TITLE: "True Love
Eternal"
AUTHOR: Ardeth
Saunders [a.k.a., Cruecial or Cruecial411]
RATING: R
[Language, violence, and adult content]
SUMMARY: Ardeth Bay travels
to the future to find an elusive woman who holds the key to the new world's
destiny. Can he find her before all
mankind is destroyed forever?
GENRE: Drama,
Suspense, Action, and Romance
DISCLAIMER: "Ardeth
Bay, " The Mummy, and The Mummy Returns belong to Universal
Studios and Stephen Somers. The author
is merely borrowing Mr. Bay to exorcise an unhealthy obsession…HA! NO infringement intended. All other original characters belong solely
to the sick, twisted, and vivid imagination of the author.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my
first venture into Ardeth Bay territory. Time and time again, I have been tempted to write a romance-oriented
story centering on Ardeth Bay. Out of
all of Oded Fehr's characters, Ardeth is my absolute favorite. If I screw something up, please do not
hesitate to correct me, and I will see to it that it is fixed. Forgive any errors in my Arabic
translations. I am SUCH a novice! Feedback of all types is greatly
appreciated. THANKS!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
THE DREAM OF ALL DREAMS
Present Day
Damn it. Is it already three in the morning, Leven Medlem thought as she entered her tiny
apartment. For approximately seven
months, she had held down two full-time jobs. One of them was working in a casino hustling drinks to high
rollers. The only good thing about that
particular job was the huge tips she sometimes received if a bigwig had a
particularly good night. However, there
were more bad things that far outweighed the good. How many times had she come home at night with bruises on her ass
from being pinched by dozens of drunken players? Ugh. Of course, she was
expected to grin and bear it, just like the other girls who worked the same
shift. She actually considered the
bigwigs to be more lecherous than the regular folks. Perhaps the beautiful people felt it their right to act so
disgustingly. Her other job was a bit
more on the sedate side. During the
day, she was a clerk at a pawnshop. There were only a few disadvantages to working that particular job. One of which was the constant threat of
armed robberies. She had clerked at the
shop for a little over six months and thus far, the store had never been
robbed. She considered herself
lucky. In her area of town, armed
robberies were as common as rain in the jungle. Every day before she went to work, she literally knocked on wood
to fend off intruders. She wasn't
normally so superstitious, but hell, beggars couldn't be choosers, now could
they?
Sighing heavily, she sat
down on the foot of her bed. Actually,
her bed was more of a cot. Since she
lived alone, she couldn't afford anything fancy, even with two paychecks coming
in. Her small apartment was an
efficiency unit and everything inside was compact, including the bed. Absently, she glanced around the interior of
the room and caressed one of her tired feet. She longed for the day when she could let one of her jobs go so she
could lead a normal life. She kept so
busy that she couldn't find time to date, for God's sake. Then again, the nightly pinches on the ass
made her more than a little antisocial at times. She saw lecherous men every day, and she didn't want to deal with
them on her free days [whenever she had them]. She needed to jump into the shower, but she had no energy to walk
across to the even tinier bathroom. She
knew she had to get moving. In less
than six hours, she was due at the pawnshop. Her life was wearing her down to a frazzle. Every morning when she rose, she inspected her hair for the first
tinges of gray. It always surprised her
when she found none. You're feeling
sorry for yourself, kiddo. It was
true, she was, but she couldn't help it.
At twenty-five, Leven had
lived alone at least eight years. She
had left her family behind on her seventeenth birthday in the company of her
best friend, Diana. The two teens had
climbed into Diana's worn out Chevy Nova, and set out to conquer the
universe. Or so they thought. Basically, the girls had ditched school, ran
away from home, and thought they would find fame and fortune. Diana wanted to go to a large metropolis,
maybe New York City, but Leven had no real opinion one way or another. More or less, she was along for the
ride. Besides, her home life was as
boring as snot, and she was flat out tired of her parents and younger
siblings. Her friend had set her sights
on becoming some famous fashion designer. Neither girl gave any serious thought as to what they were
doing. They were young, stupid, and
idealistic. Like many kids their age,
they had a false sense of immortality and invincibility. Bad things couldn't happen to them. No way. Bad things happened to other people. Of course, they were given a bitter dose of reality.
