O'Connell angrily strode through the compound. He saw Beni coming up the path with a man dressed in hooded robes, his face covered by an ornate death mask. It was Imhotep disguised.
"Beni ya little stinkweed, where did you slink off to?"
"You left me! You left me in the desert to rot."
"Oh yeah,... sorry bout that. So who's this guy?" he gestured to Imothep.
"This is Prince Imhotep, High Priest of Osiris."
"Oh, hey, how ya doin'?
O'Connell stuck out his hand, Imhotep instantly recoiled. O'Connell gave him the once-over. Beni quickly covered.
"The Prince does not like to be touched by other humans. A Silly eastern superstition, I'm afraid."
"Yeah, well, we all got our little problems today don't we?"
"He has come to help Mister Burns. Somehow I feel responsible."
"Don't gimme that, you never had any scruples."
"Do you know where I can steal some?"
O'Connell fake-punched him, Beni flinched. O'Connell gave Imothep a look as he strode off.
"See ya around, Padre."
Imothep's grotesque new eyes glared out from behind the mask.
In a proverbial den-of-iniquity were lots of deals going down. An older guy with a walrus mustache was drunk and talking to some tough customers. He was wearing British WWI fighter pilot gear.
"I'm the last of the Royal Corps still stationed out here, you know?... Oh some bloody idiot spilled his drink. All the other laddies died in the sky and were buried in the sand."
The tough customers shove him away. Winston staggered over to O'Connell and Jonathan at the bar.
"Ever since the end of the Great War... there hasn't been a single challenge... worthy of a man like me."
"Yeah? We all got our little problems today, Winston."
"I just wish I could have chucked it with the other laddies... and gone down in a flame and glory... instead of sitting around here... rotting of boredom and booze!"
He took the drink from Jonathan and and drank it.
"Cheers. ... Well, back to the airfield."
O'Connell turned to Jonathan.
"Tell me, has your sister always been..."
"Oh yes, always."
"And your cousin. Was their relationship always like this? With dispute?"
"Actually no. I don't understand either why that is now", Jonathan mumbled, "but I can tell you, if you're on Maddy's good side, she will be a literal sunshine."
Henderson and Daniels sidled up to the bar next to them.
"We're all packed up, but the damn boat doesn't leave till tomorrow morning."
"Tail set firmly between your legs, I see", Jonathan mocked."
"You can talk. You don't have some sacred walking corpse after ya."
There were a few moments of silence before O'Connell turned to Daniels.
"So, uh, how's your friend?"
Daniels breathed in deeply before answering.
"He had his eyes and his tongue ripped out. How would you be?"
"I'm so pleased... to meet you."
Burns reached his hand out but Beni stopped him and told him the same he said to O'Connell earlier ago.
"Prince Imothep does not like to be touched. A silly Eastern superstition, I'm afraid."
"Please forgive me. Oh-"
Burns knocked over a cup on the table in front of him, causing the content to spill over the table's edge and to splash to the ground.
"Whoops. Mister Burns... Prince Imhotep thanks you for your hospitality. And for your eyes... and for your tongue."
The expression on Burns' face starts to change, very puzzled.
"Wha-"
"But I am afraid more is needed, the Prince says he must finish the job and consummate the curse which you and your friends... have brought down upon yourselves."
A look of pure fear registered on Burns, face. Beni quickly backed away and ran out of the room. Imhotep picked up the sacred canopic jar, then removes the death mask, revealing his corpse-skull.
"Good luck boys."
Three shot glasses clink together. O'Connell, Jonathan and Henderson slug 'em down, all three of them instantly spit out the liquid. Half the bar spit out their drinks as well.
"Sweet Jesus! That tasted just like,... like..."
"Blood."
They all looked at each other, even more nervous.
"And the rivers and waters of Egypt ran red... and were as blood."
A look passed over O'Connell's face, a realization.
"He's here."
He suddenly jumps away from the bar and runs for the door.
"Who's here!?"
