Submitted to: Contest #300

The Fire Inside

Written in response to: "Write a story about a place that no longer exists."

Historical Fiction Romance

This story contains themes or mentions of physical violence, gore, or abuse.

My Beloved Lucius,


You have always seen the fire inside me, a smouldering beacon rising to the heavens that not even the gods could quench. I will never forget that, you know.


Many leering eyes have beheld mine, each one a piece of rope tying me down to the columns of the temple of expectation. Yours, azure like a summer sky, lift me to Jupiter’s throne room, there where time bends to the will of his thunderbolts. Whilst the city views me as but a mere glass doll, — delicate, decorative, hollow — you cut through my silken tunics and find a heart more ablaze than a raging furnace. To the rest of our city, I am Ignatia Cassia, born to Ignatius Cassius Maximus, scion to a clan whose members have advised Caesares. To you, I am your Stella Clara; you’ve declared to me day in and out that I’m the only one to illuminate every one of your moments, that my scintillating laughter and fiery humour never fails to bring a sparkle to those blue orbs. You have always seen — completely seen — me, and because of that, I will always kindle affection deeper than the Mediterranean for you.


You know that sometimes, I ask myself why I had to exist in the here and now. In the balmy, peaceful embers of your arms, I’ve pondered my place in this plane. The stark limestone amphitheatres and villas only reinforce the walls that my station has locked me in. The rich, verdant lands my father is all too ready to fork over to he who takes my hand only showcase what I can’t have; whilst our russet soil is nourished by the mighty river, not even a single drop of wild, unadulterated freedom is allowed to moisten my arid soul. I’ve had to learn the art of evading the hired guards tasked to loom over every one of my paces, as if they were the majestic slopes watching over our plateau settlement. Is the patrician life really meant to snuff out any joy a woman might have? I suppose one day I’ll find out, but for now, it sure feels that way.


But whatever charred remnants of happiness embedded in me is sparked once more whenever I’m next to you. I’d meet you by the Thermopolia, a blood red cloak borrowed from a servant concealing my long auburn waves. However, the large piece of fabric has never once deterred you from, as you put it, recognising the flame in my peridot eyes. We’d then enter Julia’s Tavern, your touch as you guide me in soft and tender as a rosebud. We’d feast on freshly caught fish as hours burn to dust unnoticed, all simply because of the radiance of your comforting presence.


It is always precisely when I grow to realise more and more that it’s you who loves to bask in the glow of the fire inside me.


I knew you loved to bask in the glow of the fire inside me when we first met at our favourite food haunt, the same one that has become the setting to the countless times you reanimated all of me with a tiny flicker of a word. I was in desperate need of breathing room, feeling my insides turn to ash with every plastered smile, every yell-demanded appearance before the Prince. So, I snuck out of the house, dodging pyre-like stares from my father’s sentinels in the peristyle and trembling in my disguise. As soon as I saw the marigold, mural painted walls of Julia’s, a warmth enveloped me, a knowing that I found home.


But the bright yellows were nothing compared to the pelagic gleam of your gaze, that sensation of belonging fading into the background from the instant you said ‘hello’. Just being with you, time seemed to fragment and dissolve like sand on our shores. How can it not when it’s you who ignites me?


I knew you loved to bask in the glow of the fire inside me whenever you and I visited the Temple of Apollo together. After discovering I could sing when we both watched a street performer fill the crisp autumn air with flute melodies and I absentmindedly hummed along, you were adamant I come with you and see the god of music in his earthly palace. I must admit that an entire garden of butterflies fluttered about in my belly as we walked towards the place of worship. It all escaped as soon as I marvelled at the forty-eight imposing columns perched on a set of glistening white steps. However, the crimson, mustard, and sapphire-painted stone could have never beaten the rainbow of joy blazing in your aquamarine eyes the first time we went.


When we reached the cella, the temple’s enclosed inner sanctum, the gargantuan marble statue of the patron of the arts greeted us. Before I could even open my mouth to exclaim in wonder of the temple, I heard you mutter a prayer, your voice warm as a cosy hearth, begging the pantheon that my voice be heard, that I shine brighter than an entire constellation. As my vision was flooded in chromatic explosions, I cupped your cheek and planted a kiss that left tingling sparks on my lips. How can I not when it’s you who ignites me?


