2.20 – Run Like Mad!


Thomas’s PoV

I sighed and learned back. “It’s a pretty nice day,” I murmured, just staring into the sky. “Wouldn’t you say so?” I turned to my companion.


“Just peach—,” Medea grumbled.

“I love it!” Shaye screamed, running past us and cutting Medea off. “I love this desert!” She flopped on the sand and began making an angel.

“Damnit, Shaye! Did you get Sun Madness again?!”


So much for peaceful. I shook my head, chuckling, and helped Medea get Shaye out of the sun. Medea began berating Shaye again. It had turned into a daily routine. Shaye would wander off, collecting odd bugs and plants, catch some Sun Madness, wander home insane, and Medea would beat her up for being stupid.

It’s her way of saying she cares, I thought, watching them, Medea screaming and Shaye giggling madly. Ever since Chloe had gotten herself poisoned by a cactus, Medea had become paranoid about anyone wandering into the desert alone. Seeing Chloe like that had scared her more then she’d admit.

Shaye catching more sun then was healthy wasn’t the end of the world. The locals had become quite good at curing it, after living in the desert for thousands of years. I’d gotten pretty good at it myself. But that didn’t settle Medea. She never went to sleep until she’d seen everyone back at camp, safe and sound.

&&&&

Chloe’s PoV

“Donovan!” I shrieked. “Get back!”

“Um…” Donovan took a tentative step back.

The…thing growled at him. Donovan stopped. I held my breath. Time seemed to stand still.

Then the creature lunged! Donovan tried to run, but it grabbed him!


“No! Donovan!” Lucy started running towards him as the thing tackled him to the ground.

“No, stay back!” I pushed her back against the wall. “Run!” Thankfully, she listened.

Oh, god, what do I do?! I could only scream and grip my hair as I stared at the dust cloud.

Then Donovan was in front of me, holding his side, but otherwise whole! We ran!

“This way!” Donovan jerked me around a corner.

Down a corridor, up a staircase, over some fire traps, down a different (maybe?) staircase. Up, down, left, right. My head was spinning and my heart was beating too fast, but Donovan seemed to know what he was doing, so I just followed. Even if I’d been in the right frame of mind to, I couldn’t have pulled away, he held my wrist in an iron grip.

A flash of white in the darkness caught my eye. “Is that—” I began.

“Lucy!”

She screamed and swung her camera at us, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

“Lucy! It’s us! Stop it and c’mon!”

With barely a pause, Donovan grabbed her too and turned another corner. He shoved open a hidden door in the dim light, ushered us through, then slammed it shut again.

“Do you think we lost it?” I whispered, staring back down the corridor, searching for that thing and praying I wouldn’t see it.

“Yeah,” Donovan choked out. “I think we lost it.”

We all collapsed against the wall, struggling to breathe. Lucy began to quietly cry.

“Wow,” Donovan mumbled. “Never seen one of those before. Do you think it was a real, live mummy?!”

“What?! No! There’s no such thing as mummies!” No, not at all, I don’t want to think about!

“Then what was that thing?!” Lucy whispered, clearly terrified. Why did I let her come along?!


“I—” The words died on my tongue. I swallowed hard. “I’m not sure,” I admitted, turning to look down the corridor.

“Well, no use worrying now.” Donovan stood up abruptly, dusted his pants off, and cracked his knuckles.


“Huh?”

“I’m fairly certain we’re near the end. And that means that relic has to be close too!” Donovan grinned.

Despite myself, I did as well. Almost done!

Sure enough, another hour and another swim and we’d reached the end! Donovan opened the chest.


“Yup!” He drug out the large relic and held it triumphantly. “Now, to get outta here!”

&&&&

It wasn’t the only relic, just one of three. Lufti ran us ragged all over the god forsaken desert searching for those damned relics. But, finally, we found them all. Each one had to be turned over to he. I’d wanted something else. Maybe to hide them in a different pyramid or tomb! Maybe destroy them!

Donovan talked me out of it. Instead, I settled for draining the Agragorium from the interior of all the relics. It took me a while to construct a container of Mummitonium to hold it all, but I did it! The container, with the Agragorium inside, was kept on my person at all times. With the relics safe for Donovan to handle, and thus leave out in the world, we handed them over to Lufti, and, from there, to an Egyptian museum, to “display the rich and vibrant history of Egypt.” As long as Donovan was safe, they could bury the relics in a sandbox for all I cared.

In exchange for the relics, Lufti gave us the location of the MorcuCorp Headquarters.

“Finally.” Payback time.