Part VI: A Mummy's Curse?
The next morning.
Gillian woke up blinded by the sun that shone through the window. She blinked and looked outside. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, it was going to be a beautiful day. She yawned and looked around. Chris must be up already because the side next to her was empty. She got up and grabbed a shirt of his that hang on a chair and put it on. Holding it up to her nose, she took in a deep breath: 'God, this man smells good…'. Happy she walked into the living room.
"Chris?" The living room was also empty.
"Chris!" No one answered. She was alone in the apartment.
'Great'. Gillian thought. She should have known better than to go to bed with him right in the first night. 'Give them what they want and you'll never see them again' This had happened to her before and ever since than she had promised herself not the go all the way on the first date. A rule she usually obeyed – until last night…
She stood there for a moment not knowing what do to next. Suddenly she heard keys outside and the door opened. Chris kicked it open with a smile on his face – in his hands two bags with groceries.
"Good morning. I had no food at home, so I ran to the store. I didn't want to wake you up, you slept so tight."
Gillian was relieved. 'How silly of me to think he'd be gone.' She took one of the bags and carried it in the kitchen. When she had put them down Chris embraced her from behind and pulled her in for a long kiss: "My shirt suits you very well. How'd you sleep?"
"Good. Very good, but definitely not long enough…" She gave him a wicked smile and started to unpack the bags. She was so incredibly happy at this moment, if only it would last forever.
"Unfortunately I can't stay for breakfast because I have to go to work. Feel free to help yourself and take everything you need. I'm sorry that I have to go, but I've got an appointment with David. He's probably already waiting."
"Just let him wait a little longer. I'm famous for my pancakes."
"I'm sorry, Gillian. We've got a lot of work to do and I really need to go. I promise I'll make it up."
"You know a man should never leave the house without a good breakfast."
She unbuttoned her shirt and revealed her naked body.
Chris totally taken aback by this gesture took in a deep breath. His jaw dropped down and he couldn't help but stare at her.
"On the other hand…. I guess he can start without me..."
Two hours later Chris finally arrived at the museum.
He entered David's office where he was sitting at his desk holding up an old chalice.
"Well, well, well. Look who's finally made it to work. We had an appointment two hours ago!" David put the artefact down and took off his glasses.
"I know I'm sorry. I… overslept." Chris was a bad liar and he knew that.
"HA! Whatever. Ok, grab a chair, sit down and tell me everything."
He felt the heat grow up to his face. "That's non of your business, David."
"Sure. Come on Christopher, I'm dying here. Ooohh, you got laid, didn't you? I'm so excited! Was it good? Tell me, tell me, tell me."
Chris couldn't help himself but laugh. Of course David wouldn't let go until he knew everything so he sat down and told him what happened.
"Christopher, I'm so happy for you! I knew you would like her. Don't I have great ideas? I think I deserve a raise – a big one."
"Don't overstrain your luck too much, my friend. I'm in a good mood, but not in that kind of mood. We should get on with our work and if we ever get finished with this exhibition, I'll think about a raise."
"Well, it was worth a try." David shrugged his shoulders and turned around to his artefact. "So, when will you see her again?"
"I don't know David. First of all I'm going to catch up with my work. As much fun a private life can be, it won't get the job done. We've got a long way to go and the exhibition is suppose to open in June, remember? So concentrate on your work instead of my love-life. I will continue and examine the eye-of-the-horus-necklace which I also dug out of the tomb. Maybe we can finally figure out who those poor souls were that found their death in there."
David shook his head. Sometimes he didn't understand Chris. How could he possibly be thinking of work when there was a beautiful woman waiting for him? David had always been the type of person who would rather call in sick than to miss out on any fun. Work wasn't the priority in his life as much devoted he was. He always knew when to call it a day, eventually Chris would learn that too.
Chris left the office and went to the great hall where they had set up the statue of Amneris in a huge glass-case. Right next to her – in another glass-case – was the tomb. Most of the cases were still empty, by the time the exhibition will open, they all needed to be filled with artefacts. This would be the main room for the exhibition. Some painters had drawn a huge eye-of-the-horus on the back wall. It would turn out very nice, once everything was finished. Chris headed to a big table where they had spread out some of the artefacts they hadn't determined yet. He looked for the necklace and found it. Carefully he picked it up.
