*****
Alex stopped. It was out of sheer shock that he was being yelled at by his own sister. Yes, it was probably true that she was sick, but her mother had died? And stayed dead? That hit too close to home. Now it was his turn to stutter.
"I, I had no idea your mother died. I didn't know that." He said quietly.
Catherine looked at him strangely.
"Well," she started, "now you do. Are you alright?"
Alex nodded, then laughed.
"This is great, isn't it. Our first day knowing we're brother and sister, and we argue."
Then Mum and Dad walked in through the front door.
*****
"Mum! Dad! You're home!" Alex shouted, and ran toward them. Catherine, on the other hand, scampered upstairs.
Evie set down her bags and hugged Alex.
"It's good to see you so happy. Is our patient woken up yet?"
He nodded and looked around.
"She was here a minute ago…um…"
"Just a minute, I'm changing!" came her voice from upstairs.
Rick looked at Evie.
"Do we have any clothes up there that would fit her?"
"Only old things that don't fit me."
*****
Catherine stepped out of her room and walked down the stairs. She actually looked good in her opinion. She had found an old dress shirt of Alex's, and a black skirt and stockings of Evie's.
As she walked down the stairs, she smiled.
"Um…hi, everyone." She said quietly.
"Hello Catherine. I hope you will like your new home, and that you are feeling better." Said Evie happily.
Rick looked up from putting away the bags.
"I don't think she knows we're here parents yet."
"Oh, I do. Alex sort of said it when we got into a big-"
"Conversation!" Alex cut in "Yes, Catherine and I were into a conversation and I explained she was now adopted."
Whatever you say thought Catherine.
"Did you find anything on your dig?" Alex asked.
Evie nodded and opened a separate bag stuffed with newspaper. She lifted out a rough clay container sealed with wax. The seal hadn't been broken yet.
"Yes, we found this. I don't know why we haven't opened it yet, I just felt we shouldn't. Oh, Marcus said he would be over soon."
Evelyn gently set the container down on a table and began to carry two suitcases up the stairs.
The doorbell rang, and Alex jogged over to the door. As he opened it, a man about his age with black hair and brown eyes smiled.
"Hello Alex! Did your parent's find anything?" he said.
As he walked in, a girl followed him.
"Yes, actually they di-Hey! Why's Mirella here?"
The girl turned and glared at Alex. Marcus turned and caught sight of her.
"Oh, Dad's out on a business trip, and since my uncle's baby sitting us, he made her some with me."
Alex groaned and shut the door.
"Come in. You can talk to Catherine."
Both looked up, surprised.
"Who's Catherine?" Mirella asked. She too had black hair and brown eyes.
Alex motioned toward the sofa.
"I'll explain as soon as we sit down."
All four sat down around the living room and relaxed.
"Okay," Alex began, "Everyone, meet Catherine, my adopted sister."
Marcus' jaw dropped.
"You have a sister?! Since when?"
"Since three weeks ago when she showed up on our doorstep and fainted."
There was a confused silence as everyone tried to understand.
"Um…ok…uh…Hello Catherine, how do you do?" Mirella asked, standing up.
Catherine fixed her glasses and nodded her head with a shy smile.
"I'm good, thank you."
Marcus looked around the room.
"Hey! What's that on the table?" he jumped up and picked up the clay object. "It's closed. Want to open it?"
Alex shrugged while Catherine and Mirella did nothing and tried to make conversation.
"A shrug is as good as a nod, so I say, open it."
Marcus sat down with the container in his lap and started to pick at the wax seal. It came off in one piece easily, as wax who knows how old is quite brittle.
Alex peered over his shoulder into the hole.
"I think there's something in it."
"Well of course there's something in it, you dolt, why would it be sealed?" Catherine remarked.
Everyone looked at her, and Mirella laughed out loud.
"In all my life, I haven't heard anyone call Alex a dolt!" she said through laughs.
"You mean there's more things he's been called?" Catherine asked, scooting across the couch next to Mirella.
"Yes! He's been called an idiot more than once, a chicken, a fool, an a-"
"Mirella!" Marcus shouted. "Of all people, you should not be saying words like that!"
"But you called him that yourself!" she replied
Catherine smiled as Marcus grew red.
Alex grabbed the container and peeked inside.
"It looks like a scroll," he said as he grabbed it and pulled it out. It looked to be in amazing condition for 3000 years old.
"Hey! It says something! Um…wait, I'll have to get Mum or Dad for this…"
And he walked out of the room.
"So Catherine, how did you get here?" Mirella asked.
And Catherine told her.
*****
Alex walked into his mothers bedroom holding the papyrus, and sat down.
"Mum, um, what does this say?" he asked.
Evelyn looked up from putting her clothes in the boudoir and looked over the paper.
"I haven't seen this before? Why can't you read it?"
Alex looked frustrated.
