The Sphinx of Jagaan...
The sun appeared to be glimmering and bright, as we walked from Cairo to Giza. For hours, our crew of 2 other womenand a young boy, had been wandering about, with a compass and map. I felt excited, tired, and anxious. My friend and fellow researcher, Zora, who was ?wearing a black cloak veil, suddenly pointed west. I squinted towards the west and saw a tall sandy figure. As we arrived closer, it appeared to be a silver 8-foot pole with peculiar carvings of many creatures. This pole was on a little square black-top area, the diameter of a car perhaps.
In a muffled voice, my friend Zora said, "Alas, we have found it! We have found the passageway to the mystical temple of Jagaan!" I stared at the tall pole with my eyes as wide as saucers.
I thought to myself, and I realized how lucky I might be. Finally, I will attain freedom, and escape from that lonely and desolate place in Morocco.. Finally, I will have a home where I can be accepted as a worthy human being with my friends and family. All my suffering and torment will come to end and my fear will be lifted. My only hope was now in the temple of Jagaan..and it's mystic wonders. I watched the twinkling eyes of Zora, Luna and her son Xavier who were probably having the same hopes as me. I felt very anxious and bedazzled at the thought of liberty and justice for all people like us.
"Our dreams....they are finally comming true! The apocalypse of the sacred stars was correct! Now, let us enter the chambers of Jagaan!", said Luna as she stepped onto the black-top area, grabbing all three of us. Luna pushed the silver pole to the right, and the black-top area slowly sunk into the ground with all of us. It was dark and dreary, but we carried two torches to light the path. A musty smell filled my nostrils, and the adrenaline-feeling slowly filled my body.
I slowly looked around the bleak place, and saw hieiroglyphics of what appeared to be a sphinx. Infact, there were many pictures of the sphinx on the wall. Well, the sphinx you see, was a legendary animal of ancient times, half human and half hideous monster. It preyed on human beings and what not. There was also a statue of a unique looking sphinx in the center of the large room.
I looked at the high-ceiling walls which were painted bronze, and the muddy cemented floor which was cracked. For some odd reason, I didn't feel quite right. I felt that maybe something wouldn't go according to plans. I looked suspiciously around until I saw Luna gesture everybody to follow her. "We are now inside the Jaagan Temple! Starting here we must follow the directions of Iris and her spiritual powers....lead way Iris!", said Luna pointing to me.
I nodded to Luna and held my hands out. I touched dusty old wall with my eyes shut. I felt an odd feeling, strange vibes guided me through a small hole in the corner of the room. These vibes were mixed, and I could not tell if they were positive or negative, so I went through. I lead Luna, Zora and Xavier into a small tunnel with even stranger heiroglyphics. It smelled to me, like rotten corpses had been buried inside this narrow tunnel. Infact, this tunnel was so narrow, I had to walk on my side to get through the tunnel.
We walked on and on through the tunnel for quite a while. "It's already been an hour since we've been walking through this narrow little tunnel and I am starting to feel very sick!!", cried Xavier. I didn't blame little Xavier, for I too felt really uncomfortable. At times the ceiling even got so low, that I had to bend my head low. I just hoped with all my heart that this uncomfortable state we were in would end quickly. As I looked up ahead, my hopes came true. I said aloud, "We have finally reached the end! The end has come and I see the light!"
I stepped into the light and looked around in awe at the large sphinx made purely of gold, and the room was also carved with mystical figures. The others also followed me and had the same reaction as I did. I was mesmerized by the beautiful and colorful paintings of, most probably high priests and pharaohs. It was an amazing spectacle and in the center of the glorious room was the Eye of Horus painted on the floor.
"According to the old psychic man who gazed at the stars, he said that the key to unlock the magic was to step onto the center of the Eye of Horus, but beware temptation...whatever that probably means...", said Luna. I looked at her with a frantic reaction while holding a golden necklace that I had picked up off the floor to examen. I threw the necklace accross the room, which happened to land on the Eye of Horus painted on the floor.
Everyone looked at me in a fearful way, constantly looking at the object I threw, and then back at me. I felt panicky. I thought, what if what I had done would be the temptation that the old psychic was talking about? I looked at the Eye of Horus hoping nothing would happen, but then suddenly the Eye of Horus lit up. My heart jumped high as I saw a real, live sphinx before my eyes. It's black wings moving wildly as it's two red orbs stared right at me! My heart was beating so fast, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. All the adrenaline pumped through my body as my eyes grew wider and wider.
