Monifa groggily woke up. She tried to bring her hands up to her pounding
head, only to find her hands were bound.
"Just a precaution." She heard a deep voice say from behind her.
Where was she?
She slowly opened her eyes, not to find herself in her room back in Cairo, but she was in an ancient room, a medical room from the looks of it. The place was eerily damp and cold. The only sound that she heard was Imhotep's breathing and her own.
"Where are your guards?" She asked as Imhotep continued to walk in a circle around her.
"They're getting ready."
"Ready for what?"
At this Imhotep smirked and bent down beside her.
"For tonight. When the moon reached it's highest point, you will be of age."
The way he had said that made chills run down Monifa's spine. She saw that her feet weren't bound and tried to stand up.
"You drugged me!" she accused when all of her effort to stand only moved her about an inch to the left.
Imhotep just shrugged.
"I'll come back for you when it's time."
"No!" she yelled, "Don't leave me!"
But it was too late. He was gone.
The dim glow of the one torch he had left her reflected her tears as they fell to the floor. What had she gotten herself into?
*~*~*
Night had already fallen by the time The O'Connells, Jonathan, and Ardeth had reached Sakkara. Rick and Ardeth silently took out the two guards who were keeping watch with quick cuts to the throat.
"Quickly, we don't have much time." Ardeth ordered.
They split up into two groups. Ardeth and Jonathan in one group, Rick, Eveyln, and Alex in the other. They split up at the first junction under the step pyramid and headed out to find Monifa.
*~*~*
She had lost all track of time, but her best guess was that it had been at least three hours. She had gained control of her legs, but her head still throbbed and she was pretty weak. The torch had long since been out and Monifa was truly terrified. She had no more tears left to shed and it took all of her concentration to keep her breathing slow and calm.
The sounds of distant footsteps were like a symphony to her ears. She heard the sound of the stone door opening and light started to flood into the room. She shielded her eyes at the sudden brightness, but nothing prepared her for what she saw next.
"Alex!" she exclaimed, her voice soft and raspy.
She tried to push her self up, but fell down in the process. Alex ran and bent down beside her wrapping his arms around her.
"You're alive!" she whispered, not wanting to risk having Imhotep having to come back early. She hugged him back as he and Rick slowly helped to steady her on her feet after cutting her hands free.
"Mr. O'Connell! Mrs. O'Connell!" She looked at them smiling her first smile in days, "Where's dad?"
"Don't worry. He's here. Right now we just need to get you out of here unnoticed." Evelyn said.
"Honey, I think it's a little to late form that." Rick said in a low growl as he glanced over his wife's shoulder.
Everyone turned to see Imhotep, a twisted grin on his face, standing in the open doorway.
Four guards filed into the room and roughly grabbed the O'Connells. The guards took all of their weapons and threw them on the ground. With no one supporting her Monifa swayed dangerously, unable to control it. Imhotep caught her and handed her over the fourth guard.
"It is time." He instructed.
The four guards and their captives fallowed Imhotep down the hallway and into a large room full of hundreds of lit candles and several elaborately decorated alters. More guards stood by the back wall and Monifa cried out as she saw the two other prisoners.
"Father!"
"Monifa!" Ardeth's robes were badly torn and his face was littered with fresh cuts, "Don't go near him!"
She tried to figure out what he meant by that. What was he saying?
She turned and focused on Imhotep, who was standing on the highest alter and had both hands behind his back.
"Come, my darling, tonight is the start of our new lives. Together we shall rule the land in harmony, in love."
The shouts from behind her of 'don't listen to him' faded as her eyes clouded. The only person she could see and hear was Imhotep.
"You and I never finished what we started. Now we can both live forever in each other's company. I will treat you like the queen you are and our wealth will be great."
Monifa felt as though she was drunk on his words. It was like she was under a spell. A love spell. Imhotep's love spell.
Her senses instantly cleared as she yelled out defiantly, "No!"
Every on in the room seemed taken back by this, including Imhotep.
"No, I will not!" She continued, "All along you have put me under a spell, some kind of trance. You never loved me. Not now and not then! I've only been an object to you, a target. I do not love you! I hate you. I hate you!"
