Thursday, March 19, 2026

Shadows of Empire: A Snippet from Forgiving Nero by Mary Ann Bernal

 


Snippet

The sound of rumbling thunder caused Nero to rush to his bedchamber, where he shut the door behind him. He fell onto the bed, holding pillows over his ears and muffling the sounds that caused the hairs on his arms to stand. He closed his eyes tightly, not wishing to see the lightning striking across the blackened sky.

His body stiffened when his garments moved. Nero screamed, believing a snake had slithered across his torso, as the bed hangings flapped in the wind.

Agrippina’s apparition appeared before him, close enough to touch. Nero stepped back, his fearful eyes gazing upon Octavia’s bloodied head with scorpions crawling out of her eye sockets.

“Leave me be, begone; I command you!” Nero said.

The specters followed him, getting closer and closer. He felt his mother’s fingernails scratching the side of his face, her mouth close to his, spitting venom onto his tongue. Serpents slipped up his bare legs and wrapped themselves around his chest, constricting his breathing.

“Let go of me!”

Nero pulled the cloth away from his chest, his breathing quick and erratic. His heart beat rapidly, his skin wet and clammy. He fell to the floor, kicking his feet, his hands flying about. The emperor hit his head against a nearby table, causing loss of consciousness as roaring thunder forcefully shook the earth.

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Forgiving Nero

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https://maryannbernal.com

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