Across the Nile in the small town of Nehheb, Nekhbet the only daughter of
Modu and Abayomi sat staring at the Nile. It's rapids and gentle waves
following the many boats gliding along the water's top. She sighed, placing
her face between her hands. This place was so dull, she thought to herself.
Nekhbet was stuck at home with her bossy mother, Abayomi, while her loving
Father and brave brother worked hard on the pyramid Giza, for their king,
Khofu. "Nekhbet!" came her mother's cry from across the field. "Coming!"
echoed Nekhbet's response, she then walked thoughtfully with her hands
folded behind her back. Abayomi was outraged by her daughter's cockiness,
and marched right up to her, grabbed her by the wrist tightly, and then
started barking orders angrily.
Nekhbet laid in her bed awake, listening to Kek, screaming and crying
down the hall. Kek was Nekhbet's 11 month old, brother, who right now had a
raging fever. Nekhbet spent her afternoon taking care of Kek and thinking
over her excuse for mother, on why she was down at the docks again. Her
mind had wondered aimlessly, thinking of ways to see her father, Manu and
brother Adom. It wasn't fair; she was stuck at home, missing them, while
they got to work for their noble king. Nekhbet thought over every solution
on how to leave, and apparently she had only come up with disguising
herself as a boy. She knew it would be hard but, she would borrow her
brother's clothes and tomorrow night, she will sneak off to the docks and
climb in one of the recruiting boats. She hoped with all her might that no
one would discover her being a boy. She had long black hair, a slender
body, and a feminine face. But, whether she was caught or not she was
determined to leave.
Nekhbet woke early the next day. She got dressed and tiptoed down the hall. As she crept toward's Adom's room she could hear Kek's load breathing and her mother's snores that echoed endlessly through the quiet house. When she reached the empty room, she walked to the pile of clothes and grabbed a shirt, loincloth, and reached for a pair of scissors. As she brought the things back to her room she noticed that the heavy breathing had suddenly gasped and stopped. She didn't think much of it and suspected it to be her mother, so she hurried back to her room and hid her things. Her bed was still unmade so Nekhbet jumped in it and pulled her covers around her. She listened as a door opened and footsteps grew louder as they approached her room. The door opened and cold air blew into the room. Her mother stood there pale and shaky. Her blue eyes were as blue as ever, because of the tears, hovering, and ready to drop. Her words came like sharp knifes as she quietly said, "Kek is dead." "Oh, mother!" Nekhbet cried as she ran into her mother's outstretched arms. They cried together and their mourning died out as the sun rose.
Nekhbet shakily raised the scissors in front of her face and slowly pulled together. Black hair floated to the ground. Nekhbet groaned as she continued this gesture around her head. When she was done she swept up the mess and got dressed. Taking one last look around her room she gathered herself together, turned to the window and climbed out. She ran across town, the field, and the docks until she found the recruiting boat. As she reached it she situated herself under a sheet and held her breath whenever someone walked by. When the recruiters arrived they started to pack up and leave, so they were too distracted to notice Nekhbet. They left, sailing down the river. It wasn't until they started sailing and the boat started swaying that she realized she felt uneasy and was seasick. Her head hurt and her stomach, queasy. She had tried so hard not to, but she couldn't resist the urge to moan. The men heard her, instantly, and threw off the sheet. Their eyes widened as they saw her. "What are you a doin' here boy!?" yelled one of the men, his face red with anger and eyes wide with suspicion. "I....I... want to be recruited," she stammered, hoping he wouldn't suspect anything more. He searched her eyes, and a sign of acceptance brightend his face. "And there's nothing wrong with more help, is there men?" he chuckled as they all burst out laughing.
Weeks went by as more and more men boarded the boat. Nekhbet got used to the swaying and got over her seasickness. She grew close to some men, but, avoided others, and counted every day until she got to see her family. It wasn't until one, cold, dark evening, they reached the camp. She jumped out of the boat and stood in line while the instructors yelled commands. She couldn't wait just to start heading out. When they finally started moving, she ran nearly knocking over the person in front of her. As they reached the camp her pace accelerated and her breath quickened. She searched endlessly in the crowd of men, when suddenly she saw them. There they were, talking and laughing under a canopy. When she got a better looked she gasped.
