Hello, hello! LOL. Right, so....I'm evil for leaving you hanging like that, aren't I? Mwahahahahahaha! Now, this si going to be a loooong author's note, Folks, so you can skip it if you want, but I'll be mentioning your name and thanking you, so...
I'm using everyone's names from now on, ok? Unless, of course, I don't know your names, in which case I'll still use your username, LOL.
Alicia, thanx for reviewing, Hun! So very, very sweet of you! *sniffs* LOL. Ok. Everyone, Alicia will have just gotten back form a loooong trip when she reads this, so in your next reviews wish her a good trip....I know it's a little late, but O/W. LOL. Anyway, Alicia, Thanx for bein such a great friend and for reading my stories and for UPDATING YOURS! YAY! Ahem. Anyway, I suggest everyone read her stories. She has four, and they all ROCK is ya ask me. LOL. In fact, I suggest that everyone read each other's stories, because you'll get a lot more reviews that way, AND you'll get to read some of the best stories in the UNIVERSE. ;) Ok, so...I keep getting off-track, LOL. I love ya tons, Alicia! You're my BFF!
Nakhti, I'm sooooo glad that you like my story so far! It's quite an honor to have you reading it! J And It makes me sooooo glad when you write your reviews; they really brighten my day! They're so funny and sweet....I love ya! ;)
Anck, Welcome to my story, Hun! Thanx so much for reviewing! I'm glad you like it so far! J
Deana, Here it is! I promised a loooong chap, and I gave it to ya. Course, you'll prolly get done with it in five seconds anyway. LOL. It's eleven pages long, according to MS Word, so it's longer than any other chapter I've done. Ardeth's in it A LOT....he doesn't fight though....not YET anyway. That's in the next chappie. Lots 'o fighting...LOL. I'm a tease ;). Anyway, thanx for reviewing and 4 helping me out so much! Love ya!
Jessica, thank you for reviewing! You're so sweet! And I'm very, very glad that u've stuck with me for so long! LOL. U R so much fun, and U R so talented....never forget that, ok? J Love ya lots!
(*sniffs*) Every one of my reviewers are talented, of course...and they're all sweet...and I love them all....LOL)
LOL. Well, I'm sooooo glad that u all like ti so far. ;) Now....on to the next chap, as I'm sure you're all DYING to read, LOL. J/K J
Chapter 18
"How could you do that? You're horrible! I-I....I can't believe...." Shanala was in absolute shock. She didn't even realize that she was currently yelling at her stepmother the one person who she was truly afraid of. She thought of Alex, and how he had just fallen over, without any cries for help or shrieks of pain. There had just been that one startled yell, and then that was it. Slowly, the realization of what had just happened hit her, and tears began to pool in her eyes. "He's dead...he'll...I'll never see him....my brother..."
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Alex breathed slowly. In. Out. In. Out. The pain was tremendous, but numbing quickly. Everything around him was going slow. His mother holding his in her arms and crying silently; his father tearing open his son's shirt to see just how badly he was wounded; Ardeth running forward, one hand clutched to his stomach; Izzy and Jonathan following close-by, with Jonathan first yelling at Izzy for scaring the bloody hell out of him in the desert, and then stopping dead at the sight of his nephew. Alex looked around at everyone, his heavy breathing loud in his ears. He could actually hear his blood seeping out of him and into the ground. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Rick had his face in his hands, and he was moaning something that Alex could barely understand. He wanted to make everyone feel better; to tell them that it didn't hurt...that maybe it wasn't so bad and he'd make it. Still, as his vision began to blur and his body became lighter, he knew that was impossible; he was going to die. The thought scared him, but surprisingly made him relax. Ardeth and Jonathan fell down next to him. Jonathan stared at him, asking what happened his eyes wide with fright; Ardeth placed a hand on Rick's shoulder, speaking softly to him. When Alex looked closely, he saw blood staining the front of Ardeth's robes, and he realized that Ardeth's face was contorted in pain. Izzy, feeling out-of-place, simply stood there, watching the family before him with a worried expression on his face. Alex looked up at his mother and forced his voice out from his mouth, wincing in sudden pain, "Mum...I...lo...ve...you..."