"I've tried and tried to look this over but I just cant figure it out. I mean, it looks like egyptian, and I can remember each picture and what it means, but this wording just doesn't make sense. They must mean a different thing than the obvious."
Evie took the scroll out of his hands and tried to read it.
"I see what you mean. It looks like words that are so spaced out and- wait! Look here…right at the bottom. I can read it. It says "All who can read this beware. The time of battle is coming in thirteen days…well, that's interesting. I guess in time we'll be able to read it."
*****
Catherine had finished her long explanation to Mirella and both sat in silence.
"What now?" asked Mirella
Marcus had wandered off too looking through the who knows how many rooms Alex had in his house, and suddenly returned, holding a scimitar (that crooked sword thingy)
"Rahh! Take that Imhotep!" he yelled, chopping at a pillar.
Catherine looked confused.
"Imhotep? You seem so sure of the name."
Mirella sighed.
"I take it Alex hasn't told you about his adventure when he was eight."
Catherine shook her head.
"Well," she began, "Eight years ago, he put on a bracelet, went to the Oasis of Ahm Shere, his mum died and was resurrected, his dad killed a scorpion king, and they all got saved at the last minute with his-your- uncle grabbing a huge diamond. Need I say more?"
"Where does Imhotep come in the picture? And this is fake, right?"
Mirella shook her head. "No, this isn't fake, and Imhotep wanted to kill this king guy so he could rule the world."
"Ok, I am seriously thinking why my mum wanted me in this family."
"Me too."
Alex bounded down the stairs, still holding the scroll.
"Hey, Mum said you could sleep over!"
"When did we ask that?" said Mirella.
Marcus walked in, smiling.
"Who said you had rule over me?"
Mirella fell back into the sofa. "I guess Uncle is coming over with our belongings?"
Marcus and Alex nodded as the doorbell rang.
"And that would be him."
Evie and Rick both ran to the door, and both gasped as Rick opened it.
"AREDETH?? When did you have kids????" Evie shrieked.
Aredeth walked in, carrying two bags of clothes and a pillow each.
"Hello Evelyn." He said, turning to Evie, then to Rick, " O'Connel. And, no Marcus and Mirella are not my children, through we may look alike."
Catherine walked over to the door, and peeked outside at the man at the door. She nearly fainted. Ah! He's gorgeous. There wasn't any cars outside, but a large, double-decker bus was driving away. She shrugged and picked up a bag to carry it to a room. As she walked upstairs, she motioned for Mirella to follow her, and she did.
*****
Alex stopped. It was out of sheer shock that he was being yelled at by his own sister. Yes, it was probably true that she was sick, but her mother had died? And stayed dead? That hit too close to home. Now it was his turn to stutter.
"I, I had no idea your mother died. I didn't know that." He said quietly.
Catherine looked at him strangely.
"Well," she started, "now you do. Are you alright?"
Alex nodded, then laughed.
"This is great, isn't it. Our first day knowing we're brother and sister, and we argue."
Then Mum and Dad walked in through the front door.
*****
"Mum! Dad! You're home!" Alex shouted, and ran toward them. Catherine, on the other hand, scampered upstairs.
Evie set down her bags and hugged Alex.
"It's good to see you so happy. Is our patient woken up yet?"
He nodded and looked around.
"She was here a minute ago…um…"
"Just a minute, I'm changing!" came her voice from upstairs.
Rick looked at Evie.
"Do we have any clothes up there that would fit her?"
"Only old things that don't fit me."
*****
Catherine stepped out of her room and walked down the stairs. She actually looked good in her opinion. She had found an old dress shirt of Alex's, and a black skirt and stockings of Evie's.
As she walked down the stairs, she smiled.
"Um…hi, everyone." She said quietly.
"Hello Catherine. I hope you will like your new home, and that you are feeling better." Said Evie happily.
Rick looked up from putting away the bags.
"I don't think she knows we're here parents yet."
"Oh, I do. Alex sort of said it when we got into a big-"
"Conversation!" Alex cut in "Yes, Catherine and I were into a conversation and I explained she was now adopted."
Whatever you say thought Catherine.
"Did you find anything on your dig?" Alex asked.
Evie nodded and opened a separate bag stuffed with newspaper. She lifted out a rough clay container sealed with wax. The seal hadn't been broken yet.
"Yes, we found this. I don't know why we haven't opened it yet, I just felt we shouldn't. Oh, Marcus said he would be over soon."
Evelyn gently set the container down on a table and began to carry two suitcases up the stairs.
The doorbell rang, and Alex jogged over to the door. As he opened it, a man about his age with black hair and brown eyes smiled.
"Hello Alex! Did your parent's find anything?" he said.
As he walked in, a girl followed him.
"Yes, actually they di-Hey! Why's Mirella here?"
The girl turned and glared at Alex. Marcus turned and caught sight of her.
"Oh, Dad's out on a business trip, and since my uncle's baby sitting us, he made her some with me."
