| STORY 2 Page 29 |
| After quickly memorizing the few words, he stood up and held the scepter out with two hands. He looked around once more only to make sure nobody saw him making an ass of himself. He cleared his throat and kept his voice low so he wouldn�t wake the others. �A heart of black I do possess / Show me the light in the color of red.� He held his breath as soon as he finished and waited. After a minute, he let out the breath and felt relieved, even though he told himself that he didn�t believe any of this crap. �Now this one is a no-brainer,� he thought as he got ready to do the other chant. �Pure heart,� he snorted, �If I ever meet someone with a pure heart, I�ll kiss the big dumb ape full on the mouth.� He held the scepter out with both hands and in a silly voice laced with humor, he said, �My heart is pure and possesses no evil / Show me the light in the color of white.� The scepter shook lightly in his hands. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped as a bright beam of white light shot out of the top of the scepter and lit a never ending path up into the heavens. �Holy Hell!� He immediately let the scepter go and the beam of light disappeared. He looked down at the scepter, which now stood motionless in the sand. He heard some movement and immediately threw the scepter back into the flashlight and shoved the flashlight into the rucksack. He grabbed the still open journal by the back cover and practically threw himself back into his tent. He thought about what had just happened. The white light meant that he was the one with the pure heart who had to destroy the scepter. �Ah shit,� he mumbled. He had to find that second journal so he would know what to do. �Shit.� Then he remembered what he said he�d do if he ever came across a pure hearted person. He turned his face into his sleeping mat and punched the ground with a muffled �SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!!� He dared not leave until morning and soon, fell into a fitful sleep. In his haste, he did not notice a folded piece of paper fall out from the pages of the journal. It now lay in the sand to the left of his tent. ~*~*~*~*~ Morning had come too soon, in Kit�s opinion. He climbed out of his tent, eyes still practically closed, and stretched. He opened his eyes and saw Rick building up the fire again, most likely so breakfast could be made. �Well,� Kit thought, �might as well get this over with, especially since no one else is around to see it.� Rick stood up. �It�s about time you got up. Why don�t you make yourself useful. Evie and Alex are packing up, Ardeth is getting our breakfast, and Jonathan, well, Jonathan�s probably still sleeping.� Rick watched as Kit stomped over to him, hands fisted at his sides, mumbling the whole way. Rick looked at him with a funny confused expression wondering what the hell the loudmouth would say now. Instead, Kit took a deep breath, led it out, grabbed Rick�s face, and gave him a loud smacking kiss right on the mouth. �WHAT-� Rick began spitting, �THE HELL!� He began wiping his mouth on his sleeve and spitting some more. At this point, Kit was practically on the ground laughing. The expression on the big ape�s face was priceless. As soon as he stopped laughing so hard, he explained. �Let�s just say I made a bet against myself and I lost, big time.� �The next time you make a goddamn bet, pick someone else to plant one on!� Rick yelled. Just then, Evie came out of the tent and Kit looked at her, smiling and wiggling his eyebrows. �You know, your wife is pretty hot.� �She�s your aunt for cryin� out loud!� Kit was having too much fun baiting Rick. �Only by marriage, not by blood.� �You get anywhere near my wife, the next thing you�ll be kissing is your own ass.� Just then, Jonathan finally came wandering out of his tent. �You can kiss him all you want though,� Rick said pointing his thumb over his shoulder at Jonathan. Kit snickered, then Rick snickered. Then they both started laughing. �It�s good to see you too getting along,� Evie said as she walked by them. She gave Rick a quick kiss on the cheek and ruffled Kit�s hair. She saw something in the sand by Kit�s tent and bent to pick it up. She unfolded it and began to read. My darling Jonathan and Evelyn, She recognized her mum�s handwriting immediately and began hyperventilating as she clutched the letter to her heart. Marion ([email protected]) March 9, 2003 My darling Jonathan and Evelyn, A man lead by the lust of power is not to be trusted. Alan Skarzinski is one of those men. I see it growing in him daily. His eyes become darker each time I look at him, their depths consumed with need. I don�t really know how much time we have left I know this sounds horrible, and frightening, and I only can wish that my fears are unprecedented.. Your father has become quite concerned about Alan. His want to find the Scepter of Seth for himself is destroying him. At even the mention of the scepter or of anything resembling a gold rod his demeanor becomes almost demonic, his personality taking on a sadistic gleam. One thing is true children� If you ever find this tool, this weapon to mankind, you must find a way to destroy it� I only hope we aren�t too late. I only hope we can be back with you soon, encircling you two in our arms and whispering of our adventures� How I long to be with the two of you, to see your smiling angelic faces. This dig has become too involved for me. Your father feels the very same way, and it�s taking the energy out of the both of us�We just want so desperately to find the Scepter and to destroy it before Alan can lay his hands on it. Goodbye for now my children. Remember that if anything happens to me I love you more than life itself. Your father wants to say something, Love, Mum Dearest Jonathan and Evelyn, How are you two doing? Your mother and I miss you very much, and soon, tomorrow in fact, we will be seeing you again. We do not mean to scare you with this letter, we only hope that if there is some need to contact you, for any reason that you will know you are loved and cared for. I think that your mother covered pretty much all that we had wanted said. I have to make this fast, Alan�s coming�Remember angels, we love you, soar high, and always contemplate�we know you will. Love, Daddy Evelyn�s hand went slowly up to her lips, because on the paper, preserved for approximately two decades were two pairs of lips. The letter literally had been sealed by a kiss. She recognized her mother�s red lipstick on her father�s thin lips, and her mother�s fuller lips following suit beside his. A single tear slipped out of each eye, and slowly made its way down her cheeks. Her hand tightened its hold on her mouth as her eyes squeezed shut and a muffled sob came from her throat. Then, seemingly getting herself under control she thrust the letter into Jonathan�s outstretched hands before she collapsed into Rick�s arms. Meanwhile Kit and Alex stood hopelessly off to the side, both awkward, not knowing what to do, or quite what had happened. It was in this moment that Kit realized he needed to help this family. And, he thought. I�m the only one who can. Shelby ([email protected]) March 10, 2003 Alone in the tent Rick and Ardeth had been ready to take down, Evie sat lost in the past. The letter opened up painful memories of that horrible time so long ago, and Evelyn wasn't prepared for the new pain. After word of her parents death had been sent to she, Jonathan, and Nana, and after the funeral, life for she and her older brother had been tossed into limbo. They had enough money to sustain their needs for a while, but their age and lack of close relatives to care for them properly became the issue. It was finally decided that Howard's older sister Margaret Lillian Carnahan would take care of them until they were old enough to care for themselves. Outside the tent, Jonathan stood holding the letter in his hands, not noticing anything or anyone around him. He remembered what it had been like the weeks after his parents were murdered, the many nights when he would find Evelyn under her bed crying because she thought that they too would be murdered. He remembered how in that one moment he became the man of the house, and how he felt the welfare of his baby sister fell upon his young shoulders. He looked at Alex who took his hand, but was unable to offer the boy any words of comfort or otherwise. "I need time to think," Jonathan said as he let the letter fall to the ground. He left the small camp site, going the short distance to where the camels were waiting. Jonathan sat down on a small rounded stone, and rested his forehead on his knees. He wanted justice, and he would get it even if it meant his own death had to come as a result. As he sat in the warm morning sun he thought of Gabrielle, and what would happen to her if he died. She was the one woman in his world and in the other who he felt understood him, and he decided that he wouldn't |