As if from some hyped up
horror story, the Nova literally fell apart in a godforsaken town called West
Memphis. The girls were stuck in
Arkansas with no place to turn. Leven
immediately wanted to call her parents. It would take them no more than a few hours to fly in from home. Besides, she was more than certain both sets
of parents had notified the authorities by now. Leven had no desire to be picked up and thrown in jail,
especially not in this town. She
had heard some weird shit about West Memphis, and she had no intention of
screwing around here any longer than was absolutely necessary. It was one of many fights Leven and Diana
would have during their misguided adventure. Eventually, Diana persuaded Leven not to call her parents. She basically won the argument as she
usually did. Without a care or a
thought in the world, Diana announced that she would leave her broken car and a
major portion of her belongings behind. Let the cops and vags have it, she had said. She suggested that the two girls hitchhike
on to Memphis, Tennessee. Perhaps once
there, they could obtain enough money for bus fare onto another
destination. Neither girl knew much
about the area, but right away, they noticed that this particular stretch of
interstate was a major roadway that connected Arkansas to just about every southern
state in the union. Tons of big rigs
buzzed past them and the traffic was horrendous. Diana was certain that it wouldn't take them long to hitch a
ride, assuming that the cops didn't find them and lock them up. Leven immediately thought that hitching a
ride with anyone was the worst idea known to man. However, Diana was stubborn. She intended to keep on trucking, whether Leven followed or not. Bound by duty and guilt, Leven couldn't
leave her friend behind. West Memphis
was a freaky little town, one that both girls were anxious to leave, even if it
did mean hotfooting it until someone showed mercy on them.
The girls might have walked
about a quarter of a mile until a trucker picked them up. Leven felt awkward and nervous. Something about the guy bothered her. He seemed friendly and harmless enough, but
her gut had told her to stay away. Obviously, Diana had no trouble with the fellow. She hopped up into the cab of the truck as
if she had known the man all her life. Again, Leven was duty-bound not to leave her friend behind. She climbed in beside Diana and listened to
the trucker as he tried to make idle conversation with them. Leven had no interest or desire to chat up
the guy, and she focused her eyes on the road straight ahead. They were no further than a dozen miles from
Memphis, and she simply could not wait to get out of this truck. Something was wrong, but she couldn't quite
put her finger on it. Leven said
nothing, didn't voice one suspicion. After all, she could have just been paranoid. No big deal. However, it
became a big deal.
The trucker took a detour,
claiming he needed to refill his coffee thermos before he took them to the bus
depot in Memphis. As soon as the big
rig came to a complete stop, Leven was out the door first. The trucker was creeping her out in a major
way. When she turned to await her
friend, she heard Diana's sharp scream before the trucker slammed the door. Before she knew which end was up, the truck
squealed its way out of the parking lot. Crazily, Leven chased after the truck, somehow thinking that she could
catch it. It took several long moments
for her to realize what had just happened. The trucker who creeped her out had abducted her friend. How could this happen to them? This was shit that was supposed to happen to
other people, not to Di and Leve. Hell
no. After she gained control of her
senses, Leven ran back toward the truck stop and ran inside. She called the police and her parents. Her folks demanded that she stay there, to
wait for them, and Leven didn't argue. The police came and gathered as much as information as Leven was able to
give. Shocked, the girl couldn't
remember much of anything; just that the man was clean cut and dressed in jeans
and a ball cap. By the time Leven's
parents arrived at the truck stop, they found that their daughter had
left. Leven continued onward toward
Memphis. She never heard from Diana
again.
Leven sighed as she dragged
her tired body toward the bathroom. She
often thought of Diana and wondered if her friend was still alive. Of course, it was a hopeless thought. If she had survived, she would have come
back to Leven. The rest of her life
story had unfolded uneventfully enough. She made it to Memphis, but never left. Something about the city appealed to her. It wasn't the safest place in the world for a single gal, but she
was drawn to the city, seduced by it, and hadn't bothered continuing on with
her journey. The first few weeks were a
nightmare. She stayed in a homeless
shelter where a sympathetic director helped her find her two jobs and a place
to live within her meager means [which wasn't very damn easy]. She had reconciled with her family, but
didn't return home. By then, she was at
the age of consent, and they couldn't force her to come back. Sooner or later [she hoped sooner], she knew
her life would change. She had a
feeling that it would be for the better. Leven was intuitive to a fault and knew something big awaited her.
* * *
Why is it so hot, Leven thought within her dream. She had always been an active and vivid
dreamer. Mostly, she seemed to be an
observer in her dreams. However,
tonight, she was an observer and a participant. The harsh biting rays of strong sunlight
blinded her eyes. How weird, she
thought as she tromped along what appeared to be a sandy plain. Yet, it wasn't a sandy plain. There was sand, but it was different. The terrain suggested she was in the
desert. How odd. She had never set foot on any desert in her
life. She made her way through the sand
toward a campsite littered with tents. She gazed down at herself and noticed that she was dressed in a weird
set of flowing robes. Her head and part
of her face were covered. Her body was
heavy with child. In the distance, she
watched as two men emerged from one of the tents. She seemed to know both of them and she began waving at them
crazily. Both men were tall and
dark. One had particularly long black
hair that fell in waves to his shoulders. Some funky looking turban thing hid the other's head from view.
