Flashback

by Dawn Carter

  “How much longer is this going to take?” Chris practically whined. He was starting to become visibly irritable, and Claire could tell by the way he was shifting and pulling at the top buttons of his white short-sleeved shirt. They may not have been around each other long, but Claire was pretty observant when it came to these things.

  “You can leave now if we are keeping you from anything.” She could practically feel everyone rolling their eyes.

  When he didn’t reply, Claire led the way down the steps, taking them very slowly and carefully. The steps were crumbling apart in some places, making it very possible for someone to break their ankles, or worse. The passage was a tight squeeze; the five of them had to descend in a single line to avoid being squeezed. Once they reached the bottom, Claire shone the light upon a mirror and, like magic, it shared it by reflecting the lightbeam across the room to other places, lighting the entire room. She fixed the light in place, so that the room remained illuminated.

  “To be an Egyptologist, you need to have patience,” Claire said matter-of-factly. “We could be down here for the next day or so.”

  Jordan’s voice caught her attention. “Is that what this bag is for?” he asked, holding up a small, blue backpack he’d been carrying. Claire had given each of them a bag, packed full of food and water, and handed it to them before they entered the Temple. She nodded.

  “We won’t survive a day in a place like this without something to eat and drink,” Claire shot over her shoulder.

  “Holy shit,” Chris muttered from behind her. As Claire looked around in the torch lit room, Chris’s blue eyes were huge, staring around the tomb. “Is all that real?”

  “What you are witnessing is history unfolding. It is our job to catalog each item, and once that’s done, to crate them to be moved to the surface.”

  “This is…” Jordan couldn’t even finish his sentence. He was staring around, just as shocked as Chris.

  Still amazed by her find, Claire swallowed hard, taking a moment to find her voice.

  “So, remember, every one of you,” she said slowly. “This is just like back in 1922, and the eyes of the world will be on us. If we don’t do this correctly, we will be hunted from here to Kingdom Come! Now, let’s get started. We have two days to get this done before the Ecological Society of Egypt will be here to determine if the structure is sound enough for us to excavate it. I don’t want anything to stand in our way, so get moving.”

  Jennifer, the quiet one in the group, moved around slowly, Tiffany on her heels. “This is amazing.”

  Acquiring another torch from one of her bags, Claire moved further into the room, rocks, and sand crunching under her boots. Kneeling next to the sarcophagus, she lifted the torch to get a good look at the markings on the side. Just above the hieroglyphs, one word was etched in the stone. Her breath caught in her lungs as her lips mouthed the name, “Anai.” Claire whispered quietly, raising her hand to trace her fingers along the letters. She was sure it was the tomb of Queen Yiara, but instead, the name, as strange as it sounded, was familiar.

  “Is it the one you’ve been searching for?” Sophia knelt down next to her to read the symbols.

  “No,” she grumbled, her eyes studying the hieroglyphs. “This was a great queen. Someone I know a lot about.” Claire quickly removed her gaze. There had been two names that had followed her through life – Yiara and Anai. She was not sure if it was part of a childhood fantasy plaguing her mind, or if it was real. But then she had found an ancient scroll, a prophecy tied to both the names. It was confirmed then that they were real, but she still had no idea what they had to do with her. It wasn’t until she found several likenesses of herself that she learned it was her who had been reincarnated, and the prophecy was nearing.

  “It’s almost time.” Her voice was low enough that no one heard except her past self, entombed before her in stone. From her research, she should have been scared, but at the closing of each day, her excitement only increased. If the meeting were to bring death upon her, at least it would be with the one she was destined to share eternity with. “We will be together.”

  “You really need to get laid,” Sophia laughed.

  Claire rolled her eyes. She was quite content being alone, and letting Sophia believe she was straight had helped put an end to the crush she was sure Sophia already had on her.

  “Claire,” Tiffany called from the other side of the Sarcophagus. “I…think you should probably see this.”

