Chapter IV: Are We There Yet?
Alex opened his eyes, to the dusky morning light. He got up and looked around in awe. Ahm Shere. It was magnificent. The once lifeless land had evolved into a burst of green, which they now gracefully drifted over.
There was huge waterfalls in every direction, birds chirping everywhere. The think forest below was dominated mostly by old, ancient trees, but scattered about, you could see young saplings reaching towards the early morning sun. Alex looked around for any sign of a temple, he could see nothing but trees. Alex ran up to his father, "Dad! Wake up!"
Rick slowly opened his eyes, "Huh?"
"Where exactly are we going?" Alex asked.
Rick got up and looked around, wondering the same thing, since he too, could see nothing but trees. Rick woke up Evelyn.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Where are we going?"
"What do you mean?" she said standing up. Evelyn looked around for any sign of a place to land, "Izzy . . . Bring down the balloon a bit, would you?"
Izzy did so, and just as he did, Alex yelled, "Watch out!" but it was too late. The balloon had hit a high tree branch. The balloon went a few feet forward and slowly began to fall, gaining downward speed, as they lost elevation. "Everyone down!" Rick yelled as they sped toward the ground.
The balloon made contact with the forest floor with a huge crash. "Everyone OK?" Rick shouted.
"Fine." Everyone answered at simultaneously.
Rick helped everyone up and jumped out of the balloon, followed by Jonathan.
"I bet this guy is just playing some joke, and is home right now laughing it up." Jonathan said, bitterly,
"Audeth wouldn't do that!" Rick said, with all confidence in his friend.
All of a sudden, Audeth rode of the woods on his black stallion, "Do what?" he asked.
"Nothing." Rick said, smiling, "So, where are we off to?"
"You see that waterfall?" Said Audeh, referring to one in the distance, "There."
"Yes . . ." said Rick.
"The book of Anubis is inside, we must get there and protect it, so the evil one cannot be resurrected." Audeth explained. So, they headed towards the waterfall, and after a while, everyone began to get restless.
"My God! How far is this bloody temple?!" Alex complained.
"Far enough." Jonathan muttered.
The group continued to walk, until finally they arrived at their destination.
Alex looked up at the huge waterfall, "How do you expect we get in?" he asked.
"Follow me." Audeth said, beginning to climb up the rocks beside the waterfall.
After a moment, they found a small path which led to the entrance of a temple. They walked inside. "Woah . . . it's huge." Alex said, looking around in awe.
"I wonder if there is any gold here . . ." Jonathan said to himself.
Evelyn looked around the huge temple. Strung with cobwebs, it was dark and gloomy. The air hung heavy with dust, making it difficult to breathe. The walls were bare, unlike any other temple she had ever seen. She looked around again and then noticed seven doors. She stopped of a moment and then all of a sudden the room was covered in gold and hieroglyphics; she looked around for any sign of her family. They were gone. She then saw a man walk out from one of the doors, followed by another who looked deeply saddened. It was the man who attacked Alex the other day! She noticed though, that he did not bare the scar she had seen. The other man was a Madji. Slowly, he walked in front of the man and said, "Zemti, you have failed us." he then sadly. At that, another man rushed into the room; he had a sad, yet crazed look in his eyes. "YOU KILLED HER! HOW COULD YOU! YOU SAID YOU LOVED HER!" he yelled and raised his sword and slashed Zemti across the face, exactly where Evelyn noticed the scar was. Slowly, the vision faded and Evelyn heard a voice.
"Evelyn!" Rick said impatiently, standing in front of her.
"I just had a vision . . ." Evelyn said slowly.
Rick sighed, "Uh oh, that can't be good." he said, then paused, "What did you see?"
Evelyn told them what she had saw.
"You were right . . ." Rick said, almost reluctantly to Audeth.
"I knew it!" Audeth said.
"Knew what?" Evelyn asked.
Audeth looked at her, "You lived a previous life . . . as an ancient Egyptian."
Evelyn stared almost blankly for a moment, and then turned away out of awkwardness.
"C'mon, we'd better get looking . . . what door?" he said to Audeth.
"I am not sure . . . I guess we should just pick one."
So they did, they picked the first door on the right and went through it.
Jonathan began to follow, but a room full of gold quickly got, and held, his attention. "Look!" he said to Alex, and grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room.
The walked into the room and Jonathan dropped the knapsack they were carrying and emptied it out. "Uncle John! Maybe we should sick with the others." Alex suggested.
"Alex. My favorite nephew, What do you see in this room?"
"Gold."
"Exactly!" he said, nodding towards a knapsack, "Start filling then! Chop chop!"
After a few minutes, the bags were filled, they tried to lift the bags but couldn't, so they decided to drag them instead. Finally, after a few minutes, the returned to the main entrance.
