The book

Yawning, Ashley follows her brother to the sarcophagus they found yesterday. "Everything okay miss" asks Jonathan. Ashley nods with a smile. She watches patiently as Evelyn takes the key. "Now or never" she says ominously. "I think I prefer never" whispers Ashley. "Me too" gulps Jonathan. Rick, Jonathan, and Evelyn look very hungover. Ashley on the other hand just looks tired. With a giant hiss, the grave opens. Jonathan and Rick slide the lid of the coffin while Ashley and Evelyn take a step backward. "Don't panic, but it is a mummy" whispers Evelyn. "You don't say" jokes Ashley. "I know mummies can look a bit scary. That's why I say it." Ashley nods. "Thanks. " Pushing, shoving, and groaning the lid budges inch by inch. "I can't believe by the way you to fed me drunk yesterday." "Don't blame me, I don't even remember being there" blows Jonathan. "Well neither do I, thank you" grumbles Evelyn. Rick gives her a hurt look. "You don't?" "No" she answers hesitantly. "Why should I", "Ah it's nothing," says Rick. Ashley subtle strokes his fingers aware of his hurt feeling. "Gee well you told me it was the best time you ever had," says Rick with a big cheesy smile. Evelyn's face dropped embarrassed. Surprised Ashley jumps up from the loud this of the lid dropping. Hesitantly all three of them grab their heads and moan. "Suckers" laughs Ashley and peeks inside the box. Laughing she jumps away for Rick his picking finger.

The wooden coffin drops to the ground next to the stone sarcophagus. High excited Evelyn jumps up and down. "Oh my god, I dreamed about this since I was a little girl." "You have weird dreams' lady" sighs Jonathan. "You dream about dead guys," asks Rick. Ashley and Evelyn laugh and walk towards the beautifully decorated coffin. "Look," says Ashley. "All the secret spells have been chiseled off," says Evelyn. "Doesn't that mean something" asks Ashley. "It sure does" answered Evelyn. The hieratic and hieroglyphics to protect the deceased on his journey to the afterlife. They've been removed. This man was cursed. Doomed." "The curse" hears Ashley soft in her ears. "Tough break" whispers Rick. "Yes I am all tears, now let's see who is inside shall we," says, Jonathan. "The curse" hears Ashley again. "Should we do this guys. I don't know.." stammers Ashley. "Ashley relax, there is no curse okay," says Rick. Ashley nods. Jonathan inserts the key in the lid and turns. Metal cracks while the coffin soft cracks. Rick grabs the lid. It is stuck. He pulls it with all his might. Jonathan helps him, it starts to give away until it cracks open. The lid cracks open and a foul stench comes out. "Oh" curses Ashley while the others react louder. The most hideous maggot-infested rotten corpse jumps out. "Ah" screams Ashley and jumps back. "Oh god" yells Evelyn startled. Scared to death even the boys jump back.

Slowly the four creep forward again and look at this deformed corpse. "Is he supposed to like that?" asks Jonathan. "Juicy" answers Rick. "No" answers Ashley. "No indeed, I have never seen a mummy look like this," says Evelyn. "He is more than four thousand years old and still decomposing." "Evelyn," says Ashley and points at scratches inside the lid. "Oh my god" whispers Jonathan. "This man was buried alive" Evelyn gasps. "And he left a message," she says and lends in closer. "Death is only the beginning." Jonathan shivers. "Where is my gun," asks Rick while Ashley looks round. "What are you going to do? Shoot him" yells Jonathan. "If he decides to wake up.. Yes!" "Come on" laughs Ashley. "I need some air," she says and pats his back. Jonathan and Evelyn follow them up to see that the two camps became one. "Well, well," says Rick and looks at Benni. "It was not my idea my friend," he says and looks at Ashley. "Although I love to spend more time with your sister." Rick pats his head. "Hey," says Ashley. Rick looks surprised to him after which Ashley pats his head. Rick grins amused and walks towards the campfire.

