On August 24, in the year 79 CE, the sky in Pompeii, Italy, grew dark and ominous. An orange glow illuminated the blackened sky. When the cityâs residents heard the first of what would be a terrifying series of earth-shaking rumbles, they looked to Mount Vesuvius, six kilometers in the distance. A pillar of gray ash was pouring from the volcanoâs gaping mouth.
The residents of Pompeii were caught by surprise. Many of those who noticed the impending eruption grabbed their family members and their valuables and fled the city. As you can see from the picture, not everyone was so lucky.
Since you were not there when Vesuvius erupted, what effect would this passage have on you if it was read as if the person reading it were there?