Imhoteph

Frozen Ashley keeps standing in the dark cave. "Miss," asks Burns carefully. Not able to answer Ashley keeps staring at the creature. The rotten mummy that they found earlier... Walks... He or she walks straight towards them... It is alive. It was all true. All the stories. "Burns, run" she whispers and lets go of his arm. "Run" she yells louder. Not knowing what is going on Burns runs straight for him out. "This way" she yells and grabs his shirt.

The creature angrily growls and spreads his arms. With a swift movement, he hits Ashley against the floor. She bumps her head against a rock and everything becomes dark.

"Ashley" Ashley" she hears. Ashley opens her eyes slowly and puts her hand on her forehead. "Evie" she asks and looks at the young woman. "Oh my, Ashley are you alright" she whispers. Then it all comes back to her. The mummy, burns! She hastily sits up and groans. "Steady now" Evelyn whispers and looks around. "Oh god," she whispers and stands up. Ashley follows her example. "Thank goodness you are one of the Americans right," Evelyn asks. Ashley takes a relieved breath. "Burns, thank God you are alright" she smiles. Evelyn reaches her hand towards his shoulder. Just before she touches him, he turns around. Both of his eyes are missing.

He stares at them with vacant sockets. Hyperventilating and screaming in horror both girls back away. Ashley bumps into something. She screams again. Hastily the two turned around and stared at the mummy in his rotten face. "No" whispers Evelyn and takes Ashley her hand. Soft they walk backward. Evelyn shakes her head. "This is not possible" she whispers. The mummy first looks at Evelyn and then at Ashley. Back at Evelyn and back to Ashley. Evelyn her dress is torn. Her hair got loose, and she has a little cut on her cheek. Ashley has a bit of dirt on her face together with some blood dripping from the head wound. Her blouse is ripped.

The mummy his eyes rest on Ashley. Then she sees it... His eyes.. Burns.. It are the eyes of Burns. The mummy took them. For himself. Her stomach turns around. "Anck su Namun" he whispers. The mummy steps forward. Evelyn takes a step forward. She places her back against the chest of Ashley. Ashley takes a step backward. Her back rests against the stone wall. The surrounding sand seems to magnetize. Burns grumbles and moans. Then Ashley sees it. Not only his eyes are gone... Also, his tongue! She looks at the mummy and swallows. Her stomach protests and with all her power she holds the urge to vomit. The mummy looks back to Burns. With a swift move, he throws Burns on the floor and sets his skeletal foot on his chest like a hunter on his prey. "Kadhees Pharos Anck Su namun" he yells and walks back to Ashley. "Stay away from her" Evelyn protests and looks again to burns. "Please help me" she begs. Ashley shivers in fear. Suddenly out of nothing Rick appears from the darkness. Jonathan hastily follows them like an obedient dog. Rick flies around the corner and steps before them. "Would you quit playing around? Let's get out of here" he yells. "Rick looks at the scared look in Ashley her eyes and turns around. "WHOA" he shouts. He holds his arm before them and slowly pushes them backward. The mummy glides away with them, like a tiger cornering his prey. The sand around them swirls and dances. Burns starts to crawl away, whimpering as he goes. The mummy suddenly stops and unhinges his skeletal jaw. His skinless mouth stretches to an inhuman size and let's out a horrific primordial shriek. "Anck Su Namun" he roars. Rick looks unimpressed at him while Evelyn screams. Ashley shivers. "AHHH" he roars back. When this doesn't work he blasts the mummy with his elephant gun. Through smoke and flames, Ashley sees the mummy blown off his feet. His rib cage half torn away. Hastily Rick pushes Evelyn and grabs Ashley after which he starts running.

Sand and wind race through the ruins as the O'Connell, followed by Jonathan and Evelyn stumble out of the crevice. "Woah" groans Rick as he stumbles on ten armed Mesias within the front, the guy who held Ashley as a captive. They hastily point their guns at them. Anger boils up within Rick. He protectively puts Ashley behind him and aims his gun also. Evelyn quickly raises her hands. Jonathan and the Americans are already on their knees with hands over their heads. "Drop the gun Rick" whispers Evelyn. "So he can use her again. Never" hisses Rick between his teeth. "Just do it" whispers Ashley. Rick sighs and drops his gun. Pissed he looks into the leader his eyes.

"I told you to leave or die. You refused, and now you may have killed us all. For you have unleashed the creature that we have feared for more than four thousand years. " "Relax, I've got him" says Rick confidently. "No mortal weapons can kill this creature, he is not of our world." "Are we talking about the same creature?" asks Rick. "The walking corpse? Massive mouth, bad breath?" The leader sniffs amused. "You think this is a joke" he whispers. Rick smirks. "I think you are a joke. And not a very funny one." "Who do you think you are" grumbles the man. "Who are you," asks Rick rudely. "I am Ardeth Bay, leader of the Messiah. Secret God-chosen soldiers, trained over a thousand years in order to protect the Pharaoh and their secrets. And you? Rick O' Connell." Rick looks up surprised that Ardeth knows his name. "You are a thief and a deserter, and now. Now you are the one who has dammed us all." He nods to his people. Without a word, they drag Burns up. Daniel and Henderson reacted horrified. "You bastards" roars Daniel. "What did you do to him" yells Henderson. "We have saved him" yells Ardeth. "Saved him before the creature could finish his work. Now leave, all of you. Quickly before he finishes you all." "You are not going to kill us," asks Jonathan. Evelyn elbows Jonathan in the ribs. "We must hunt him down. We must try to find a way to kill him before he consumes the world. May Allah be with us" Ardeth answers. Rick sigh. "I told you; I already got him!"

Ardeth stops and looks at Ashley, deadly serious. Protective Rick comes before her and gives a dirty look to Ardeth. "Don't think about it buddy" he warns softly. "Know this" begins Ardeth and continues; "the creature will be coming for you. He must consummate the curse. And until he does, he will never eat. He will never sleep. And he will never stop". He turns again and jumps down in the crevice.