I stare out to the clear blue sky, trying to block the sun's rays with my hand. The suffocating air and unbearable heat settles in, ensuring me that we arrived in Cairo, Egypt. As we unload the supplies and luggage from our small cramped cargo plane, I go to inspect that all of my luggage made it in one piece. Luckily for me, most of my luggage consists of just medical supplies like bandages, sutures, and of course medications as a precautionary. As the boys were finishing up, I went to unraveled my scarf that I have tied to my wrist and quickly make a somewhat decent bun out of my long black hair, until I hear a voice from behind me saying,
"I remember when you actually hated having long hair," Isaac said tauntingly.
"You used to always try to cut your hair so short that some of the adults in our neighborhood thought you were one of the boys," he laughs as he nudges me for a reaction.
"Yeah, that's because someone I know went and stuck gum in my hair, not once, but twice when we were kids!" I say in an irritating manner, while looking straight into his light blue eyes.
Isaac puts his hands up in the air as if he was guilty but with a smirk on his face showing he didn't regret saying it.
"Better get used to this heat, Anna, 'cuz from here on out, it's nothing but sand and camels out here" Isaac said as he walks away to unload the rest of his supplies.
I give an unenthusiastic laugh as I go to place the last of my bags in the trunk of our rental car, when I notice David talking to an older gentleman with a monocle and a red fez hat on. The old man carried himself with his chest held high as if he's trying to hide his slender figure and everywhere he went, there was a servant with an umbrella following close behind.
"That must be our boss" I muttered under my breath.
I walk over to Bernard, who seems to be setting up a folding camera of some sort, when I asked,
"Hey Bernard, who's that man talking to David?"
He then proceeds to take a moment to clean his glasses. Once he finally puts his glasses back on, he squints in the direction of where David and the slender old man are standing.
"Oh, that's Dr. Allen Chamberlain, he's the one leading this excavation to Hamunaptra."
I looked over to see that David and Dr. Chamberlain was staring back, as if they heard us from that distance.
"So how does he know about this place?" I questioned.
In which Bernard replies, "He's a treasure hunter like us, but he has his headquarters here in Cairo, he often runs these excavations and brings any treasure they find back to either sell or place into a museum." in which Bernard then added,
"At least, we think that's what he does."
Bernard goes back to setting up his camera, when Isaac started walking in our general direction. It was not long when David and Dr. Chamberlain started walking towards our group. David then started to introduce everyone to Dr. Chamberlain.
"Dr. Chamberlain, this is Isaac Henderson, our weaponologist, Bernard Burns, our archeologist, and Annabelle Cambell, our onsite physician for the expedition."
I noticed when David was introducing me to Dr. Chamberlain, the slender old man, gave me a piercing look, scanning me up and down, as if observing me. I was too familiar with that look, it's the same look that I would often receive throughout my life. After the introductions, I go to shake Dr. Chamberlain's hand, when he interrupts to say "Gentleman! How glad I am to have you here! I take it that the flight wasn't too rough getting to Cairo?" he says sarcastically.
"Well the plane was a bit cramped, but we managed" Isaac commented.
"Well, let's not waste any more time. Come! We'll stop by our hotel and then head on over to my favorite restaurant in the city!" He says gesturing the group to try and speed things along.
I go to help the boys with the remaining luggage, when I hear Dr. Chamberlain's voice from behind saying, "So you're a doctor, correct?" I turn to see the slender man's face waiting for an answer. "Um, yes, I am the lead physician on this expedition," I said with hesitation, "I'm actually doing clinical hours during this expedition, to get more field experience..." Dr. Chamberlain interrupts by takes a step closer to my personal space to say, "Well, don't try too hard during this excavation. I've organized many expeditions and from my experience the physicians often have nothing else to do and get bored. Besides, we wouldn't want you practice medicine on any of our men anyways." he says with a faint chuckle at the end.
I was taken back from that comment, but I knew if I were to rebuttal, this would turn sour for the rest of the group and the trip. In doing so I just laughed it off with a fake smile of my own. Dr. Chamberlain took notice, then proceeded to walk to his car as Isaac comes from behind me to ask, "Is everything ok?"
I turned to see Isaac's concerned face as I responded, "Yeah, everything is fine." Isaac gave me a dart look, knowing that something happened between Dr. Chamberlain and I. When Bernard announced with enthusiasm, "All Right! I got this contraption to work!" We all looked towards Bernard, noticing the folding camera set up to take a picture.
"Well come one! It's not everyday when we all get together like this. Besides we're in Egypt! We got to commemorate this moment." Bernard suggested as he gestured everyone to stand in front of the camera.
"It couldn't hurt." I replied, then soon after Isaac, David and I position ourselves in front of the camera, leaning against the car, carrying our luggage. Isaac and David positioning me to stand in the middle while Bernard was setting a timer. "All right, it's ready!" Bernard announced as he jogged his way to stand next to David and I.
