A Lost Love
A/N: I forgot to mention that anything in Arabic is gonna be in bold italic :)
"What do you think we will find when we reach Hamanuptra?" I asked Evy as we walked along the deck of the boat.
"I believe one of the most famous books in history is buried there. The Book of Amun-Ra. It contains within it all the secret incantations of the old kingdom."
"The Book of the Living?" I asked as I stopped her
"The Book of the Living."
"Evy, from what we read about this place you wanna risks our lives for a book that may or may not be there?" I asked
"Risking our lives? Please Rose, you and your superstitions."
"I wouldn't call the City of the Dead a superstition. You heard what O'Connell said, all he ever saw was dirt and blood." I tell her
"Oh come on now, who knows if that's even true."
I gave her a small smile, "Yes of course, cause who can trust the words that come out of that scoundrel's mouth."
"Oh you. Stop it."
"I'm just saying, that was one hell of a kiss." I joked with her and lightly wacked me with her book, "Well dear sister I believe I'm going to retire to my cabin. Try to get some rest." I said and she smiled
"Yes mum." She said sarcastically and I gave her arm a light squeeze and walked away.
I just finished getting ready to turn in when there was a knock on my door, I sighed and walked over then opened it seeing O'Connell standing there, "Uh hi, do you know where Evelyn is?" He asked me
"She should be in her room why?" I asked him and he looked down the hall
"I think some unfriendly people just got on the boat."
"Wait, what?" I asked him
"No time to explain come on." He said and dragged me out of the room then reached into his holster and pulled out a gun holding it to me.
"Oh no, I never touched a gun before."
"Well there's no time for a lesson. Can you defend yourself with anything?" He asked as we walked down the hall towards Evy's room
"Got a sword?" I asked him and he looked at me shocked, "% times fencing champion." I mentioned and he shook his head
"Just stay close." He told me and we get to her room, "Evelyn!" O'Connell yelled and kicked open her door holding to guns up and I see a robed man pull my sister in front of him holding a knife to her neck. Suddenly the light candle in her room flickered a little and I looked at the window, "Down" O'Connell told me and I ducked as he fired his gun at the man who opened the window then saw Evy take the candle and poke it into her attackers eye then ran to O'Connell who shielded her and I got up and grabbed her hand and we followed O'Connell but Evy stopped.
"The map! The map! I forgot the map!" She yelled and went to run back to the room but O'Connell stopped her.
"Relax. I'm the map. It's alI up here."
"Oh, that's comforting." I point out as we head out to the deck.
"Hold onto this." O'Connell said to Evy handing her his duffel bag then went to move around the corner but gun shots went off and we ducked behind the wall. As O'Connell messed with his gun to reload it gun shots kept getting closer and closer to him until Evy moved him out of the way. He looked shocked then brushed her off and began firing back at the man and moved out from behind the wall and we followed.
"Who are these men?" I asked as we get to the railing
"No clue but I'm not sticking around to find out. Can you two swim?" O'Connell asked us
"What?"
"Can you swim?" He repeated taking the bag from Evy
"Of course I can swim, if the occasion calls for it." Evy told him
"Trust me. It calls for it." He said picking her up and tossing her over
"Are you mad? You just tossed my little..." I started to say but he picked me up too
"You're next." He said and threw me in as well. When I got back up for air I swam over to Evy
"Are you alright?" I asked her
"Do I bloody look alright?" She says and I looked around.
"Come on." O'Connell told us shortly after and we started to swim towards some land, with O'Connell following us.
"Evy! Rose!" I hear Jonathan yell and I looked back to see him not far behind us.
"Come on Jonathan follow us." I tell him and we reach the shore hearing the other passengers shouting across from us
"We lost everything! All of our tools, all the equipment! All my clothes!" Evy said and I took the sweater I was wearing off and wrapped it around her, I knew it wouldn't do much but I could at least try to keep her warm.
"O'Connell! Hey! O'Connell!" We hear someone yell from the other side of the river, "It looks to me like I've got all the horses!"
"Hey, Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!" O'Connell told him and I see the man look behind him then kick the water in anger.