  Claire rose from her position on the floor and moved around to the other side of the huge sepulcher, coming to a stop next to Tiffany. In front of them, etched in the stone, was a message meant only for her. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust, but when they did, she almost fell backwards. Entombed in front of her, encased in the stone, was the corpse of Yiara, alongside that of Anai. Claire carefully transcribed the message. Upon her death, the slaves had been ordered to retrieve the mummified corpses and lay them side-by-side for all eternity.

  “That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Tiffany sniffled.

  Claire smiled through the sadness that tore at her heart. Her former self had loved so deeply, yet in this lifetime, she had not even gotten close. She used to think there was something wrong with her, but when she had moved to Cairo, she’d found herself driven to the point of exhaustion — and all thoughts of romance had vanished.

  ●●●

  In the crowded café, Spencer moved to the first available table. She had spent the past seven days traveling with a guide to see if she could find anything that would give her more answers. The only things she had found were crumbled rocks and carvings that meant nothing to her. She was tired, and just wanted a quiet meal, but the table next to hers was obnoxiously loud. As much as it annoyed her, when she overheard one the women at the table discussing an excavation, her ears perked.

  “Can you believe it?”

  “I know, right? All that gold, and she asked to only keep the scrolls.”

  Sophia shook her head, and said in a low voice, “She believes she is reincarnated, and that was her tomb.”

  “Does she believe that she will be reunited with her lost love?” Jordan spoke in a soft voice, but it was loud enough for Spencer to hear.

  Leaning in closer, Spencer listened. Within several moments, she learned they were excavating a tomb that had to do with a curse, and the approximate location. The youngest of the three girls mentioned that their mentor, Claire, who seemed to be the woman in charge, had pitched a tent by the dig.

  This was it! Spencer decided that if she couldn’t find a guide to take her, she would travel on her own. All she needed was a compass and the direction to the tomb. How hard can that be?

  Just then, she spun around to the sound of bustling shops. The sights, the sounds, the smells, each were astonishing, and there was a lot to take in.

  She looked around when everything went quiet; everything and everyone went still. She thought she was dreaming, when she noticed a woman in black clothes walking about, dodging the still bodies. Her black hair swayed as she walked, her eyes gleaming in the sun as she made her way through the crowd of merchants and shoppers. Only several feet away, the woman stopped and lifted her eyes, fixing them on Spencer’s, whose eyes were also fixed upon hers. Spencer felt a rising sensation in her chest, but kept her gaze fixed on the woman. “Anai?”

  “You’ve come.” Anai lifted her hands, and, one step at a time, she moved across the floor toward Spencer, yielding what was in her grasp. “Why are you sad?”

  “I’ve looked everywhere for you, but I couldn’t find you.”

  Anai said nothing, but her gaze showed that she was serious.

  “I don’t know what to do anymore,” Spencer continued.

  “Thousands of years we have been separated, but no more.” Anai took Spencer’s hand in her own.

  “Are you near?”

  “I’m as close as we are now.”

  Spencer looked to the frozen crowd of people. The l
oud table next to her was the only one still speaking. “Are they speaking of you?”

  A slight nod of her head, the corner of her mouth curved upward. “Search and you will find, not everything is buried beneath the sand.”

  Spencer blinked back several times when the room around her suddenly moved at a normal speed once more, and Anai, or the vision of Anai, was gone.

  As she came out of her dream state, the faces scattered throughout the establishment were slowly coming into view. What the hell? This is getting stranger by the minute. The difference now, she had a name to go with the one she was searching for. Smiling, she leaned in and listened to the group, hoping to gather more information. Claire—what a pretty name.

  Chapter 13

  The aroma of coffee filtered into her nostrils. Claire moaned and smiled. She steadied the cup in one hand, and turned off the ignition with the other.

  Maybe if I just bury myself in work for a week or two, the answer will come, she thought as she left the car. If she had been paying attention to her surroundings, like she used to before her mind had become so cluttered, she may have seen the old priest follow her into the building. Since their first meeting when she had moved to Cairo, her life had been filled with one coincidence after another. The dreams she’d had were now coming during her wakened state. Each thing moving her, pushing her to find answers. But in the past two weeks, her emotions had become intense. Something was about to happen, and she knew it would change her life forever.