The sphinx said in a low thundering voice, "I will crush you all human creatures with one blow...all of you greedy fowls. For I am hungry and want a meal! Unless you answer my riddle correctly, you cannot leave and I shall rip you apartwith my teeth!"
I was holding back the tears, holding back everything. I had suffered way too much, and now suffer again. All my hope was shattered, and my body felt weak. Sometimes I wondered, why must I always have ill fortune. With a stuttering, fearful and crying voice I asked," Y..yes? P..please tell us....y..your ri..riddle! PLEASE SPARE OUR LIVES!"
The sphinx answered,
"I drown in the ocean,
and conquer the mountain,
my birth is a mystery,
millions of brothers,
with millions of faces,
all masters of symmetry,
soft as a feather,
a diamond's glitter,
as rare as rare can be,
I fall through the night,
And die in the light,
Your warmth is my enemy..
ANSWER....ANSWER NOW OR SUFFER MY WRATH!"
We all thought as hard as we could. I thought and thought until I couldn't think, and pretty much felt brain-dead but still kept trying. None of us was good at riddles, and we were all frantically searching our minds for answers. I started to yell at everyone because I was in such a worry to get the answer. Suddenly little Xavier came up with a logical answer. I stood facing the giant black sphinx and answered for little Xavier who was sitting on the ground traumatized. I said, " ...The...the...answer to y..you riddle is...s..snow."
The sphinx snarled and yelled, "WRONG!! The correct answer was snow-FLAKE. Now die...die..." We ran as fast as we could, but the the sphinx pounced on little Xavier and ripped him apart, along with Zora. Luna and I were running extremely fast. I was weeping in my heart for the loss of my friends, but at the same time I felt extremely traumatized. The sphinx sliced Luna in half with it's ultra sharp blade-like claws, while she ended up in a bloody mess. I was backed up into a corner with the sphinx infront of me. I welped and cried, but nobody heard me. I screamed, and asked for forgiveness, but nothing happened. I took one last breathe and felt pain beyond words. It was a horrible ending, and then I was gone.
The sun appeared to be glimmering and bright, as we walked from Cairo to Giza. For hours, our crew of 2 other womenand a young boy, had been wandering about, with a compass and map. I felt excited, tired, and anxious. My friend and fellow researcher, Zora, who was ?wearing a black cloak veil, suddenly pointed west. I squinted towards the west and saw a tall sandy figure. As we arrived closer, it appeared to be a silver 8-foot pole with peculiar carvings of many creatures. This pole was on a little square black-top area, the diameter of a car perhaps.
In a muffled voice, my friend Zora said, "Alas, we have found it! We have found the passageway to the mystical temple of Jagaan!" I stared at the tall pole with my eyes as wide as saucers.
I thought to myself, and I realized how lucky I might be. Finally, I will attain freedom, and escape from that lonely and desolate place in Morocco.. Finally, I will have a home where I can be accepted as a worthy human being with my friends and family. All my suffering and torment will come to end and my fear will be lifted. My only hope was now in the temple of Jagaan..and it's mystic wonders. I watched the twinkling eyes of Zora, Luna and her son Xavier who were probably having the same hopes as me. I felt very anxious and bedazzled at the thought of liberty and justice for all people like us.
"Our dreams....they are finally comming true! The apocalypse of the sacred stars was correct! Now, let us enter the chambers of Jagaan!", said Luna as she stepped onto the black-top area, grabbing all three of us. Luna pushed the silver pole to the right, and the black-top area slowly sunk into the ground with all of us. It was dark and dreary, but we carried two torches to light the path. A musty smell filled my nostrils, and the adrenaline-feeling slowly filled my body.
I slowly looked around the bleak place, and saw hieiroglyphics of what appeared to be a sphinx. Infact, there were many pictures of the sphinx on the wall. Well, the sphinx you see, was a legendary animal of ancient times, half human and half hideous monster. It preyed on human beings and what not. There was also a statue of a unique looking sphinx in the center of the large room.
I looked at the high-ceiling walls which were painted bronze, and the muddy cemented floor which was cracked. For some odd reason, I didn't feel quite right. I felt that maybe something wouldn't go according to plans. I looked suspiciously around until I saw Luna gesture everybody to follow her. "We are now inside the Jaagan Temple! Starting here we must follow the directions of Iris and her spiritual powers....lead way Iris!", said Luna pointing to me.