"I don't wear dresses." I told the lady in the tent as they got Evy dressed but the lady kept pushing the dress at me and indicated to my night gown, "This isn't a dress. It is a night gown." I said to her
"You must wear this." She told me me and I sighed, I wasn't getting out of this one. I nodded my head and took the dress then another lady finished getting me ready then all of us and Evy walked out of the tent over to Jonathan and O'Connell who couldn't take his eyes of my sister. I nudged her with a smile as the camel made a noise and we got on them heading off into the dessert.
"Never did like camels. Filthy buggers. They smell, they bite, they spit. Disgusting." Jonathan pointed out as we continued riding.
"I think they're adorable." Evy says petting hers
"I prefer horses." I mentioned and my Camel groaned at me, "No offense." I said to it petting it's head and Evy chuckled.
As we rode along the sun started to set and the wind picked up and I moved my mouth piece up.
It got darker out and while everyone but me and Rick were sleeping I see Evy who was asleep start to lean on Rick. He moved her off his shoulder making sure she didn't fall and I giggled making him look back at me, "Why aren't you asleep?" He asked me
"Giving you another pair of eyes." I tell him, "So do you have a first name or should we just keep calling you O'Connell?" I asked
"It's Rick." He says and we hear a neighing sound off in the distance making us both look up at the cliff seeing people up there watching us
"Do you think they are like the ones from the boat?" I asked Rick.
"Most likely." He said and we continued on.
As the sunset was just starting we came up to our other friends from the boat, "Good morning, my friend." Beni greeted and we all turned our animals to face the distance and we stopped.
"What the hell we doin'?" One of the Americans asked
"Patience, my good barat'm. Patience." Beni told him
"Remember our bet, O'Connell. First one to the city, 500 cash bucks." The man said to Rick, "A hundred of them bucks is yours if you help us win that bet." He says to Beni
"Oh, my pleasure. Hey, O'Connell. Nice camel." Beni told him and Rick pet the camel's head
"Get ready for it." Rick told us
"For what?" Evy asked
"We're about to be shown the way." Rick said and as the sun rose we see ancient ruins appear in the dessert and I stared at it in shock.
"Will ya look at that." One of the Americans says
"Can you believe it?" Another asked
"Hamunaptra." The third one pointed out.
"Here we go again." Rick says and suddenly him and Beni urged their camels followed by me and Evy then Jonathan and Hassan as everyone else followed. Rick and Beni were ahead of us when I see Beni hit Rick with his whip then Rick grabbed it and threw Beni off his camel. Evy moved up to Rick urging her Camel to go faster then she took off ahead of all of us.
"Go Evy! Go!" Jonathan cheered and I smiled
"Woo!" I cheered as well as Evy got to the city.
"That's a statue of Anubis. Its legs go deep underground. According to Bembridge scholars, that's where we'll find a secret compartment...containing the golden Book of Amun-Ra." Evy tells us as we set up the mirrors outside of the one entrance we were gonna go in.
"Jonathan, you're meant to catch the sun with that." I said to him and he moved his mirror
"So, uh, what are these old mirrors for?" Rick asked her walking over to us
"Ancient mirrors. It's an ancient Egyptian trick. You'll see."
"Uh, here, this is for, uh, you." Rick said handing her something, "Go ahead. It's something I borrowed off our American brethren. I thought you might like it-you might need it for when you're, uh- uh, yeah." He says walking away and I looked at the chisel set he handed her then watched him go and swing down into the entrance.
"Well would you look at that?" I said to her and she huffed at me
"Please. He knows I lost mine on the boat so he was kind enough to get me another one."
"if that's what you want to believe baby sister." I tell her
"We're standing inside a room no one has entered in over 3,000 years." Evy says as we climb down the rope.
"Whoo! What is that god-awful stench?" Jonathan asked when he got down after me and looked at Hassan, "Oh."
"And then there was...light." Evy told us moving the mirror down there bouncing the light off of the ones up top to hit the ones down below and the room lit up, "Oh, my God. It's a sah-netjer."
"Huh?" Rick asked her
"A preparation room."
"Preparation for what?" He asked
"For entering the afterlife."