I knew you loved to bask in the glow of the fire inside me the night we took a late night stroll by the Sarno. You must have known when you invited me for that river walk that not even an inferno would keep me from saying ‘yes’ to you. Not even the bite of the January breeze could quell the flashes of lightning in me as you wrapped an arm around my waist and we trudged a winding stone path by the banks. The honey-tinged moon reflected on waters that babbled as we stopped by a large limestone bench, as if serenading our love. However, that golden ball in the sky might as well have been dimmed by Jupiter himself as you brushed a strand of hair away from my face and lit a bonfire in my veins.


As the stream of water gushed, you and I purified our plans for the years ahead like the finest silver. You and I would marry, watch the embers of a family grow ever stronger. We’d welcome our first child two years later, a sprite with your aquamarine regard born of fiery passion. We’d dance in each other’s arms, hands weathered like tree bark illuminated by candlelight. All the while, happiness will engulf me in its comfort. How can it not when it’s you who ignites me?


I knew you loved to bask in the glow of the fire inside me even when my father’s guards snuffed out the flame of your life. How could we know that the night we had planned our fugue to Greece at our favourite tavern, one of the newly-hired sentries had recognised me despite my cloak? How could we know that as we feasted to celebrate our elopement, he had been silently observing us, an invisible torch in his hand and a grit in his mouth. How could I know that as I packed away my favourite tunics, the entire garrison of our family’s sentries had surrounded you on the street and embedded a dagger in your chest.


When my nurse informed me of your death, I felt as if my insides had been transformed to ash. How could I know when it's you who still ignites me.


Lucius Antonius, it is only you who I burn for. The gods may strike the land with thunderbolts, but they will never extinguish that.


Tomorrow, I shall be dragged to the magistrate to wed the decurion Livius. Please don’t think I betrayed you. Whilst my father set our betrothal in stone at my birth, it is no match for the angry pyre rising from my heart. I shall find a way to stamp him out, just as they have done you. If not, well, I’m more than willing to join you up there, our love finally becoming incandescent.


Mark my words, my darling Lucius. The fire inside will very soon spill over and…


‘Vesuvius is erupting! Evacuate! Leave Pompeii now!’


My love, what did I tell you about me burning for only y….


Posted Apr 29, 2025
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47 likes 34 comments

Helen A Howard
17:48 May 10, 2025

She beautiful and lyrical. Such a sense of place and time. A tragedy well told. Pompeii brought to life. This id is a fascinating and utterly heartbreaking place. Very sad and distinctive language.

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Alexis Araneta
01:05 May 11, 2025

Thank you so much, Helen! I'm so happy I brought Pompeii to life for you and the emotions came through. Thanks for reading !

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Mary Butler
19:16 May 09, 2025

This was a fantastic and beautiful read, as always Alexis! The love between the two characters, the metaphors, the surprise ending....I could go on and on! Thank you for sharing!

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Alexis Araneta
08:05 May 10, 2025

Hi, Mary! I'm so chuffed you liked this! I'm happy the love between Ignatia and Lucius came through. Thanks for reading!

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Maxwell Pacilio
18:10 May 07, 2025

Loved this story. The fiery passion of our narrator perfectly parallels with Pompeii's ultimate fate. I can really feel the love between our two characters and my heart dropped when I learned of their fate. Sometimes love burns too bright and quick.

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Alexis Araneta
22:59 May 07, 2025

Hi, Maxwell! I'm so glad you liked the story and that their love really came through. It's always what I want to do when I write romance. Thanks for reading !

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Amanda Stogsdill
20:11 May 11, 2025

Beautiful story. Unfortunately, I don't know much about Roman mythology, so much of the terms used were lost on me. I was able to appreciate how desperate the characters' love was for one another, how secretive they had to be. As I was reading, I thought it might be a lesbian romance, or between feuding families. Reminded me of Romeo and Juliet. The eruption at the end was a surprise. The character did only burn for her ⠇⠕⠧⠑⠲

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Alexis Araneta
07:00 May 12, 2025

Hi, Amanda! So happy the love came through and you found it beautiful. I do wonder how this was perceived as a homosexual romance. Perhaps, I should have emphasised that the protagonist was named Ignatia and the love interest Lucius more. Anyway, glad you liked the forbidden love element. Thanks for reading !

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VJ Hamilton
00:40 May 10, 2025

Rich and immersive, Alexis. It reminds me of "A Day of Fire" - an anthology of stories of various people entombed at Pompeii!

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Alexis Araneta
07:54 May 10, 2025

Hi, VJ! Thank you so much! I try to make my stories as immersive as I could. I think I need to read that one! Thanks for reading.

