SEHKMET'S REVENGE
Chapter Two Evie gaped in awe at the old abandoned temple. Beside her, Jonathan was grinning like a little kid on Christmas morning. "What'd I tell ya, old mum? Spectacular, isn't it?" Evie could only nod as she took in the sights around her. Even though the site was in ruins, it still was majestic looking. As Evie stood there, she felt like the past was coming to life again. That it was once again ancient Egypt, and not the modern Cairo of 1934. She shuddered as she began to feel like she was seeing the temple through Nefertiri’s eyes and not her own. Suddenly the ancient ruins began to melt away to reveal a new pristine temple with colorful murals and the smell of incense wafting through the air. She looked down and saw that she was no longer dressed in her blouse and pants, but a white linen dress adorned with golden ornaments. She stared in awe as she watched a priest walk up to a statue of Sehkmet in front of her and pull down on the ankh in her hand. Beside him a stone panel slid back to reveal a staircase leading down. The priest walked down the stairs as the panel slid back into place. "Evie?" Evie jumped as she saw Jonathan step in front of her. As he did, the temple again became dusty ruins. Evie looked at Jonathan's concerned face and grinned. "I know a secret!" she said. Rick sat quietly pouring over a papyrus scroll of ancient law. He tried to stifle a bored yawn as Ardeth walked by him. Even though he had learned most of the Egyptian characters with Ardeth and Evie's help, it was still a daunting task to be able to read the texts. And incredibly boring, Rick was finding out. He concluded that writing was not one of the medjai's strong points. He wished that Evie were here with him. He had a feeling that she would be fascinated with all this ancient lore. Rick sighed. He was never much of a reader. He preferred to be out and doing things, not sitting on his ass reading dusty sheets of papyrus. Ardeth walked by and sat down across from him. "How are you doing?" he asked. "Are you able to understand everything?" Rick rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, when I'm able to read without my eyes crossing" Ardeth chuckled and put his hand on Rick's shoulder. "I know it is boring, my friend. But it is part of being a medjai!" Rick nodded and smiled at Ardeth as he passed by again. When he was out of earshot, Rick muttered "And I thought school was bad!" "I don't believe this!” Jonathan said. They were standing at the bottom of the hidden steps and looking down a dusty, cobweb filled, hallway. He looked over at Evie "How did you know this was here?" Evie looked back at him and smiled "Um...woman's intuition." she said. As she started down the corridor, she heard Jonathan snort behind her. "puh-leeze," he muttered. Evie decided to ignore him, focusing instead on the detailed murals lining the walls. Evie was taken aback by the detail in them. Even after three thousand years or more, she could still make out the various colors and minute details in the paintings. As she stared at them, she wondered if the men who designed and painted them had any idea that they would last this long. She paused at a painting of Sehkmet killing a man. Even though it was a painting, the fierceness of Sehkmet and the pleading of the man came through. Evie marveled at the skill of this ancient artist. To be able to convey so much feeling in a two-dimensional painting took a high degree of skill. Evie wished she had half as much talent. She raised her torch up higher as she noticed some text above the mural. "Sehkmet, Great Goddess of war, kills a man in a fit of bloodlust," she read. Behind her, she heard Jonathan whine, "Where’s the bloody treasure?" Evie rolled her eyes. That was Jonathan, always thinking of riches even in the middle of all this beauty. After what had happened to Beni in Hamunaptra, she thought that Jonathan would see how destructive greed can be. Apparently not though, since he was still looking in every corner and crevice for anything he could sell for cash. Evie sighed and turned back to the mural. She shined the light of her torch on the text on the side of the mural and began to read. "Oh Great Goddess Sehkmet, Mighty One, Lady of Pestilence, Eye of Ra, You have lived before and you shall live again, destroy all those who have turned against you and fill the rivers of the Nile with the blood of the blasphemers." As Evie finished reading, she felt the air grow cold around her. She watched with a mixture of horror and fascination as the painting of Sehkmet began to glow with a golden aura. "Jonathan?" Evie could barely get her voice as she watched Sehkmet glow brighter and brighter. She turned to run down the corridor, but found, to her horror, that she couldn't move. She thought of Rick and wished she had taken his advice about not going into ruins. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the painting of Sehkmet come to life and begin to peel itself off the wall. Her mouth fell in a silent scream as she watched Sehkmet leap off the wall and into her body. Damn it! Jonathan thought as he walked back down the corridor. If this Sehkmet was so great, why didn't she have any treasure for me to steal? He stopped in his tracks when he saw Evie. She was on the ground having an epileptic seizure. Jonathan stood transfixed for a moment, not believing what he was seeing. At last, he managed to snap out of it. "EVIE!" Jonathan ran to his sister’s side, as she convulsed wildly on the floor. He fell to the floor beside her trying to hold her down. "Oh god, Evie, what have I done?" he sobbed as Evie shook violently. Suddenly with one last convulsion, Evie stopped and lay still. Jonathan began to shake her shoulder. "Evie? Evie? Evie! oh God, Evie, please be alright! Ev..." All of a sudden, Evie shot up and spun around, grabbing Jonathan by the collar. He stared in horror at Evie's face. Except it wasn't really Evie's face anymore. It was more of a cross between Evie's face and a lion. "EVIE?" Jonathan said in a high-pitched voice. The creature answered him by baring it's teeth in a snarl and jerking Jonathan by the collar until he was inches away from it's face. Jonathan almost gagged at the creature’s foul breath. Its cat eyes narrowed, as they looked him up and down. "Evie?" Jonathan said hesitantly. "Are you in there?" The creature regarded him for a moment and then with a snarl, growled at Jonathan. "The female is gone forever! Now there is only Sehkmet," the creature mockingly said in Egyptian. "You and the rest of humanity will pay for forgetting about me!" With an evil laugh, Sehkmet threw Jonathan against the wall, knocking him out. "Soon the world will be bathed in blood!" she laughed as she ran down the corridor. "I live again!" she screamed as she disappeared into the darkness. Rick jerked up as he was reading the scroll. He suddenly had a very bad feeling Evie was in danger. He got up from the table and ran outside into the courtyard where he saw Ardeth practicing with his sword. "Ardeth!" Rick yelled as he ran up to him. "I gotta go home for a moment! I gotta go check on Evie." Ardeth nodded. "You've had a feeling about her?" Rick nodded. "Yes! I can't explain it, but somehow I know she's in danger." Ardeth smiled. "You have inner vision; it is because you are a medjai that you can do this!" Ardeth walked to the stables and brought over Rick and his horses. "I am going with you, my friend," he said. "If Evie is truly in danger, you may need my assistance." Rick smiled as he mounted his horse "Thanks," he said. Ardeth returned the smile as he and Rick started for the house. "EVIE?" Rick yelled. He jumped off his horse and ran into the house with Ardeth close behind. "Evie, Where are you?" Rick suddenly heard a noise behind him. Spinning around, he breathed a sigh of relief as Alex came down the stairs. "Where's your mom?" he said grabbing Alex's shoulders. Alex shrugged. "Mum and Uncle John went to the bazaar." He shifted uneasily. "Why? Is something wrong?" Rick shook his head. "I don't know, son. That's why I want to find her." All of them jumped as they heard a thump at the back door. They turned to see Jonathan staggering into the room, blood pouring down his head and neck. "Evie, Evie..." He gasped before collapsing on the floor. Rick turned to Ardeth and said, "Why do I get the feeling that Evie has just done something she shouldn't have?"
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