I nodded to Luna and held my hands out. I touched dusty old wall with my eyes shut. I felt an odd feeling, strange vibes guided me through a small hole in the corner of the room. These vibes were mixed, and I could not tell if they were positive or negative, so I went through. I lead Luna, Zora and Xavier into a small tunnel with even stranger heiroglyphics. It smelled to me, like rotten corpses had been buried inside this narrow tunnel. Infact, this tunnel was so narrow, I had to walk on my side to get through the tunnel.
We walked on and on through the tunnel for quite a while. "It's already been an hour since we've been walking through this narrow little tunnel and I am starting to feel very sick!!", cried Xavier. I didn't blame little Xavier, for I too felt really uncomfortable. At times the ceiling even got so low, that I had to bend my head low. I just hoped with all my heart that this uncomfortable state we were in would end quickly. As I looked up ahead, my hopes came true. I said aloud, "We have finally reached the end! The end has come and I see the light!"
I stepped into the light and looked around in awe at the large sphinx made purely of gold, and the room was also carved with mystical figures. The others also followed me and had the same reaction as I did. I was mesmerized by the beautiful and colorful paintings of, most probably high priests and pharaohs. It was an amazing spectacle and in the center of the glorious room was the Eye of Horus painted on the floor.
"According to the old psychic man who gazed at the stars, he said that the key to unlock the magic was to step onto the center of the Eye of Horus, but beware temptation...whatever that probably means...", said Luna. I looked at her with a frantic reaction while holding a golden necklace that I had picked up off the floor to examen. I threw the necklace accross the room, which happened to land on the Eye of Horus painted on the floor.
Everyone looked at me in a fearful way, constantly looking at the object I threw, and then back at me. I felt panicky. I thought, what if what I had done would be the temptation that the old psychic was talking about? I looked at the Eye of Horus hoping nothing would happen, but then suddenly the Eye of Horus lit up. My heart jumped high as I saw a real, live sphinx before my eyes. It's black wings moving wildly as it's two red orbs stared right at me! My heart was beating so fast, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. All the adrenaline pumped through my body as my eyes grew wider and wider.
The sphinx said in a low thundering voice, "I will crush you all human creatures with one blow...all of you greedy fowls. For I am hungry and want a meal! Unless you answer my riddle correctly, you cannot leave and I shall rip you apartwith my teeth!"
I was holding back the tears, holding back everything. I had suffered way too much, and now suffer again. All my hope was shattered, and my body felt weak. Sometimes I wondered, why must I always have ill fortune. With a stuttering, fearful and crying voice I asked," Y..yes? P..please tell us....y..your ri..riddle! PLEASE SPARE OUR LIVES!"
The sphinx answered,
"I drown in the ocean,
and conquer the mountain,
my birth is a mystery,
millions of brothers,
with millions of faces,
all masters of symmetry,
soft as a feather,
a diamond's glitter,
as rare as rare can be,
I fall through the night,
And die in the light,
Your warmth is my enemy..
ANSWER....ANSWER NOW OR SUFFER MY WRATH!"
We all thought as hard as we could. I thought and thought until I couldn't think, and pretty much felt brain-dead but still kept trying. None of us was good at riddles, and we were all frantically searching our minds for answers. I started to yell at everyone because I was in such a worry to get the answer. Suddenly little Xavier came up with a logical answer. I stood facing the giant black sphinx and answered for little Xavier who was sitting on the ground traumatized. I said, " ...The...the...answer to y..you riddle is...s..snow."
The sphinx snarled and yelled, "WRONG!! The correct answer was snow-FLAKE. Now die...die..." We ran as fast as we could, but the the sphinx pounced on little Xavier and ripped him apart, along with Zora. Luna and I were running extremely fast. I was weeping in my heart for the loss of my friends, but at the same time I felt extremely traumatized. The sphinx sliced Luna in half with it's ultra sharp blade-like claws, while she ended up in a bloody mess. I was backed up into a corner with the sphinx infront of me. I welped and cried, but nobody heard me. I screamed, and asked for forgiveness, but nothing happened. I took one last breathe and felt pain beyond words. It was a horrible ending, and then I was gone.