The Mediator: Egyptian Style

We got to the pyramid less than ten minutes later. We bought two tickets and went along with the rest of the crowd. Well, until we ended up where we were before. Then we snuck past that part and started to explore some more.

Then he popped in.

"What are you two doing back here?" he asked incredulously.

I looked at him from where I was, which happened to be near a book shelf. Yeah, I know, shocking, isn't it?

"Trying to solve your murder," I replied and went back to looking at the books. Of course all of the books were in hieroglyphics. Figures.

Then he yelled at me. "You - you can't be here!" he screamed.

I looked back at him, startled. "What - why?"

"She's coming tonight," he said ominously. "Tonight is when she is in her purest form. Mediators and shifters may be the only ones who can see ghosts, but tonight she can harm everyone."

Jesse came over at that point. This intrigued him, I could tell. But, well, it freaked me out. I wanted to get out of there, pronto.

"How is this possible?" Jesse asked.

He sighed. "Nevermind that. I told you that you have to leave. Now, before she can get you. Leave!"

"Jesse— "

"But how?" Jesse persisted. He had that look on his face. The one that said, 'I'm not going anywhere, until you tell me'.

"She - you read that section in the book I wrote, correct?" he said. Jesse and I nodded. "Well, you know who I am talking about then. Nefelinuf. She was killed by Akhantirfu. Nefelinif vowed to kill anyone related to Akhantirfu and anyone who got in her way of doing so."

"Yes, but that doesn't answer how she can be seen my non-mediators," I pointed out.

He ignored me. "You," he said, pointing to me, "are related to the murderer. She is out to get you. If you do not leave at once, she will get you."

I was shocked beyond words. "I - I'm related to h-her?"

"Yes, you are. Nefelinuf cannot go outside of Egypt, but she can roam around this country. She'll kill you, Susannah, if she gets her hands on you. You cannot give her that chance."

I was touched that he actually was informing us of this.

But at the time all I could think was, "Oh, shit, I'm gonna die!"

"You have to leave this country at once."

I looked at Jesse. He was staring at me. "Oh, querida," he said. "We're leaving, Susannah." He put his arm around my shoulders and attempted to drag me out of the pyramid.

But something stopped me. I couldn't leave.

"Jesse, no," I said. "We - we have to stop her. Other people related to her could die too. It's not just me and you know that."

He shook his head. "No, Susannah, I cannot put you in that sort of danger."

But it was too late. I had all ready put myself in danger.

I maniacal cackle boomed throughout the pyramid at that moment.

I knew then that I had to face her. I had to face my fears, whether it means I have to die or not. I just had to. It was not for my pride or anything, but for . . . courage. I had to do this so no one else would be hurt.

Jesse was looking at me with almost . . . fear? No, no, he could not be afraid. He . . . no. It isn't possible.

He grabbed my arm. "Susannah, we have to leave, now!" he yelled.

He was scared. I could hear it in his voice. He was scared for me.

Well, that just makes this situation a lot more shitty.

But something just made me stop. I stood my ground and turned around, toward the direction of the laughter. She was coming for me and by God, I would be ready for her.

"Susannah, we have to leave!" Jesse yelled again. He was desperate to get me out of there. I didn't blame him. It was rather ominous in there. But I knew I had to do this, no matter what the consequences were.

Have you ever had that moment in your life when you don't know what your reason for living is? You know that there is one. It's not just to fall in love and have kids and live a prosperous life. It's to do something important in history.

And that was that time for me. I was going to make a difference. Protect the lives of innocent people.

Time to put this bitch to rest.

A louder cackle sounded to my left. She was closer. She was coming for me.

"Leave, Jesse!" I yelled at him.

He didn't move.

"I'm not leaving without you, Susannah!" he yelled back.

The pyramid started to shake. She was doing that.

"You have to! I have to do this on my own!" He still didn't move. I couldn't let him get hurt because of me. "LEAVE!" I yelled so hard that my voice cracked.

