AMENPNUFER: THE TOMB ROBBER

CHAPTER 1: TRAPPED!

Hello!

This is my first Wattpad story! I hope you enjoy it! Amenpnufer, or 'Ame' as we will called him, was a real tomb robber. I have taken the basics of his story from the Amherst Papyrus and expanded on them. Please share what you think!

                                                                   Amenpnufer: The Tomb Robber

Pharaoh Sobekemsaf's Tomb, West Thebes, Egypt – 1115 BCE

Meketre's shrill scream pierced the air the second his torch snuffed out. Normally Amenpnufer, called Ame by his friends, would have laughed at the childish scream, but his fear was echoed in it.

The tomb was dark. Incredibly dark. Silence reigned as the seven men stood in shock and fear. Ame held up the gold jewelry that he had been admiring but could not see it in the pitch-black chamber. Goose bumps worked their way up his arms and the hair on the back of his neck seemed to stand on end. This was not good. Anyone could deduce that.

"It's the curse!" Penhesi cried. "Pharaoh Sobekemsaf is punishing us for entering his tomb!"

"I don't believe in that!" Bek, a tomb builder himself countered.

"How can you not?! How else could our torches be snuffed out by a breeze in an enclosed tomb?" Penhesi cried.

Meketre began reciting prayers as the men continued to squabble. The noise became deafening in the small stone chamber.

"Enough!" Ame demanded. He hoped that his voice didn't give away his fears. 'How did the torches get snuffed out by that breeze? We never felt one before working in the tomb...' From the moment they had begun the slow process of breaking into this tomb months ago with their copper tools, it had felt different. A strange aura surrounded it that was not present in the other pyramids and tombs of the wealthy that they had previously plundered. They had relieved so many tombs of their contents that each man knew his specialty and task. Religion had been pushed aside for the worship of gold and survival in these harsh times. However deep the men pushed down their beliefs, they always bubbled to the surface in times of fear.

"How do you plan on doing that, oh great leader?" Setau directed at Ame. He had always been jealous of the ease that Ame had become their unofficial leader in this tomb robbing enterprise. It had been his idea, after all. He was the one who had first come up with the scheme after working on the burial site for Pharaoh Ramesses IX. His attempts to gain control of the group had only been met with negative responses from the others.

Ame thought for a moment. "Does anyone have a flint?"

The men checked, but none of them had a flint. An oversight for sure. "What are we? A bunch of tomb robbing newbies? Who doesn't come with a flint?" Setau demanded.

"Apparently you, Setau," Ame calmly accused. The other men snickered. "I'm sure Narmer will come looking for us soon."

"Narmer?" Setau asked incredulously. "If your hopes are pinned on that pious boatman than we are all as good as dead." Ame had thought that too, but wanted to keep the men's hopes up. So far, Narmer had always volunteered to be their watchman, never once stepping foot within ten feet of the tomb, even as the men could have used his help as they carefully loaded up the heavy debris from their tunneling into their cart.

Meketre let out a little noise. As the newest member to the group, he was not accustomed to this. "I have to get out! I have to! If I don't Ineni's father will make her marry Khyan!"