"The guy! The Priest! THE MUMMY!"
Lightning flashed as O'Connell raced across the compound, knocking several Soldiers out of his way, panic stricken.
"Evelyn!! Madylinn!!!"
Madylinn and Evelyn calmly stepped into a courtyard, Evelyn carrying a handful of books. A blast of thunder and lightning scared her. She was about to drop half the books if Madylinn hadn't caught them. Then a hand grabbed her. She jumped and dropped the books. It was O'Connell, breathing hard.
"Oh, so you're still here."
"We've got problems."
And that was when a barrage of hail and fire slammed into the courtyard. The three jumped back. A water fountain bursted into steam. A wooden trellis caught fire. The three ran under the eaves as soldiers, servants and camels ran in every direction, trying to avoid the maelstrom.
"He's here! I saw him! That thing is here!"
"The creature!? Are you sure!?" Madylinn asked.
O'Connell gave her an incredulous look and gestured at the hail and fire.
"Pretty sure!"
The hail and fire came to a stop. Everything went dead quiet. The three froze and then a blood curdling scream is heard coming from the living quarters directly above them. They raced up the stairs.
Madylinn's POV
We raced into the room, past the servant who was running out screaming. We skidded to a stop as we spotted Burns, or what was left of him, sitting dead in the armchair, his body was shriveled to half it's size, drained of all organs and liquids. O'Connell and especially the me and Evelyn were shocked. I was that shocked that I whimpered. Then we heard a loud moan and I noticed the mummy standing on the far side of the room. O'Connell drew his gun. The mummy was regenerating; A thick skin formed over a powerful new musculature, his tendons rippled, his bones bulged and reformed. His mouth opened to an inhuman size as he moaned and cried out, in severe pain. And then it was over. And he looked like an incredibly muscular, corpse-like vision from hell.
"We are in very serious trouble", O'Connell said.
The mummy started to move towards us, staring at Evelyn and me.
"Back off, creep", O'Connell hissed.
But he kept coming. O'Connell opened fire, blasting him, bullets ripped through his body, he didn't seem to mind. Jonathan, Henderson and Daniels ran into the room. They were all stunned at the sight of the walking corpse. O'Connell stepped forward, threw a right hook and punched the mummy in the face, but his fist went through the mummy's skull and got stuck deep inside his head. O'Connell stared at it, shocked, then quickly yanked his fist back out. The area of the mummy's face that came into contact with O'Connell's fist quickly degenerated and decayed, right down to the bone, as if O'Connell's hand instantly infected it. It looked so disgusting that I wanted to throw up. The corpse angrily turned, grabbed O'Connell, and with no effort, threw him across the room and into Jonathan and the others knocking them down. The mummy looked at his hand, the one that just grabbed O'Connell, it started to shrivel and decay. He quickly turned to Evelyn and lastly to me. Evelyn jumped to the side quickly, to the others. I backed away into a wall, terrorized. The corpse stepped up to me.
"You are my love and betrothed, I shall make you immortal."
He leaned in, about to kiss me with his decayed face. I was about to faint and I did fell to floor, unfortunately in his rotten arms. All I could hear was a cat jumping onto a piano, hissing. The mummy was shrieking. The balcony doors blowed open. He spun into a blast of wind and sand and swirled out the doors, leaving me on the floor. The others were standing transfixed. Henderson kneeled next to Burns shriveled body, horrified.
"The curse. The curse."
I then drifted off when O'Connell came over and scooped my limb body up.
No ones POV
"Is she okay?" Daniels asked.
"I think so. It must be a shock. Imagine a rotten corpse wanting to kiss you."
"Eeew", Daniels grimaced.
O'Connell with Madylinn in his arms, Jonathan, Henderson and Daniels followed Evelyn across the Ramesseum.
"There's only one person I know who can possibly give us any answers", she said.
They rounded a corner and come upon the Curator, who was talking with Ardeth Bay. Everybody stopped.
"YOU!"
