Flute of the Snake Charmer
Nina and Eddie took a break down their pathway. That each sat against the tunnel walls to rest. After a moment of silence, they began talking.
"Doesn't all this seem a bit too easy? You know, just walking down a tunnel? No more booby traps or tricks other than the first one?" Nina asked.
"I don't question it," Eddie replied. "If this tunnel wants us alive, I won't argue against it."
"Maybe you're right."
"And I may also be right about the fact that the sooner we get there, the sooner we get back. Let's get back to it, shall we?"
"Ok."
They both stood up and began again towards the end of the tunnel. After a while of more walking, they came to the end, a solid wall. On the side, the Eye of Horus symbol began glowing, and Nina put her locket against it. The wall slid open, revealing a candle-lit room, the candles aligned on the back wall. Statues of jekyll-headed guards stood along the walls as well, holding spears. In the center of the room was a podium with a stand in which a long Egyptian flute rested. It was a golden flute, and it's mouth piece was structured like the head of a snake. Hieroglyphics were carved into the podium.
Nina and Eddie went to get a closer look. Suddenly, without warning, the hieroglyphics popped out as 3-d light work to Eddie, rearranging itself into English so he could understand it.
"'Snake charmer'," Eddie read aloud.
"When did you start reading hieroglyphics?" Nina asked.
"Since two seconds ago. It's like ever since I believed the Osirion died, I guess different powers are taking place of my old ones, including reading hieroglyphics fluently. But what would we need a snake charmer for?"
Nina touched the head of it where the snake's head was. She lifted it from the stand, waiting for something to happen, but nothing did.
"Let's get this to Fabian. See what he can do," Nina suggested.
Eddie nodded in agreement. They headed back faster than they'd come. Something like this was probably important.
~~~~~
Joy strolled around the room, desperately letting out, now, only a few silent cries of help. She'd been there since the night before, when she suddenly found something black and haunting swallow her up, and she suddenly ended up here. No food, no water, and she didn't have her phone on her. She slumped on the ground.
What if she wasn't rescued?
What if she'd die there?
What was the possibility anyone would know where to come and rescue her? She didn't even know where she was at.
"Someone," she silently spoke, as that was all she could find herself saying at the moment.
~~~~~
Mara and KT made it back above ground, just as Alfie an Amber were arriving as well, and all who was left was Nina and Eddie.
Fabian and Mick came back into the house as well from the front door.
"You guys coming out of the basement?" Mick asked.
KT, Mara, Alfie, and Amber looked at eachother. They couldn't really come up with a lie, considering KT had the dusty box from the basement in her hands, and they all were holding flashlights.
"Yeah. We just like looking through the old stuff down there," KT made up.
"Fabian," Mara began, "we need to talk."
Fabian tensed.
"Like a-" Mara did the Sibuna trademark, "-thing..."
"Is that a secret code for something?" Mick questioned. "Can I be involved?"
"Mick, why don't you go hang out with Patricia and Willow and Jerome?"
"Ok..." Mick began heading upstairs, hearing voices of the three.
"And-don't get yourself caught alone with Jerome," Fabian warned.
Mick nodded. He didn't know what was going on so he just continued upstairs. Fabian and the others waited till he was out of sight and then hurried to Fabian's room. They locked the door behind them and sat in different places, but still huddled together.
KT and Mara were prepared to show their evidence while Alfie was getting out his phone to show the pictures he took. Amber, on the other hand, couldn't concentrate. She was too busy tearing herself down about kissing Alfie and him not wanting her. She usually got everything she wanted. She wanted Alfie, so why couldn't she have him?
Fabian looked closely at Alfie's pictures.
"It's some kind of handle," Alfie pointed out. "I don't know what it does."
Fabian handed Alfie's phone back. "I'll have to look into that."
KT and Mara presented their information next. As Fabian looked at the photographs in the box, KT and Mara explained some of the letters.
"Set inhabits physical forms to drain their energy for his own," KT began, getting straight to the point.
"He's killing Jerome on the inside as we speak. It's unknown if Jerome can fight him out-" Mara added.
"-but he'd have to have a really strong soul for it to be possible, if it is," KT continued.
"We think that lady in the pictures was possessed," Mara continued. "We saw a skeleton rotting in the room, and a portrait of her looking sickly and old. Her life was drained, leaving her to die shortly after Set left her body."
"Are there any signs of how much time we have?" Fabian asked.
"You can't tell their weak until their actually unpossessed," KT replied.
"Then it's up to us. Jerome needs our help to stop Set inside him."
"But it's an inner battle, isn't it?" KT asked.
"It's hard to win against a god. We've got three people on our team already whose destined to save this world. We outta use that to some benefit."
"Or maybe we could hire an exorcist?" Alfie suggested.
"No. We keep as least amount of people involved in this," Fabian declared.
"But an exorcist does this kind of stuff. They de-demonize people and stuff. Or, how about Willow? She senses bad energy, and she's spiritual; maybe she has some skills in exorcism as well?"
"I say it's too dangerous," Mara stated.
"Sibuna does the dangerous," KT retaliated. "I agree with Alfie. Maybe Willow can at least do something for us. Maybe not exorcism, but assist us in some way?"
"Fine," Fabian agreed. He looked up at a distant, depressed Amber. "Amber? Are you alright?"
Amber came back to reality. She looked between everyone's eyes, and the last pair she looked at was Alfie, also for the longest, before going back to Fabian.
"Everything's alright," Amber faked a smile. "I just-I just need some air."
She left the room as Alfie looked a bit guilty.
Amber kept gasping silently to conceal her pain from bursting out.
~~~~~
When Mick left the others, he went into Patricia's room, where he found Patricia, Willow, and Jerome playing Goldfish. He went in and sat down between Patricia and Willow, waiting for the next game to start so he could join in.
"Greetings, Mick," Willow greeted, never taking her eyes of her cards. "Patricia, do you have any threes?"
"Go fish."
Willow drew from the deck, frowning.
"Do I have to keep playing this?" Jerome groaned.
"Yes! No go," Patricia demanded.
"I quit. I quit. I quit. I quit!" Jerome stood up, slamming his cards down.
"Well, why?" Willow questioned.
"Because I don't have time for two incompetent girls who try to keep me occupied with silly, child's play! This game is rubbish, and I'd go to the ends of time to get rid of this horrid abomination!"
Mick looked shocked. "Harsh, much? She's just a girl."
"But I on the other hand, am a woman-" Patricia stood up, "-and I won't hesitate to stick my shoe, up-"
Willow did her best fake coughs which didn't go so well. Afterwards she spoke, "Patricia. Are you sure you should get on Jerome's bad side?"
Patricia took a deep breath.
"Maybe we all just need some tea from downstairs. I'll go fetch some," Willow insisted. "Mick, watch them please." Willow scrambled up and left the room. Mick stood up where Patricia and Jerome were standing, glaring at eachother.
"Did I miss something?" Mick asked.
~~~~~
When Willow was in the hall, Amber was coming upstairs, going to her room with tears she failed to conceal.
"Amber?" Willow asked. "Are you alright?"
Amber looked at Willow. She was sad and miserable because of her. And that misery began turning into anger, but she realized, she couldn't hurt Willow for anything.
"I have something in my eye. Please, don't worry," Amber tried to smile off.
"I know when something's wrong, Amber. And if you're going through something, trust me, it gets better-"
"-Willow, I don't have time for one of your little speeches. Please."
Willow nodded silently, closing her mouth. Amber continued to her room, closing the door behind her. Willow gave a supportive smile towards Amber's direction. She didn't like to see anyone crying so much.
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