by West, Shay
“Are you insane?” Alex’s eyes filled with tears. “What about me is so perfect? Oh wait, it must be my dad leaving, or the fact that he has never asked about me since he left. Oh, I have it! It’s the endless torment by Catelyn and Beau!” Alex’s voice rose to a fever pitch.
“Are you forgetting the new house? Or your little secret? You can’t tell me that you don’t wish you could tell everyone about it so they can pat you on the back some more.” Jennifer stood toe-to-toe with Alex, her face red, anger and jealousy written all over her face. “And let’s not forget the new boyfriend.” She spun and walked out of the theater.
Alex stood in bewilderment and embarrassment. The other students tried to pretend they hadn’t heard the entire exchange, but it was obvious by their complete lack of eye contact that they had heard every word.
She sullenly grabbed her things and waited outside for her mom. The prospect of shopping for furniture didn’t sound as much fun as it had that morning. Alex seethed as she replayed the conversation in her mind. She’s just jealous.
When her mom arrived, she threw her stuff in the back of the Blazer and slammed the door as hard as she could.
“Easy, Alex. No need to break the door.”
Alex ignored the pointed look her mother gave her as she climbed into the passenger seat.
“So...how did rehearsals go?”
“Fine.”
“Anything else happen I need to know about?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Neither one spoke as they drove to the furniture store. Alex wasn’t ready to tell her mom what Jennifer had said. The wounds were still too fresh.
The salesman met them as they walked through the door. “Are you here looking for anything in particular?”
“I think we’re just browsing for now, thank you.”
Alex knew her mother hated the pushy sales types. She preferred to be left alone to shop, and would find someone to help her if she needed it. The fastest way to piss her mom off was to hover like a vulture while she shopped.
The pair walked through the store, looking at everything from living room sets, bedroom sets, and dining room furniture. It wasn’t long before the confrontation with Jennifer was pushed aside as Alex stood in front of the most perfect bedroom set. It was snow white wood with a matching dresser and desk. The bed was covered in a white comforter with deep purple sheets in stark contrast to the pristine cover. A dozen throw pillows littered the surface of the double bed.
“You like it?”
Alex turned to her mom. “Like it? Oh, Momma, I love it!”
“Then it’s yours.”
Alex threw herself into her mother’s arms, tears of joy falling down her face. She had never owned anything so beautiful in her whole life. She looked at the set again, drinking in the richness of the colors, and how grown-up it was.
“Oh, Alex! You better stop the waterworks or else I’ll be bawling next!”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too, Lexi.”
Alex’s tears started again when she heard the hitch in her mom’s voice.
They spent the next two hours picking out living room furniture, a dining room set, and a bedroom set for her mom. The salesman was very eager to help them when he realized how much money Patricia would be spending. He double-checked the deliverymen, making sure they got the multitude of boxes and furniture loaded on the truck.
“Here’s the address. Can they meet us there in about four hours?” Patricia asked.
“Of course. I’ll see to it. Thank you, and have a wonderful day.” The man shook Patricia’s hand.
“Why not have them meet us now?” Alex was anxious to get the boxes into their new home.
“Because, silly! We still have some shopping to do.” Patricia put her arm around her daughter’s shoulder.
Alex thought that if anything else good happened to her, she might burst, or float right up into the sky.
They spent the next couple hours shopping for dishes, silverware, pots and pans, bathroom decor, and plenty of knick-knacks and pictures to decorate with. Alex couldn’t believe her good fortune when she found a purple bathroom set that would perfectly match her new bedroom set.
The clerk gave at the two carts a wide-eyed stare. “Looks like someone’s moving into a new place.” She sighed heavily and began running the items across the scanner as fast as she could.
Alex helped her mom place the bags back into the carts. As she glanced into the bags, she smiled, picturing all of the items in their places, either in cabinets or in drawers or hanging on the walls.
They loaded the Blazer and drove across the street to an Asian restaurant for dinner. All of the menu items were completely foreign to Alex. After reading the descriptions, she chose the tom kha gai soup and eggrolls. Her mom decided on pad Thai. They each had a Thai ice tea.