Alex groaned and shut the door.
"Come in. You can talk to Catherine."
Both looked up, surprised.
"Who's Catherine?" Mirella asked. She too had black hair and brown eyes.
Alex motioned toward the sofa.
"I'll explain as soon as we sit down."
All four sat down around the living room and relaxed.
"Okay," Alex began, "Everyone, meet Catherine, my adopted sister."
Marcus' jaw dropped.
"You have a sister?! Since when?"
"Since three weeks ago when she showed up on our doorstep and fainted."
There was a confused silence as everyone tried to understand.
"Um…ok…uh…Hello Catherine, how do you do?" Mirella asked, standing up.
Catherine fixed her glasses and nodded her head with a shy smile.
"I'm good, thank you."
Marcus looked around the room.
"Hey! What's that on the table?" he jumped up and picked up the clay object. "It's closed. Want to open it?"
Alex shrugged while Catherine and Mirella did nothing and tried to make conversation.
"A shrug is as good as a nod, so I say, open it."
Marcus sat down with the container in his lap and started to pick at the wax seal. It came off in one piece easily, as wax who knows how old is quite brittle.
Alex peered over his shoulder into the hole.
"I think there's something in it."
"Well of course there's something in it, you dolt, why would it be sealed?" Catherine remarked.
Everyone looked at her, and Mirella laughed out loud.
"In all my life, I haven't heard anyone call Alex a dolt!" she said through laughs.
"You mean there's more things he's been called?" Catherine asked, scooting across the couch next to Mirella.
"Yes! He's been called an idiot more than once, a chicken, a fool, an a-"
"Mirella!" Marcus shouted. "Of all people, you should not be saying words like that!"
"But you called him that yourself!" she replied
Catherine smiled as Marcus grew red.
Alex grabbed the container and peeked inside.
"It looks like a scroll," he said as he grabbed it and pulled it out. It looked to be in amazing condition for 3000 years old.
"Hey! It says something! Um…wait, I'll have to get Mum or Dad for this…"
And he walked out of the room.
"So Catherine, how did you get here?" Mirella asked.
And Catherine told her.
*****
Alex walked into his mothers bedroom holding the papyrus, and sat down.
"Mum, um, what does this say?" he asked.
Evelyn looked up from putting her clothes in the boudoir and looked over the paper.
"I haven't seen this before? Why can't you read it?"
Alex looked frustrated.
"I've tried and tried to look this over but I just cant figure it out. I mean, it looks like egyptian, and I can remember each picture and what it means, but this wording just doesn't make sense. They must mean a different thing than the obvious."
Evie took the scroll out of his hands and tried to read it.
"I see what you mean. It looks like words that are so spaced out and- wait! Look here…right at the bottom. I can read it. It says "All who can read this beware. The time of battle is coming in thirteen days…well, that's interesting. I guess in time we'll be able to read it."
*****
Catherine had finished her long explanation to Mirella and both sat in silence.
"What now?" asked Mirella
Marcus had wandered off too looking through the who knows how many rooms Alex had in his house, and suddenly returned, holding a scimitar (that crooked sword thingy)
"Rahh! Take that Imhotep!" he yelled, chopping at a pillar.
Catherine looked confused.
"Imhotep? You seem so sure of the name."
Mirella sighed.
"I take it Alex hasn't told you about his adventure when he was eight."
Catherine shook her head.
"Well," she began, "Eight years ago, he put on a bracelet, went to the Oasis of Ahm Shere, his mum died and was resurrected, his dad killed a scorpion king, and they all got saved at the last minute with his-your- uncle grabbing a huge diamond. Need I say more?"
"Where does Imhotep come in the picture? And this is fake, right?"
Mirella shook her head. "No, this isn't fake, and Imhotep wanted to kill this king guy so he could rule the world."
"Ok, I am seriously thinking why my mum wanted me in this family."
"Me too."
Alex bounded down the stairs, still holding the scroll.
"Hey, Mum said you could sleep over!"
"When did we ask that?" said Mirella.
Marcus walked in, smiling.
"Who said you had rule over me?"
Mirella fell back into the sofa. "I guess Uncle is coming over with our belongings?"
Marcus and Alex nodded as the doorbell rang.
"And that would be him."
Evie and Rick both ran to the door, and both gasped as Rick opened it.
"AREDETH?? When did you have kids????" Evie shrieked.
Aredeth walked in, carrying two bags of clothes and a pillow each.
"Hello Evelyn." He said, turning to Evie, then to Rick, " O'Connel. And, no Marcus and Mirella are not my children, through we may look alike."
Catherine walked over to the door, and peeked outside at the man at the door. She nearly fainted. Ah! He's gorgeous. There wasn't any cars outside, but a large, double-decker bus was driving away. She shrugged and picked up a bag to carry it to a room. As she walked upstairs, she motioned for Mirella to follow her, and she did.
*****