"All right boys and gal, today treasure hunters, tomorrow millionaires." commented Isaac. Isaac's face lit up like fireworks, and I couldn't help but smile at his expression. I looked to the camera waiting for the flash, then without warning, the camera shot so bright that it had blinded me for a few seconds.
"God Damn Bernard! You sure that's what it's suppose to do?" enraged David.
"Don't be such a sour puss David, it took the picture, I just have to develop it." explained Bernard.
Isaac then escorts me into the car with his hand on my shoulder as Bernard started packing up his camera.
We get in and David is in the driver's seat with the passenger seat claimed for Bernard. Meanwhile Isaac and I are sitting in the back, each taking a window seat waiting for Bernard to pack the last of his camera. Bernard then closed the trunk and climbs into the passenger seat. We then make our way out of the airport to follow Dr. Chamberlain's car through the city. I can't help but look outside the window, as I see the bustling life of Egypt. There are so many markets, vendors and so many people walking about with their unique clothes and turbans that it feels like a different world. We make a halt at a check point with high walls and soldiers checking our luggage and vehicle. It didn't take long and they opened the gate for us to enter the military base. It wasn't long after driving into the inner gate that David announced, "Alright, we're here!" David pressed on his brakes with a little too much gusto as I go flying towards the back of Bernard's seat.
David looks back to see that I've face planted with Bernard's seat, in which I replied, "Where did you learn how to drive David?!" As I try to pry myself off, to get back to my seated position. "Sorry." David replied
One by one, we get out of the car, only to be introduced by the workers of the hotel, quickly grabbing our luggage to be placed in what I would assume to be our rooms. Isaac gestures me to follow him and the group, as we make our way to the restaurant that Dr. Chamberlain was boasting about. Once we get there, I see pillars circling around a marbled water fountain in the center of the room, with chairs and tables to sit by. David and Dr. Chamberlain looked like they had already reserved our table, so I went to sit between Isaac and Bernard. In which David gestures to the waiter to come take our orders, "We'll take a bottle of scotch and cups for the table" says David. "Any food while we're here?', to which I respond, "No, just water please".
"I'll take Ful Medames" says Dr. Chamberlain
"You got any sandwiches?" says Isaac as I chuckled under my breath.
"Just take a Fatayer" replied Bernard
"Then order enough for everyone." Isaac said sarcastically
"We'll just take three Fatayers then." David suggests
After the waiter took our orders, Dr. Chamberlain and David decided to have their own conversation on the other end of the table. While Isaac and Bernard were eagerly waiting for their food and drinks to arrive, I looked around to search for the bathroom.
"I'll be back, I'm going to find the bathroom", I say as I get up from my chair and head over to where the restaurant's bar is located. Surely there has to be a bathroom next to the bar. I turn the corner to the bar, and low and behold there is a bathroom. I cut my way through the bar and open the door to the bathroom, only to be introduced to a stained toilet seat with an overflowed trash can with flies hovering around it. I tried my best not to vomit as I did my business while hovering over the toilet seat to ensure my underside doesn't touch the surface of that dirty toilet. I get out of there as quickly as I can, and make my way back to my group, when a drunk man, shoulder bumps me from the side. I stepped to the side to catch myself from falling, when the drunk said, "Well, looks like I found a desert flower in this Oasis."
The man wraps his arm around my shoulder and I can smell the booze from his breath. He's a scrawny man, wearing nothing but a long black sleeve, dirty pants, a red fez hat on top and a poor excuse of a grown mustache. He then proceeds to say "You know I'm going to be rich soon, why don't you come by my place and I can show you the wonders of Egypt."
Just the smell of this man reminds me of my drunk father.
I quickly pushed him off of me and just when I was about to slap him I felt someone grab my hand that stopped the momentum of my hit. It was David!
He then proceeded to say, "Beni, why are you harassing my good friend here?"
David gives Beni a piercing glare, to say he needs to back off. Shortly after, Isaac and Bernard come over with Dr. Chamberlain behind them. David lets go of my hand and Isaac grabs Beni up by the shirt, lifting him from the floor. You couldn't tell by the baggy clothes on this man, but he must have not weighed much if Isaac was able to lift him up from the floor. Meanwhile Bernard tries to wedge his way in between me and the scene that was created.
Dr. Chamberlain then interrupts with "Gentleman, please! Don't kill the guide before our venture."
"GUIDE!" Isaac, Bernard and I say simultaneously.
"Yes, guide! Now put him down Isaac!" says David.
In which Isaac responds with "He's the one who's leading us to Hamunaptra?"
We all looked to this Beni as he was scared half to death and started saying a prayer under his breath.
Isaac lets go of his shirt and steps back to see what a sorry excuse of a man Beni was acting.