The American's quickly drew their guns. Ardeth scowled. The Curator nodded his head.
"Miss Carnahan. Gentlemen."
"What is he doing here? Is he worried about his little girlfriend?"
"Evy!!" Jonathan hissed.
"Do you really want to know? Or would you prefer to just shoot us?"
Everybody tensed, guns up. Then O'Connell broke the silence.
"I just saw my fist vanish into some guy's head. So after what I just saw... I'm willing, to go on a little faith, here."
"You will not believe it", the Curator meant.
"Try me", O'Connell retorted.
Ardeth turned his head to look at the girl in O'Connell's arms.
"What's wrong with her?"
He gestured to her.
"We don't know why exactly she fainted but maybe she can tell you when she wakes up. Here, take her. You guys seem to have a strong connection."
O'Connell stepped to Ardeth and reached his arms out, laying the girl gently into the Medjai's arms. She stirred a bit and snuggled closer.
"So let's talk."
Everyone was assembled around the tomb display of Seti the First. The Curator sat on Seti's throne. Ardeth was sitting next to him, with a curled up Madylinn on his lap, gently stroking her long hair.
"We are part of an ancient secret society, the cult-of-the-Mumia, or Medjai. And we have a sacred mission, passed down through thirty-nine generations. For over three thousand years we have
guarded the City of the Dead. we are sworn at manhood to do any and all in our power to stop the High Priest Imothep... from being reborn into this world."
"And because of you, we have failed", Ardeth said, causing Madylinn to stir and wake up, but no one noticed as she opened her eyes.
"And you think this justifies the killing of innocent people!?" Evelyn asked appalled.
"To stop this creature? Let me think..."
"Yes!" Both Ardeth and the Curator said in unison.
"Okay, let's cut to the chase. Why doesn't he like cats and is afraid of them?"
"According to the ancients, cat's are the guardians at the gates of the underworld. Imhotep will fear them
until he is fully regenerated, and then he will fear nothing."
Daniels was totally wigged-out, he looks at O'Connell.
"Right! And ya know how he gets fully regenerated?!"
"By killing everybody who opened that chest."
"And sucking us dry! That's how!"
"Yes, the creature must first try and regenerate, and then he will attempt to resurrect the one he has loved for more than four thousand years. It's because of this love that he was cursed. Perhaps he will once try to raise her from the dead.
"Anck-su-namun."
The Curator and Ardeth looked at Evelyn, thunderstruck.
"In the necropolis, when I saw him, alive,... walking, he called me Anck-su-namun. And then in Mister Burns' quarters he tried to kiss Madylinn."
Ardeth looked down to the girl in his lap, he found her already looking up at him.
"Did he really do that?"
"Not only that", she mumbled, "he gave me a name too. It was... A... Ama-N... Ama-Nenet, I think. Who is that?"
"Princess Ama-Nenet was the other daughter of Seti the First. And Imothep's bride to be."
The Curator turned to Evelyn.
"It was you who read from the book. It appears he has chosen you to be the human sacrifice needed to regenerate the body of Anck-su-namun."
Jonathan scratched his ear with the barrel of his pistol.
"This is not good. Not good at all."
"Bad luck, old mum."
"Oh on the contrary. It may just give us time we need... to kill the creature."
Ardeth has been staring up out a roof of windows.
"We will need all the help we can get. Tonight is the full moon. The moon of Osiris. It will begin tonight, his powers are growing."
Everyone followed Ardeth's eyes, through the windows they saw the sun, which was going into a full Eclipse.
"And he stretched forth his hands towards the heavens... and there was darkness throughout the land of Egypt."
They started to leave the room. Ardeth stayed a bit behind with Madylinn.
"Are you alright?"
Madylinn nodded.
"He didn't get to kiss me, so... I'm good."
She leaned up till the tips of their noses touched. Madylinn closed her eyes as she inhaled his scent. It was alluring to her. He pecked her lips which devolved into a long and loving kiss. She snaked her arms around his neck while his hands had a tight grip on her tiny waist.