“So do you want to tell me what happened today?”
Alex sipped her tea and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure what happened. Jenn blew up at me after rehearsals.” She hoped it would end there but her mom had that look that meant she wasn’t satisfied with Alex’s answer. She sighed, set her glass down, put her hands under the table so she could stick them between her knees. “She was upset because I did well at rehearsals, I guess. She was just ranting at me, saying I was so perfect, and she was angry about the new house and the fact that I have a boyfriend.” Alex winced when she saw her mother’s eyebrows rise almost to her hairline.
“Excuse me, what did you say?”
Alex wanted to smash her head against the table. Her mom had some lame rule about no boyfriends until she was older. She thought fast. “That’s what Jenn said, not me. See what I mean about her being crazy? She was happy about us getting the house last night and then all of a sudden it’s ‘Oh, well aren’t you little miss perfect, and isn’t it cool having everyone say you’re so great.’” Alex used her best sarcastic voice, the one she usually saved when she was talking to her friends about something her mom had said. She waited to see if her mom would forget about the “boyfriend” slip-up.
“What did she mean about everyone thinking you are great?”
Alex held back a sigh of relief. Her tactic worked. “Well, I did really good at rehearsals and I guess she was pissed.”
“Alexis Dawn!”
“Sorry,” Alex said looking around the restaurant. Her mom didn’t usually say anything if she used a word like pissed when they were alone but she hated it when Alex used that language in public. Who cares if I say “pissed,” anyway?
“How did Jennifer do at rehearsals?”
Alex shrugged. “All right, I guess. Her part isn’t very big so she isn’t on stage much.”
Before her mom could answer, the waitress brought their lunch. Alex was envious of the petite Asian woman with the almond-shaped eyes and sleek, shiny black hair. Even her voice was tiny and sweet.
Alex stared at the pasty white soup, leery of the vegetables floating in it. But the smell was intoxicating. She took a spoonful and gasped as the warmth hit her tongue, exploding in a myriad of strange and exotic flavors. She had never tasted anything like it.
“That good, huh?”
Alex nodded emphatically at her mom’s question, shoveling the soup into her mouth as quickly as she could. She held her hand over her bowl protectively when her mom grabbed her own spoon for a taste.
For awhile, Alex was spared any more questions about Jennifer. She wished she knew what had set her friend off. Maybe I should call her later.
“It sounds like she may be jealous of you.”
Alex laughed out loud. “Why would anyone be jealous of me?”
“Oh, honey! You get jealous of people, right? It happens to the best of us.”
“But, why me?”
“Alex, you are smart and funny, and apparently you have some pretty good acting chops. And a ... ahem ... boy who likes you.”
Alex grimaced. She would have to watch what she said concerning
Drake from now on. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Don’t you remember how jealous you were of your old friend Cassie when she got her iPod? You didn’t speak to her for a week!”
Alex nodded.
“Give Jennifer some time. She’ll come around. You did.” Patricia winked at Alex.
“I hope so, Mom.” Alex couldn’t imagine never speaking to Jennifer again. But she had to admit that what bothered her the most was dealing with the trips through time on her own. She was frightened of her gift and it was nice having someone to talk to about it.
They drove to Karen’s to pack their belongings in the guesthouse. As Alex packed up her beloved books, tears welled in her eyes. Her aunt’s guesthouse had been home for the last year. It would be hard not seeing Karen and C.C. every day. Alex trudged to the bathroom she shared with her mom. It didn’t take long to pack the few things in the counter.
“About finished?”
Alex glanced up at her mom. “I think so.”
“Let’s get going. The furniture will be at the new house soon,” Patricia said.
“Aren’t you sad about leaving?”
“I’ll miss your aunt and C.C. but I am actually excited about having a place of my own. Besides, it’s not like your aunt lives hundreds of miles away.”
