Quest Chasers: The Screaming Mummy (A Magic Fantasy Adventure Book Series)

by Thomas Lockhaven

  Eevie picked up a circular mechanical device that appeared to be a bronze compass. Eevie wasn’t really sure what it was; she had never seen anything like it before. She examined it closely. There were three circles that moved independently of each other. The outer circle had tiny lines and letters engraved all the way around. There was a slightly smaller circle that had two elongated rectangular shapes cut out, and a pentagonal shape cut through the metal. Spread along the surface of the second circle she read aloud: “E-U-I-O-A...” They’re vowels! she thought excitedly. The center wheel was much smaller. Eevie slowly turned it and rubbed the tip of her index finger over the surface. Zodiac symbols! She stared at the smallest wheel. Deeply carved into the surface were eight constellations, each represented by its zodiac symbol.

  Excitement coursed like electricity through Eevie’s veins. I should text Tommy! She glanced at her phone; 12:40 a.m. flashed on the screen. Eevie rested her teeth on her lower lip and exhaled. The excitement was overwhelming her.

  Tommy would want me to text him, Eevie smiled to herself. Wait till Tommy sees this! Her eyes traveled across the treasure spread across her bed. Eevie grabbed her phone and opened Messenger. A picture of Tommy’s smiling face appeared.

  What should I say? I don’t want to say too much.

  She hesitated and then typed, “Tommy, I found something important! Come over as soon as you can. I’ll tell you about it in person.”

  Eevie sat and stared at her phone expectantly. Nothing. She checked her phone’s wireless connection. Come on! she willed Tommy to respond. In desperation, she Googled “Contact a friend through telepathy”. She closed her eyes, envisioning Tommy’s eyes flying open, his hand grabbing his phone—reading her message, and then...still nothing...

  I’ve never been so disappointed in pseudoscience in my life.... He must have turned his phone off. I can’t really blame him; he’s hardly slept at all since the attack. Eevie was suddenly somber, remembering what her friend had been through.

  Eevie glanced at the rolled-up newspaper articles. She could look through those with Tommy in the morning. She had one more satchel to open. The material was soft like felt and was pulled closed by a drawstring at the top. As Eevie began to open the satchel, a shock of pain rushed through her right hand. “Ah!” exclaimed Eevie. She stared down at her finger in horror. The coiled snake ring that had encircled her finger for months began moving. Its rough scales dug into Eevie’s flesh. She dropped the bag and sat motionless, staring at her hand. The snake stopped moving.

  Eevie’s mind filled with the horrific memory of her and Tommy trapped in the deadly labyrinth. She remembered picking up the skeletal hand of someone less fortunate—realizing too late as a screaming Tommy told her to drop it. She watched in horror, unable to move as the serpent ring slithered from the boney hand onto her finger. Its fangs dug into her flesh, the serpent’s eyes filling with blood...her blood.

  Now, she looked down at the bag on the bed. Her eyes narrowed.... The snake doesn’t like whatever’s in that bag...

  Eevie locked her jaw in determination. It’s only a finger!

  In a flash, Eevie grasped the bag from the bottom, flipped it over, and shook. What the... Stars of pain exploded behind her eyes as the snake began constricting. Raising its head, it drove its fangs deep into Eevie’s finger.

  On the bed lay what looked like a wand. The bottom of the wand was grayish white and looked to be made of chunks of bone, and the body of the wand looked like a solid piece of wood, encircled by another thin piece of twisted wood along the entire body of the wand. Embedded in the wand were blood-red stones that glistened and sparkled like diamonds. The tip of the wand contained a cylindrical, elongated, red stone in the shape of a hexagon. Without thinking, Eevie grabbed the wand.

  A wave of white-hot electricity washed over her body, throwing her against the wall. Immediately, the snake twisted and writhed, viciously cutting deeper into Eevie’s finger, its red eyes glowing.

  Suddenly, the pressure released from Eevie’s finger! The snake flung its head backwards, arching upward, expanding its hood. Eevie stared through tear-filled eyes, and as the snake’s body convulsed, tiny cracks appeared along the scales of the serpent. A powerful pulsing energy replaced the pain in Eevie’s body. Her eyes narrowed and she forcefully whispered the word “Deleo!” Immediately, the wand nearly leapt from her hand as a red light exploded from the tip. Eevie gasped. The serpent, which had held her finger captive for months, vaporized into a cloud of silver dust.

