Heather caught up with her family, which was now worried about her. They had searched around for hours looking for her. She had of course been scolded for going off, and her family was keeping a close watch on her now. After a few more visits to exhibits in the museum, Heather's family decided it was time to leave. They went back to their hotel, and decided they needed to see Heather's uncle before doing more sightseeing. Heather felt bad during the whole drive there, her family was going to be late. She secretly wondered why she had even run off in the museum in the first place. Even with the radio and thoughts to keep her company, the car ride seemed to last forever. She had thought too much about what had happened at the museum, it made her tired, and she fell asleep against the car window. Before she knew it, she woke up to the car pulling into her uncle's driveway.
Her parents got out of the car and went to the door, leaving Heather too get a few bags out of the trunk first. She took time to study her uncle's house again. Heather rarely got to visit, but she loved the house more every time she came. The house was much bigger than she remembered it to be, but it seemed that way every time. Her Uncle Rick was always going off to Egypt, and causing trouble while he was there. Her family rarely heard about what exactly went wrong while he was there, but he still loved Egypt anyway. Why he needed such a big house didn't make sense to Heather, he was usually gone. However she was excited for the visit, she always got to look through the many Egyptian artifacts and books her uncle kept in the house.
Her Aunt Evy answered the door, and Heather gave her a big hug. Evy was always so warm and friendly to Heather. After all, it had been Evy who got her interested in Egypt, not her Uncle. They made their way into the living room, and Heather was amazed. Rick and Evy were always changing the layout of the house, and this time was no exception. The living room was absolutely unique, and Heather loved it right away. There were tons of Egyptian artifacts wherever she looked. Books stacked upon numerous shelves that Heather couldn't wait to read. The house definitely had the feeling that the past never died. Heather loved that feeling more lately, and she wouldn't have traded it for a more modern looking house.
Evy called Rick to come down and see his family. He was always the adventurous type, and he never stayed in one spot very long. Heather could only guess that inside his house was no exception. When her uncle came down, they all sat down in the living room. Heather chose a spot by both a bookshelf and a table with Egyptian artifacts. Her parents hadn't been frustrated with her interests. They found her love of history a good hobby for her, but they hated when it made her secluded sometimes. Soon Heather's family was talking about their recent family events, and Heather asked to go to the house library for more reading. Evy nodded knowing what it was like to have an obsession, and she was happy to give Heather access to all they had in the house for her to do research.
Heather made her way up the stairs, before she stumbled and ran into someone down the hallway. Surprised from running into someone, she screamed loud enough for everyone downstairs to hear her. Naturally, her family all came running after her to make sure she was alright. It always seemed in her family that they all reacted first, and asked questions later. Her Uncle Rick was the first one there, and when he guessed what happened he laughed. The others only guessed everything was okay by Rick's laughter. He smiled at her before speaking. "Heather this is our friend Ardeth. He back from Egypt with us for awhile. Sorry, I should have warned you there was someone else in the house."
Heather blushed wondering why she always had to meet people this way. It seemed if there was anything bad that could happen, it always happened to her. She smiled and held out her hand towards Ardeth. "Hi, Nice to meet you. I'm Heather." Rick went back to the living room, and left her there with Ardeth. Heather's family soon followed, and soon she heard a faint conversation coming from the living room again. When her heart calmed down, Heather began to study Ardeth for the first time. She noticed his tattoos were made in a dark blue almost black ink, very different than any she'd seen before. It made her curious as to where he'd gotten them and why. She had always been the curious type, so she simply asked what was on her mind.
"What's your tattoo mean? I've never seen anything like them before. Most guys just get skulls or crosses now." Ardeth wondered to himself why everyone noticed tattoos more than anything else. He would have never guessed people got them for something other than necessity. For him his tattoos were an honor, and he wore them proudly. "It means that I'm a warrior where I come from, a protector for god no matter what happens." Heather certainly didn't know what he meant. Why would there ever be a need for people to protect God's interests? She had been taught that God could do anything he wished, didn't people know that? Heather wanted to be respectful though, she knew to learn through asking questions nicely.