It doesn't take long before the night falls and Jonathan comes to sit next to Ashley. He pulls his nose up for an unpleasant smell. "What is that," he says and looks at Rick and Benni who are rusting big chunks of hairy meat above the fire. "It smells like our late friend, the warden." Benni and Rick look at each other and then grin. "Oh my god" sighs Ashley. "You have not" yells Jonathan. "We are not?!" "Rat gizzards" laughs Rick. "You are such an ass" curses Ashley. Evelyn groans. "They smell horrible, they taste horrible, but it is the best thing that the dessert has to offer." The gloating Americans sit down and show their new findings proudly. "What you say O'Connell" laughs Daniels and hangs a blanket over Ashley. "Thanks," she says smiling. "What do you think these will fetch back home" laughs Henderson. "We hear you guys found yourself a nice gooey mummy. Congrats" laughs Burns. "You know if you dry him out you can sell him for stick wood" laughs Daniels. The Americans laugh loudly. Evelyn smirks and drops a big pile of bug skeletons on the ground. "What the hell is that," asks Ashley while Jonathan and Rick stare disgusted at the bug collection. "Famished," she says. "Are you saying that somebody trow these in with our guy, and they slowly ate him alive?" asks Rick. "Very slowly" grins Evelyn. "He certainly was not a popular fellow when they planted him," says Jonathan. "Must have gotten a little too frisky with the pharaoh's daughter" laughs Rick and pokes Ashley. Ashley laughs amused. "According to my readings our friend suffered the home dai" Evelyn says. "The worst and most evil ancient curse. One reserved for only the vilest blasphemers. In all of my research, I never read of this curse actually being performed." "That bad huh" asks Ashley. "Yes they never used it because they feared it so. It is written that if a victim of the hom day should ever arise he would bring with him the ten plagues of Egypt." "You mean the biblical stuff," asks Ashley. "Like what that Moses guy did to that pharaoh guy," asks Benni. "That's one way of putting it" says Evelyn. "Let's see. There were frogs, flies, locusts" says Jonathan. "Bees also right" asks Ashley. "Hail and fire" whispers burns. "The sun turning black" says Henderson. "Water turning to blood," says Daniels. "No bees" smiles Ashley. "No but my personal favorite, people covered in boils and sores," says Jonathan. All the men look nervous at each other. "You guys believe in this stuff," asks Ashley. Evelyn shares an amused look with Jonathan. Like he knows what she is thinking he suddenly starts tickling Ashley while screaming; "watch out for the plague." Screaming she jumps up. "You don't joke with the plague my friend" whispers Benni and walks off. " "Pff" sighs Rick and shakes his head. "It is just a myth" laughs Evelyn and pulls a meat stick out of the fire. "Fried gizzard someone," she asks. Ashley pulls her nose up at the horrible stench and shakes her head. "I don't care what you guys want, but I am going to bed" she sighs. Rick gives her an intense look. "You'll be alright," he asks. Ashley nods and kisses his jaw. If she has to be honest, the story spooked her a bit. What if it is not a myth like Evelyn said. What if the men were right? Before this 'adventure' Ashley never even thought about the possibility of an afterlife. But now, with the crazy people who attacked the boat, Benni his superstitious fear, the disgusting-looking mummy, the book, the men... Just everything. Everything that has happened since she left her home... It made her wonder. Why would those guys go through all this trouble for a key. A key that doesn't lead to a treasure! No, a key and a map for... for a mummy. And not a famous or wealthy mummy, like Cleopatra or Tutankhamun. No, just a nobody, mummified alive. They wouldn't have made so much effort if they didn't believe the stories. Ashley sighs and looks to the stars. They don't seem to give her an answer either. "Silly girl" she whispers and turns around. A familiar sound catches her attention. Slowly she turns around. The dark desert is quiet. Not a single movement to be seen. So what was that sound? What is it that calls for her attention. Once more the sound is heard. Now she knows for sure. It wasn't a dream. She didn't imagine it. It was the sound of a sighing horse. The Americans their horses weren't standing close enough for her to hear them. So it must be another horse. While she slowly steps forward she tries to see in the darkness. She knows something is out there. Or someone. Maybe she just should have called Rick, but her curiosity leads her further. "Ahh," she screams. Her heart skips a beat while she falls on the cold sand. Grunting she rubs her head and looks up. Surprised she crawls back when she looks into two familiar eyes. The rider with the facial tattoos. Scared she crawls backward and looks up the sand cliff. "You must not shout," he says with a strong voice. "I will not hurt you. But you must not call for aid." Once again Ashley looks up. Ready to shout Rick his name. "I only desire the book. I give you my word." Ashley shakes her head. The man holds out his hand. Doubting if she can trust him she looks at him. "I don't know about the book. I only know that the American doctor found it." The man waits till she takes his hand. Sighing Ashley takes his hand, knowing that he won't give up anyway. He pulls her up and nods. "Can you get the book for me? I promise after I have the book, you will never see me again." Ashley sighs. "Why don't you get it yourself?" A playful smile appears on his lips. She realizes now that her answer might be a bit rude. Possibly no one dares to speak to him like she just did. He doesn't look like an ordinary guy at the end. A soldier perhaps? "I would if I knew for sure that It wouldn't end up in just another bloodbath. Enough blood is spilled on these grounds." "Ashley nods. "I'll see what I can do" she sighs. "But you promise that you and your friends won't come back right? Cause no offense, but they are complete assholes. And I am pretty sure that I am tired of you as well." Again the man grins. "I promise" he answers. Ashley looks into his deep brown eyes and nods. "Thank you," he says before she walks back up again. "Stupid soldier whatever he might be asshole" she curses and walks back to the camp.

