Chapter 8: Save Me
Late that night, Radames felt something sharp roughly scrape against his side as he was walking. His stick had broken earlier and he was leaning on it, partly because he wanted to most of his weight off his right foot, partly because he was staggering from lack of food, and partly because he felt dizzy from dehydration. The stick must've been sharp because when he touched where the stick left its mark, he felt blood.
Suddenly, his father appeared in his path. Radames tried to move around him, but Zoser moved when he did.
"Get out of my way, old man," Radames said.
Zoser didn't respond. Radames rubbed his eyes and Zoser vanished. Radames shook his head. It was just a hallucination, he thought.
Tired and out if breath, Radames laid down on the ground and stared at the stars, which were spinning out of control. He dug his fingers beneath the sand as if to steady the spinning. Stop! Stop! Radames thought. But, that just made everything spin faster and faster out of control……………………….
At the same time this was happening, Aida came back to the Nile and took her amulet out of her dress and stared at it. She remembered when Radames had given it to her. It was his, but he'd given it to her because he wanted her to sleep in the palace so she'd be safe. She'd muttered under her breath that she loved him and he'd heard her.
He believed her then, but she would never know if he believed her now. She felt a tear trickle down her cheek, but then quickly wiped it away. How many times am I going to cry? She thought.
"Another sleepless night, Princess?"
Aida turned around to find Mereb standing behind her. She nodded in response and then turned her gaze back to the water.
"Mind if I sit with you?" he asked.
"No," Aida replied. "And please stop calling me Princess."
She hid the amulet back in her dress. Mereb sighed and sat down next to her looking solemn and staring out at the Nile.
"Are you all right, Mereb?" Aida asked.
"Nubia's beautiful," Mereb said.
"Yes, it is," Aida agreed.
"I never thought I'd come back," Mereb said.
"Neither did I."
"I wish Nehebka could've seen it."
"Me, too."
Mereb sighed. "I don't think you know this, but she was my cousin," he said.
"She was?"
Mereb nodded solemnly.
"Oh, Mereb, I'm so sorry," Aida said. "I didn't know."
"I come here this time of day to grieve," Mereb continued. "It's the only time I get to be alone."
"I know," Aida said. "I grieve, too."
It was Mereb's turn to face Aida.
"Radames is dead," she said, answering the question she knew he was going to ask.
"Is he really?" Mereb asked.
"I don't know," Aida admitted. "But, I'm sure that he was caught and that they buried him alive."
The tears she'd been trying to hold back suddenly flowed down her cheeks.
"Radames and Nehebka are dead because of me," she continued, her voice wavering. "My father doesn't trust me anymore. He wants to pick a husband for me because he thinks that I'm going to destroy Nubia. He's right. I betrayed my father and two people are dead because of me."
Mereb wrapped his arms around Aida and comforted her as she cried on his shoulder. The same thoughts she'd been having for weeks flooded over her. Finally, after a while, Mereb held her at arm's length.
"Remember, Aida," he said. "If you need anyone to talk to about all this, I'm here."
"Thank you," Aida said.
"Now, you should go get some sleep," Mereb said.
Aida nodded as they both stood up and walked back to the village. It's nice to know I have someone to confide in, she thought. Suddenly, her thoughts were broken when Mereb tripped over something and fell. Aida immediately rushed to his side.
"Are you all right?" Aida asked.
"I am," Mereb said. "But I don't think he is."
He jerked his head behind him and Aida looked in that direction and her breath got caught in her throat. Behind Mereb, lying on the ground was….
"Radames!" Aida exclaimed.
He was covered in bruises and hisside was bleeding. She rushed to Radames's side and shook him.
"Radames, can you hear me?" she said, in a loud clear voice.
Mereb grabbed his wrist and pressed two fingers to it.
"He's alive," Mereb said. "He has a pulse."
Aida wrapped her arms around him and tried to pick him up.
"Mereb, can you grab his ankles?" Aida asked. "We have to get him to my hut."
"I can't let go
I don't want you to know
I've been down so long
Could you save me
I'll fight my way
Just to hear you say
If I go up in flames
Could you save me" – American Hi-fi
To Be Continued...
A/N: Chapter 9 is coming soon and it will be longer.
