Thea and Ahmed spent the morning beginning the task of assembling the smashed shards. Vase Number One (it's designation for now) was in the best shape; it was only half broken. However, the half that was damaged was in six pieces, one of which they couldn't seem to find. Vase Number Two was completely shattered. In fact, when Thea removed the contents and laid out all the pieces, her very spirit fell.

"Was this stepped on?" Ahmed questioned as they tried to arrange Vase Number Two's shards in a way that made sense.

"This is worse than a jig-saw puzzle," Thea had lamented.

The third vase wasn't quite as bad as Number Two, but it wasn't going to be as straightforward as Vase One. This fact was the first point of contention between the two curators.

"We should do Vase One, get it out of the way," Ahmed said.

"No," Thea had insisted, "we should put together Number Three, then One, then Two."

"I don't understand your logic."

"I'm telling you, these three vases are telling a story!"

"The hieroglyphs are so fragmented currently there's no way to tell," Ahmed scoffed.

"But--"

Ahmed straightened to his full height, and for the first time Thea felt intimidated by his presence. For the briefest moment she saw...something. It was just a flash, but whatever it was left her feeling almost...in reverence. Thea closed her mouth.

"We were only given a month, yes?"

"Yes--"

"So," Ahmed said, "we might as well get done what we can quickly, so we are not scrambling at the end."

Thea pressed her lips into a pucker. Whatever she had temporarily felt moments ago was gone. Thea now stood to her full height, too. "I am the head curator here, and you are my assistant."

Ahmed's features softened after a moment, and he looked downright amused. This did nothing but infuriate Thea, and her nostrils flared. Ahmed gave a slight incline of his head. "You are correct; I apologize, Madam Curator."

Thea looked him up and down a moment and then nodded curtly. "That being said...You do have a point about time restraints. If you want to work on the first vase, be my guest. Perhaps it will be best if we work in tandem."

Ahmed smiled at her. "An excellent idea."

Thea turned from him without another word, looking down hopelessly at the obliterated Vase Two. She sighed quietly to herself, her eyes flicking to Ahmed who had already begun his work on Vase One.

What have I gotten myself into?

~

Thea was currently in a bit of a bind. In her mouth was her day's mail, her arms held two grocery bags, and she was trying to find her apartment keys. She growled loudly when her phone chimed in her back pocket. Temporarily ignoring it, she paused only when her purse slipped from her shoulder and came crashing down into the crook of her arm. Defeated, she dropped everything.

Groaning, she took a moment to glare at the ceiling. Then she pulled her cell from her back pocket.

Hey, Rose had texted, you never told me if you found the brains or what!

For a moment Thea was angry, but then she smirked and shook her head. Quickly she found her apartment keys and went in. Rose could be infuriating, but Thea was happy for the text.

The day with Ahmed had been...long. Arduous. Truth be told, Thea wasn't used to working with anyone. In fact, she had been declared difficult to work with in both her schooling days and previous jobs. That simply was because she knew how to get things done efficiently and swiftly. She didn't have time for anyone who stood in her way with stupidity.

Yawning, Thea shook her head and nearly laughed out loud.

"Poor Ahmed," she said to herself, putting some ice cream in the fridge. "He has no idea what he's gotten himself into..."

Eight PM had arrived so quickly that day Thea hadn't even had time to grill anyone as to why she hadn't been informed that a guest curator from Egypt was going to be assigned to her. It made sense; this had the potential to be the biggest finding in Ancient Egyptian history since the discovery of King Tutankhamun. The crypt these vases had been found in was pristine, and additional imaging had found a secret wall that was completely sealed. No one knew what laid behind it. With how untouched the main chamber had been uncovered with minimal damage, well...Thea had visions of vibrant painting and perhaps completely untouched mummy's and riches.

It was tantalizing. So, of course Egypt would want to make sure it was handled with the utmost care. And, of course, they would send a trusted curator to oversee things. So while Ahmed's unexpected arrival was annoying, it made sense.

Once Thea had all the groceries put away, she showered quickly and blow dried her hair. Afterwards she slipped into her light pink silk pajamas and slid into bed. The excitement of laying eyes on her work, and the frustration of Ahmed's arrival, had left her utterly spent. Her head had barely hit the pillow before she was in a deep, deep sleep.

~

"Excuse me, miss?"

Thea's eyes snapped open. Immediately she was confused. This confusion quickly melted into alarm, and then outright panic.

Thea was on the ground and itchy. She was itchy on account of the fact she was lying face down in sand. Bewildered, Thea sat up, sand flying everywhere. Frantically she looked about herself, her mouth hanging open.

She was in Egypt. Thea knew she was in Egypt because, even though it was night, she could see the Great Pyramids shimmering majestically in the moonlight. It confounded her until her memory clicked in; the Pyramids originally were sheathed in smooth white granite. Seeing it though, in person, was...Breathtaking. Thea swiveled her head and saw the Sphinx, it's face unmarred.

"Are you alright?"

Thea snapped her head back, completely forgetting she had been awoken originally by someone speaking to her. Once again her mouth dropped open. Before her was a man. Her cheeks burned in embarrassment, this man wearing a shendyt (the pleated skirt of the Ancient Egyptians), sandals, and nothing else. His head was bald. All of his body appeared to be hairless, and his skin glistened in the bright white light that the moon provided.

It occurred to Thea abruptly she was dreaming. She laughed and shook her head.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine," she replied plainly. A hand flew to her mouth; the words she had spoken were foreign to her and yet she understood them. She recognized most of it as, unbelievably, the dialect that was spoken in olden times.

"Are you sure?" the man asked at her gesture.

"Y-yes," Thea replied, suddenly unsure of herself.

The man held out his hand. "You alarmed me. I walk this path often, but never before have I stumbled upon a sleeping woman."

Thea looked at the outstretched hand. Hesitantly, she reached out her own and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Are you well?" the man asked when she was on her feet. His eyebrow-less brow was furrowed in deep concern.

Thea looked down at herself and suppressed a gasp. She was dressed plainly, but also in a way that was anything but modern. Once again, her gaze fell onto the kind eyes that looked at her. "Yes--I merely fell asleep, that is all."

Giving her hand a brief squeeze, the man smiled as he spoke. He had remarkably good teeth, albeit crooked. It was oddly endearing, and Thea suppressed the urge to smile. "Are you homeless?"

"Am I--oh, no, no. I am not."

He continued to smile, and it took on a roguish look. "Too much beer tonight?"

Thea laughed, and the man looked pleased. "N-no. Well, perhaps."

"I am happy I discovered you," he said. "You should return home. There are scorpions out here. It's no place for a proper woman to be sleeping."

"You're right," Thea replied. "Thank you for your generosity."

As Thea began to walk away aimlessly, the man spoke to her. "Excuse me?"

Thea turned to him. He was still smiling. "What is your name?"

"Thea."

He blinked slowly, looking wistful. "A beautiful name to match a beautiful woman."

Thea was happy for the nightfall--this stranger wouldn't be able to see her blush. Swallowing, she tucked her hair behind her hair, mildly startled to find she didn't have glasses. "Thank you. What's your name?"

"My name is--"

Thea opened her eyes. Sunlight poured onto her face. For a moment she blinked up at her ceiling, confused. A moment later her alarm went off and she jumped, the smell of Ancient Egypt still fresh in her nose.