"NO!!!!!!!!!" she hears the doctor yelling. "YOU MUST NOT READ FROM THE BOOK!! He hastily runs to the camp, pushing Ashley over on his way. "Hey!" she yells. "What the actual fuck man" she groans and crawls back up. Ashley skids to a stop as a strange, piercing, and whining sound is heard. Rick leaps to her feet. The Americans run out of their tents. "What the hell" whispers Ashley and looks to the dark sky. The sound gets louder and closer and then from out of the darkness is a huge wall of locust that swirls into the camp and envelops everyone.

Rick grabs Ashley, Jonathan follows his example with Evelyn and they race for the crevice, trying to fend off the horrid vermin as they go. Beni and the Americans run for the temple. "Come on" Rick yells as he races down the labyrinth. "He slaps a locust from his shoulder and grabs one out of Ashley her hair. "Did you see that" yells Jonathan. "Locusts" he screams. "Locusts Evie!!! The first plague!" "Oh shut up" yells Evelyn. "Serious, grasshoppers, loads of grasshoppers!" "This is not a plague, this is generational. Every so many year the locusts of Egypt have a population explosion and they all take flight." "I hate to say it but I think that Jon may be right" shivers Ashley. "Why thank you, someone, who takes this seriously," says Jonathan. Evelyn steps forward. Something squishes under her feet. Rick lowers his torch and shows a whole passageway filled with frogs. "Frogs," asks Jonathan. "Okay, what about frogs," asks Rick. "The second curse" whispers Ashley. Rick looks at her. "Ash, look. I.." His sentence is interrupted by the trembling ground under them. Suddenly right in front of them, hundreds of chittering scarabs bottle up from out of the ground. They start scurrying towards them. "Back" yells Rick and pushes Ashley hastily away. Evelyn and Jonathan scream while they start running.

They race through dark alleys, hoping to find a way out. "Daniels" Ashley suddenly hears. "Rick" she yells but he cannot hear her. She stops and looks in the dark. "Daniels" she hears again, this time with more fright. "Oh fuck it" she whispers and runs into the small alley. "Hey" she yells when she sees Burns sitting on hands and knees on the floor. "Please help" burns yells. "I.. I can't see. I lost my glasses. Help!" Ashley looks backward. "Sorry Rick" she whispers. She hastily searches the sand floor for his glasses. "I found it, it is broken I am sorry," she says and takes his arm. "Come on. I will help you." "Thank you.. You are the little one right? Miss O'Connell. Thank you" he whispers. Ashley smiles and hooks her arm in his. "Trust me alright" she whispers and turns around.