"You said that earlier and look where that led." Imhotep snapped icily, "Tell me, if you do not love me, whom do you love? You have no one but me. Who would take in a poor widowed slave who can't properly birth a child?"
Every word that he had said felt like a slap in the face. Monfia felt the rage boil inside of her.
"I'm still waiting for your answer. Who would want you?"
Monifa didn't reply looking anywhere but at Imhotep.
"Him?" Imhotep asked innocently as he pointed at Alex.
"Certainly better than you." She snapped.
"I think not, but it's a pity you feel that way." He leaned forward and whispered seductively in her ear, "You will be mine once I resurrect you."
"What?" Monifa asked the last sentence throwing her off.
Imhotep answered her by running the dagger he had hidden behind his back right through her stomach. She gasped in pain as the guard holding her let her go. She fell to her knees, the dagger still in her and looked down at her father. Everything suddenly seaming to be in slow motion.
Alex broke free from his captor and ran to the fallen girl. Imhotep just laughed. Alex rushed up and held Monifa in his arms.
"Alex?"
She tried to smile, but it ended up as a coughing fit. Blood started to trickle down from her mouth.
"Monifa, please don't...don't go. I...I love you."
Alex barely noticed that Ardeth had broken free as well and was running towards them. Alex shakily ran a hand through her hair and she slowly closed her eyes.
"No! Monifa, no! Stay here! Stay here!"
Ardeth ran up to them and Alex handed her over to her father.
"Father?" came a small whimper.
"Shhh, Moni, I'm here. It's going to be all right." He cradled her like a baby and she coughed a little bit of blood onto his robe. Alex was still holding her hand. She gave his hand one final squeeze and buried her head in Ardeth's chest.
And just like that, she was gone.
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a while. Been super busy with school and crap loads of homework. All I can say is that when I first started this fic, I had no idea that this is where I would be. I have no clue how this is going to end (a good sign, no?). Don't get me wrong, everything will end up right in the end, I just don't know how to get there. I am about two to three chapters away from the end and I probably won't update for two to three weeks. Just a heads up for those of you who care.
Thanks fore sticking with me this far. Look forward it an intense fight scene. The final show down begins now.
Thanks again!!
"Just a precaution." She heard a deep voice say from behind her.
Where was she?
She slowly opened her eyes, not to find herself in her room back in Cairo, but she was in an ancient room, a medical room from the looks of it. The place was eerily damp and cold. The only sound that she heard was Imhotep's breathing and her own.
"Where are your guards?" She asked as Imhotep continued to walk in a circle around her.
"They're getting ready."
"Ready for what?"
At this Imhotep smirked and bent down beside her.
"For tonight. When the moon reached it's highest point, you will be of age."
The way he had said that made chills run down Monifa's spine. She saw that her feet weren't bound and tried to stand up.
"You drugged me!" she accused when all of her effort to stand only moved her about an inch to the left.
Imhotep just shrugged.
"I'll come back for you when it's time."
"No!" she yelled, "Don't leave me!"
But it was too late. He was gone.
The dim glow of the one torch he had left her reflected her tears as they fell to the floor. What had she gotten herself into?
*~*~*
Night had already fallen by the time The O'Connells, Jonathan, and Ardeth had reached Sakkara. Rick and Ardeth silently took out the two guards who were keeping watch with quick cuts to the throat.
"Quickly, we don't have much time." Ardeth ordered.
They split up into two groups. Ardeth and Jonathan in one group, Rick, Eveyln, and Alex in the other. They split up at the first junction under the step pyramid and headed out to find Monifa.
*~*~*
She had lost all track of time, but her best guess was that it had been at least three hours. She had gained control of her legs, but her head still throbbed and she was pretty weak. The torch had long since been out and Monifa was truly terrified. She had no more tears left to shed and it took all of her concentration to keep her breathing slow and calm.
The sounds of distant footsteps were like a symphony to her ears. She heard the sound of the stone door opening and light started to flood into the room. She shielded her eyes at the sudden brightness, but nothing prepared her for what she saw next.
"Alex!" she exclaimed, her voice soft and raspy.
She tried to push her self up, but fell down in the process. Alex ran and bent down beside her wrapping his arms around her.
