Lelah chokes on her screams.
Her eyes are wide as vainly clutches at her throat. She digs into the hand she finds: tearing skin and breaking nails. He doesn't let up. He stands over her with one hand around her neck and the other in her hair. He wraps his fist around her hair pushing her deeper into the murky Nile.
She opens her eyes, desperate, kicking her legs at the black ones in front of her.
"Give in."
It takes her a moment to realize it's not English.
"Die, Meritamen," he says impassively. Lelah's vision starts to blur. She takes in the black cloth tied around his neck and the dark eyes that emptily gaze at her. "Don't make this harder on herself."
Her lungs burn.
Her body won't move.
She feels her eyes roll back.
Lelah bursts out of the body bag wet and silently screaming.
She tears at the bag ripping the clear plastic from her skin. Lelah pulls at her arms, at her legs, and holds herself in the dark of the morgue. She trembles on the cold metal slab huddled in a ball. Lelah closes her eyes burying her face in her arms.
She stays there, quiet and small, under the fluorescent lights.
The lights flicker.
Lelah opens her eyes slowly. She takes in the dull gray of the morgue. The room is bleak: all metals and whites. She ignores the white sheets on the tables like hers. She makes it out heads, arms, feet...
Lelah bites her cheek until she tastes metal.
She tugs on the little strip of paper on her big toe making out 'UNKNOWN' in all caps.
The hair on the back of her neck stands up. Like a chill, it travels up her spine gnawing at her senses. Her fingers tremble slightly as she feels for something sharp. She grabs the scalpel holding it tight.
Lelah stills before looking behind her.
Nothing.
Still paranoid, she turns forward.
Lelah throws the scalpel, eyes the size of planets, as it passes through him.
Chris Vail.
Her stomach rolls at what's left of Nick's best friend.
He is a mottled gray. There is dark bruising on his temples and arms like someone threw him. Already, one eye is a milky ball but it focuses on Lelah. The other eye, still brown, stares into Lelah intently. She tries to ignore the three bloodstains on the white tee. She still remembers those gunshots.
"You were with Nick Morton," Lelah says stammering."I watched you die."
The creature in front of her watches her impassive.
"We need to talk."
Lelah scoffs tucking her hair behind her ears.
"We don't have much to talk about at all. We've met once," she struggles for words. "You shouldn't even be here. What is even going on?"
"You know what's going on," he says leaning forward.
Lelah recoiling.
"We died on the plane, didn't we?"
Chris Vail laughs. It's dark and twisted: a mockery of a laugh. He walks closer to Lelah holding onto the metal slab. He's still smiling, the teeth surprisingly still white, when he answers.
"Dead?"
Chris Vail loses his smile.
"No. But you are gonna wish you were."
Lelah's eyes widened, and the door opens with an audible click. She turns swiftly, speechless. She makes out the dark shadows behind the warped glass. Lelah grabs the discarded plastic and pulls it tight across her body.
"Come on this way, please."
They walk in and freeze at the sight of Lelah.
Lelah clutches the plastic tighter.
It's silent for a moment.
"I-I-I-," Nicks says stammering. "Can someone get her some damn clothes?"
Jenny stumbles forward before breaking into a dead run. Her red eyes shine in the lights. The blonde hair waves behind her as she collides with Lelah. The two hug each other tight ignoring the men in the room.
"Lelah," Jenny almost sighs the words from her place at Lelah's throat.
She doesn't let go of Jenny but looks up from the blonde waves.
"I'd like a shower and a change of clothes."
The men don't move.
She sighs, exasperated.
"In that order, please."
Nick laughs and wipes his face.
"Guess I owe you a drink after this."
***
Lelah has to admit that Nick Morton could've chosen a worse pub.
There are just enough people for background noise and not to scream their orders at the bar. The wooden floors and tables are so clean they sparkle in the light. Lelah takes in the red woods, the plush seats and the flat screen hooked to the top of the bar.
The three of them can't look away from the screen.
Lelah pales at the plane crash site.