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Elizabeth Rich
18:15 May 09, 2025

Beautiful, tragic, and poetic. Have you thought of reformatting some of your stories into epic poems? I've read a number of your stories, and I love the epistolary approach. I find it fresh, but I think your flowery language is incredibly vibrant, and you are a natural storyteller. I'm just wondering what an epic poem might look like. Just a thought. But I really liked this one a lot. Great imagery of fire and Pompeii.

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Alexis Araneta
08:08 May 10, 2025

Hi, Elizabeth! So happy you liked the story.

The funny thing is an editor for an anthology I've submitted to and gotten published in has contacted me this morning about the possibility of writing a narrative poem for a themed issue (The head editor of the anthology series decided to go all poetry this year), I'm...struggling. Hahahaha! It's been a while since I thought of metre and rhyme along with the imagery. I can try one day, I suppose.

Thanks for reading!

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Elizabeth Rich
12:23 May 10, 2025

That’s amazing news, Alexis! I don’t know that you need to worry about rhyme and meter. Your prose is just so gorgeous!

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James Scott
11:42 May 20, 2025

Loved the setting and the theme that only became clear at the end! Great work as always.

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Alexis Araneta
12:02 May 20, 2025

Hi, James ! Thank you so much ! I'm so happy you liked the theme and the setting. Thanks for reading again !

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John Rutherford
13:21 May 06, 2025

You are on point with this piece Alexis! Excellent.

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Alexis Araneta
13:44 May 06, 2025

Hi, John! I'm so happy you liked the story ! Thanks for reading !

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Kathryn Kahn
18:26 May 04, 2025

I love your narrator's metaphoric way of speaking. What a great surprise ending! Truly a place that no longer exists.

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Alexis Araneta
01:21 May 05, 2025

Hi, Kathryn ! I'm very happy you liked the metaphors. I know it's not really everyone's cup of tea, but I've always favoured that style. I'm happy the ending was a surprise for you too. Thanks for reading !

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Sandra Moody
23:21 May 02, 2025

This was awesome! The ending had me surprised and I loved it! So well done, beautiful descriptions.

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Alexis Araneta
07:29 May 03, 2025

Hi, Sandra! I'm so happy you found the ending a surprise. I wanted it to be unexpected but not too abrupt. Thanks for reading!

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13:25 May 01, 2025

This is so beautiful Alexis. I had a sense it was Pompeii from the start (due to the prompt) with your fantastic descriptions of ancient Italy. What a heartfelt and strong narrative. Your work is always a real pleasure to read!

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Alexis Araneta
13:31 May 01, 2025

Penelope, thank you so much ! And yay for getting the clues. The fact that you find my work a pleasure to read means a lot. Thanks for reading !

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13:44 May 01, 2025

Always!

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Viga Boland
13:11 May 01, 2025

Alexis, you make my simple place story seem so insignificant when you create such a clever, brilliant story as this. However, I just remind myself it’s “different strokes for different folks.” Isn’t it wonderful that we writers can see so many variations on a theme. 😉

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Alexis Araneta
13:29 May 01, 2025

Viga, please don't say your work is insignificant. Like you said, the fact we can interpret the prompt in so many ways is brilliant. I'm so happy you liked my story. Thanks for reading !

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Rebecca Hurst
10:37 May 01, 2025

Remarkable, Alexis. Keeping the Pompeii secret until the last moment was majestic, and tied in so well with the sub-text of passion and flame. Wonderful work!

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Alexis Araneta
10:46 May 01, 2025

Hi, Rebecca ! I'm glad you liked the twist of it being Pompeii. I wanted to clue in readers to where it is but not give too much away. Thanks for reading !

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Mary Bendickson
05:53 May 01, 2025

That's what happens when ❤️‍🔥the fire inside is ignited.

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Alexis Araneta
10:06 May 01, 2025

Precisely that ! Thank you for reading, Mary!

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Janine W
01:42 May 01, 2025

Such a vivid and emotional piece! You really brought Pompeii to life, and the ending landed with a powerful punch. Wonderfully done!

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Alexis Araneta
15:08 May 01, 2025

You are too kind. So happy you found it emotionally vivid. Thanks for reading..

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Keba Ghardt
18:00 Apr 29, 2025

Perfect ending. All the attraction leading up to it feels so elemental; it's a great mirror for the flames beneath the surface. Really excellent work!

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Alexis Araneta
00:26 Apr 30, 2025

Hi, Keba! Great catch ! I wanted all the fire elements to be a clue on where the story actually takes place. Thanks for reading !

Reply

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