Alex and her mom loaded their things into the Blazer, barely able to squeeze everything in amongst all of the new purchases. Alex climbed in the passenger seat and her mom put a large box of books in her lap.
“Are you are there’s no room for this in the way back?” Alex groaned under the weight.
“I could just strap you to the top of the Blazer, Alex.”
“Sure! Sounds like fun!” Alex laughed.
They pulled up to the new house and Alex grabbed as many of the bags as she could, staggering under their weight.
“We can make more than one trip, Alex,” Patricia said fondly.
Just as they opened the front door, the moving van arrived. Alex squealed and clapped her hands. She watched as the men rolled dollies out of the truck and down the ramp. Her mom directed them where to go. When they finished unloading the furniture and the boxes, they offered to help assemble some of the larger pieces.
“Oh, you don’t have to do that...”
“It’s no trouble,” one of the men said.
Alex decided to fix up her bathroom while the guys were putting together her desk. She tried to convince herself that it was because she wanted to get her bathroom put up, and not because she wanted to watch the hot guys while they worked.
One of them smiled and winked when he caught her looking. She ducked back inside the door, blushing to the roots of her hair. Alex busied herself with getting her shower curtain put up and her bath rugs situated. As she arranged her counter accessories, she glanced in the mirror.
Her heart stopped as the face of the Egyptian girl appeared. Not now! Her arm moved forward and Alex knew that she was about to be transported back. I’m not ready! No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop her arm from moving. Her fingers touched the glass, which felt like syrup. Pain flared up her arm. Her mouth opened to scream but no sound came out.
I hope I get back into my body before Mom finds me!
That was her last thought before darkness took her.
CHAPTER 4
ALEX AWOKE lying on the floor. It only took a moment to remember the Egyptian girl and to realize she was no longer standing in her bathroom. She stood and looked around, relieved to find herself alone. The room was enormous. One side was constructed of giant pillars and wispy curtains that blew in the breeze. The other three walls were covered in hieroglyphs, and the floors in luxurious rugs.
Alex walked toward the open area and gazed out at the city before her. It was strange to have no windows. The heat of the day was fierce, though the sun had barely risen. The people moved about the streets, looking like tiny white ants. Her eyes followed them to see where most were going at such an early hour.
As her eyes rose, she gasped as the sun glinted off the white stone of a large temple. The Precinct of Amun-Re! Alex’s put her hands to her mouth, tears welling in her eyes as she gazed at this amazing monument being made to honor the chief deity. The sun reflected off the marble columns and walls, making the monument look as though it was glowing from within. The men looked like insects swarming over mounds of dirt that they had piled up along the sides of the walls so they could reach the top. The chinking sound of hammers and chisels reached her ears, as did the singing of the workers as they toiled in the heat of the new day.
Alex knew that she must be in ancient Thebes, known in present day as Luxor. And she was witnessing first-hand the building of the temple to Amun-Re. She bit her lip as she looked around, trying to see something that would give her a better idea of exactly what period she was in. Many pharaohs had lived in Thebes and added to the Karnak temple complex.
Her eyes caught the sight of an area that had been torn apart, with large bits of rock and rubble strewn about. That could be the remnants of Akhenaten’s temple. Alex knew the Pharaoh Akhenaten built the temple to worship the sun god, Aten. He defaced symbols of the old deities and moved the capital city away from Thebes. This angered the priests of Amun, who found themselves losing power. When Akhenaten’s son, Tutankhaten came to be pharaoh, he changed his name to Tutankhamun, which meant “the living image of Amun”. He restored the worship of Amun-Ra. During Tut’s early reign, Ankhenaten’s temple was destroyed and any images of him were chiseled from the stone.
If that really is Akhenaten’s old temple, then Tut may very well be Pharaoh. That thought almost sent Alex into a fit of giggles. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to actually meet Tutankhamun, the boy King.
