Composition #4

Once there was no America, no Italy and no Pope, only the huge roman empire ruled by Vespasianus. In that time, christianism was a forbidden creed, so their believers were hunted down and tortured. Some of them, due to these violent treatments, became mentally affected.
And that was the case of Alexius, a joyful young man, who had lost his right thumb when attacked by two drunk legionaries in the last villagge. He had wan away bleeding, in the middle of the night, mumbling beetween his sudden hysteric laughs. However, this incident had been more than ten days before, so he was almost healed.
Alexius finally found another city, which was located at the foot of an enourmous mountain. It was night, and the breathing was as difficult as if the air was magma. He straightened his ragged cloak and stepped in, doing the cross.
Not even two hours had passed when he was found by a violent legionary. Alexius began to run away, closely followed by the berserk. He tripped and fell. The man rose his spear. And petrified. Alexius too, and the entire city, as well.
The mountain wasn't a mountain, as Alexius had thought. It was a vulcan; the city was Pompey, and the year was 79 a.D. .