"Mummies, my good son. This is where they made the mummies." Jonathan told him lighting his torch and we continued walking entering a hallway. As we walked down the hallway we heard a skittering noise around us but we didn't see anything, it sounded like it was coming from the walls or something.
"What was that?" Jonathan asked
"Sounds like... bugs." Rick told him sarcastically and we continued forward
"What do you mean, bugs? I hate bugs." Hassen said then we entered a different chamber.
"The legs of Anubis. The secret compartment should be hidden somewhere inside here." Evy pointed out and I looked at the statue then heard a noise coming from somewhere in the room. Rick handed Evy his torch as him and Hassen pulled out their guns, we hear what sounds like voices getting closer so we all backed up against the statue. Just then Rick moved forward and raised his guns along with Jonathan and Hassen at the Americans who had their guns raised at us.
"You scared the bejesus out of us, O'Connell." the one said and they lowered their guns
"Likewise." Rick adds and they lowered theirs as well
"Hey, that's my tool kit." One of them says to Evy moving closer to her
"I don't think so." Rick told him and everyone raised their guns again.
"Okay. Perhaps I was mistaken."
"Have a nice day, gentlemen. We have a lot of work to be getting along with." I said to them and everyone lowered their guns
"Push off! This is our dig site." The archeologist that was with the Americans says
"We got here first." Evy defended and everyone raised their guns again
"This here's our statue, friend." One of the Americans told us
"I don't see your name written on it...pal." Rick says to him
"Yes, well, there's only four of you... and 15 of me. Your odds are not so great, O'Connell." Beni says to him and they have their guns raised again.
"I've had worse."
"Yeah, me too." Jonathan added and I looked at him confused
"Oh, look, for goodness' sake, let's be nice, children. If we're going to play together, we must learn to share. There are other places to dig." Evy tells them and put her hand on Rick's arm, he uncocked his gun then everyone lowered theirs.
"According to these hieroglyphics...we're underneath the statue. We should come up right between his legs." Evy pointed out as Rick and Jonathan started banging on the ceiling.
"When those damn Yanks go to sleep- No offense." He tells Rick
"None taken."
"We'll dig our way up and steal that book right out from under them." He continued
"Are you sure we can find this secret compartment?" I asked Evy
"Oh, yes, if those beastly Americans haven't beaten us to it. No offense." Evy says to Rick
"None taken."
"Where'd our smelly little friend get to?" Jonathan asked referring to Hassen and I looked around but didn't see him.
"Let me get this straight. They ripped out your guts and stuffed them in jars." Rick says as we sit and wait
"They'd take out your heart as well. Oh! You know how they took out your brains?" Evy asked us
"Evy I don't think we need to know this." Jonathan tells her
"They'd take a sharp, red-hot poker, stick it up your nose... scramble things about a bit and then rip it alI out through your nostrils."
"That's gotta hurt." Rick mentioned
"It's called mummification. You'll be dead when they do this."
"For the record, if I don't make it out of here, don't put me down for mummification." Rick told us
"Likewise." Jonathan adds and hit a rock then suddenly something fell from the ceiling.
"Oh, my God. It's a-It's a sarcophagus." I said as we looked at it.
"Buried at the base of Anubis. He must have been someone of great importance. Or he did something very naughty." Evy added.
"Well, who is it?" Jonathan asked as her and Rick brushed off the top of it.
"He That ShalI Not Be Named."
"This looks like some sort of a lock." Rick pointed out
"Well, whoever's in here sure wasn't getting out." I mentioned
"Yeah, no kidding. It's take us a month to crack this thing without a key." Rick said
"A key? A key! A key! That's what he was talking about!" Evy says and went over to grab something.
"Who?" Rick asked her
"The man on the barge. The one with the hook. He was looking for a key." She answered coming back with the box Jonathan found.
"Hey, that's mine." Jonathan told her and she opened it then set it on the lock, it fit perfectly. Suddenly we hear Hassen screaming so we ran out to the hall seeing him come out from another room holding his head screaming then ran past us going down the hall and smacked into the wall.