He looked at me with this weird expression on his face. Like for once in his life he couldn't figure me out.

I didn't have time for this. "Jesse, please, just leave!"

But he didn't. We were so much alike that we were willing to put ourselves in danger for each other and others.

But we were also completely the opposite. I was impulsive, Jesse was . . . not. He thought before he did things, I so did not.

An ear-splitting screech broke out through the pyramid. I clasped my hands to my ears to protect them as much as I could from the sound. It was horrifying.

I saw that Jesse was too. But he wasn't doing what I wanted him to do. He wouldn't leave.

One more try. "Please, Jesse!"

"I'm not leaving you here to get hurt, querida. If you think that, you are sadly mistaken."

Any other time, I would have melted from that. But that time, I didn't. It really pissed me off that he wouldn't just get the hell out of there and leave me to do what was necessary.

He came over to me to try and get me out of there one more time. But I resisted yet again.

And that's when she came. She appeared right behind us. Normally I can sense a ghost, but I couldn't sense her at all. That's why it surprised - no, scared - me so much when she tapped me on the shoulder.

I spun around and screamed my head off. Jesse just looked at me. I think I scared him more than the ghost did. Huh, kind of ironic, eh?

The ghost looked amused. She had a petty little smirk evident on her soft features. I must say though, she was rather pretty. She probably got a lot of guys back in the Egyptian times. But that's not the point.

"So," she said, circling around Jesse and me. "You are the infamous Susannah. I have to admit, I thought you'd be a little more . . . stunning."

I narrowed my eyes at her and Jesse tensed up. She just laughed at us.

I wasn't scared anymore.

I looked at Harrison, but he was just frozen there. Did she do that?

She came over to Jesse and put a pointy finger under his chin. "And you must Hector - or Jesse as she calls you." She took that finger and dragged it down his cheek.

He shuddered and tensed up even more. Thank God not in the place that was reserved for me, if you catch my drift.

"What is a man like you doing with a . . . girl like her?" she asked Jesse, moving closer to him.

That's when I got mad. I pulled her away from Jesse and punched her right in the face.

It didn't seem to affect her though - physically, I mean. She was pretty pissed though.

She took her pointer finger and wagged it in front of my face. "Uh-uh. You shouldn't have done that."

Oh, believe me, I knew that after I did that.

"This is between you and me," I said. "Jesse has nothing to do with it."

She smirked again. "Oh, but you are right, Susannah. He has nothing to do with it." Then she snapped her fingers and Jesse was gone.

My eyes widened. "What did you do!" I shrieked.

Her smirk turned wry. "Do not worry. He's fine . . . for the time being anyway."

"What is that supposed to mean!"

I admit, I was frantic. She just made my husband disappear right in front of my very eyes! And its not like Jesse was a ghost anymore.

She cackled again. "I'll make a deal with you, Susannah. If you can defeat me, then I will let you and your dearest Hector go. If you lose, however . . . he becomes mine." And she laughed again.

"What!"

I couldn't believe my ears. Was this really happening?

"You heard me correctly. Now decide."

She snapped her fingers and a chair appeared out of nowhere. She took a seat in it and crossed her legs gracefully.

I stood in front of her, not nearly as graceful as she was. I felt inferior to her because she was gorgeous, because she had the power that I wish I had.

But I wasn't inferior. She was the one that was dead; and I was not.

I had shifting powers. I could use them to help me win. I could use what Paul had taught me. Granted, it wasn't much, since the time he kissed me in his bedroom was the last time I had gone to shifting lessons. But still.

But first I had to know something. "What if I don't agree?"

Her eyes darkened. "Then I will kill you and Hector still becomes mine."

Okay, my mind had been made up.

"Deal," I said. "I'll do it."

She smiled. "Excellent."

I was thrown against the far wall by an unseen force.

"No fair!" I cried. "You didn't even say when to start!"

"You must realize, Susannah," she said, "that I do not play fair."

My eyes narrowed. "Then let the games begin," I growled.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Bow down to Meg, not me