"Sharîk," the man
with the covered head called, "Ya-la!"
The language was strange to
Leven's ears, but she understood what he said. It was 'let's go.' Apparently,
she was walking too slowly for him, and he was trying to urge her on. "Id-dun-ya Harr gid-dan," she
groaned. Amazingly enough, she knew
exactly what she said. 'It's very
hot.' It wasn't what 'Sharîk' felt; it
was what Leven was experiencing. She
had no idea who these people were to her, even though she kept plodding toward
them.
Leven didn't understand why
the men were so insistent that she hurry along. There seemed to be no urgency, no need to speed up. Besides, the child was dragging her down. She ran her hand over her hugely swollen
abdomen and could actually feel the child inside her. The baby kicked fiercely and she felt a surge of love rushing
through her. She moved toward the men,
knowing somehow that one was named Qâtil and the other Ardeth. Qâtil was her husband and Ardeth his best
friend. She was Sharîk Fa'inn
Abadi. She continued to plod along and
she watched as the two men suddenly began screaming for her. What? What was wrong? Why were they
yelling? She didn't understand. Suddenly, she became aware of a ripping pain
between her shoulders. At first, she
thought she might be in labor, but somehow knew that wasn't it at all. She had been shot. She fell to her knees and noticed that the lower half of her body
didn't seem to work anymore. What is
happening to me?
As was the case in most of
her dreams, the scene shifted quickly. She was no longer sprawled out on the hot sand. Seemingly outside her own body, Leven was
looking down at herself. It was the
strangest thing she had ever experienced. Was she dead? Alive? Injured? Sharîk/Leven was laid out on some type of flat, dark table. The covering on her head and face had been
removed and she noted that her hair was a different color. In the dream, it was as black as coal. She didn't see the man she knew as her
husband. Instead, the one she knew as
Ardeth was standing over her, gazing down at her face with unshed tears in his
eyes. Up close, she saw a series of
tattoos on his cheeks and forehead. His
eyes were deep brown and kind. But oh,
they could be harsh. Hadn't she seen
them that way? Long, black ornamental
robes bedecked him, and he appeared to be grieving. She tried to will her prone body to rise up. She had a great need to sit up and take him
into her arms. Why would she feel this
way about this man if he were not her husband? Suddenly, she knew. She had
loved him once, hadn't she? She had
loved him but could not be with him, but she didn't remember why this was
so. She couldn't move. Oh Allâh, why can I not move? Why can I not touch him? Why can I not touch this man I love so
dearly?
"RâHa. Brîd 'âyiz shâf inti tâni marra," he
said softly. ("Rest. I will see you again.")
She wanted to scream out her
love for him, to let him know she wasn't dead. I can see you, I can hear you. I am not dead, Ardeth. I am here
and I love you. It was no use. After the words were out of his mouth, he
turned away and left. A horrid sadness
filled her and she cried out, but no one could hear her. She would see him again. She would see him even if it meant searching
for him throughout all eternity.
* * *
Leven had a rare night off
three or four days after her weird dream. She spent it at a crowded district fair. Her mind was occupied by her strange night journeys into some type
of parallel universe. All she could
remember was sand, heat, and sorrow. It
seemed as if she were searching for something or someone in these dreams, but
never knew who it was. She hated them,
hated when they came to her, because she awakened feeling upset and
confused. She grumbled incoherently
under her breath as she walked along a crowded midway with one of her
co-workers. She had wanted to spend the
night sleeping and resting her feet. However, Eva persisted until she agreed to come along. She had been in no mood to have fun, and her
shitty attitude hadn't improved much at all since she and Eva arrived. Her friend was like a child, and she ripped
into the fair as if she were a wayward ten-year-old. Leven followed grudgingly along. She wondered why she tended to choose friends who enjoyed bossing her
around. She supposed she had a bit of
sniveling wimp lying dormant inside her and it came out around certain
people.