Alex decided to explore her room to get a better idea of whose body she was living in. A dresser with a large mirror made of polished bronze stood to one side of the room. Alex knew that such mirrors were a luxury item. The dresser was littered with glass vials, ceramic jars, and tiny bronze dishes. She took the stoppers out of the jars and sniffed. Her head spun with the musky, sensual odors emanating from the bottles.
She whirled as someone entered her room. She hurriedly put the jars down, feeling like an intruder, even though the girl was clearly in her own room. The servant brought a tray with some bread, figs and pomegranates, along with a glass of spiced wine. As Alex ate, the servant opened a large wooden chest and took out a luxurious wig of jet-black hair. The woman arranged it just perfectly before placing it on Alex’s head.
Alex was surprised that she hadn’t noticed her shaved head until now. She had been so preoccupied with gazing at the temple and snooping around the room that she hadn’t noticed the absence of her hair. When the woman had the hair in place she opened a large cabinet that stood almost as tall as Alex, and grabbed a gold necklace encrusted with many colorful stones. As she placed it around Alex’s neck, she groaned. This thing weighs a ton! The woman placed a few bracelets on Alex’s wrists. Those were not light either. Alex hoped she could lift her arms.
“What would you like to wear today?”
“I do not care. You pick something, Sekhet.” The name came easily to Alex. She wondered why it was that she didn’t know the woman’s name when she first came into the room. She chalked it up to another of those things she didn’t understand about her abilities.
“You never did like picking clothes my little ‘senamun.”
When the woman called her the nickname, Alex sat bolt upright, breaking out into a cold sweat. Her heart beat so hard she feared it would come right through her ribcage. This can’t be! She heard the woman rummaging in the large wardrobe against the far wall. Panic was setting in and she wanted to run for the door and as far away from here as she could.
Get a grip, Alex! Maybe you heard her wrong! The name the woman used could very well be the shortened version of Ankhesenamun. Alex could only think of one woman with that name.
Sekhet returned with a white dress and a belt studded with so
many precious stones Alex was afraid to wear the thing. The woman indicated to Alex that she should disrobe and stand up. Trying hard to keep her cheeks from reddening, she took off her thin cotton nightgown. She jumped when Sekhet began rubbing her body down with some of the scented oils on the dresser. Oddly enough, the treatment soothed Alex, as did the smell of the oils.
Sekhet helped Alex step into the dress and fasten the belt. She sat down and the woman strapped sandals onto her feet.
“There. Now you are ready,” Sekhet said with a nod of her head. “Your royal husband is sorry he can’t accompany you into town today. He will see you at supper this evening.”
“Thank you.” As soon as she heard the “royal husband” part, she was more afraid than ever. If she was right, then she was in the body of Ankhesenamun, the wife of King Tutankhamun.
***
Alex lounged back against the cushions in the palanquin, trying to ignore the heat of the day and the stench of sweat, dirt, and other more disgusting smells that assailed her nostrils. No wonder Egyptians wear scented oils. She used a fan to try to generate the slightest breeze, but it didn’t do much good. However, it did keep the worst of the smells away from her nose. Her skin was drenched in slick sweat.
The swaying movement was hypnotizing and she found herself drifting into a fitful doze as her four litter-bearers took her through the streets. When the gauzy curtains parted for a moment, she caught sight of the people bowing as she passed.
Alex pushed the curtains out of the way. She longed for an unobstructed view. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and she didn’t want to see Thebes in intermittent glimpses. She smiled and waved to the people as she passed, feeling a rush of pleasure when they would smile back and bow down to her. The surge of power she felt was quite intoxicating. Is that coming from Ankhesenamun or me? Alex thought it was probably a little of both.
Children ran around the litter, calling out to her, some reaching out to touch the litter itself, or even the men carrying it. They ignored the children and kept their eyes straight ahead. Their duty was to carry the queen where she wished to go. Her personal guard was there to keep her safe. The men carried wicked spears and surrounded the litter, discouraging people from getting too close. The children did not seem frightened of the guards in the least. They squealed and shouted as they darted in and out of the moving procession, seeming to make a game out of touching the litter, or daring to touch the guards.