"Oh my gosh, please keep that down when we are near", O'Connell interrupted.
They couple parted reluctantly from each other.
"You should rest a little more."
"We will see each other later? Yes?"
Ardeth nodded while tugging a strand of her hair behind her ear lovingly. He gave her a quick peck on her rosy lips before walking after Curator.
O'Connel looks out a window at the British Soldiers manning the walls. Above and beyond them was the black sun.
Evelyn and Jonathan were pacing the foyer
"We must stop him from regenerating."
Madylinn turned to Daniels and Henderson.
"Who opened that chest?" she asked.
"Well, there was me and Daniels here... and then poor Burns of course. Oh yeah... and that Egyptologist fellow."
O'Connell turned from the window.
"What about my buddy, Beni?"
"Naw, he scrammed outta there, before we opened that thing."
"Yeah, he was the smart one."
"Well that sounds like Beni."
"We must find the Egyptologist and bring him back here to the safety of the fort... before the creature can
get to him", Evelyn shot.
O'Connell looked at Evelyn, her brother, their cousin, Daniels and Henderson.
"Okay, right... Madylinn and Evelyn, you wait here, you three come with me.
Four of them pounced on him at once:
"The hell with that! I'm not goin' nowhere! We're safe here", Henderson complained.
"Yeah, I'm not leavin, this fort for nothing", Daniels agreed.
"Who put you in charge? You can't just leave me behind like some old carpetbag. I'm the one responsible for this mess and I intend to be the one to clean it up."
Madylinn's POV
"He is right we should stay here where it's safer. And besides, you should have thought about that earlier", I said calmly.
Evelyn shot me a glare.
"Shut up. Why don't you go and cry and wail yourself out on your boyfriend, huh?"
'She didn't say that did she?'
"Seriously Evelyn, what is your problem?"
"My problem? You want to know what my problem is? Well I have none. Oh wait... I do!... It's you, you brat!"
That was enough for me. I ran. Away. To my room. I ran in, locked the door and threw myself onto my bed. I asked myself over and over why she did that. And that two days before my birthday.
Great.
Really.
Absolutely terrifically fantastically great.
I hate my life.
It's cursed.
No ones POV
O'Connell just shook his head and sighed. Totally put-upon. Then he took Evelyn, threw her over his shoulder, shoved her into the bedroom, slammed the door and locked it with a skeleton key. From inside her room they could hear Evelyn pounding on the door and yelling. O'Connell threw the skeleton key to Daniels.
"Keep an eye on her. This door doesn't open. She doesn't come out and no one goes in, right?"
"Right."
He looked to Henderson.
"Right?"
"Right."
"Lets go Jonathan."
Jonathan swallowed hard and pointed to himself.
"Me? Oh, I thought I could just stay at the fort and, uh, reconnoiter-"
"Now!"
Jonathan jumped up.
"Yeah, right. We're just gonna rescue the Egyptologist."
"Oh and please look after Madylinn some time, okay?"
The Egyptologist stumbled through the dark alleys, looking haunted. He clutched the Book of the Dead in one hand and his sacred canopic jar in the other. Imhotep was stalking him. A street vendor turned and saw Imhotep's horribly decayed face. He reacted and scurried away. Imhotep lifted his robe, covered his face, and moved in on the Egyptologist, who was heading into the bazaar.
Beni was ransacking the joint, pulling out drawers and files and throwing them on the floor. He found a silver pocket watch, shook it, then threw it into his pocket, then he started tipping over bookcases and clearing shelves.
"Well, well, well."
Beni spun around. O'Connell and Jonathan stood in the door.
"Let me guess. Spring cleaning?"
Beni turned and ran for an open window. O'Connell grabbed a chair and flung it into his path. Beni tripped and crashed into a wall.
"Nice shot."
"Oh Beni. Did you fall down? Let me help you up."
