LJ Idol - Week 6: Ghosts
Novel: Egyptian Dreams
Characters: Jessica and Osaze
Ever since arriving in Egypt - no scratch that - ever since they found that hidden chamber with the urn, Jessica couldn't fight away the dreams that now haunted her. An ancient temple. Her wrapped in silk robes, standing on the balcony with the bloody dagger in her hand. The sadness washed over her and she woke with a start as her dream image jumped off the balcony into the desert below.
She sat on her cot, trying to control her breathing. Just where were these dreams coming from? Every night it was the same damn thing, and part of her wondered if she was going crazy.
If I can't sleep, might as well work. Getting dressed, she pulled on her warmest sweatshirt so that she wouldn't freeze. The desert did get cold at night, after all. Thankfully, she only had a short walk from her tent to the entrance of the tomb they were excavating. As she walked down the clay stairs, the air around her warmed until she pealed the sweatshirt back off and hung it on an abandoned chair.
The new chamber was still being worked on as the students were cataloging the artifacts they had found. They, however, had gone to their tents for the night and were enjoying rest that Jessica had been denied. A few lamps were still lit to provide guidance underground.
With her brush and notebook in hand, she ducked through the opening and stared at the symbols on the walls. She was going to take the sketches to an old woman in town who had once been the expert in the ancient languages. Jessica hoped that the woman would be able to help them understand their meanings, and perhaps what this chamber really was.
As she verified the drawings on one wall, a sudden cold draft blew across the back of her neck. She shivered, then quickly spun as a shadow in the corner of her eye moved. "Hello?" she called out, looking through the opening into the next chamber. When there was no response, she turned back to her work...
... only to find herself staring at the bloody face of a young man. Brown hair matted down with blood fell across his pale face as lifeless eyes stared at her. He was dressed in the robes of a Pharaoh's son, though there were torn and stained as if he had been in some kind of battle. One pale hand slowly rose up, reaching to touch Jessica's face.
Her scream was caught in the back of her throat as she moved away from him until she was pressed against the opposite wall. The man drew closer, and it was only when she realized that she could see the urn and pedestal in the room through his body, did Jessica realize that he was a ghost.
"Who are you?" she asked as she tried to move her cheek away from his hand. He stopped moving, and his head tilted a bit; his eyes taking on a hurt look as if her avoidance to his touch was not what he expected. It was that look that took away some of Jessica's fears, and she took a step away from the wall towards him. "Are you the one in this burial chamber?"
His eyes moved down her body until he was looking at her hand. She looked at it as well, realizing that she was wearing her ring; the ring of gold and lapis that her grandfather had given her the time he had uncovered the tomb of Queen Urbi.
The same Queen who's father's tomb they had discovered this secret chamber in. Jessica lifted her head to look at the man again. "Who are you?" she asked.
The man looked back up at her. His hand shot out to grab her hand with the ring, holding her with the strength that no ghost should possess. Then he leaned forward and kissed her.
A young man in love, trailing a beautiful woman down the corridors of a grand palace. A game of tag, ducking around giant clay pillars so the boy could catch the girl. Finally trapping her in the corner of an entrance way, hugging one another while laughing. Her head resting on his shoulder. Him kissing her neck in secret under her veil. "I love you, Urbi. I always will."
The kiss broke and Jessica opened her eyes to find herself alone in the chamber. She brought her hand up to her mouth, trembling as the images in her mind started to fade. However, the answer to her question was still there, as loud and as clear as the love she had felt in that kiss.
"Osaze..."
This post is for therealljidol. If you liked it, please remember to vote for me on Friday. Also, feedback is appreciated on this piece of fiction, as feedback = love.
Characters: Jessica and Osaze
Ever since arriving in Egypt - no scratch that - ever since they found that hidden chamber with the urn, Jessica couldn't fight away the dreams that now haunted her. An ancient temple. Her wrapped in silk robes, standing on the balcony with the bloody dagger in her hand. The sadness washed over her and she woke with a start as her dream image jumped off the balcony into the desert below.
She sat on her cot, trying to control her breathing. Just where were these dreams coming from? Every night it was the same damn thing, and part of her wondered if she was going crazy.
If I can't sleep, might as well work. Getting dressed, she pulled on her warmest sweatshirt so that she wouldn't freeze. The desert did get cold at night, after all. Thankfully, she only had a short walk from her tent to the entrance of the tomb they were excavating. As she walked down the clay stairs, the air around her warmed until she pealed the sweatshirt back off and hung it on an abandoned chair.
The new chamber was still being worked on as the students were cataloging the artifacts they had found. They, however, had gone to their tents for the night and were enjoying rest that Jessica had been denied. A few lamps were still lit to provide guidance underground.
With her brush and notebook in hand, she ducked through the opening and stared at the symbols on the walls. She was going to take the sketches to an old woman in town who had once been the expert in the ancient languages. Jessica hoped that the woman would be able to help them understand their meanings, and perhaps what this chamber really was.
As she verified the drawings on one wall, a sudden cold draft blew across the back of her neck. She shivered, then quickly spun as a shadow in the corner of her eye moved. "Hello?" she called out, looking through the opening into the next chamber. When there was no response, she turned back to her work...
... only to find herself staring at the bloody face of a young man. Brown hair matted down with blood fell across his pale face as lifeless eyes stared at her. He was dressed in the robes of a Pharaoh's son, though there were torn and stained as if he had been in some kind of battle. One pale hand slowly rose up, reaching to touch Jessica's face.
Her scream was caught in the back of her throat as she moved away from him until she was pressed against the opposite wall. The man drew closer, and it was only when she realized that she could see the urn and pedestal in the room through his body, did Jessica realize that he was a ghost.
"Who are you?" she asked as she tried to move her cheek away from his hand. He stopped moving, and his head tilted a bit; his eyes taking on a hurt look as if her avoidance to his touch was not what he expected. It was that look that took away some of Jessica's fears, and she took a step away from the wall towards him. "Are you the one in this burial chamber?"
His eyes moved down her body until he was looking at her hand. She looked at it as well, realizing that she was wearing her ring; the ring of gold and lapis that her grandfather had given her the time he had uncovered the tomb of Queen Urbi.
The same Queen who's father's tomb they had discovered this secret chamber in. Jessica lifted her head to look at the man again. "Who are you?" she asked.
The man looked back up at her. His hand shot out to grab her hand with the ring, holding her with the strength that no ghost should possess. Then he leaned forward and kissed her.
A young man in love, trailing a beautiful woman down the corridors of a grand palace. A game of tag, ducking around giant clay pillars so the boy could catch the girl. Finally trapping her in the corner of an entrance way, hugging one another while laughing. Her head resting on his shoulder. Him kissing her neck in secret under her veil. "I love you, Urbi. I always will."
The kiss broke and Jessica opened her eyes to find herself alone in the chamber. She brought her hand up to her mouth, trembling as the images in her mind started to fade. However, the answer to her question was still there, as loud and as clear as the love she had felt in that kiss.
"Osaze..."
This post is for therealljidol. If you liked it, please remember to vote for me on Friday. Also, feedback is appreciated on this piece of fiction, as feedback = love.