The House of Julius Caesar

 Before Dawn, March 15^th 44 BC, The House of Julius Caesar

            Caesar wakes up to his wife screaming. It is shrill, sharp, and full of fear—more so than the eyes of the Gaulish warriors whom his soldiers of the 13^th Legion slaughtered until the Gauls were no more.

            “What is it, my love?” He rests a hand on Calpurnia’s cheek. “What is it that bothers you? Is it a bad dream?”

            Calpurnia gets up from their shared bed and starts to back away from him, yet her eyes still don’t leave him. She doesn’t answer. Caesar is confused, and he reaches out an arm to help. “It-it was just a bad dream.” She reassures him. However, Caesar can notice her fingers tapping rapidly on her thighs. A sign of nervousness.

            “Come now, share it with me, for I will protect you, however terrible it may be.”

            “Please, go back to sleep, husband. I will be with you in the morning when you wake. I just need to take a short breath outside.” A beat of silence. Husband and wife stare at each other. “I saw death. You-” Calpurnia swallows hard. “You were hit by a beam that had fallen from the ceiling, and I held you in my arms. You were so cold. So cold and so bloody.”

            “Then let me come with you. I am not feeling the need for sleep.”

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→ Part 8: A Small Sacrificial Ceremony