Hey everyone! How's it goin? Ok, here's the next chap. Toldja I'd be better
about updating fast. ;o) This chap is sorta short, but not really. Ok, a
few things...hang on! You'll get to read! Patience is a virtue, remember?
*laughs*
We have another new reviewer!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome, Cari (I THINK that's your name. I'm sooooo sorry. Fanfic's down and I can't check! I'm horrible with names so I'm very very very sorry if I'm wrong, ok?) Thank you for your review!!!!!! I really, really, REALLY appreciate it!!!!
Nakhti? Are you there? Where'd you go? You haven't reviewed in FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has anyone else gotten reviews from her lately?!?!? LOL
Alicia, HI!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome back form Vacation!!!!!!!!! I'm sooooooo glad you're back! I missed you soooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;o) Love ya lots!
Deana, thank you so much for helping me out! You're such an awesome friend! Luv ya!
Jessica, I'm soooo glad that you like my story so much! It really makes me feel special. Everyone should read her new story; it's EXCELLENT!!!!
Anck, thank you for reviewing! I'm very, very glad that you enjoy the story. ;o)
Maki Thank you for not killing me. :o) I sooooo appreciate it! *laughs*
Lauren, you are soooooooooo sweet! I swear, every time I read your reviews, it makes me wanna cry. You are sooooo cool!
Ok, everyone, here you go: Chapter 21....wow. That's a lot of chaps! ;o)
Chapter 21
"She's snapped. She has absolutely snapped. Lost it. She's crazy!" Shanala shuddered at the realization; Anck-su-namun was terrible enough when she was in control of her emotions....how was Shanala supposed to live through her when she was mindless with hatred? Anck-su-namun had turned away and stopped yelling a few seconds ago, and now she was staring at a far wall, muttering half-sentences under her breath. "...could be easy..." "....don't care..." "...kill her..."
Shanala twisted, terrified, trying top free her arm. Anck-su-namun tightened her grip and kept whispering, "...simple... could...Imhotep...maybe..."
"Let go!" Shanala moaned.
Anck-su-namun ignored her, "Yes...of course..."
"Let me go!"
"...I'll kill her..."
"Stop! Let me go! Help! She's crazy!"
"Shut up or I'll break your neck!"
Shanala jumped at the sudden change in volume in Anck-su-namun's voice. She stopped fighting and tried to force her trilling heart to relax; of course, it was impossible.
*************************************
Ardeth fell to his knees, gasping for breath, his sword falling with an audible clang at his side. Evy raced over, stepping calmly over Lock-Na's body, and dropped down next to her friend. "Ardeth! Oh Ardeth are you alright?"
Ardeth grimaced, "I...I have been better...but...also worse, Evy..."
Evelyn smiled, "Oh Ardeth...what hurts? Please...let me help you..."
"It is nothing...simply a scratch..."
Evy looked doubtfully at the scarlet stain blooming over his dark robes, "A scratch? Dear me, I'd hate to see what a gaping gash would be to you!"
Ardeth chuckled weakly, "Evy....I will be fine....but...but first you must help Shanala...listen to her...she needs your help more than I."
Evy stole a last glance at the blood flower spreading over Ardeth's clothes, and then nodded as she stood, "Ok. But I'll be right back to help you. And you'd better not give me any trouble!"
****************************************
"What would they bring their son's body here for?" Abitula looked down carelessly at the small form lying in the darkened space. He looked around, trying to think of some reason for which the O'Connell's would bring a corpse along with them to a battle.
"Do they think their son will see it?" Abitula chuckled, "Fools..."
He fingered the Book of the Dead in his hand, thinking....then it hit him.
"The book!" he hissed looking down at it, smiling slowly, "They wish to bring him to life again!" A terribly nasty sneer slowly melted over his face as he turned from Alex's body and headed for the smoking crevice in the ground, "Let them try to without the Book."
***************************************
Rick was consumed with hate. His heart pulsed with it, his blood ran with it, his mind ran with it, his muscles fought with it, his eyes burned with it. He had never felt so much loathing for a person, and every time Imhotep managed to 'sneak in' a blow, Rick's detestation only grew. He was beaten and bruised, bleeding and sore, but he ignored everything but the need to annihilate the horrible murderer of his son. He smashed into the floor again, and he somehow managed to get to his feet in time to throw a well- placed punch to Imhotep's ribs. Imhotep laughed harshly, "You may as well give up, O'Connell. I am immortal, hav3e you forgotten? You will never defeat me!"
"Bet me!" Rick snarled, flying at Imhotep.
**********************************************
Jonathan winced as he watched Rick bash into the ground and slide towards the pit. "That has got to hurt!" Izzy whined.
Jonathan nodded, "Yes. But you have to admire him for trying."