Her brother and Father were strong, and skinny. They both had grown beards and were very tan. She took a step closer as she spoke" Father, Adom, it's me," she said quietly. They looked up at her quizzically. "Who?" they asked in unison. "Me, Nekhbet," she said, this time more bold. Her father searched her face and his stern face suddenly turned caring. "Nekhbet, what are you doing here, let alone dressed like a boy?" he asked, holding her in his arms. "I had to come see you, I hate it at home!" she cried holding him tightly. Adom now approached asking, "What is going on at home?" "Well, mother had a baby boy, named, Kek," her father's smile widened, but lowered as she continued," But, he died the day I left." Suddenly they heard a twig crack and they all turned around. A mysterious man stood there, he was hunched and had tried to listen in. "Upton, you're just in time, meet my other son, Kek," Father said as he gestured towards Nekhbet. She bowed and shook his hand. Upton looked at her suspiciously, snarled, and walked away. "He is always cold," Adom said, glaring at the middle-aged man. Night drew darker and the trio decided to get some sleep. But, as night sped on, Nekhbet was haunted by a dream, a dream that Isis was telling her something, but Nekhbet couldn't hear.
Morning dawned, and all the men marched out to work. It was very hard and many men had to help Nekhbet with heavy things. But, later on Nekhbet noticed Upton lurking off in the shadows, so she followed him. He walked into the pyramid and into a secret room no one had ever heard of. Upton walked over to a pedestal, and on it was a blue orb. He talked quietly but proud," Tomorrow by sunset; this horrid pyramid will be destroyed. And so will those annoying people!" he cackled. Nekhbet ran out of the room and to the work grounds. She couldn't believe what he said, what was she going to do?
That night Nekhbet had the same haunting dream of Isis again. What did it mean? While she was working, the next day, her brother and father noticed that she was awfully quiet and thoughtful, but they didn't dare say anything, whenever they uttered a word, she grunted. As the sunset arrived, Nekhbet grew nervous. She knew she had to stop Upton. So she snuck off to the secret room, and peeked in the doorway. In it was Upton staring at the orb. "Ten more seconds," he chimed happily. Nekhbet couldn't take it anymore. She walked up to the pedestal, grabbed the orb and held it high. "No!" cried Upton as he jumped for it. "Yes," she stated as she threw the orb to the ground. As it hit the ground it cracked, and it shattered as the force of Nekhbet's foot crashed down. But as it shattered, magic exploded out and over took Nekhbet's body. Her eyes widened and turned a bright red as she fell down, dead.
But she never hit the ground; she fell into gentle hands that laid her down carefully. A light voice chanted a couple of words and feeling came back to Nekhbet's body. She opened her eyes slowly to find the goddess, Isis, standing before her. "What happened, and... where am I?" she croaked, still a little weak. She lay in a white atmosphere. "You died, my dear," Isis glanced to the side, "But, because you died for your own king and people, the gods honored you, and decided to let you become a goddess." She finished, smiling. "Will, I get to see my family?" asked Nekhbet, concerned. "Well, yes, but it will take a lot of energy," she told her. Nekhbet looked down, thinking over a decision. Isis hoped to see a sign of acceptance as she waited. Then Nekhbet looked up, smiled, and held her hand up to be pulled up. And of course, Isis took it.
THE END
Nekhbet woke early the next day. She got dressed and tiptoed down the hall. As she crept toward's Adom's room she could hear Kek's load breathing and her mother's snores that echoed endlessly through the quiet house. When she reached the empty room, she walked to the pile of clothes and grabbed a shirt, loincloth, and reached for a pair of scissors. As she brought the things back to her room she noticed that the heavy breathing had suddenly gasped and stopped. She didn't think much of it and suspected it to be her mother, so she hurried back to her room and hid her things. Her bed was still unmade so Nekhbet jumped in it and pulled her covers around her. She listened as a door opened and footsteps grew louder as they approached her room. The door opened and cold air blew into the room. Her mother stood there pale and shaky. Her blue eyes were as blue as ever, because of the tears, hovering, and ready to drop. Her words came like sharp knifes as she quietly said, "Kek is dead." "Oh, mother!" Nekhbet cried as she ran into her mother's outstretched arms. They cried together and their mourning died out as the sun rose.