  Finally, I’m done for the night. I’m wiped. Claire replaced the receiver and leaned back in the chair. She rubbed her heavy, tired eyes so hard she thought she might push them into the back of her head. She had been working nonstop for a week, and found herself getting annoyed with her new apprentice. In fact, it had built beyond annoyance. She found every little thing about her irritating. And not just ‘fly buzzing around your head’ irritating. More like fingernails on a chalkboard irritating. Was this the universe’s signal that she should get rid of her? She walked back to the tent she shared with Sophia, and found her sitting in a fold-up chair, just staring at the sky.

  “Looking for shooting stars?” Claire asked as she reached into the tent and pulled out another chair to join the sky watching. She wasn't exactly in a sleeping mood anyway, despite how tired she was.

  “Just thinking,” Sophia said, somewhat distracted. “My initial examination of those artifacts tells me they are definitely dated from right around 70 BC.” She trailed off for moment, and Claire thought she was waiting for a response.

  “We already knew that, though, so what's really got you pondering?”

  Sophia moved her gaze from the stars to Claire, a small grin playing at the corners of her mouth. “Do I have to say?” Her eyes searched Claire’s.

  “I know,” Claire half-smiled, her mouth curved mischievously. Her mind was now racing with the possibilities of their find. Not much was known about the ruins, but something big was about to happen, Claire was sure of it, and they were on the cusp of finding out what. This is why archaeologists do what they do, she reminded herself. There was nothing like holding in gloved hands something that hadn't been touched in centuries. Now they were holding things that nobody living even knew existed.

  Claire waited for the burst of laughter she knew was coming. She wasn't disappointed. Sophia was no longer looking at the stars wistfully, but at Claire incredulously. Claire leaned forward on her chair, as much as she could without it tipping over, and looked solemnly at her.

  “Is your boyfriend flying in for your birthday?” Claire asked.

  “How long is our funding good for?” A not-so-clever attempt to shift the subject fell flat. It didn't help because this subject was not any better.

  Claire raised her brow. “We are now approved for five years. So, is he coming?”

  “I hate parties in general, I hate birthday parties specifically, and I hate parties for my birthday worst of all. And, no, I didn’t ask him.” Sophia turned her gaze away as she picked up her chair and disappeared into the tent.

  Claire shot her a glance over her shoulder, and studied the young redhead as she got ready for bed. It was not the first time she’d questioned her about her boyfriend, and each time, Sophia had adamantly refused to discuss her private life. What are you hiding? The curse of being an archeologist, Claire was always trying to uncover the hidden stories buried deep within the Earth. She reminded herself often that people were off limits, but the not knowing the ins and outs of things drove her insane. This time, she was being pushy, and knew better. Taking several moments to contemplate her words, she waited until the last lamp was turned out before she spoke.

  “I’m sorry if I upset you Sophia. Is everything okay?”

  “I guess. I just need to look at things differently before I commit to anyone in the future. Things didn’t work out, which, for me, was a good thing.”

  Claire could hear her smiling, even in the dark. “I agree, it’s better to be sure of what you want.”

  “How about you? You never talk about anyone.”

  With her arm tucked behind her head, Claire stared into the dark. Purposely vague, she laughed, “I guess I haven’t found the one I want to share my life with yet.” The truth was, there was only one woman for Claire, and it was impossible. She was not real, yet Claire had experienced a love so pure, raw and amazing. Imagine her surprise when she’d learned that Yiara, a young queen of the Nile who had died thousands of years ago, was, in fact, the woman she had dreamt of all her life.

  That was what had drawn her to follow in her father’s footsteps and become an archeologist. There was a reason she was dreaming about Yiara, but she didn’t know why—it was just a matter of solving the puzzle.