He slowly turned it in his hand and all of a sudden felt incredibly dizzy, again. He tried to hold himself up at the table – without success, he stumbled over his own feet, that wouldn't obey him anymore, everything around him was spinning.
He looked up to the statue as if to ask her to help him. Like before she looked back at him with her sad blue eyes. Once again she opened her mouth to say something: "Radames… You betrayed me. I loved you."
"I… I didn't want to… I'm so sorry." Chris heard his voice but wasn't able to move.
Than he heard a scream. It was very near. Slowly he became aware of his surroundings again and finally noticed that it was him screaming. His hand felt as if it was on fire.
All of a sudden the dizziness was gone and he gained control over his body again. He looked down at his hand and saw the necklace that had dug deep into his flesh. He was squeezing it so tight that he could hardly loosen his grip.
"Ah!" Finally he was able to pull it out. The wound was deep and it bled heavy.
"What the hell happened?" David came running out of his office. He saw Chris standing at the table, blood dripped down from his hand, his pants and shirt were stained.
"It's not as bad as it looks. I cut myself with the necklace." Chris walked to the office to get a bandage out of the first-aid-kit. David followed him, his face was white as snow.
"Not bad? Are you insane? Do you know how old this thing is and how dirty? There are tons of bacteria on it. Probably ones that shouldn't even exist anymore. Remember Howard Carter when he found the tomb of Tutanchamun? He and everyone who worked for him died by the curse of the pharaoh. What if the necklace is also cursed?"
"David would shut the fuck up? There is no curse and there are no bacteria and neither you nor I are going to die because we touched this necklace. You are an archaeologist and should know better. I'm going to the hospital and get this taken care of. I hope this won't take too long. By the way, Carter lived a long live and died at the age of 65 and certainly not by any curse."
He took his jacket and turned around to leave. "Oh and David, do me a favour and see if you can find anything about the name Radames. Thanks."
David watched Chris disappear. Than he looked around in the hall. There was no one there – except the statue of Amneris with her cold eyes staring down at him. She definitely gave him the shivers. What if he was right and there was a curse? He turned around to his office and went back to his work but not without locking the door after him. Just to be on the safe side…
To be continued.
The next morning.
Gillian woke up blinded by the sun that shone through the window. She blinked and looked outside. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, it was going to be a beautiful day. She yawned and looked around. Chris must be up already because the side next to her was empty. She got up and grabbed a shirt of his that hang on a chair and put it on. Holding it up to her nose, she took in a deep breath: 'God, this man smells good…'. Happy she walked into the living room.
"Chris?" The living room was also empty.
"Chris!" No one answered. She was alone in the apartment.
'Great'. Gillian thought. She should have known better than to go to bed with him right in the first night. 'Give them what they want and you'll never see them again' This had happened to her before and ever since than she had promised herself not the go all the way on the first date. A rule she usually obeyed – until last night…
She stood there for a moment not knowing what do to next. Suddenly she heard keys outside and the door opened. Chris kicked it open with a smile on his face – in his hands two bags with groceries.
"Good morning. I had no food at home, so I ran to the store. I didn't want to wake you up, you slept so tight."
Gillian was relieved. 'How silly of me to think he'd be gone.' She took one of the bags and carried it in the kitchen. When she had put them down Chris embraced her from behind and pulled her in for a long kiss: "My shirt suits you very well. How'd you sleep?"
"Good. Very good, but definitely not long enough…" She gave him a wicked smile and started to unpack the bags. She was so incredibly happy at this moment, if only it would last forever.
"Unfortunately I can't stay for breakfast because I have to go to work. Feel free to help yourself and take everything you need. I'm sorry that I have to go, but I've got an appointment with David. He's probably already waiting."
"Just let him wait a little longer. I'm famous for my pancakes."
"I'm sorry, Gillian. We've got a lot of work to do and I really need to go. I promise I'll make it up."
"You know a man should never leave the house without a good breakfast."
She unbuttoned her shirt and revealed her naked body.
Chris totally taken aback by this gesture took in a deep breath. His jaw dropped down and he couldn't help but stare at her.
"On the other hand…. I guess he can start without me..."
Two hours later Chris finally arrived at the museum.
He entered David's office where he was sitting at his desk holding up an old chalice.