Izzy nodded, "Yes. It's better than us, eh?"
The two men were currently hiding behind a boulder nearby, watching the battle.
"It's better than getting killed," Jonathan said defensively.
"Of course it is. I completely agree."
**********************************************
"You are going to pay for all of the trouble you've caused me."
"Stop it! You're hurting me! Stop!"
"You never should have crossed me, Shanala."
Shanala screamed loudly again, tugging on her arm, forcing tears away as she fought. Anck-su-namun laughed harshly, "Give up, Shanala. You know that you can never beat me."
"Yes...yes I can!"
"No you cannot."
Anck-su-namun's were drilling into her mind, and Shanala was beginning to see the truth of them; how could she, a small teenage girl, defeat her stepmother, who was much stronger and also happened to be crazy with hatred.
"What should I do?" Shanala thought, "I....can't...I-I can't win!"
Shanala considered simply giving up. All she would have to do was collapse onto the floor and let her stepmother win. It wouldn't be painful for long. Death couldn't be any worse the second time then it had the first. Shanala shook herself mentally; she couldn't think that way! "Stop it!" she hissed at herself, "Just shut up! I'm not giving up. I'm going to keep trying until I beat her!"
Anck-su-namun chuckled, "I would love to see you try, Shanala."
Shanala let Anck-su-namun's words pulse through her mind, and she turned her terror and shock into one thing: resolution. She would not give up. She would not let her win. With a final, exhausted and yet surprisingly strong wrench, Shanala had managed to free her arm from Anck-su-namun's grasp. At first, Shanala simply stood there, stunned. Then, just as Anck-su-namun reached out to grab her again, she turned and fled, racing towards the maze- like corridors nearby.
***************************************
Ardeth clutched at his side, moaning, in pain. He knew that the knife hadn't gone in far, but it hurt like almost nothing he had ever felt before. He grimaced weakly and looked up in time to see Rick manage a blow to Imhotep's gut before getting blown back against the wall. Rick was bleeding and bruised, but he kept getting up and charging like nothing was wrong; Ardeth knew he had to help him before he killed himself.
******************************************
Rick felt so tired. All he wanted at the moment was to lie down and sleep away his troubles. Even his anger had waned with exhaustion. He was fighting to keep his eyes open as he continued fighting with the living mummy. At the same time as he was battling, his eyes were desperately searching for something to use against the invincible monster. Imhotep laughed triumphantly as Rick was lifted from the ground and catapulted through the air. Rick gave a loud shout as he crashed into the ground; that was when he saw it. Imhotep had set the Book of Amun Ra down by his feet. If Rick could just get it and read the mortality spell...
************************************************ Abitula had reached the crevice. He stopped, wondering if he should do this....maybe Lord Imhotep would need the book for something...?
*************************************************
Shanala was gasping for breath, sheer horror coursing through her veins as she turned corners and dodged dead-ends in the corridor. She could hear Anck-su-namun following her, looking for her. She was calling to her sweetly, like a mother would to a child she hadn't seen a long time and had missed.
"Shanala...where are you? Come out, Shanala...I'm going to find you..."
"No you're not," Shanala breathed, turning another corner and dodging a large black rat that had suddenly scuttled into her path. her body was reacting so slowly, almost like a short-fused robot. She was so tired and so afraid that she was afraid she would lose her mind just as her stepmother had.
"Where oh where has Shanala gone...?"
For an instant, Shanala remembered back to when she had been so much smaller...back when Evelyn was her sister and her father was a pharaoh...
*****************************************
*remembering*
Shanala felt tears slide down her cheeks as she pressed herself against the wall. Angry footsteps could be heard storming towards her from the hallway. It was night, Everyone was asleep except for her and Anck-su-namun. She wished that she had made it just a little further...to the next room...where her sister slept peacefully... "Nefertiri," she whimpered as the footsteps stopped outside her room and then came closer...
*****************************************
For an instant, Shanala remembered what had happened: she had been found. Anck-su-namun had been livid. She had...Shanala shook her head, blocking out the rest of the memory. "Oh please," Shanala whispered, watching as a shadow cast by the dim torches above her moved closer, "Please no..."
A hand came out form behind her and grabbed her throat, pulling her, screaming, back into the shadows.
*************************************************
Evelyn heard a loud, desperate cry be cut off instantly just in the next corridor. Picking up speed, she raced into the shadows, her heart thumping madly against her ribs...
********************************************
Ardeth could see Rick struggling to get something near Imhotep...he strained his already-failing vision and saw a glint of gold; it was the Book of Amun Ra.
**********************************************
Imhotep was truly enjoying this. He loved seeing his arch nemesis in pain. Rick was grimacing constantly, trying to get to his feet but constantly collapsing. A smirk formed over Imhotep's lips; time to finish him off.