  Eevie’s eyes moved from her finger to the wand and back to her finger. Her body trembled from the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She wiped the tears from her face with her sleeve.

  What—just—happened? She stared in disbelief as her bruised and bloody finger healed right before her eyes. What was the word “Deleo”? What’s happening to me?

  Suddenly, there was a knock at Eevie’s bedroom door. Eevie spun around in full panic mode, shoving everything under the blankets.

  “Eevie, are you OK in there? I heard a loud crash?”

  “Everything’s fine, Mom. I just got a little chilly and was grabbing a sweatshirt. I tripped over my science book. It’s all good. Sorry I woke you up.”

  “It’s OK. Good night, sweetie.”

  “Night, Mom.” Eevie listened as her mom retreated down the hallway.

  She pulled back the blankets on her bed. Everything was there except for the wand. Where did the wand—thwap! Instantly the wand appeared back in her hand. The end of the wand pulsed red as if in standby mode.

  “OK...” Eevie stared at the wand, confused. She tried to put the wand down, but it seemed to be permanently attached to her palm. OK, this isn’t good!

  Eevie grabbed the tip of the wand and yanked and twisted. Ouch! It was as if she were grabbing and twisting one of her fingers.

  OK, this isn’t weird! Eevie stared at the wand that now extended proudly from the palm of her hand. My life...is ruined. Maybe this book tells me how to get the wand off my hand. The tip of the wand glowed red when she said the word “wand.” No, no, no.

  Eevie grabbed the leather-bound book. As she slowly flipped through the pages, a scramble of handwritten, nonsensical letters and symbols adorned each page. On some of the pages, someone had meticulously drawn various flowers, berries, and plants.

  “It’s all in code,” she whispered as she shook her head.

  Eevie stared at her hand. “Wait, it’s gone again!” She shook her hand and checked the blankets. The wand was nowhere to be found. Eevie turned her eyes skyward. Thank you! I won’t have a small sapling growing from my hand anymore.

  Eevie grabbed the satchel and carefully placed all of the items her grandfather had left her inside. That’s everything, except... She paused mid-thought. Except for the wand.

  Instantly, the wand appeared in her hand—the tip glowing fiery red as if to say, “I’m ready to cast some spells!”

  Eevie stared at her hand. I go from having a snake embedded in my finger to a tiny redwood growing out the center of my palm. Thank you, Grandpa...

  Eevie placed the satchel inside her backpack. Everything was made more awkward with the wand protruding from her palm.

  Ugh, this is horrible. How am I supposed to go to school? Eevie stared at the wand. I don’t need you right now.

  The wand vanished!

  Eevie’s eyes flew open wide. She whispered the word “wand.” The wand instantly appeared, glowing and vibrating. A wave of energy ran down Eevie’s arm.

  I don’t need you right now. The wand didn’t go away.

  I said, I don’t need you right now. The wand seemed to defiantly exclaim, “You don’t mean it!” If a wand had arms to cross, it would be crossing them across its chest right now.

  Maybe it’s not what I say, but how I say it.

  Eevie tried again. She imagined a movie director, his hands outstretched, pleading from his director chair. “Eevie, darling, say it with—feelin
g. Become the wand...” Eevie nodded, convincing herself to become one with the wand. “With feeling. Emphasis on the feel.”

  Please, I don’t need you right now, Eevie pleaded, feeling each word. The wand vanished! “Yes!” she exclaimed.

  Relief and exhaustion swept through Eevie’s body. She closed the flap on her backpack and climbed into bed. She half-expectantly checked her phone once more to see if Tommy had messaged her. She wasn’t surprised that there were no messages.

  She lay her head on her pillow and smiled. She couldn’t wait to see Tommy’s face when she’d tell him about the wand. “No...!” A flash of pulsating red light filled her room. The wand stood proudly on her palm again, as if saying, “I’m ready!” Oh, darn it, not again!