"Uh oh. Where are you parents?" Jonathan said.
"Audeth told us to stay together! Ugh! See what you did!" Alex yelled at Jonathan.
Meanwhile, a little bit away from Jonathan and Alex; Evelyn, Rick and Audeth continued through the templed, not aware that they lacked the presence of two people. They then entered a room full of gold. Evelyn listened to hear the reaction Jonathan would have. Figuring he was awestruck, Evelyn turned around to see the reaction on his face, only to turn around and find no one.
"Where are Alex and Jonathan?!" She said in horror.
Rick spun around and then sighed impatiently, "Jonathan must have dragged Alex off somewhere with him!"
"We have to go back!" Evelyn said. And they did.
After a few moments, they reached the temple entrance. "Alex!? Jonathan?!" Evelyn called, but her efforts were in vain, she got no answer.
"Jonathan come out now, or when I find you, I'm going to break your neck and run you over with my car!" Rick yelled.
"Rick!" Evelyn said, half-laughing.
Rick scanned the temple for any sign of the two. He squinted, looking around and saw something shining in the far corner of the room. He went over to investigate when he got there he found a gold ring. "They were here all right." Rick said, showing Evelyn the ring.
"Where do you think they are?" Evelyn said.
"I have no idea . . ." Rick replied. "We'll have to split up and look."
"I'm afraid we cannot do that." Audeth said, "Many people have died trying to find their way through this maze of a temple. This will delay our search, but we will have to search each hallway. Follow me." he said, heading into door number two.
Evelyn looked around the cobweb strung hallway. The light of the torches they had made, made the hallway dull and eerie. The walls were bare and cold, like the entrance, but these walls were rough, like they had barely been constructed. The place gave her a feeling she couldn't explain. They continued down the hallway until the came to a room. To no avail, they turned back. On the way back, Evelyn noticed a painting on the wall that she hadn't noticed on the way in. It was the man with the scar.
Rick stopped, "Evelyn?" he said, getting no answer.
Evelyn gently ran her hand down the painting. Rick walked over to her, "Evie. You gotta stop this." he said, being to get somewhat annoyed by her drifting off like this. "Sorry." Evelyn said quietly, and followed them again.
Alas, they reached the entrance again. All of a suddenly Audeth jerked his head towards the fifth door.
"W-" Rick began.
"Shh!" Audeth said in a yell-whisper.
Audeth slowly walked towards the door, followed by Rick and Evelyn. Someone yelled and at that, two figures fell flat on the floor. It was Jonathan and Alex.
Evelyn sighed, "Where were you two?!"
"Er . . . we got a little side-tracked, that's all." Jonathan said.
"Well don't you dare get 'side-tracked' again." Evelyn said.
They then began to go down the first hallway they entered. Evelyn looked down the hallway in which she had seen the picture on the wall, and sorrow filled her . . . but she wasn't exactly sure why.
They entered the first hallway and walked for quite some time. Finally the reached the room the had been in before. This time, getting more of a chance to look around, Evelyn noticed a throne, and what had to be at least thirty doors. Evelyn and Audeth examined the wall which had scattered hieroglyphics, and even those weren't legible. "Guess we'll be here for a bit . . ." Evelyn said.
Jonathan settled himself in the throne, "Ah, this is the life . . . er . . . was."
Evelyn looked around the room as if in a dream. Another vision was coming, and for the first time, she knew. She stopped, and closed her eyes, preparing for anything she was about to see. It started. In her vision, she saw her father, just after a ceremony sword fight, in which she lost the right to protect the book of Anubis, to her opponent. "You did well, daughter." her father said to her. She smiled, but said nothing. "I have a task for you, my dear. You must go through door eighteen, and there you will find the book. There is a key, you must turn the key; right, then left, then when you enter the room, you will find more doors. You will go through the door with the symbol of . . ." The vision began to fade, then disappeared completely.
"I just had a vision." Evelyn said.
"Another one?" Rick asked.
"Yes." Evelyn said, and then explained the vision.
Shortly after, they walked through they eighteenth door, and down the long hallway.
"Why do I bother to come?" Jonathan asked himself.
"Because we need bait . . . in case on any bugs." Rick answered.
Jonathan scoffed.
The walked for a while in complete silence until Alex began to complain. "I'm tired!" Alex said.
"Almost there, buddy." Rick said.
Alex sighed, "Fine."
Finally after a while, they reached the room. When the arrived to Jonathan's shock, the room was filled with gold.
"Oh. My. God." Jonathan said.
"Can we rest here?!" Alex asked.
"Well, we do have to figure out the way to go . . ." Rick said.
Jonathan let out a sigh of relief, as if he were holding his breath on the answer.