"What do you suppose killed him?" I asked my siblings as we sat by our fire that night
"Seems that our American friends had a little misfortune of their own today." Rick told us walking over, "Three of their diggers were, uh... melted."
"What?" Me and Evy both asked
"How?" Jonathan asked
"Salt acid. Pressurized salt acid. Some kind of ancient booby trap."
"Maybe this place really is cursed." I pointed out then suddenly the wind blew our fire a little bit and we looked at it.
"Oh, for goodness' sake, you three!" Evy says
"You don't believe in curses?" Rick asked her
"No, I don't. I believe if I can see it and I can touch it, it's real. That's what I believe."
"I believe in being prepared." Rick mentioned and Jonathan grabbed Hassen's bag
"Let's see what our friend the warden believed in." He says digging through it then yelped in pain.
"My God, what is it?" I asked him
"A broken bottle. Glenlivet. Twelve years old! Well, he may have been a stinky fellow but he had good taste." Jonathan says and takes a drink earning an eye roll and a smile from me. Just then we hear the horses whinnying, Rick looked behind us then handed Evy his gun.
"Take this. Stay here." He told her and walked away.
"No, wait, wait! Wait for me. Wait!" Evy shouted following him then me and Jonathan got up.
"Evy!" I yelled following her
"Excuse me, but didn't the man just say "stay here"? Evy!" Jonathan yells and we run down to the other camp just as robed men on horses came rushing into the camp and started killing some of the workers and set some tents on fire. Rick ran up onto one of the platforms and I did the same as a rider charged at me but Rick shot him.
"O'Connell!" I hear Jonathan yell and I see him running away from one of the riders. Rick was to far away so I made the gut instinct and jumped off the platform tackled the attacker taking the opportunity to grab the sword he had. The rider faced me pulling out another sword, his face piece had come down and I looked at him for a moment, something seemed familiar about him but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"I do not wish to hurt you." He says to me
"Well then this should be easy." I tell him and swung the sword at him which he blocked and we began fighting, as he went to swing for me I ducked and rolled past him then swung my leg out tripping him but he quickly got up and we began fighting again. I ran over to one of the pillars with him following me, I used my left foot to push off the ground and the other I used to push myself off the pillar swinging around and kicked him in the chest. Where did that come from? I asked myself then the attacker swung his sword at me which I blocked but he got the better of me and knocked mine out of my hands, just as I went to grab it and raised it at him again we heard a whistle. I looked to see Rick standing by the fire holding a stick of dynamite and my attacker stopped.
"Enough! Yallah!" The attacker yelled to his remaining men, "We will shed no more blood, but you must leave. Leave this place or die. You have one day." He says walking over to a horse one of his men brought over, "Yallah! Nimshi!" He yells then gave one more look at me and they leave, I lowered the sword and looked at Rick.
"Nice fighting." He told me and I gave a small smile as he took the fuse out of the dynamite.
"Well I did tell you." I replied and saw Evy laying on the ground, but before I could go over to her Rick beat me to it helping her up so I decided to let them have their moment.
"That proves it. Old Seti's fortune's got to be under this sand." The archeologists says
"For them to protect it like this, you know there's treasure down there." one of the Americans pointed out
"No, these men are desert people. They value food, not gold." Rick mentioned
"You know, maybe just at night, we could, uh, combine forces, hmm?" Another American said standing by rick with a half shaved face.
"Oh, I've dreamt about this since I was a little girl." Evy says as Rick and Jonathan brought the coffin out of the sarcophagus
"You dream about dead guys?" Rick asked her as Jonathan opened the key
"Look, his sacred spells have been chiseled off. This man must have been condemned not only in this life but in the next." I pointed out looking at the coffin.
"Now, let's see who's inside, shall we?" Jonathan asked and turned the key, the coffin opened and we all screamed when the body fell out a little.
"Oh, my God, I hate it when these things do that." Evy says and we look at the body.
"Is he supposed to look like that?" Rick asked her
"No, I've never seen a mummy look like this before. He's still- still-"
"Juicy." We all said
"Yes. He must be more than 3,000 years old...and, well, it looks as if he's still...decomposing." Evy pointed out
"Hey, look at that." Rick said pointing at the cover and we walked over to it seeing scratch marks on the inside, "What do you make of this?"