Evelyn looked at him with tears streaming down her pretty face, "I love you too, Alex. You know I do, and I always will."
"Hang on, Son," Rick said, taking Alex's hand and squeezing it.
Alex gave him a brave grin, "Dad....I....lo....ve...you...and...you too...uncle....uncle...John....and....Ardeth....and....Izzy too...and....Shanala....where is she...?"
Rick's face fell even more and he swallowed, "They took her."
Alex's heart sank, "Oh no....Dad....you and...Mum...have to....to...save her..."
"Yes, Son. We will. Just as soon as....as soon as you're....ok..."
"Dad....I don't think..."
"Don't., Alex. Ardeth's ok, and he was stabbed."
Ardeth leaned in and spoke to Rick again, and Alex heard his words: "My Friend, it wasn't deep. Not at all. IT hardly penetrated the skin. But this....this..."
"He's a tough kid!" Rick exploded, tears shining in his eyes, "He'll be ok...wontcha, Son?"
"Dad....Mum...you guys....are the best....best par...ents....anyone could...have...and tell...tell Shanala...she's my sis...ter...right?"
Rick and Evy nodded, and Evelyn could hardly contain her sobs.
Alex smiled, "Oh....good...tell her....she can't touch...my st...uff...and...I love...her...she would've....made...a...a...great little...sis...ter..."
Rick nodded, "Yea..."
Alex could barely see now. He blinked slowly, hoping to regain his vision. He couldn't feel anything anymore. He could barely hear or see. He knew this was it. He swallowed and fought to look at his family before he died. He gasped for breath and struggled with exhaustion as he gasped, "You...you guys...have to...to sa...ve...the world...ag...ain..."
Evelyn was sobbing hard as she whispered, "But Alex....you....you're so much....so much of my...world....and I...I ca...n't...save you...."
Rick held Evy close, blinking fast, "Alex....c'mon, Son. You can't....c'mon..."
Alex fought to keep his last ounce of strength as he croaked "I...love...you...guys..."
The last thing Alex O'Connell saw was his parents' faces, soaked with tears, their eyes filled with love and hurt at the sight of their baby boy dying.
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Evelyn felt Alex go limp in her arms at the same time that his eyes drifted closed and his last breath escaped him. "No!" she screamed, holding him to her chest, "No, no, no! Come back! Alex!"
Rick buried his face in his hands, wracking sobs tearing through him like the dagger that had killed his son.
"My baby," Evelyn moaned, resting her head on Alex's, "My Baby...come back, Alex....Come back, Baby..."
Jonathan draped an arm around his sister's shoulders, tears trickling down his face.
Ardeth kneeled nearby, his eyes closed as he spoke a silent prayer.
Izzy blinked hurriedly, forcing back tears of hurt and confusion; how could such a young child die so suddenly and so horribly? Right then, as much as O'Connell bugged him, and as much as he oftentimes hated him, he wanted to help. He couldn't stand listening to him and his wife cry like this. He quickly wracked his brain for anything that could help, but came up with nothing. In defeat, he slid to the ground and buried his head in his arms.
Jonathan was thinking of all the times he'd had with his nephew. The trips to the museum...the frightful bus ride in London...the horrible tragedy of his sister's death... "As it says in the good Book..."
"The Book? The book! That's it. That's it!"
Jonathan jumped. "That's it!" he yelled, making everyone look at him in frustration and confusion.
"What is it?" Ardeth asked.
"The book! Book of the Dead! Where is it, Evy? Where?"
Evelyn blinked, "I-I don't know..."
Ardeth's eyes lit up, "That man! The soldier with them...he has it!"