*********************************************
We have another new reviewer!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome, Cari (I THINK that's your name. I'm sooooo sorry. Fanfic's down and I can't check! I'm horrible with names so I'm very very very sorry if I'm wrong, ok?) Thank you for your review!!!!!! I really, really, REALLY appreciate it!!!!
Nakhti? Are you there? Where'd you go? You haven't reviewed in FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Has anyone else gotten reviews from her lately?!?!? LOL
Alicia, HI!!!!!!!!!!!! Welcome back form Vacation!!!!!!!!! I'm sooooooo glad you're back! I missed you soooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;o) Love ya lots!
Deana, thank you so much for helping me out! You're such an awesome friend! Luv ya!
Jessica, I'm soooo glad that you like my story so much! It really makes me feel special. Everyone should read her new story; it's EXCELLENT!!!!
Anck, thank you for reviewing! I'm very, very glad that you enjoy the story. ;o)
Maki Thank you for not killing me. :o) I sooooo appreciate it! *laughs*
Lauren, you are soooooooooo sweet! I swear, every time I read your reviews, it makes me wanna cry. You are sooooo cool!
Ok, everyone, here you go: Chapter 21....wow. That's a lot of chaps! ;o)
Chapter 21
"She's snapped. She has absolutely snapped. Lost it. She's crazy!" Shanala shuddered at the realization; Anck-su-namun was terrible enough when she was in control of her emotions....how was Shanala supposed to live through her when she was mindless with hatred? Anck-su-namun had turned away and stopped yelling a few seconds ago, and now she was staring at a far wall, muttering half-sentences under her breath. "...could be easy..." "....don't care..." "...kill her..."
Shanala twisted, terrified, trying top free her arm. Anck-su-namun tightened her grip and kept whispering, "...simple... could...Imhotep...maybe..."
"Let go!" Shanala moaned.
Anck-su-namun ignored her, "Yes...of course..."
"Let me go!"
"...I'll kill her..."
"Stop! Let me go! Help! She's crazy!"
"Shut up or I'll break your neck!"
Shanala jumped at the sudden change in volume in Anck-su-namun's voice. She stopped fighting and tried to force her trilling heart to relax; of course, it was impossible.
*************************************
Ardeth fell to his knees, gasping for breath, his sword falling with an audible clang at his side. Evy raced over, stepping calmly over Lock-Na's body, and dropped down next to her friend. "Ardeth! Oh Ardeth are you alright?"
Ardeth grimaced, "I...I have been better...but...also worse, Evy..."
Evelyn smiled, "Oh Ardeth...what hurts? Please...let me help you..."
"It is nothing...simply a scratch..."
Evy looked doubtfully at the scarlet stain blooming over his dark robes, "A scratch? Dear me, I'd hate to see what a gaping gash would be to you!"
Ardeth chuckled weakly, "Evy....I will be fine....but...but first you must help Shanala...listen to her...she needs your help more than I."
Evy stole a last glance at the blood flower spreading over Ardeth's clothes, and then nodded as she stood, "Ok. But I'll be right back to help you. And you'd better not give me any trouble!"
****************************************
"What would they bring their son's body here for?" Abitula looked down carelessly at the small form lying in the darkened space. He looked around, trying to think of some reason for which the O'Connell's would bring a corpse along with them to a battle.
"Do they think their son will see it?" Abitula chuckled, "Fools..."
He fingered the Book of the Dead in his hand, thinking....then it hit him.
"The book!" he hissed looking down at it, smiling slowly, "They wish to bring him to life again!" A terribly nasty sneer slowly melted over his face as he turned from Alex's body and headed for the smoking crevice in the ground, "Let them try to without the Book."
***************************************
Rick was consumed with hate. His heart pulsed with it, his blood ran with it, his mind ran with it, his muscles fought with it, his eyes burned with it. He had never felt so much loathing for a person, and every time Imhotep managed to 'sneak in' a blow, Rick's detestation only grew. He was beaten and bruised, bleeding and sore, but he ignored everything but the need to annihilate the horrible murderer of his son. He smashed into the floor again, and he somehow managed to get to his feet in time to throw a well- placed punch to Imhotep's ribs. Imhotep laughed harshly, "You may as well give up, O'Connell. I am immortal, hav3e you forgotten? You will never defeat me!"
"Bet me!" Rick snarled, flying at Imhotep.
**********************************************
Jonathan winced as he watched Rick bash into the ground and slide towards the pit. "That has got to hurt!" Izzy whined.
Jonathan nodded, "Yes. But you have to admire him for trying."
Izzy nodded, "Yes. It's better than us, eh?"