"You're alive!" she whispered, not wanting to risk having Imhotep having to come back early. She hugged him back as he and Rick slowly helped to steady her on her feet after cutting her hands free.
"Mr. O'Connell! Mrs. O'Connell!" She looked at them smiling her first smile in days, "Where's dad?"
"Don't worry. He's here. Right now we just need to get you out of here unnoticed." Evelyn said.
"Honey, I think it's a little to late form that." Rick said in a low growl as he glanced over his wife's shoulder.
Everyone turned to see Imhotep, a twisted grin on his face, standing in the open doorway.
Four guards filed into the room and roughly grabbed the O'Connells. The guards took all of their weapons and threw them on the ground. With no one supporting her Monifa swayed dangerously, unable to control it. Imhotep caught her and handed her over the fourth guard.
"It is time." He instructed.
The four guards and their captives fallowed Imhotep down the hallway and into a large room full of hundreds of lit candles and several elaborately decorated alters. More guards stood by the back wall and Monifa cried out as she saw the two other prisoners.
"Father!"
"Monifa!" Ardeth's robes were badly torn and his face was littered with fresh cuts, "Don't go near him!"
She tried to figure out what he meant by that. What was he saying?
She turned and focused on Imhotep, who was standing on the highest alter and had both hands behind his back.
"Come, my darling, tonight is the start of our new lives. Together we shall rule the land in harmony, in love."
The shouts from behind her of 'don't listen to him' faded as her eyes clouded. The only person she could see and hear was Imhotep.
"You and I never finished what we started. Now we can both live forever in each other's company. I will treat you like the queen you are and our wealth will be great."
Monifa felt as though she was drunk on his words. It was like she was under a spell. A love spell. Imhotep's love spell.
Her senses instantly cleared as she yelled out defiantly, "No!"
Every on in the room seemed taken back by this, including Imhotep.
"No, I will not!" She continued, "All along you have put me under a spell, some kind of trance. You never loved me. Not now and not then! I've only been an object to you, a target. I do not love you! I hate you. I hate you!"
"You said that earlier and look where that led." Imhotep snapped icily, "Tell me, if you do not love me, whom do you love? You have no one but me. Who would take in a poor widowed slave who can't properly birth a child?"
Every word that he had said felt like a slap in the face. Monfia felt the rage boil inside of her.
"I'm still waiting for your answer. Who would want you?"
Monifa didn't reply looking anywhere but at Imhotep.
"Him?" Imhotep asked innocently as he pointed at Alex.
"Certainly better than you." She snapped.
"I think not, but it's a pity you feel that way." He leaned forward and whispered seductively in her ear, "You will be mine once I resurrect you."
"What?" Monifa asked the last sentence throwing her off.
Imhotep answered her by running the dagger he had hidden behind his back right through her stomach. She gasped in pain as the guard holding her let her go. She fell to her knees, the dagger still in her and looked down at her father. Everything suddenly seaming to be in slow motion.
Alex broke free from his captor and ran to the fallen girl. Imhotep just laughed. Alex rushed up and held Monifa in his arms.
"Alex?"
She tried to smile, but it ended up as a coughing fit. Blood started to trickle down from her mouth.
"Monifa, please don't...don't go. I...I love you."
Alex barely noticed that Ardeth had broken free as well and was running towards them. Alex shakily ran a hand through her hair and she slowly closed her eyes.
"No! Monifa, no! Stay here! Stay here!"
Ardeth ran up to them and Alex handed her over to her father.
"Father?" came a small whimper.
"Shhh, Moni, I'm here. It's going to be all right." He cradled her like a baby and she coughed a little bit of blood onto his robe. Alex was still holding her hand. She gave his hand one final squeeze and buried her head in Ardeth's chest.
And just like that, she was gone.
A/N: Sorry I haven't updated for a while. Been super busy with school and crap loads of homework. All I can say is that when I first started this fic, I had no idea that this is where I would be. I have no clue how this is going to end (a good sign, no?). Don't get me wrong, everything will end up right in the end, I just don't know how to get there. I am about two to three chapters away from the end and I probably won't update for two to three weeks. Just a heads up for those of you who care.
Thanks fore sticking with me this far. Look forward it an intense fight scene. The final show down begins now.
Thanks again!!