"Which one?"
"Abitula!"
Rick's face seemed to brighten for a moment, and then it hardened like stone. Taking a last glimpse at his baby boy's body and at his still face, he growled "Let's go."
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"You should know better than to displease me, Shanala."
Shanala swallowed and nodded in understanding, tears trickling down her cheeks and plopping to the stone floor.
"You've cost me a lot of trouble, not to mention wasted Imhotep's time."
Shanala sniffled, stumbling along in Anck-su-namun's wake, her quick footfalls echoing off of the tomb walls around her.
"You should be more grateful, Shanala; not many women would have taken you in like I did."
Shanala's shoulders trembled with sobs.
"...especially with the knowledge of what you did..."
Shanala bit back a wail and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.
"...you know I won't be able to just let you get away with this..."
At those words, Shanala's heart gave an almighty jolt and she croaked "I-I...I'm sorry...."
"Sorry doesn't cut it!" Lock-Na snapped from behind her.
Anck-su-namun stopped, gave Lock-Na a reproachful glare, and glanced down at Shanala, "As pleasing as it is to hear your apology, Lock-Na is right."
Shanala forced herself to remain at least a little calm as she asked "W-what are you g-going to do?"
Anck-su-namun smiled and touched Shanala's nose cutely, "It's a surprise."
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Rick held the torch tightly as he slowly stepped into the shadowy tomb. His face was hard like marble, his eyes cold and icy as he shifted Alex's weight and clutched him to his chest. Evelyn held a hand to her mouth to stifle the sobs that still escaped her mouth; it was a miracle that she could still walk from the shock she was going through. Ardeth had his sword drawn and his eyes keen for any danger as he marched alongside Rick. Jonathan was walking next to Evy, his arm wrapped around her shoulders, tears still bright in his eyes. Izzy had even come along, although he stood back form the rest of the group, his large eyes wide with fright. "O'Connell?" he hissed.
"Hmm?"
"Where....ummm...where are we headed, exactly?"
There was pause...then, "No clue."
"Then....why are we walking?"
"I'm following...them..." Rick nodded ahead a little, at the faint flickering edges of light left behind from Imhotep's group up ahead.
"Oh." Izzy shut his mouth and stared at the walls as he slumped along through the tomb.
Rick's jaw was set hard, his knuckles white from holding Alex so tightly. He was in serious pain, what with carrying the dead weight of his son, but he ignored everything except the growing fire of rage within him and the hope that his son could still make it. Evy had clamed slightly, and she now walked with almost as much sureness and she normally did. She stepped a little closer to Rick and glanced at him, "Darling..?"
"Hmmm?"
"You....are you alright?"
"Yea. I'll be fine once we shoot the mummies, smash Anck-su-namun's face in and bash Imhotep's head on the stone floor. Well...I might need to kick Lock-Na a few times and knock Abitula's lights out, but afterwards I'll be good as new....after we resurrect our son of course and get Shanala back."
Evelyn sighed and touched Rick's shoulder briefly, "Same here."
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"Get up there now!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"Never!"
Shanala felt sweat trickling down the back of her neck as she fought to stay away from the red glowing room Lock-Na was trying to pull her into. Abitula had just grabbed her other arm and the two of them were dragging her, screaming, into the chamber.
"No! No! I won't go in! I won't!"
But she did.
The room was large, possibly the largest in the temple. In the center of the chamber was a pit set into the stone floor; from the pit hissing and spluttering sounds could be heard, and smoke spewed from the top. The room was a strange red color, most likely from the flames that occasionally licked the rim of the pit. Shanala was half-carried over to Anck-su-namun and roughly thrown down onto her knees. She looked up at Anck-su-namun, feeling heat radiating from the hole nearby. "Where are we?" she asked.
Anck-su-namun gestured around her, "Set's temple."
"But...where in the temple...? I've never seen a room like this before..."
"This? Oh, of course. This is the sacrificial room."