"My God, these marks were made with...fingernails. This man was buried alive." Evy says
"And he left a message. Death is only the beginning." I read out loud and we looked back at the body.
"Say, O'Connell, what do you think these babies'll fetch back home?" one of the Americans asked walking over to us and sat down.
"We hear you boys found yourselves a nice, gooey mummy. Congratulations." The other said
"If you dry that fella out, you might be able to sell him for firewood." the one said and laughed, Rick gave a sarcastic one and I rolled my eyes.
"Look what I found." Evy says walking over to us
"You're in her seat. Now!" Rick told Beni who got up and I looked at what Evy had.
"Scarab skeletons, flesh eaters." I pointed out.
"I found them inside our friend's coffin."
"They can stay alive for years feasting on the flesh of a corpse." I added
"Unfortunately for our friend, he was still alive when they started eating him."
"So somebody threw these in with our guy, and then they slowly ate him alive?" Rick asked her
"Very slowly."
"He certainly wasn't a popular fellow when they planted him." Jonathan says
"Well, he probably got a little too frisky with the pharaoh's daughter." Rick mentioned and we chuckled.
"Well, according to my readings...our friend suffered the Hom-Dai, the worst of all ancient Egyptian curses... one reserved only for the most evil of blasphemers."
"Yes but in our research, we've never heard of this curse having actually been performed though Evy." I said to her
"That bad, huh?" Rick asked
"Yes, well, they-They never used it because they feared it so. It's written that if a victim of the Hom-Dai should ever arise...he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt."
Not to long after I fell asleep that night I woke up to the camels groaning, I stood up as Rick and Evy looked off into the distance and saw something coming towards followed by a buzzing sound.
"Run!" Rick yells and we all made our way to the temple
We got separated from the other group and made our way down a hall when it shook, suddenly a mound formed then a whole bunch of scarabs popped out of the ground,
"Scarabs!" I yelled and we started to run away from them
"Run! Go, go, go! Run!" Rick yells then we ran into a temple going up a ramp, Jonathan and Rick jumped to a spot on one side as me and Evy moved to the one on the other as the scarabs passed us. I heard Evy yell and when I turned to look she was gone.
"Evy?" I asked looking around but I didn't see her, "Rick!" I yelled as the bugs passed then him and Jonathan came over.
"Where's Evelyn?" He asked me
"I don't know one minutes she was standing here the next she's gone." I said and he started to push the wall then turned and tried to push his back into it.
"Damn it! It's a trap door."
"There's gotta be a switch or something around here someplace." I point out then we hear screaming.
"Run, you sons of bitches! Run!" One of the Americans yells as they run down the ramp
"Go. Go! Go!" Rick tells us and we run following them
Rick was ahead of us as we found our way around the trap door, we came up on them and stopped as we saw the body from the coffin standing in front of my sister and Rick. The thing growled at Rick and Evy, Rick yelled back then shot it knocking the thing down
"Move!" Rick yells at us and we ran away following him outside but stopped as we saw the robbed men who attacked our camp standing there with the archeologist on his knees. The one up front lowered his face piece and I saw that it was the man that I fought, he looked at me for a brief moment then at Rick.
"I told you to leave or die. You refused. Now you may have killed us all...for you have unleashed a creature we have feared for more than 3,000 years." He tells us
"Relax. I got him." Rick said to him
"No mortal weapon can kill this creature. He's not of this world." He says and a couple of his men dragged over one of the americans over to the others, his eyes were...they were gone.
"You bastards."
"What did you do to him?"
"We saved him, saved him before the creature could finish his work. Leave, all of you, quickly, before he finishes you all. Yallah. Nimishi." He ordered and his men head into the temple with him following, "We must now go on the hunt and try and find a way to kill him."
"I already told you I got him." Rick repeated to him
"Know this. This creature is the bringer of death. He will never eat, he will never sleep...and he will never stop." The man told him giving me one last look before following the others. what was it about him? Why do I feel like I somehow know him?