"Well, well, well. Look who's finally made it to work. We had an appointment two hours ago!" David put the artefact down and took off his glasses.
"I know I'm sorry. I… overslept." Chris was a bad liar and he knew that.
"HA! Whatever. Ok, grab a chair, sit down and tell me everything."
He felt the heat grow up to his face. "That's non of your business, David."
"Sure. Come on Christopher, I'm dying here. Ooohh, you got laid, didn't you? I'm so excited! Was it good? Tell me, tell me, tell me."
Chris couldn't help himself but laugh. Of course David wouldn't let go until he knew everything so he sat down and told him what happened.
"Christopher, I'm so happy for you! I knew you would like her. Don't I have great ideas? I think I deserve a raise – a big one."
"Don't overstrain your luck too much, my friend. I'm in a good mood, but not in that kind of mood. We should get on with our work and if we ever get finished with this exhibition, I'll think about a raise."
"Well, it was worth a try." David shrugged his shoulders and turned around to his artefact. "So, when will you see her again?"
"I don't know David. First of all I'm going to catch up with my work. As much fun a private life can be, it won't get the job done. We've got a long way to go and the exhibition is suppose to open in June, remember? So concentrate on your work instead of my love-life. I will continue and examine the eye-of-the-horus-necklace which I also dug out of the tomb. Maybe we can finally figure out who those poor souls were that found their death in there."
David shook his head. Sometimes he didn't understand Chris. How could he possibly be thinking of work when there was a beautiful woman waiting for him? David had always been the type of person who would rather call in sick than to miss out on any fun. Work wasn't the priority in his life as much devoted he was. He always knew when to call it a day, eventually Chris would learn that too.
Chris left the office and went to the great hall where they had set up the statue of Amneris in a huge glass-case. Right next to her – in another glass-case – was the tomb. Most of the cases were still empty, by the time the exhibition will open, they all needed to be filled with artefacts. This would be the main room for the exhibition. Some painters had drawn a huge eye-of-the-horus on the back wall. It would turn out very nice, once everything was finished. Chris headed to a big table where they had spread out some of the artefacts they hadn't determined yet. He looked for the necklace and found it. Carefully he picked it up.
He slowly turned it in his hand and all of a sudden felt incredibly dizzy, again. He tried to hold himself up at the table – without success, he stumbled over his own feet, that wouldn't obey him anymore, everything around him was spinning.
He looked up to the statue as if to ask her to help him. Like before she looked back at him with her sad blue eyes. Once again she opened her mouth to say something: "Radames… You betrayed me. I loved you."
"I… I didn't want to… I'm so sorry." Chris heard his voice but wasn't able to move.
Than he heard a scream. It was very near. Slowly he became aware of his surroundings again and finally noticed that it was him screaming. His hand felt as if it was on fire.
All of a sudden the dizziness was gone and he gained control over his body again. He looked down at his hand and saw the necklace that had dug deep into his flesh. He was squeezing it so tight that he could hardly loosen his grip.
"Ah!" Finally he was able to pull it out. The wound was deep and it bled heavy.
"What the hell happened?" David came running out of his office. He saw Chris standing at the table, blood dripped down from his hand, his pants and shirt were stained.
"It's not as bad as it looks. I cut myself with the necklace." Chris walked to the office to get a bandage out of the first-aid-kit. David followed him, his face was white as snow.
"Not bad? Are you insane? Do you know how old this thing is and how dirty? There are tons of bacteria on it. Probably ones that shouldn't even exist anymore. Remember Howard Carter when he found the tomb of Tutanchamun? He and everyone who worked for him died by the curse of the pharaoh. What if the necklace is also cursed?"
"David would shut the fuck up? There is no curse and there are no bacteria and neither you nor I are going to die because we touched this necklace. You are an archaeologist and should know better. I'm going to the hospital and get this taken care of. I hope this won't take too long. By the way, Carter lived a long live and died at the age of 65 and certainly not by any curse."
He took his jacket and turned around to leave. "Oh and David, do me a favour and see if you can find anything about the name Radames. Thanks."
David watched Chris disappear. Than he looked around in the hall. There was no one there – except the statue of Amneris with her cold eyes staring down at him. She definitely gave him the shivers. What if he was right and there was a curse? He turned around to his office and went back to his work but not without locking the door after him. Just to be on the safe side…
To be continued.