She passed by a strange
display that caught her attention. She
had lived in Memphis for eight years, but had never gotten caught up in the
touristy attraction of the Pyramid arena. It was just another large building built from the sweat of city, county,
and state taxpayers. She could count
the number of times on one hand that she had actually been inside it. Yet, her eyes were drawn to a display of
miniature versions of the arena. There
were several different models of varying shapes and sizes. The barker behind the counter had arranged
them in a way that vaguely reminded her of some location she had once
visited. Ridiculous, she
thought. She had never been anywhere
outside the US. The only true pyramids
were in Egypt. Right? She gazed at the pyramids for so long a time
that the barker finally began his sales pitch. She was distracted and didn't hear him say that if she "busted three
balloons with them arrows," she'd win her very own pyramid. Her daze continued until Eva's hand fell on
her shoulder.
"Come on, Leven," she said
with a grin, "I want you to try something."
She walked with Eva over to
a booth hidden by see-through silk scarves. Madame Beatrice was written across a piece of cardboard that hung
over the entrance to the makeshift tent. Eva believed in everything from Santa Clause to the Tooth Fairy to Area
51. Leven was more of a realist. However, she went along with her
friend. Perhaps she would get something
out of tonight, even if it were a laugh at Madame Beatrice's expense. She and Eva ducked into the tent and Leven
had to hold back a laugh. Madame
Beatrice was in her fifties and looked every inch the stereotypical gypsy
fortuneteller. She was dressed in
flowing robes with lacy veils over her head and face. When she saw her suckers enter, she threw back the veils dramatically
and fixed them with the coldest gaze Leven had ever seen.
"You come to Madame
Beatrice," the woman said.
Please don't let me laugh
in her face. Leven was tempted to ask if she had attended
some type of fortune telling training school. "Actually, she comes," Leven said, nodding toward Eva.
"Your friend I saw
earlier. Right now, I see you," she
barked. "Sit down and I will tell you
what your future holds."
It holds work, work, and
more work. She didn't need a fortuneteller to give her any ideas about her
future. However, Leven decided to humor
the old broad and get it over with. She
wanted to get home as soon as possible, because she was afraid she'd miss her
favorite TV show, UC: Undercover. With an annoyed sigh, she plopped down in
front of the woman. "What do you want
me to do?"
"Be silent," Madame Beatrice
snapped. "I do the talking, you do the
listening. Give me your hands."
Sighing, Leven handed them
over. Madame Beatrice took them into
hers. The woman's wrinkled hands were
amazingly strong and her touch seemed electric. Suddenly, she didn't feel comfortable in this stifling tent. The fortuneteller closed her eyes and her
lips began moving, but for a moment, no sound came out of them.
"Your soul has lived for
many thousands of years," she began. "Before this life, you lost a great love. I see you searching for this man. I see him searching for you."
Madame Beatrice's hands
clutched tightly at Leven's. She wanted
to snatch them away, but couldn't. The
crazy bitch was in some kind of trance, and to spite herself, she didn't want
to back away.
"You lost each other before,
but I do not know how. You will meet a
stranger from a different time, a different place. His soul and yours joined many years ago. He will not know how you connect to him, but
he will seek you out. He is your
greatest love, your eternal love. There
will be no other."
"Okay, I have had enough,"
Leven cried. She wrenched her hands out
of Madame Beatrice's, breaking her trance. Her words were disturbing, harmful. She could listen to no more. It
brought back images from her dream.
Madame Beatrice sat back in
her folding chair with a little smile on her lips. "I do not remember what I said or what I did, but I see that it
touched you. Are you a believer now?"
"You're full of shit," Leven
snarled.
Leven backed away from the
fortuneteller and bolted away from the tent. She didn't look back nor did she wait for Eva. She had all she could stand.
* * *
That night as Leven slept,
the dark haired man came to her again. This time, she wasn't yet betrothed to the man she would come to
recognize as her husband. She was with
the other man, the one called Ardeth. Her body was devoid of its heavy robes and she appeared to be covered in
some type of flowing gown. She had come
to Ardeth, had sought him out. She
could see he wanted to see her, but he was pulling away at the same time. She didn't understand. She touched his warm cheek with one hand as
her other plunged into his silky hair.
Before she tasted his
exquisite lips, he sighed and whispered, "Mâ lâzim ta 'mil haik. Inti khaSS la âkhar." ["You must not
do that. You belong to another."]
"Lâ! Ana khaSS la inta."
["No! I belong to you."]
"Ana maHabbi inti, amma
niHna byimkinni kân sawa." ["I love
you, but we cannot be together."]
As he drew back and turned
away from her, she cried, "Ardeth! Ana
maHabbi inta! Ana irâdi khaSS la inta
dâymann!" ["Ardeth! I love you! I will belong to you always."]
* * *
Leven awoke suddenly with
strange, foreign words stuck in her throat. What the hell? She buried
her face in her hands. When would these
crazy dreams end? She couldn't take it.