  Please, I don’t need you right now. The wand vanished and Eevie, exhausted, finally drifted off to sleep.

  ******

  Eevie slowly awoke to Sam Smith’s soul-crushing song “Stay With Me.” It was 6:00 a.m. on Saturday morning. She had forgotten to turn off her school alarm. Her finger stabbed like a hungry bird at her iPhone’s screen, frantically trying to find the snooze button before she woke up her parents.

  “Ugh,” she moaned. “Make it stop!”

  Eevie closed her eyes. It seemed like only a few seconds had passed when her phone chimed. Sleepily, Eevie rolled over and grabbed her phone.

  Tommy’s face smiled back at her. “I’ll be there in 30,” he texted.

  Eevie looked at the time: 6:15 a.m. Her parents would be asleep for another hour or two.

  She texted back: “Come to the front door. My parents are asleep, so be quiet. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  Tommy replied, “Of course.” He then signed off with the ever-aloof ninja emoji.

  ******

  Snow had begun to fall as Tommy soundlessly climbed the steps to Eevie’s house. He reached up to knock on the door, but as his hand traveled through space, Eevie simultaneously opened the door and leaned out, causing Tommy to hit Eevie square in the forehead with his knuckles instead.

  “OW! Really?” Eevie asked incredulously.

  Tommy snorted involuntarily. “You opened the door so fast.... How was I supposed to know you were going to poke your head out?”

  “What?”

  “You have to admit, that was funny.”

  “Come in and be quiet,” said Eevie, shaking her head in disbelief.

  Tommy nodded and quietly followed Eevie to her bedroom.

  “Tommy,” whispered Eevie as she shut her bedroom door. “Don’t say anything, OK? Just listen.”

  “OK...,” said Tommy, barely able to contain his curiosity.

  “I found a secret message from my grandfather. He hid it under a fake country on my globe.” Eevie showed him the fake country of Crypticus with her grandfather’s message written on the back.

  “Whoa!” exclaimed Tommy as he turned it over in his hands. “Did you figure out his message?”

  “Yes,” whispered Eevie. “It wasn’t very difficult.” She paused for a moment, listening for her parents. “Sorry, I thought I heard something.... Grandpa hid this satchel behind a hollow panel in the old playroom,” said Eevie as she pulled the satchel from her backpack.

  Tommy’s eyes filled with excitement. “Oh cool. What’s in it?”

  Eevie put her finger to her lips, signaling Tommy to be quiet.

  He nodded and mouthed “sorry.”

  Eevie turned the satchel over and carefully poured the contents onto her bed. Tommy’s eyes widened. “What is all of this stuff?” he whispered to Eevie.

  “Read this first.” She handed Tommy her grandfather’s letter.

  “It’ll help explain things...a little bit.”

  Eevie separated the items on her bed, while Tommy read the letter.

  “Eevie,” said Tommy, looking up. “What quest is he talking about?”

  “I don’t know,” said Eevie with a shrug. “I’m sure that the contents of the bag provide some answers, but...my grandfather seems to have written everything in some type of code.”

  Tommy picked up the cracked, leather-bound book and gently flipped through it. Rows of letters filled the pages, and notes were scribbled on the edges. The handwriting was different from Eevie’s grandfather. Circular blotches of ink dotted the pages; the letters looked to have been written with a feather quill, not a pen.

  “You’re right, it’s some sort of code,” whispered Tommy as he looked up from the book. “But I don’t think your grandfather wrote this. Look at the handwriting on your grandfather’s letter, and then look at the writing in this book.” Tommy held them side by side. “They’re completely different.”

  Eevie nodded. “I haven’t had a chance to try to break the code yet. I just found everything last night. I think it might have something to do with this.” Eevie handed Tommy the spherical mechanical tool. “You see how it has letters and marks like a compass or a clock?”

  Tommy nodded, studying the device. He rotated the circles slowly, one by one, with his fingers. Something about this device seemed vaguely familiar to him.

  “Eevie, each piece moves independently of each other, and there are also zodiac symbols. I bet if we figure out how to use this thing, we’ll be able to figure out how to read the book.”

  “I think so too,” whispered Eevie, nodding her head.