  ●●●

  Slowly, the coolness of the morning died down, and the sun blurred her vision; her eyelids suddenly felt heavy. Claire tilted her head to one side, sweating from the unusual heat. A strange sensation of sinking crept over her. Her eyes fluttered closed, and would not open—her mind drifted into a soothing oblivion. A new, harsh wind rushed past her as gravity pinned her to the mattress.

  As tired as she had been the night before, her mind refused to be quiet. There was something coming, she could feel it. Shamod, the old priest, felt it as well; over the past few months, he’d called her to his temple on a regular basis. He’d insisted there was something in the scrolls that would answer her questions. Something that would help her fulfill the prophecy. When she had found the tablets and shared the contents, he’d become hopeful that the curse would soon be broken. The land would then heal, and death would no longer inflict young lovers.

  There was something different about him the last time they’d shared a meal. He had been evasive; she was sure there was something he wasn’t telling her. Hemed, Shamod’s apprentice, had said something she couldn’t shake; “Life just got a little bit more interesting around here.”

  When she asked him what that was supposed to mean—he just laughed and patted his chest above his heart.

  Chapter 14

  The world was as silent as if it had ended during the night. Spencer opened her eyes, no longer feeling the heady pull of her dreams. Even though the sun was still resolutely below the horizon, and the streets dark, Spencer was awake, ready to find the source that was pulling at her. With the flick of her finger, the room was immediately bathed in the unnatural glow of electric light.

  Content, legs crossed over one another, making mental plans on how to start her day, Spencer flicked the pages of her diary. As her eyes rested on her coffee mug, the corner of her mouth curved up.

  Dear Diary,

  Change of plans! I’m not going to go back home. I would never forgive myself if I didn’t see this through. I called mom and gave her a list of things I need from back home. She was so glad to hear from me, she sounded worried. I told her I was okay, but she said she’d had a terrible feeling and asked me to be safe.

  I didn’t think too much about it until my guide sai
d he couldn’t go with me in the morning. I had a hard time understanding him, and I think from what he was saying, he had some kind of family emergency, but I think he was lying. When I first said I needed him for the day, he smiled and said okay, but when I told him where I wanted to go, he suddenly said he couldn’t. What I find weird, I asked four other guides, and each shook their heads really fast and walked away. What the hell? It’s only a few hours’ ride.

  I was a little discouraged when the guy at the map shop refused at first to show me how to get there on my own. He said it was not safe for me to go alone. What is it with these people? Anyway, I got a map, a compass, and I have the GPS on my phone. Realistically, I know the GPS is no good, but I will have my phone in case of an emergency. I also packed a satchel of extra water, food and other things, so I won’t be without if I’m out longer than I intend. I still have use of the camel, and I think the old girl and I have got an understanding now.

  Which reminds me of how funny it was at first, because she and I had a love-hate thing between us. She smells and spits, which makes me sick to my stomach, and she doesn’t like it when I dig my heels into her side. So, if I don’t kick her as hard, she doesn’t spit as much. She still smells like an ass, but I guess I can’t complain.

  Anyway, my plans are to head out at first light. As long as there is no sandstorm, I should make it in less than two hours, meet this woman face-to-face, and still make it back before sunset. I think it will be a breeze. It was further when we went to the first few pyramids, and we were still back pretty early.

  I’m excited. I’m about to meet her. Claire, what a beautiful name. More later.

  The heat against her face was starting to become too much. Spencer had no idea what had possessed her to head out without a guide. Just because she had the location of the dig Claire was at, she had no idea if she was still heading in the right direction—it was hard to tell in a sea of golden sand. She had followed the directions, and was sure she was still on the right path, but at this point, she wasn’t totally sure of anything, especially how long she’d been out there. The only thing she had to gauge time, since her phone had died under the heat, was her water, and all of it was gone—even the camel seemed to be slowing its pace. Had it been only a day, two days, or was it longer? She was not afraid of death, yet she feared never coming face-to-face with the reincarnated woman who had haunted her dreams.