IV. INTERITUS

By the early evening, it is clear that the situation is becoming increasingly more dangerous. Pepe describes seeing “broad sheets of fire and leaping flames.” Meanwhile, houses visible in the distance are set alight by a flow of lava that is making a hasty path down the mountain. Pepe is woken a few hours later as the internal courtyard is fast filling up with ash and pumice stones. After a short discussion, they decide that it is best to try to escape while it is still possible to leave the house. Dawn has arrived by this time, but they are still surrounded by darkness caused by the sheer build-up of volcanic matter in the air. As they make their way through the smog of ash and pumice, Pepe describes the darkness as being “blacker and denser than any ordinary night.”