  “I’ve got an idea.” Tommy pulled out his phone and took a picture of the strange device. He then opened the book once again and took pictures of several pages.

  “Next, I’ll open Google Image Search, and...”

  “Tommy,” said Eevie apprehensively. “Before you do that, there’s one more thing I need to show you. Promise me you won’t freak out.”

  Tommy was about to make a joke—but there was something in Eevie’s eyes that said, “If you value your life, you’ll be cool about what I’m going to show you.”

  Before she could change her mind, Eevie thrust out her hand and whispered, “Wand.”

  Tommy jumped back. “Whoa, Eevie, what the—?! You...you have a wand growing out of your hand! It’s so cool!”

  Eevie smacked Tommy on the forehead with the wand. The diamond shone brightly as if asking, “He’s annoying. Shall I obliterate him now, Master?”

  “Ow, geez!” said Tommy as he rubbed his head. “You get a wand and you have to go all gangster on me?”

  “Tommy, you jerk, it’s permanently attached to me somehow! If I say the word ‘wand’ it just appears.” The wand hummed and glowed brighter when she said “wand.”

  “What do you mean...a part of you?” asked Tommy, his eyes narrowing.

  “I mean, it’s like a part of my body now.” She held out her hand. The wand stood proudly on her palm, as if saying, “Please try me—I’m filled with awesomeness.”

  “Well, can’t you just pull it off? I mean, it’s not really connected to anything.”

  Eevie shook her head. “Trust me, I’ve tried.”

  “Well, you didn’t have it when I got here, so...”

  “I don’t need you,” said Eevie while staring at the wand.

  “That’s really harsh.... Oh...wait...you meant the wand. It’s gone!” Tommy’s eyes traveled from her palm to her face, back to her palm. “We’re going to be rich!”

  “Eevie?” There was a loud knock on her door.

  Eevie’s eyes flew open. “Tommy, get out of here!” she whispered.

  “Where?” asked Tommy, looking around the room frantically.

  “One sec, Mom. Be right there.”

  Eevie pointed at the window. “There. Go!”

  Tommy looked at Eevie as if she had lost her mind. She quickly threw open the window. Tommy climbed over the desk, and he was about to crawl through the first-floor window when he turned to Eevie. “I’ve had enough of windows!”

  Undeterred, Eevie offered her compassion by pushing him out the window, and once again he was falling through space.

  In a pe
rfect world, Tommy would have jumped out the window, tucked and rolled onto the blanket of freshly fallen snow, and then slowly jogged home and slow-roasted his toes by the fireplace. However, ever since Tommy participated in the “Facts and Fiction” challenge at school, in which he debated and argued vehemently that there was no such thing as karma or Murphy’s Law, bad things seemed to happen.

  And true to form, the lace of Tommy’s shoe caught on the window ledge, leaving Tommy, hands buried in the snow, performing an almost perfect handstand outside Eevie’s window.

  Eevie’s mom knocked again. “Eevie!”

  “Come to the front door in five minutes!” Eevie whispered urgently.

  “Eevie!” Tommy cried out.

  Eevie slammed the window down, then heard a muffle cry of “Ouch!” Tommy’s foot was trapped in the window.

  Eevie’s mom knocked again. “EEVIE!”

  “Coming, Mom.”

  In a panic, Eevie quickly slid the globe in front of Tommy’s trapped foot, then ran to her bedroom door and flung it open.

  “Good morning, Mother,” said Eevie, giving her mom her brightest morning smile. Eevie looked like a miniature, younger version of her mother, shoulder-length light brown hair, brown eyes, and a thin, athletic build. At this moment, however, her mother resembled a middle linebacker as she filled Eevie’s doorframe.

  Mrs. Davenport’s eyes roamed suspiciously around her room. “Who were you talking to?” Her questions sounded more like a command than a question.

  “I was... I was Skyping with Tommy,” said Eevie through a yawn. “He’s on his way over.”

  Outside, Tommy slowly tried to work his foot out of the window. See, he told himself, this isn't Karma, I wanted to practice my handstands and the opportunity presented itself. It had nothing to do with the fact that my best friend just shoved me out her window!