Alex opened his eyes, to the dusky morning light. He got up and looked around in awe. Ahm Shere. It was magnificent. The once lifeless land had evolved into a burst of green, which they now gracefully drifted over.
There was huge waterfalls in every direction, birds chirping everywhere. The think forest below was dominated mostly by old, ancient trees, but scattered about, you could see young saplings reaching towards the early morning sun. Alex looked around for any sign of a temple, he could see nothing but trees. Alex ran up to his father, "Dad! Wake up!"
Rick slowly opened his eyes, "Huh?"
"Where exactly are we going?" Alex asked.
Rick got up and looked around, wondering the same thing, since he too, could see nothing but trees. Rick woke up Evelyn.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Where are we going?"
"What do you mean?" she said standing up. Evelyn looked around for any sign of a place to land, "Izzy . . . Bring down the balloon a bit, would you?"
Izzy did so, and just as he did, Alex yelled, "Watch out!" but it was too late. The balloon had hit a high tree branch. The balloon went a few feet forward and slowly began to fall, gaining downward speed, as they lost elevation. "Everyone down!" Rick yelled as they sped toward the ground.
The balloon made contact with the forest floor with a huge crash. "Everyone OK?" Rick shouted.
"Fine." Everyone answered at simultaneously.
Rick helped everyone up and jumped out of the balloon, followed by Jonathan.
"I bet this guy is just playing some joke, and is home right now laughing it up." Jonathan said, bitterly,
"Audeth wouldn't do that!" Rick said, with all confidence in his friend.
All of a sudden, Audeth rode of the woods on his black stallion, "Do what?" he asked.
"Nothing." Rick said, smiling, "So, where are we off to?"
"You see that waterfall?" Said Audeh, referring to one in the distance, "There."
"Yes . . ." said Rick.
"The book of Anubis is inside, we must get there and protect it, so the evil one cannot be resurrected." Audeth explained. So, they headed towards the waterfall, and after a while, everyone began to get restless.
"My God! How far is this bloody temple?!" Alex complained.
"Far enough." Jonathan muttered.
The group continued to walk, until finally they arrived at their destination.
Alex looked up at the huge waterfall, "How do you expect we get in?" he asked.
"Follow me." Audeth said, beginning to climb up the rocks beside the waterfall.
After a moment, they found a small path which led to the entrance of a temple. They walked inside. "Woah . . . it's huge." Alex said, looking around in awe.
"I wonder if there is any gold here . . ." Jonathan said to himself.
Evelyn looked around the huge temple. Strung with cobwebs, it was dark and gloomy. The air hung heavy with dust, making it difficult to breathe. The walls were bare, unlike any other temple she had ever seen. She looked around again and then noticed seven doors. She stopped of a moment and then all of a sudden the room was covered in gold and hieroglyphics; she looked around for any sign of her family. They were gone. She then saw a man walk out from one of the doors, followed by another who looked deeply saddened. It was the man who attacked Alex the other day! She noticed though, that he did not bare the scar she had seen. The other man was a Madji. Slowly, he walked in front of the man and said, "Zemti, you have failed us." he then sadly. At that, another man rushed into the room; he had a sad, yet crazed look in his eyes. "YOU KILLED HER! HOW COULD YOU! YOU SAID YOU LOVED HER!" he yelled and raised his sword and slashed Zemti across the face, exactly where Evelyn noticed the scar was. Slowly, the vision faded and Evelyn heard a voice.
"Evelyn!" Rick said impatiently, standing in front of her.
"I just had a vision . . ." Evelyn said slowly.
Rick sighed, "Uh oh, that can't be good." he said, then paused, "What did you see?"
Evelyn told them what she had saw.
"You were right . . ." Rick said, almost reluctantly to Audeth.
"I knew it!" Audeth said.
"Knew what?" Evelyn asked.
Audeth looked at her, "You lived a previous life . . . as an ancient Egyptian."
Evelyn stared almost blankly for a moment, and then turned away out of awkwardness.
"C'mon, we'd better get looking . . . what door?" he said to Audeth.
"I am not sure . . . I guess we should just pick one."
So they did, they picked the first door on the right and went through it.
Jonathan began to follow, but a room full of gold quickly got, and held, his attention. "Look!" he said to Alex, and grabbed his arm and pulled him into the room.
The walked into the room and Jonathan dropped the knapsack they were carrying and emptied it out. "Uncle John! Maybe we should sick with the others." Alex suggested.
"Alex. My favorite nephew, What do you see in this room?"
"Gold."
"Exactly!" he said, nodding towards a knapsack, "Start filling then! Chop chop!"
After a few minutes, the bags were filled, they tried to lift the bags but couldn't, so they decided to drag them instead. Finally, after a few minutes, the returned to the main entrance.
