1932 - Egypt

"Mr Fredericks!" Damien called over the howling winds that were currently filling their dig site with sand. It tugged at his clothing and pulled at his hair. He tugged the bandana down from his face to shout louder. "Mr Fredericks! We need to move everything under cover. With the storm blowing in, the artefacts maybe damaged. I do not wish any of Ahkmenrah's artefacts to become ruined because of this. We'd do better sealing the tomb and continuing to excavate once the storm is over".

He reached the American archeologist and waved his hands at the sand storm blowing in from the east. It was a big one and already he could feel the grains chafing against his face. The man, almost twenty years Damien's senior, just grinned at him. The look made Damien grit his teeth in frustration. The American was one of the few people who had been willing to finance the dig with Damien as the lead archeologist. Others had wanted to steal the find for themselves, take credit and push Damien out as an unskilled student. He may have been a student when he discovered the tomb, but he was not letting his discovery be stolen. Even if that meant putting up with Mr Frederick's bravado.

"We have time to get the last items out. Just push the men harder".

Damien turned and exchanged looks with Ahsan. The man their liaison between them and the hired locals. Asan's face was covered against the sand blowing but Damien still saw the eye roll. He tried not to laugh as he turned back to the American archeologist. The man was busy watching as several workers pulled up a ornate sword, gold still gleaming after all this time, and settled it into a box.

"Mr Jean is right", Ahsan spoke up. "We really need to get undercover sir. The storm is almost upon us".

Fredericks ignored him and started shouting at the men still down in the tomb. "Move faster. Lift the statue higher! Careful! Careful!"

Damien exhaled slowly through his nose. He had been in this desert for over a year already and he was exhausted. Balancing getting a Doctorate in Egyptology while also being lead archeologist on the exhibition was exhausting. He really did not need his business partner causing more problems.

"Dad!" A young boy came running towards them, dodging between the workers as he pulled down his goggles and bandana. "Dad! What's with this crazy wind?"

"Go and wait in the van CJ". Mr Fredericks waved a hand in the direction of the trucks that were being steadily loaded up.

CJ pouted and turned big eyes to Damien. Unfortunately this time he would not fold. "Listen to your father  CJ".

The boy skulked off  and disappeared into the rapidly descending clouds of sand. Damien's attention dragged away from him as shouts began to echo up from the tomb below. He grabbed at the rungs of the ladder merely second before Mr Fredericks tried and swung himself down. His feet touching the sand covered stone below as the wind cut off. He inhaled as he stared around at the oil lantern lit tomb. The jackals guarding the doors and the hieroglyphics covering the walls. It was always scary to him just how settled the tomb made him feel. How familiar and  calm it was. Like there had been something calling to him and it was here.

"What's going on?" He asked as he stared at the workers. One of them, an older man with a greying beard, had one of the younger men by the front of his shirt. As Damien stared at him, the man let go. The blonde maybe one of the younger men on site, but he was the an in charge which made all the difference.

Behind him he heard Fredericks and Ahsan climb down to join them. "He says that we shouldn't have disturbed the tomb", Ahsan translated as the grey bearded man began rambling at them in Arabic. "That those who disturb the tomb are cursed. That this is the beginning of the end".

Damien sighed and pushed his blonde hair back from his face. Skin tanned from hours in the sun and hair sun bleached paler than its usual wheat gold tone. He just wanted to go back to his rented apartment and have a shower. "We get locals saying that every time someone finds a tomb. They have been muttering about curses all year. What end?" He huffed. "What do we need to load up?"

He gazed around the tomb and his eyes caught onto a glimmer of gold above the empty spaces where the sarcophagus had rested. Ahkmenrah's coffin already safety boxed and loaded into the trucks above. Still, there was something remaining on the wall.

"Just get the man out of here", Fredericks instructed and Ahsan along with another worker began to steer the rambling man towards the ladders back up to the surface.

"Ahsan", Damien voiced as he stepped towards the golden tablet on the wall. "Why has this not been moved yet?"

"It won't move. The tablet is sealed into the wall. And you said not to start dismantling the walls and statues yet".

"Just get a crowbar", Mr Fredericks ordered.

"No", Damien objected. Ahsan hesitated, wondering which one to listen to.

Damien stepped up to the wall to examine the golden tablet again. He had seen it before. Had examined it along with the rest of the tomb to make notes on the original layout before they moved the artefacts abroad for further study. There had been something off about it then. Gold almost glowing unnaturally. It was the same now, gold far too bright for the lantern lit gloom. As he lifted his hand to trail his gloved fingers down the carved golden frame, it almost seemed warm.

Something happened. Maybe it was the tablet glowing slightly like the flare of a match before dying again, or a subtle shift in the wall, or the air moving as something changed. Whatever it was, Damien couldn't put his finger on it. But something happened and as he lifted his hands to press against the tablet, it fell away from the wall and into his hands. Behind him, several gasps filled the tomb. Mutterings in Arabic echoing as he turned around to them, the tablet in his grasp.

"Are you sure it was attached to the wall?" Damien paused as he saw the faces of the men. "What?"

"They say that you are the one. Sir. That you were summoned by the tomb itself", Ahsan translated. "That you will bring good fortune to the dead".

Damien smiled and shook his head. "More superstitions? That sounds better than the last ones. Alright. Lets get this boxed up and get the men all safely under cover before this hits. Fredericks. You get the men to safety".

Fredericks, who had been frowning at the tomb as if he was trying to puzzle something out, jolted and nodded. Damien watched the man, who was uncharacteristically quiet, head back to the ladder. He glanced around at the gloomy walls and the carved figures, the flickering shadows and the sense of age and magic in the space. Maybe he should find the place creepy but how could he when it felt so comfortable?

Tucking the tablet under one arm, he headed back to the ladder and began climbing up. Ahsan, who had left first, was waiting with a box filled with straw and fabric to cushion the tablet. Damien thanked him and laid the gold to rest. The tablet glinting at him as the lid covered it from sight.

"Let's get out of here! The storm is coming in!"

Damien turned his head towards the sandstorm bearing down on him and for a second it felt like  there was something in the air. A voice, the barest whisper. Then it was gone again and he turned to the trucks. He didn't believe in curses and superstitions.

unedited

Damien not realising that his future soulmate is trying to communicate from beyond the grave. Anyone else would be creeped out but he's not interested.

Ghost Ahk: Hi!

Damien: the wind is wild today.