The two men were currently hiding behind a boulder nearby, watching the battle.
"It's better than getting killed," Jonathan said defensively.
"Of course it is. I completely agree."
**********************************************
"You are going to pay for all of the trouble you've caused me."
"Stop it! You're hurting me! Stop!"
"You never should have crossed me, Shanala."
Shanala screamed loudly again, tugging on her arm, forcing tears away as she fought. Anck-su-namun laughed harshly, "Give up, Shanala. You know that you can never beat me."
"Yes...yes I can!"
"No you cannot."
Anck-su-namun's were drilling into her mind, and Shanala was beginning to see the truth of them; how could she, a small teenage girl, defeat her stepmother, who was much stronger and also happened to be crazy with hatred.
"What should I do?" Shanala thought, "I....can't...I-I can't win!"
Shanala considered simply giving up. All she would have to do was collapse onto the floor and let her stepmother win. It wouldn't be painful for long. Death couldn't be any worse the second time then it had the first. Shanala shook herself mentally; she couldn't think that way! "Stop it!" she hissed at herself, "Just shut up! I'm not giving up. I'm going to keep trying until I beat her!"
Anck-su-namun chuckled, "I would love to see you try, Shanala."
Shanala let Anck-su-namun's words pulse through her mind, and she turned her terror and shock into one thing: resolution. She would not give up. She would not let her win. With a final, exhausted and yet surprisingly strong wrench, Shanala had managed to free her arm from Anck-su-namun's grasp. At first, Shanala simply stood there, stunned. Then, just as Anck-su-namun reached out to grab her again, she turned and fled, racing towards the maze- like corridors nearby.
***************************************
Ardeth clutched at his side, moaning, in pain. He knew that the knife hadn't gone in far, but it hurt like almost nothing he had ever felt before. He grimaced weakly and looked up in time to see Rick manage a blow to Imhotep's gut before getting blown back against the wall. Rick was bleeding and bruised, but he kept getting up and charging like nothing was wrong; Ardeth knew he had to help him before he killed himself.
******************************************
Rick felt so tired. All he wanted at the moment was to lie down and sleep away his troubles. Even his anger had waned with exhaustion. He was fighting to keep his eyes open as he continued fighting with the living mummy. At the same time as he was battling, his eyes were desperately searching for something to use against the invincible monster. Imhotep laughed triumphantly as Rick was lifted from the ground and catapulted through the air. Rick gave a loud shout as he crashed into the ground; that was when he saw it. Imhotep had set the Book of Amun Ra down by his feet. If Rick could just get it and read the mortality spell...
************************************************ Abitula had reached the crevice. He stopped, wondering if he should do this....maybe Lord Imhotep would need the book for something...?
*************************************************
Shanala was gasping for breath, sheer horror coursing through her veins as she turned corners and dodged dead-ends in the corridor. She could hear Anck-su-namun following her, looking for her. She was calling to her sweetly, like a mother would to a child she hadn't seen a long time and had missed.
"Shanala...where are you? Come out, Shanala...I'm going to find you..."
"No you're not," Shanala breathed, turning another corner and dodging a large black rat that had suddenly scuttled into her path. her body was reacting so slowly, almost like a short-fused robot. She was so tired and so afraid that she was afraid she would lose her mind just as her stepmother had.
"Where oh where has Shanala gone...?"
For an instant, Shanala remembered back to when she had been so much smaller...back when Evelyn was her sister and her father was a pharaoh...
*****************************************
*remembering*
Shanala felt tears slide down her cheeks as she pressed herself against the wall. Angry footsteps could be heard storming towards her from the hallway. It was night, Everyone was asleep except for her and Anck-su-namun. She wished that she had made it just a little further...to the next room...where her sister slept peacefully... "Nefertiri," she whimpered as the footsteps stopped outside her room and then came closer...
*****************************************
For an instant, Shanala remembered what had happened: she had been found. Anck-su-namun had been livid. She had...Shanala shook her head, blocking out the rest of the memory. "Oh please," Shanala whispered, watching as a shadow cast by the dim torches above her moved closer, "Please no..."
A hand came out form behind her and grabbed her throat, pulling her, screaming, back into the shadows.
*************************************************
Evelyn heard a loud, desperate cry be cut off instantly just in the next corridor. Picking up speed, she raced into the shadows, her heart thumping madly against her ribs...
********************************************
Ardeth could see Rick struggling to get something near Imhotep...he strained his already-failing vision and saw a glint of gold; it was the Book of Amun Ra.
**********************************************
Imhotep was truly enjoying this. He loved seeing his arch nemesis in pain. Rick was grimacing constantly, trying to get to his feet but constantly collapsing. A smirk formed over Imhotep's lips; time to finish him off.
*********************************************