Shanala swallowed, "Oh...wish I hadn't asked..."
Anck-su-namun smirked, watching as a towering wall of fire suddenly rose from the chasm in front of them and then slowly sank back down.
Shanala didn't want to ask it, but she felt as thought she had to. Swallowing, fear making her heart block her throat, she croaked, "What....what are we doing here...?"
Anck-su-namun kept her eyes glued on the crater, "To offer a sacrifice to Set...to ask that he bless us with world annihilation..."
Shanala got slowly to her feet, "Oh no..."
Anck-su-namun finally turned and looked at her, smiling, "Oh yes, Shanala. And guess what? You have a very important role here..."
"I...I do?" Shanala started to back away immediately, watching as Imhotep gave her a wicked sneer.
"Yes, Shanala. You have perhaps the most important part of all..."
"Oh....how...lovely..."
This was it. Shanala had known it all along; she was going to be a sacrifice. She had felt it in her soul since she had first been reincarnated, and now here she was, about to be brutally murdered so her stepmother could destroy the world. Shanala took another step back, her hands held up as Anck-su-namun reached for her arm...
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Evy's ears instantly picked up the terrified shriek from a little beyond them. "Oh, Rick! That was her! That was Shanala!" Evy cried.
Rick, though the muscles in his arms and back were taught and felt ready to snap in two, managed to pick up his pace quite a bit to get to his daughter.
Evelyn and the rest of the group were directly behind him at first, but that was before Evy stopped dad in her tracks.
"What is it, Evy?" Jonathan asked looking back at her worriedly.
Evy didn't answer. In fact, she hadn't even heard him...
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Nefertiri squeezed her eyes shut, breathing fast and hard, her hands tightly sealing her ears. She was only eleven years old; she couldn't handle this! She pressed herself deeper into the wall, gasping for breath as tears trickled down her cheeks at the sound of her little sister's cries for help. Her father was gone to war, and the Medjai were way out in the garden; no one could hear Shanala but her. The room beyond her, which happened to separate her from the only way out into the garden, was a jumbled mess of broken pottery and torn scrolls. From there she could hear her sister's screams and Anck-su-namun's furious yells, muddled with Imhotep's shouted anger. Shanala was sobbing out that she was sorry and that she hadn't meant to, but they weren't listening. Nefertiri swallowed hard as she thought of what the much-older near-adults could do to her five-year-old sister...
Nefertiri winced as another vase broke on the wall behind her. Anger slowly began to ebb at her heart. Anck-su-namun was sixteen, Imhotep seventeen; they should have known better then to lose their tempers and fight with a little girl. Nefertiri slowly got to her feet, forcing her anger to lead her on and ignoring her fear. She stepped into the doorway and looked around. Shanala was stooped next to a wall, her arms covering her head, her entire form shaking with sobs. Anck-su-namun was by Imhotep, a livid fire in her dark eyes. When Imhotep spotted Nefertiri, he took a step away from Shanala and greeted her with a half-smile. Nefertiri said nothing to either of them, although she hated the two of them more than she could explain. Instead, she walked quickly over to her little sister and touched her shoulder; Shanala winced. "Shanala..." Shanala finally looked up at the sound of her sister's voice. Nefertiri grimaced as she saw Shanala's face and what they had done to her...
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Evelyn stood in horror, mouth agape, eyes wide. "Evy!" Jonathan hollered, bringing her back to present day. "Oh Jonathan!" Evy gasped, "Shanala...she looked...they..." Jonathan frowned slightly, concerned. Evelyn shook her head, "Never mind. Let's just hurry and get to Shanala."
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LOL. Ok, now a few more things:
One, Nakhti DON'T KILL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Two, Nakhti, you have to UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Three, Nakhti, It's all part of my master plan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOL. Ok
Everyone, please don't murder me! It'll all work out, ok? I would NEVER hirt my dear O'Connells. ;)