O'Connell strode over, grabbed him and lifted him up the wall. Beni's feet dangled off the floor.
"You came back from the desert with a new friend, didn't you, Beni?"
"What friend? You're my only friend."
O'Connell quickly slid his knife up under Beni's chin.
"Then you got no excuse for living. What the hell are you doing? Being buddies with this creep, Beni? What's in it for you?"
"It is better to be the right hand of the devil than in his path. As long as I serve him, I am immune."
"Immune from what?"
"Piszkas allat."
"What did you say?"
"I don't wanna tell you. You'll just hurt me some more."
"What are you looking for? And try not to lie to me. If you do, I'll slit your throat."
O'Connell shoved the knife deeper into Beni's skin.
"The book! The black book they found at Hamunaptra! Imhotep wants it back. He said to me it would be worth it's weight in gold."
"What does he want the book for?"
"I don't know. Something about bringing his dead girlfriend back to life. He needs the book... but that's all. He just wants the book, I swear."
Beni looked at Jonathan.
"And your sister and the other girl."
O'Connell looked at Jonathan. Beni seized the moment and kneed O'Connell in the balls. O'Connell doubled over and collapsed. Beni leapt out the window and Jonathan cringed.
"That looked rather painful."
"Ya know, ever since I met you, my luck has been for crap", O'Connell said wincing.
"Yes, I know, I do that to people."
That's when they heard a blood curdling scream coming from down in the bazaar. O'Connell and Jonathan scrambled to the window and looked out.
Down in the bazaar, people were screaming and quickly backing away from the shriveled corpse of the Egyptologist. A partially decayed hand reached down and took the sacred canopic jar out of the Egyptologist's shriveled hand. It was Imothep, having regenerated even further. He looked up and
caught eyes with O'Connell. Imhotep grinned, then unhinged; his jaw, his mouth stretched to an inhuman size, and then a huge swarm of flies came out of his mouth and raced straight up at O'Connell and Jonathan. They both slammed the shutters. The flies slammed into the closed window and immediately spread throughout the bazaar. Sending people screaming and running.
O'Connell and Jonathan looked at each other, panicked.
"Damn-it! That's two down and only two to go."
"And then he'll be coming after the girls."
They turned and raced out of the office.
Daniels stared out a window, watching the British Guards at the front gate. More Soldiers marched the encircling parapet.
"Ten o'clock! Guards in place!"
"Reporting, all is clear, Sir!"
The lights and music from the Casbah came up from below.
Daniels turned turns from the window. Henderson sat in a chair next to Evelyn's door, chain smoking. Both looked wired with fear.
"To the hell with this. I'm going downstairs to get me a drink. You want something?"
"Yeah. Yeah, get me a glass of bourbon."
"All right."
"A-and a shot of bourbon."
"Yeah, okay, okay."
"And a bourbon chaser."
"I'll get you damn bourbon!"
Daniels headed out, forgetting to close the door.
"Don't worry about the door."
Henderson stood and closed the door himself. He reached into his jacket pocket, pulls out his sacred canopic jar and fondled it. A breeze suddenly came in through the open window causing the curtains to flutter. Henderson got up and went over to shut it. He looked out the window. He suddenly was lifted into the air by a mass of swirling sand. His body twisted and turned and slowly shriveled as the life was sucked out of him. Then he collapsed to the floor. On the wall above him, the shadow of the swirling sand condensed, forming a shadow of a
human body. The shadow convulsed as the body regenerated. Imothep, looking almost normal now, his face no longer decayed, stepped over Hendersons shriveled body and up to Evelyn's door and rattled the knob. The door was locked.
Imothep's POV
I turned to sand and streamed in through the keyhole, pouring onto the floor, forming a large mound. When I was on the other side of the door, I turned to my human self again. I looked around the room. I saw the woman I wanted to sacrifice for Anck-su-namun, but the reincarnated body of princess Ama-Nenet was nowhere to be found.
'Maybe she's in another room. I'm going to search for her later.'