It's all crumbled metal, smoke and dying flames. The field ruined. The green grass is now burnt soil with smoke still rising. She takes in the still burning flames and the pieces of metal scattered everywhere. The whole area is a dead zone, and Lelah struggles to breathe for a moment.
Jenny looks away to study Lelah's face.
Lelah stares back.
"How did you get out of that plane?"
Nick leans forward raising his eyebrows.
"I didn't," Lelah muttered before stealing Nick's shot.
"Hey!"
Lelah ignores him making a face at the harsh burn.
Nick chuckles slapping her back and pouring her another.
"I'm so happy you're alive," Jenny says reaching for Lelah's hand. She squeezes. "I just don't see how. There's not a single scratch on your body."
Lelah squeezes back.
From behind Jenny, she sees the rotting Chris wink at her before disappearing.
'I don't think I am.'
"Can you get Lelah one of those fruity foo-foo drinks?" Nick said shaking his empty glass. "She can't handle whiskey."
Jenny raises an eyebrow but Lelah nods her head quickly asking for some peanuts too.
As she gets up, she gives Nick and Lelah a parting glare.
'Behave'.
They smile.
It drops as soon as she's out of sight.
Nick takes his last shot before playing with the empty glass.
"Why did you give the last parachute?"
Lelah stares back, impassive.
"You don't like me," he gives her a moment to speak. She doesn't. "Why give me a chance to live? We argued all that day. You even said it was 'on sight'." Lelah's lips twitch. "So why?"
She breathes.
"You saved her life," Lelah said nodding towards her best friend. "Let's lie and say you would have done the same for me."
She crosses her arms.
Nick huffs.
"I was going to," he says looking at the table. "The last time I saw you, you hugged me and threw me out of a plane."
Lelah bites her cheek.
"I wanted to do that earlier," she says finally smiling.
"Whiskey and a Sex On The Beach," Jenny says sliding Lelah her drink.
Lelah takes a sip almost choking when Chris Vail tips a hat to her and disappears.
She can't possibly do this sober, so she doesn't.
Every time Lelah sees Chris Vail, she drinks.
Too soon, her drink is empty so she takes Nick's shots.
They hit her quickly.
She hiccups as she studies the bottom of the shot glass before gesturing to the bartender once more.
Jenny shakes her head at the bartender. She moves her hand near her own neck waving it fingertips first.
The bartenders nods.
Lelah didn't even notice.
Lelah hiccups staring unseeingly as Nick fills her glass with amber liquid.
"You wanna know why I do what I do?"
"I've been having dreams about this girl since I was small," Lelah says with a toothy grin. "I would shut my eyes and open them to a golden room with rich colors and precious metals. She is so beautiful in her white dresses. She teaches me how to throw a punch or mathematic. Sometimes we lay in bed talking for hours. It's not English but the language feels so natural. When I got older, I had dreams of us doing things in that bed," she finishes blushing.
"You're very gay," Nick deadpans.
"It's why I became an archaeologist," she stumbles over the word, laughing. "The dreams appear to be Ancient Egyptian."
Jenny interrupts, concerned.
"That's why we started to work together in university," she says looking at Lelah briefly who blinks. "Listen, Nick. I think you should know what's going on. You know I work with a group of archaeologists including Lelah."
Nick nods.
"Yeah."
"Well," Jenny looks at Lelah, "We developed a theory that Ancient Egypt. Its people erased an Egyptian princess from the history books deliberately. We've been searching for something called 'The Dagger of Set'. A ceremonial knife with a large jewel at the hilt."
Jenny turns toward Nick.
"Set is the Egyptian God of Death," she pauses to take a breath." And legend has it that the dagger and the stone, together, had the power to give Set physical form. We're convinced it's here, hidden in Europe. Stolen by Crusaders centuries ago. Lelah found a manuscript that references it. A crusader knight wrote it, and it suggests someone broke the dagger and the stone apart. The stone, we believe, they buried with this knight somewhere here in England."
" A massive crusader tomb was recently discovered under London. We believe that the stone is down there. That tomb is what led us to Ahmanet."
She pauses.
"I think she is the princess in the legend," Jenny hurries through. "The hieroglyphics said that she murdered her father."
