

The ground trembled again, and my master reached for me. The second before he grabbed my collar, I darted away. I bolted up the stairs, through the corridor to the front door.

Outside, men, women, and children ran in all directions. Some fled toward the sea, others toward the city gates. Yet others seemed to be running nowhere at all, calling the names of loved ones. Ash continued to fall, leaving a gray, powdery dust on everything. It made the people look like moving statues.

Those running to the sea probably hoped to escape by boat. I decided to go to the countryside. I would exit through the gates. Not the Vesuvius Gate—that would lead directly to the trouble. I would use the Sarno Gate by the amphitheater and run as fast as I could for as long as I could.

I ran along the city streets, darting between legs. The cloud caused darkness all around, which made it difficult to see. Some people carried torches, hoping to light the way, but it was useless. Small stones fell from the sky, knocking out the torches.

I kept running—past people carrying their possessions, past people carrying children, past slaves carrying their owners’ wealth. People fell all around me. Bodies littered the streets. Ash rained down onto my head, and fiery stones burst into flames at my feet. My eyes burned from the ash.

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