Dr. Chamberlain then steps in front of Beni and explains to the group, "There's no need for a fight, Gentleman. Beni was just about to have dinner with us to discuss our plan for tomorrow evening."
I was in utter shock that this creep was going to be coming with us to the excavation, let alone be our guide! I turn to see David's reaction to the situation, but it doesn't seem to phase him. It's like he was expecting this to happen.
"Look! Our food is here, Come! Let's put all of this behind us and just enjoy this evening." announced Dr. Chamberlain.
He gestures to the group to move back to the table, as we follow, Isaac put's me in front of him so that Beni wouldn't be near me. We all sit at our designated seats, while Beni takes a chair from one of the empty tables and pulls right next to Dr. Chamberlain.
"Now, about our voyage. We procured a boat that will take us to the nearest city before Hamunaptra. There Beni will guide us through the desert and we will reach our destination. Now, I suggest that we..."
"I'm sorry, but how do we know if this Beni guy knows where he's going?" Isaac interrupts.
"Yeah! I thought there was some sort of map to the Lost City of Hamunaptra" Bernard added.
David and Dr. Chamberlain look at each other and David responds, "Look, Beni here says that he was actually there in Hamunaptra, and he checks out. Beni was part of the French Foreign Legionnaire, he actually fought there in Hamunaptra."
The group looks towards Beni. I thought to myself how shocking it is to know that Beni has actually fought in battle and made it out alive. Or rather, he's probably the type to run from a fight. I gave Beni a piercing glare as I proceeded to ask, "You've been there right? So, what should we expect then, oh glorious guide?" I sarcastically said.
Beni then responded with a low, somewhat quivering voice, "It's the City of the Dead. Once you get there, you are greeted with the scorching heat, the suffocating desert air and scent of blood in your nose."
I looked to Isaac and Bernard to see their reaction. The scent of blood? I understand the desert bit, but why would there be the smell of blood in the air? Bernard then makes a comment, "Oh, was it because of the battle that you fought there?"
Beni then gives Bernard a sharp gaze and with such a serious face, and responds to say, "No."
-
After we had something to eat, and discussed what our plan was for tomorrow, we made our way back to the hotel. I followed behind the boys, when I see Beni at the entrance of the hotel. I try to pass him without giving him a glance, when he tells me, "You know we are falling to our demise going there, right."
I pause from that comment and turn towards Beni to say, "What makes you think that I would allow that to happen?"
He then closes the gap between me and him and says
"Because of the curse my dear desert flower" as he wraps a piece of my hair in his fingers. I quickly step back and turn my back towards him to catch up with my group. As I was making my way to my room, I noticed Isaac waiting by my door.
"Hey! I thought you were following behind us?" he says
"I was, but I guess I got a little side tracked," I explained.
He tilts his head to try and see my expression, "You sure you're ok being here?"
I quickly try and make up an excuse by responding,
"Yes! I'm fine. I guess that plane ride over just got me all shaken up is all."
I pause a little after my response, knowing that Isaac didn't buy that one bit.
"I'll be fine, Isaac. Thank you for what you did back there, I can always count on you to watch my back." I explained.
After that comment, I could have sworn that Isaac was blushing a little.
"Uh, yeah *cough *cough....... Uh, we should be getting some sleep then, right!" he says with no hesitation. I respond with the same exaggeration as he did with, "Yup! We have a big day ahead of us! Well, I guess this is goodnight then!"
"Yeah, goodnight then Anna" as he nudges my shoulder with a closed fist and walks down the hall to his room.
I unlocked my room door to be greeted with all my luggage waiting for me by my bed. I take off my brown boots and leave them by my door and I make my way to the bathroom to wash up. I wash my face with the cold water and looked at myself in the mirror, my sun kissed tan skin, long black straight hair, and my golden brown eyes are just a reminder of my mother. My father would always tell me that I reminded him of his late wife, that I could be a spitting image of her. I believe that was the reason why my father wouldn't want me to leave the house, but my defiant nature kept getting me into trouble. So much that my father would have to remind me of the consequences of leaving without permission.
I studied my face, paying more attention to the worry lines that creased between my eyebrows, then Beni's voice echoed in my head.
"Scent of blood"
I sighed and started talking to myself. "Why am I getting worried? Beni is a nut job, of course there's no such thing as a curse."
I walked towards my luggage and started rummaging through for a night gown. I quickly changed out of my regular clothes, noticing throughout my body the scars I had received from my father. I brush out my long black hair and tie it with my scarf, I quickly make sure that all my doors and windows are locked before heading into bed. I laid my body to rest, memorizing how soft the sheets are, it wasn't long after that my mind drifted into a slumber. Awaiting for what's to come in the near future.
Official Art
(Reading from Left to Right)
David, Bernard, Annabelle and Isaac.