Carmen Laroche, the Everything in Everywhere
"Coming up, a special program on the life of ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti," the boring voice on the TV said. "Stay tuned."
Words could not define how much I loathed watching the history channel but I pretended I had to mainly because there was nothing else to watch on TV. Besides, I couldn't find the remote and was too lazy to get up from my comfortable seat just to change the channel. After an hour-long program on the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor, a story about finding the mummy of an ancient Egyptian queen didn't sound too bad. I stretched my hand as far as I could and grabbed at the popcorn bag with my fingertips. Yum, salted with extra butter! The thrill of my day!
"This is probably the most exciting day of my life," a skinny scientist with funny looking glasses said. "I cannot believe that the body laying in the tomb on the other side of this very wall might be the body I have been looking for, for the past thirteen years. The body of Nefertiti."
.I dug like crazy as if my whole life and sanity depended on this piece of dirt. My fingers were starting to feel numb and I was afraid they were going to fall off.
This might be it, I thought. This might be my chance at fame and fortune. After years and years of investigation I finally have a chance to do this!
The underground tunnel smelled of rotten bodies and was probably as hot as the Earth's core itself.
"I have to tell you, Miss Laroche, how honored I am to be working with a scientist of your standing. I couldn't have expected in my wildest dreams to be standing here next to you today in the Great Pyramids searching for the mummy of this famous ancient queen."
"Yes, I am honored as well," I replied hastily hoping it would make him consider keeping quiet. The heat was unbearable. I stopped digging and watched the diggers do my job faster and easier. Imagine, I thought to myself. Me, of all people. Well, I always knew that I had a gift and was.rather smart. Chuckle.
. "Carmen go walk the dog!" my mother yelled from her room. Why do I always have to walk the dog? There are nine people in this house and I am always responsible for walking the stupid dog even thought it's not even mine. Well, maybe because the other eight each have lives, but still, it's not fair! They cannot take advantage of my being."lifeless".
"I'm watching TV," I yelled back, annoyed.
"You have to walk him sometime better do it now."
I ignored her suggestion and kept on watching.
"Nefertiti, meaning 'the beautiful woman has come' is probably the most beloved and famous of all Egyptian queens. She was one of the only queens in ancient Egypt whose power grew over the King's," the narrator said. "She was very much involved in Egypt's politics and the court. One of the many mummies that are suspected to be Nefertiti's shows that she was cut and hit to death."
.I walked across the barren, cracked lands of the desert. The scorching sun gently stroked my skin. So this was death. They loosened the ropes around my wrists and made me kneel down to the earth. My knees burned from the earth's heat. He lifted the axe he was holding and spoke rapidly of my wrongdoings. My mind was elsewhere; although I could not quiet understand where. It was in so many places at once; a bit like I hoped to be.in so many places and in so many hearts at once to the point that I was everywhere because, after all, I deserved that much if not more. My mind raced perhaps trying to find the happiest moment of my short life so it could relive it in my last moments. The axe was raised and I felt a cold, stinging feeling in my head and once again, in my arm. I opened my mouth as if to scream but, much like in my nightmares, no matter how hard I tried the only sound that came from me was a long gasp as I let out the last breaths of air left in my ailing body.
. "You gonna walk the dog now?" my mom asked. I could tell she was frustrated but not because of the dog.
"Oh, sure," I mumbled. Yes, I thought. I would be everything and everywhere because, after all, I deserved that much if not more.
"Coming up, a special program on the life of ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti," the boring voice on the TV said. "Stay tuned."
Words could not define how much I loathed watching the history channel but I pretended I had to mainly because there was nothing else to watch on TV. Besides, I couldn't find the remote and was too lazy to get up from my comfortable seat just to change the channel. After an hour-long program on the Japanese attacking Pearl Harbor, a story about finding the mummy of an ancient Egyptian queen didn't sound too bad. I stretched my hand as far as I could and grabbed at the popcorn bag with my fingertips. Yum, salted with extra butter! The thrill of my day!
"This is probably the most exciting day of my life," a skinny scientist with funny looking glasses said. "I cannot believe that the body laying in the tomb on the other side of this very wall might be the body I have been looking for, for the past thirteen years. The body of Nefertiti."
.I dug like crazy as if my whole life and sanity depended on this piece of dirt. My fingers were starting to feel numb and I was afraid they were going to fall off.
This might be it, I thought. This might be my chance at fame and fortune. After years and years of investigation I finally have a chance to do this!
The underground tunnel smelled of rotten bodies and was probably as hot as the Earth's core itself.
"I have to tell you, Miss Laroche, how honored I am to be working with a scientist of your standing. I couldn't have expected in my wildest dreams to be standing here next to you today in the Great Pyramids searching for the mummy of this famous ancient queen."
"Yes, I am honored as well," I replied hastily hoping it would make him consider keeping quiet. The heat was unbearable. I stopped digging and watched the diggers do my job faster and easier. Imagine, I thought to myself. Me, of all people. Well, I always knew that I had a gift and was.rather smart. Chuckle.
. "Carmen go walk the dog!" my mother yelled from her room. Why do I always have to walk the dog? There are nine people in this house and I am always responsible for walking the stupid dog even thought it's not even mine. Well, maybe because the other eight each have lives, but still, it's not fair! They cannot take advantage of my being."lifeless".
"I'm watching TV," I yelled back, annoyed.
"You have to walk him sometime better do it now."
I ignored her suggestion and kept on watching.
"Nefertiti, meaning 'the beautiful woman has come' is probably the most beloved and famous of all Egyptian queens. She was one of the only queens in ancient Egypt whose power grew over the King's," the narrator said. "She was very much involved in Egypt's politics and the court. One of the many mummies that are suspected to be Nefertiti's shows that she was cut and hit to death."
.I walked across the barren, cracked lands of the desert. The scorching sun gently stroked my skin. So this was death. They loosened the ropes around my wrists and made me kneel down to the earth. My knees burned from the earth's heat. He lifted the axe he was holding and spoke rapidly of my wrongdoings. My mind was elsewhere; although I could not quiet understand where. It was in so many places at once; a bit like I hoped to be.in so many places and in so many hearts at once to the point that I was everywhere because, after all, I deserved that much if not more. My mind raced perhaps trying to find the happiest moment of my short life so it could relive it in my last moments. The axe was raised and I felt a cold, stinging feeling in my head and once again, in my arm. I opened my mouth as if to scream but, much like in my nightmares, no matter how hard I tried the only sound that came from me was a long gasp as I let out the last breaths of air left in my ailing body.
. "You gonna walk the dog now?" my mom asked. I could tell she was frustrated but not because of the dog.
"Oh, sure," I mumbled. Yes, I thought. I would be everything and everywhere because, after all, I deserved that much if not more.