"Murdered?"
Jenny nods.
"Along with his child. She made some sort of pact with the God of Death. And then, when I saw those birds... and that sandstorm..." She trails off.
"Whatever. I mean something is happening," Nick agrees.
"She should be dead," Jenny says quietly glancing at Lelah still smiling at nothing.
Nick looks at Lelah.
"I-I..."
Jenny touches his hand looking into his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Nick. I think we angered the Gods."
She bites her lip.
"Lelah is not safe."
Lelah blinks looking in their direction at the sound of her name.
Chris's graying face and white eye sneer at Lelah before pointing to the girls' bathroom.
Lelah jumps, stumbling to her feet.
"I have to go."
Jenny watches her go, concerned.
She pulls out her phone.
"It's Jennifer. Get me Henry."
Lelah half runs into the bathroom slamming the door behind her.
She turns on the faucet throwing ice cold water on her face.
"Are you done yet?"
Lelah jumps stumbling to dry her face.
"Listen, already," he sighs heavily. "There's fates worse than death. We're that."
Lelah stares at him in the mirror.
"We're cursed, Lelah."
Lelah sighs itching her forehead with her middle finger.
"I get that I uncover ancient artifacts, but I don't believe in curses."
Chris chuckles; his face is varying shades of gray some with parts almost purple.
"How do you think you survived the crash?" He grins. "Is it Setepai or Meritamen?"
Lelah bites her cheek.
He smirks.
"We're cursed," he almost spits the word. "And there is only one way to break it. You're going to do exactly what she wants or this is gonna get a lot worse for both of us."
"How can it get any worse for you? You're dead," she says pointing at him lazily, but the finger trembles.
"She wants you, Lelah."
Lelah exhales through her nose.
"You can't run."
"You can't escape."
"I'd rather not do this alright," she says throwing her hands up before walking out the bathroom.
Chris Vail shakes his head before disappearing.
Lelah takes out her phone as she walks dialing the number by heart. It rings as she goes out the back-door Lelah looks both ways. She can't see anyone outside. She hears a police siren pass by and cautiously steps into the alley. The phone rings once more before going to voice mail.
"This is Dr. Jennifer Halsey. Please leave a message and I will reach you as possible."
The voice mail begins, so Lelah speaks quickly.
"Jenny, I got to leave. Things are happening right now that I can't explain, and I think I've had too much to drink. I'm just going to your place to crash. I'll call an Uber or your British substitute. See you at home."
She hangs up at the beep.
Lelah chews her tongue a moment before she begins walking. 'It must be later than I thought,' she thinks vaguely. She steps hurriedly with the click of her heels echoing against the stone. Lelah looks around her as she walks. Lelah takes out her keys but keeps moving. She places the keys in the spaces between her fingers until it looks more Wolverine than an ordinary human.
A low growl echoes from the dark of the alley.
She turns her head squinting to make it out.
A couple rats squeal racing along the asphalt.
Lelah takes a few steps back.
Whatever is there, growls deeper...harder.
Lelah's mouth drops as she makes out the creature snarling low on the ground.
It rises from a crouch. She makes out one leg...two. Its torso leans to one side as if the spine is broken. Another deep snarl vibrates it's chest causing the dirty layers around it. Five long bony fingers raise slowly to point at Lelah.
She sprints in the opposite direction.
Rats, leagues of rats in a perfect V formation give chase, as the creature's screeches follow.
Lelah can't make a sound.
She pounds on the doors so hard it sounds like thunder. No one answers so she keeps running. She runs until the ground beneath her moves. Lelah slams into the hard ground feeling tiny nails cling to her clothes...her skin. Lelah shrieks wildly punching with her Wolverine fist. Her shrill screams almost drown out the rats.
The rats are too many but she keeps swinging...keeps stabbing...but she can't get up.
Lelah fights to keep her eyes open.
A dry brown face stares back at her. Empty sockets where eyes once more. It reaches out to her with loose bandages hanging from her arm. A bony finger trails down Lelah's face.
"My chosen," the words seem to tear it's throat as it speaks. "My Meritamen."
Lelah screams.