The Snake and the Flower

I don't own The Mummy.

Up, Up and Away

They eventually got back to the car, now that the zombie threat had gone. Bridget was silent throughout the duration of the ride out to the air-field.

"So, why are we going to this air-field?" Ardeth asked Megan. Megan, though still shaken from her uncle's awful demise, had managed to direct her attention to the task at hand.

"We're going to get help from Winston," she replied.

"Who is Winston?"

"A former pilot from the Great War. His one goal in life is to die in battle."

Ardeth gave her a disbelieving look.

"I know," Megan continued, "it's never made sense to any of us. It must be part of that old English mentality. It's some sort of honor to give up your life if you give it up for a just cause. I suppose, in other words, it's about being a hero. Of course, it's not very reassuring when your pilot has a death-wish."

"So, why do we need his help?"

"We need to get to Hamunaptra as fast as we can. And the only way to do that is have Winston fly us there."

The car pulled up and the group instantly spotted the old Englishman.

"Mornin', Winston! Uh, a word!" Rick called out as they walked over to where Winston was seated, listening to music on the phonograph and sipping his morning tea.

"O'Connell, old boy. What brings you out here?" Winston inquired. He then took notice of the others. "Miss Megan, Miss Bridget, Miss Helen, what are three young ladies doing here at this hour?"

"Winston, we've got a problem," Rick said.

"And what does your little problem have to do with His Majesty's Royal Air Force?"

"Not a damn thing."

"Is it dangerous?" Winston inquired excitedly.

"Well, you probably won't live through it."

"By Jove, do you really think so?"

"Well, everybody else we've bumped into has died, why not you?" Jonathan said.

"What's the...uh...what's the challenge then?"

"Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the bad guy, save the world," Rick answered.

"Hahaha, Winston Havelock, at your service, sir. Haha!" Winston added with a salute.


At first, Winston had been unsure of bringing the girls on this very dangerous mission, but they insisted. Bridget hadn't wanted Helen to come along, but she kept saying she wanted to help and that she wasn't scared. Jonathan finally vouched for the child and agreed to make sure nothing happened to her while they were there. Unfortunately, the plane only had enough room to seat a pilot and a gunman. Rick decided to man the gun while the others were strapped to the wings; Ardeth and Megan on one and Jonathan, Bridget, and Helen on the other.

"Alright, everybody!" Winston declared. "Ready for take-off!"

Megan had never liked flying. When she was younger, she had been taken up in an airplane and she hated every second of it. Of course, it wasn't so bad being pressed up next to an attractive Medjai leader. Bridget was not afraid of flying, Jonathan on the other hand was very near to screaming his head off. Just then, Rick turned and called out to them.

"Are you alright?"

"Do I bloody look alright?" Jonathan shouted back.

"Jonathan!" Bridget yelled. "Stop yelling in my ear! We're fine, Richard!"

Rick then turned to the other wing and whistled to get the other passengers' attention.

"How ya doin'?"

Megan looked up and glared at Rick.

"You know I hate flying!" she shouted.

Suddenly they caught sight of an unusual sand storm.

"You see that?" Winston called out to the others. "I've never seen one so big!"

"Never?" Rick questioned.

"No!"

The sandstorm soon dissipated and in its place were three figures. Then, without warning, an enormous wall of sand arose. Bridget, Megan, and Helen suddenly felt a strange sensation come over them, like a spotlight was on them. Soon, the sand wall swallowed them. There was a roar of sand and wind and shouting, and then it stopped. The sand wall had gone; the only downside was that the plane decided to crash.

The rag-tag team scrambled out of the wreckage. Somehow Megan, Bridget, and Helen had all landed on the ground without as much as a scratch on them.

"Excuse me!" Jonathan called out. He was still bound to the wing and practically dangling upside-down. "A little help would be useful if it's not too much trouble!"

"Yeah, yeah," Rick muttered as he helped him down.

"Is everyone alright?" Bridget asked.

"Yeah, fine," Rick answered gruffly. "Winston! Hey, Winston!" He froze and Bridget instantly sensed something was wrong. They all came over just as Rick checked Winston's pulse. There wasn't one. Then the plane began to sink.

"Quicksand!" Ardeth shouted. "Get back! It's quicksand!"

They all looked on as what remained of the plane and the late Winston Havelock sank beneath the sand. Rick gave the old man a farewell salute and they all began the march to the ancient city.


As they crossed into the city, Megan noticed something.

"My violin case!" she exclaimed as she rushed over to get it. "I knew I left it here when we escaped Hamunaptra."

"Oh, yay," Rick said sarcastically. "You found your violin case. By any chance does it know where to find the book of Amun-Ra?"

Megan glared.

"Don't be such a bully, Rick. This violin has been a lifesaver for me."

"Wait a moment," Ardeth spoke up, "you used that to hit me when we attacked the barge."

Megan started chuckling as she slung the violin case over her shoulder.

"That was you?"

"Okay, can we get a move on?" Rick asked irately.

As they made their way inside, Bridget turned to Helen.

"Helen, sweetie, I want you to stay close and not go wandering off, alright? Jonathan has promised to make sure you don't get hurt. And, if he fails, I'm going to skin him alive."

Helen nodded and Jonathan winced. It wouldn't be the first time he'd been threatened like that.


A short chapter, but necessary.