"Wouldn't, well wouldn't a cross be easier then to depict what you mean?" Ardeth looked at her with a strange look on his face. He had only been in the country a few days, but he already seemed to be the odd guy out. He wasn't a Christian, and he never had been. People just seemed to assume he was, and he knew to expect that now. "No, It means I protect Egypt. Besides, most people in Egypt aren't Christians. Gods change from culture to culture, yet we still follow the interest of good." Heather laughed slightly unable to help it, she didn't see how he could ever protect Egypt from this house. She looked out the window slightly, as they walked down the hall. "Then may I ask, what are you doing here if you're supposed to be protecting Egypt?"
Ardeth looked at her for a moment, he wasn't annoyed at her questions. He simply wanted to know if she could believe the truth few adults could. He saw something in her eyes that said she could. What he saw though, he didn't know if it was strength or knowledge. "The creature has once again risen from his grave. We think he may be trying to find us again." Heather looked confused, and honestly thought he was slightly out of it. "What creature? What do you mean again? Plus why would it come here?" Ardeth sighed, he hated explaining this to anyone, and this time was definitely no exception. It wasted time he could spend studying the creature's habits from the last time.
"The mummy has risen from the grave, according to the curse long ago. It was such a horrible curse, in hopes no one would mess with it. People simply stopped believing in curses and woke the creature yet again. His name is Imhotep; he was feared while he was alive and now he's planning to take over the world just as he tried to do when he was alive the first two times." Heather gasped slightly both surprised and trying to process information. She got defensive; how could the guy she met earlier, the guy that had been so kind to her, be so evil? Heather was confused by the what Ardeth was even saying. Curses didn't exist; at least they couldn't bring someone back from the dead. She shook her head and said the first thing she had thought to say.
"He's not like that! He's not mean at all!" Ardeth grasped her shoulders tightly, it was a reflex he had when he was shocked. "You mean that you have seen him?" Heather groaned this was turning out wonderful. She never wanted to frighten him, she simply wanted to defend the person she had met. He had treated her so well, and she just couldn't believe something like this right away. How could the one person who knew so much about Egypt be a dead mummy brought back to life? If he had picked her to help him destroy the world, as Ardeth seemed to be worried about, why had he made such a bad choice? Wouldn't a person like that at least choose a girl whose family didn't deal with him in the past?
Heather looked down at the floor slightly; she was getting nervous the longer Ardeth held her firmly. "Yes, I think I have. He didn't look very dead to me and he didn't even seem very mean at all quite the opposite really." Ardeth nodded slightly trying to listen to everything she said without hurting her feelings too strongly. He focused on what he needed to know first before telling her anything else. "Where did you see him?" Heather sighed trying to remember she had to breathe. This conversation was going too fast for her to follow, and all she could do was answer his questions as routinely as she could.
She breathed deeply, and hoped she didn't answer anything the wrong way. "At the Museum earlier today. We talked for a couple of hours, that's why my family thought I got lost." Ardeth stood there shocked slightly, for the creature not to harm anyone or take interest in them was extremely rare. He judged how Heather seemed totally comfortable talking to one of the most feared people in all of Ancient Egypt. It stuck him as weird, so he was forced to ask the question he didn't want to ever ask her. He prayed silently that she didn't hate him for it later, but he knew she would. "What did he want with you?"
Heather stood their silent causing Ardeth to repeat the question. He was getting impatient while waiting for each answer, but this one certainly made him nervous. Heather could tell that he certainly didn't like asking it, let alone waiting for a response to it. She tried to put it off, guessing that it was somehow important to this whole thing by his reaction."He's um well teaching me to be who I once was." Ardeth began to look at Heather in a new way, which made her uncomfortable. "Will you stop looking at me like that? It's sort of creepy." Ardeth's eyes cleared back to normal from his thoughts. "I'm sorry it's just, it just can't be. You're too young." Heather got angry at him; no one had called her too young for anything for years now. "I'm not that young."
Ardeth laughed slightly some things never changed between cultures. "You're too young to be a High Priest's lover reincarnated Heather." Heather began to laugh, the tension was fading by all the answers being stated so plainly. "But I remember some of the memories." Ardeth's grip slightly tightened on her shoulder again. Heather had completely forgetent he was even holding her due to the tension. "For example, I really don't like to be touched. Now I at least know why." Ardeth took a deep breath having patience. "Why don't you like being touched?" Heather looked down slightly. "I wasn't allowed to be. I was the Pharaoh's lover." Adreth nodded and looked at her, before speaking. "You have much to learn." Heather groaned. "Why does everyone always say that?"