Nekhbet shakily raised the scissors in front of her face and slowly pulled together. Black hair floated to the ground. Nekhbet groaned as she continued this gesture around her head. When she was done she swept up the mess and got dressed. Taking one last look around her room she gathered herself together, turned to the window and climbed out. She ran across town, the field, and the docks until she found the recruiting boat. As she reached it she situated herself under a sheet and held her breath whenever someone walked by. When the recruiters arrived they started to pack up and leave, so they were too distracted to notice Nekhbet. They left, sailing down the river. It wasn't until they started sailing and the boat started swaying that she realized she felt uneasy and was seasick. Her head hurt and her stomach, queasy. She had tried so hard not to, but she couldn't resist the urge to moan. The men heard her, instantly, and threw off the sheet. Their eyes widened as they saw her. "What are you a doin' here boy!?" yelled one of the men, his face red with anger and eyes wide with suspicion. "I....I... want to be recruited," she stammered, hoping he wouldn't suspect anything more. He searched her eyes, and a sign of acceptance brightend his face. "And there's nothing wrong with more help, is there men?" he chuckled as they all burst out laughing.
Weeks went by as more and more men boarded the boat. Nekhbet got used to the swaying and got over her seasickness. She grew close to some men, but, avoided others, and counted every day until she got to see her family. It wasn't until one, cold, dark evening, they reached the camp. She jumped out of the boat and stood in line while the instructors yelled commands. She couldn't wait just to start heading out. When they finally started moving, she ran nearly knocking over the person in front of her. As they reached the camp her pace accelerated and her breath quickened. She searched endlessly in the crowd of men, when suddenly she saw them. There they were, talking and laughing under a canopy. When she got a better looked she gasped.
Her brother and Father were strong, and skinny. They both had grown beards and were very tan. She took a step closer as she spoke" Father, Adom, it's me," she said quietly. They looked up at her quizzically. "Who?" they asked in unison. "Me, Nekhbet," she said, this time more bold. Her father searched her face and his stern face suddenly turned caring. "Nekhbet, what are you doing here, let alone dressed like a boy?" he asked, holding her in his arms. "I had to come see you, I hate it at home!" she cried holding him tightly. Adom now approached asking, "What is going on at home?" "Well, mother had a baby boy, named, Kek," her father's smile widened, but lowered as she continued," But, he died the day I left." Suddenly they heard a twig crack and they all turned around. A mysterious man stood there, he was hunched and had tried to listen in. "Upton, you're just in time, meet my other son, Kek," Father said as he gestured towards Nekhbet. She bowed and shook his hand. Upton looked at her suspiciously, snarled, and walked away. "He is always cold," Adom said, glaring at the middle-aged man. Night drew darker and the trio decided to get some sleep. But, as night sped on, Nekhbet was haunted by a dream, a dream that Isis was telling her something, but Nekhbet couldn't hear.
Morning dawned, and all the men marched out to work. It was very hard and many men had to help Nekhbet with heavy things. But, later on Nekhbet noticed Upton lurking off in the shadows, so she followed him. He walked into the pyramid and into a secret room no one had ever heard of. Upton walked over to a pedestal, and on it was a blue orb. He talked quietly but proud," Tomorrow by sunset; this horrid pyramid will be destroyed. And so will those annoying people!" he cackled. Nekhbet ran out of the room and to the work grounds. She couldn't believe what he said, what was she going to do?
That night Nekhbet had the same haunting dream of Isis again. What did it mean? While she was working, the next day, her brother and father noticed that she was awfully quiet and thoughtful, but they didn't dare say anything, whenever they uttered a word, she grunted. As the sunset arrived, Nekhbet grew nervous. She knew she had to stop Upton. So she snuck off to the secret room, and peeked in the doorway. In it was Upton staring at the orb. "Ten more seconds," he chimed happily. Nekhbet couldn't take it anymore. She walked up to the pedestal, grabbed the orb and held it high. "No!" cried Upton as he jumped for it. "Yes," she stated as she threw the orb to the ground. As it hit the ground it cracked, and it shattered as the force of Nekhbet's foot crashed down. But as it shattered, magic exploded out and over took Nekhbet's body. Her eyes widened and turned a bright red as she fell down, dead.
But she never hit the ground; she fell into gentle hands that laid her down carefully. A light voice chanted a couple of words and feeling came back to Nekhbet's body. She opened her eyes slowly to find the goddess, Isis, standing before her. "What happened, and... where am I?" she croaked, still a little weak. She lay in a white atmosphere. "You died, my dear," Isis glanced to the side, "But, because you died for your own king and people, the gods honored you, and decided to let you become a goddess." She finished, smiling. "Will, I get to see my family?" asked Nekhbet, concerned. "Well, yes, but it will take a lot of energy," she told her. Nekhbet looked down, thinking over a decision. Isis hoped to see a sign of acceptance as she waited. Then Nekhbet looked up, smiled, and held her hand up to be pulled up. And of course, Isis took it.
THE END