"Uh oh. Where are you parents?" Jonathan said.
"Audeth told us to stay together! Ugh! See what you did!" Alex yelled at Jonathan.
Meanwhile, a little bit away from Jonathan and Alex; Evelyn, Rick and Audeth continued through the templed, not aware that they lacked the presence of two people. They then entered a room full of gold. Evelyn listened to hear the reaction Jonathan would have. Figuring he was awestruck, Evelyn turned around to see the reaction on his face, only to turn around and find no one.
"Where are Alex and Jonathan?!" She said in horror.
Rick spun around and then sighed impatiently, "Jonathan must have dragged Alex off somewhere with him!"
"We have to go back!" Evelyn said. And they did.
After a few moments, they reached the temple entrance. "Alex!? Jonathan?!" Evelyn called, but her efforts were in vain, she got no answer.
"Jonathan come out now, or when I find you, I'm going to break your neck and run you over with my car!" Rick yelled.
"Rick!" Evelyn said, half-laughing.
Rick scanned the temple for any sign of the two. He squinted, looking around and saw something shining in the far corner of the room. He went over to investigate when he got there he found a gold ring. "They were here all right." Rick said, showing Evelyn the ring.
"Where do you think they are?" Evelyn said.
"I have no idea . . ." Rick replied. "We'll have to split up and look."
"I'm afraid we cannot do that." Audeth said, "Many people have died trying to find their way through this maze of a temple. This will delay our search, but we will have to search each hallway. Follow me." he said, heading into door number two.
Evelyn looked around the cobweb strung hallway. The light of the torches they had made, made the hallway dull and eerie. The walls were bare and cold, like the entrance, but these walls were rough, like they had barely been constructed. The place gave her a feeling she couldn't explain. They continued down the hallway until the came to a room. To no avail, they turned back. On the way back, Evelyn noticed a painting on the wall that she hadn't noticed on the way in. It was the man with the scar.
Rick stopped, "Evelyn?" he said, getting no answer.
Evelyn gently ran her hand down the painting. Rick walked over to her, "Evie. You gotta stop this." he said, being to get somewhat annoyed by her drifting off like this. "Sorry." Evelyn said quietly, and followed them again.
Alas, they reached the entrance again. All of a suddenly Audeth jerked his head towards the fifth door.
"W-" Rick began.
"Shh!" Audeth said in a yell-whisper.
Audeth slowly walked towards the door, followed by Rick and Evelyn. Someone yelled and at that, two figures fell flat on the floor. It was Jonathan and Alex.
Evelyn sighed, "Where were you two?!"
"Er . . . we got a little side-tracked, that's all." Jonathan said.
"Well don't you dare get 'side-tracked' again." Evelyn said.
They then began to go down the first hallway they entered. Evelyn looked down the hallway in which she had seen the picture on the wall, and sorrow filled her . . . but she wasn't exactly sure why.
They entered the first hallway and walked for quite some time. Finally the reached the room the had been in before. This time, getting more of a chance to look around, Evelyn noticed a throne, and what had to be at least thirty doors. Evelyn and Audeth examined the wall which had scattered hieroglyphics, and even those weren't legible. "Guess we'll be here for a bit . . ." Evelyn said.
Jonathan settled himself in the throne, "Ah, this is the life . . . er . . . was."
Evelyn looked around the room as if in a dream. Another vision was coming, and for the first time, she knew. She stopped, and closed her eyes, preparing for anything she was about to see. It started. In her vision, she saw her father, just after a ceremony sword fight, in which she lost the right to protect the book of Anubis, to her opponent. "You did well, daughter." her father said to her. She smiled, but said nothing. "I have a task for you, my dear. You must go through door eighteen, and there you will find the book. There is a key, you must turn the key; right, then left, then when you enter the room, you will find more doors. You will go through the door with the symbol of . . ." The vision began to fade, then disappeared completely.
"I just had a vision." Evelyn said.
"Another one?" Rick asked.
"Yes." Evelyn said, and then explained the vision.
Shortly after, they walked through they eighteenth door, and down the long hallway.
"Why do I bother to come?" Jonathan asked himself.
"Because we need bait . . . in case on any bugs." Rick answered.
Jonathan scoffed.
The walked for a while in complete silence until Alex began to complain. "I'm tired!" Alex said.
"Almost there, buddy." Rick said.
Alex sighed, "Fine."
Finally after a while, they reached the room. When the arrived to Jonathan's shock, the room was filled with gold.
"Oh. My. God." Jonathan said.
"Can we rest here?!" Alex asked.
"Well, we do have to figure out the way to go . . ." Rick said.
Jonathan let out a sigh of relief, as if he were holding his breath on the answer.