Later that night Anck-su-namun waited nervously in one of the palace's huge chambers. To her dislike, she had been painted again and dressed in nothing but a loincloth.
Suddenly a gold priest appeared at the door and motioned her to come inside. "He's here, my lady."
She smiled and sighed with relief. "Thank you."
Anck-su-namun entered another corridor and saw other gold-skinned priests standing in place of some golden statues. She could feel their stares and glanced at them for but a moment. Her heart was going a mile-a-minute. Soon they would be away from this horrible place.
She found him by the statue of Bastet, and she passed her hand over his face without actually touching it. He began to kiss her, being careful only to touch her paint-free face. But soon his hand went down to caress her arm and smudged the newly-applied paint.
Suddenly they heard the sound of a door opening and Seti's voice questioning Imhotep's priests. "What are you doing here?"
"The Pharaoh!" Imhotep cried as loudly as he dared. Anck-su-namun motioned Imhotep to hide in the side curtains and she leaned up against the gold statue of Bastet just as Seti entered, pushing aside the front curtains.
He looked at Anck-su-namun's smudged paint and said, "Who has touched you?"
Oh my God. What do I say? What do I tell him? What do I do? Her brain screamed. All she was able to do was to look at Seti guiltily.
Suddenly Imhotep emerged from the side curtains and took Seti's sword from his belt.
"Imhotep?!" Seti gasped, "My priest?"
Anck-su-namun grabbed a dagger from Seti's belt and plunged it into his back. His screamed pierced the air as Imhotep took a blow to Seti's stomach with his own sword.
Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. I'm murdering a person! She shrieked in her mind. Not just any person! He is the pharaoh! The King! The Living God!
Anck-su-namun looked at Seti again. Then again, he deserved it. He had caused her nothing but pain and sorrow, and now her wish of torture upon him was coming true. Then why was she feeling so bad about this?
Anck-su-namun was not a bad person. No. She had tried to be relatively friendly to everyone she met, and, of course, she had as strong a conscience as any. Killing was not for her. Why? Why kill? She and Imhotep would be out of here in a few minutes, so why do any more damage?
I'm a good person, dammit! She screamed in her brain, but she slashed Seti's body with more fierceness. I don't want to do this! I don't want to kill! Oh God, help me! I'm a good person!
Finally, Seti was dead, and Anck-su-namun was in a state of shock. She had just killed a man.
Suddenly there was a bang on the golden doors.
"Pharaoh's bodyguards." Imhotep stated.
"You must go, save yourself!" Anck-su-namun cried. She didn't want her love to be blamed for the murder.
"No!"
"Only you can resurrect me!"
Was she seriously thinking of killing herself? Who in their right minds would commit suicide? But, if the Book of Dead Imhotep had talked about could actually do what was said, it would be worth it, to be with the man she loved forever.
Imhotep's face looked pained, and his priests began to drag him out of the room. He resisted, but finally let them tow him away, as Anck-su-namun ran her hand over his face one last time.
"You shall live again!" He called, "I will resurrect you! Anck-su-namun!" And then he was gone.
Suddenly the MedJai burst through the curtains and saw Anck-su-namun with her dagger standing over Seti's mutilated body.
Anck-su-namun drew herself up, so nervous she could barely keep her dinner in. She made sure that her face showed no emotion whatsoever, though.
"My body is no longer his temple!" She cried, and plunged the blade into her stomach.
Pain shot through her entire body. Anck-su-namun looked down and saw the blood on her hands and the stunned looks on the MedJai's faces. There was so much pain she could barely breathe, and she felt very lightheaded and dizzy.
The corners of her vision were beginning to blur and turn black. Please Imhotep, she silently prayed, Bring me back. Bring me back, Imhotep. I love you.
Finally, darkness set in and there was no more pain.
The End