Near Death Experiences

I didn't want to be a burden right after Rick was released from Cairo prison so I decided to let him get all cleaned up first before I questioned him about anything. His hair was longer than I remembered and he didn't look the best. I was a tad angry with him for everything, not writing or acting to contact me for bail. But at the same time I figured he wanted to take care of it himself. So my siblings and I went back to my home cleaned up and packed for our adventure. Evy was in the room with me and she looked at me skeptically.

"What?" I asked feeling her questioning eyes upon me.

"Nothing. Just Mr. O'Connell acted like he knew you." I sighed knowing this was coming.

"Okay, guess I knew this was coming... After I left England I came here, as you know. I joined the French Foreign Legionnaires, which is where I met Rick O'Connell. We marched across Libya and into Egypt to Hamunaptra." Evy looked at me astounded that I had kept this from her. I didn't blame her, I'd only told her some of it, didn't tell her about Hamunaptra just because it was relatively disappointing for me the first time.

"When we got there I didn't get to look around a ton. Mainly all we found was sand and blood as Rick will tell you. Nothing was super special about it. But we'll see this time, maybe we can actually find the Book of the Living!" I explained. Evy still seemed optimistic about going out to the city so that was good, I didn't want to discourage her from following her dreams and besides I wanted to believe the fairytales mum told us were real.

"Well, we'll just have to prove him wrong then!" Evy said still shoving the rest of her clothes into her suitcase and leaving me alone in the room to get some rest.

The Barge

Evy, Jonathan and myself were heading towards the boat we were all going to be boarding to take us to the city where we needed to go before heading off to Hamunaptra. I was wondering where Rick had gotten right about now. Wondering if he was even going to show up at all, he might've just run, I wouldn't blame him. Just then my sister voiced my concerns;

"Do you really think he is going to show up?" Evy asked Jon and I.

"Yes, undoubtedly, knowing my luck. He may be a cowboy, but l know the breed. His word is his word." Jon answered for both of us. Evy looked at me for confirmation and I nodded.

"Well, personally I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit." I tried to warn her that Rick had showed up behind us in the meantime. He smirked.

"Anyone I know?" Rick asked. Evy spun around and looked a tad embarrassed. Rick stood in all his glory all clean shaven and looking as handsome as ever.

"Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh, O'Connell?" My brother asked as he patted Rick on the shoulder.

"Yeah, smashing..."Rick laughed a little and checked his pocket for his wallet.

"Oh, no, no, l'd never steal from a partner... partner." Jonathan tried to redeem his status in Ricks eyes. I smirked at the awkwardness of it all.

"Oh that reminds me... No hard feelings about the uh--" Rick said as he mimicked a punching motion.

"Oh no, no, happens all the time." Jonathan explained. I chuckled a tad. Knowing this was very true.

"Joe, you sure you're ready to go back?" Jonathan looked at me with wide eyes.

"No. I won't ever be, but I'd love to be proven wrong by my siblings that there actually is something out there." I told him truthfully.

"Even though all we found when we got there was sand and blood?" Rick questioned.

"God damn, O'Connell stop asking, we're going!! Stop trying to talk me out of it!!" I practically yelled making a scene. Evy and Jonathan looked at me surprised.

"Ooo last names. Alright Carnahan, I'll leave you alone. Let me get your bags." Rick said. I knew he just wanted to get under my skin. I walked away with my bag and boarded, going straight to my room. Cleaning my weapons would help calm me down a bit before I questioned Rick about bail and whatnot. It wasn't til much later that I walked out of Evy and I's room and started to explore a bit. I was walking around and noticed there were a ton of people on this ship, mostly Americans and tourists. I overheard some of the Americans talking, it sounded like they were searching for Hamunaptra as well. I heard Jon talking about it while he cut a deck of cards. I rolled my eyes. So like my brother, gambling. I walked over to the live stock on the ship and heard some horses whinny and the camels snort. I started petting this beautiful paint colored mustang. He looked like he really enjoyed the attention and relaxed into my touch. Some voices to my right let me know that my sister and Rick were talking by the railing. The conversation was normal. Evy was telling him about why she wanted to go to Hamunaptra to find the golden book of Amun Ra. Rick told her that's what I said when I had first met him. Then the topic switched to me. I decided before they got into too much detail, I would make myself known. The camel I was near did that for me, he gave out a very loud grunt, telling me he wanted attention too. I looked at the horse though, letting him know I'd come back with some treats later if I could find any.

"Oh Joe! Hey we were just talking about you!" Evy said I smiled and gave her a look to leave Rick and I alone to talk. She nodded. "You know what? I'll actually give you two some room to talk." She said getting her stuff together and leaving.

"Thanks Eves, I'll see you soon, night." I said. I sat down where she had just vacated.

"So..." Rick started knowing I would be a little angry at him since he didn't contact me.

"No. Why the hell did you not contact me? You knew we both were in Egypt, you had no excuse not to contact me. And looking for a good time Rick?! C'mon!" I ranted at him.

"Hey. I had my reasons." He responded, I rolled my eyes.

"Not good enough." I voiced my concerns, crossing my arms and glaring at him. His blue eyes locked with mine and my gaze softened.

"I didn't want to bother you because I had been a pretty big ass on the way back to Cairo. So..." He explained. I laughed, that was very true.

"Yes you were. But that gives you no reason not to contact me. Rick we were best friends." I told him.

"Were?..." He questioned and looked at me. I didn't answer him. "Your family seems nice. Your brothers sure something." He told me.

"Oh I know, that's Jonathan for ya though." I laughed. Then there was a comfortable silence that came over us naturally. I cleared my throat and decided now was the time to ask.

"Why did you kiss me?" I asked Rick looking at one of his weapons that was laid out on the table.

"I don't know I was about to be hanged, seemed like a good idea at the time." He said while cleaning his shotgun. I was a bit annoyed at that reply so I got up and decided that was enough talking for the night.

"Goodnight Rick." I said and walked after my sister to our room.

"What? What'd I say?" He asked completely lost. I just kept walking. I noticed some wet footprints on the floor as I was walking back. That's weird, I thought. I don't think any of the Americans would be stupid enough to fall overboard and swim their way back up, but maybe. I brushed the thought away and walked towards Evy and I's room.

"You're back sooner than I thought!" Evy exclaimed as I walked through the door.

"Yeah, he pissed me off." I said as I stripped and got into my nightgown. I watched my sister walk around with her book while brushing her hair. Always trying to multitask. She finally put her book down and looked at me seriously. My mind was wandering so it took me a little while to realize she was staring.

"What?" I asked finally getting out of my daze.

"How was it? Catching up." Evy asked.

"Well that's kind of a dumb question, Eves. It was terrible. But there's no way I could stay mad at him." I explained putting my face in my hands.

"Ooooo" she made a weird noise that I wasn't used to. "You like him." She stated. I immediately looked up into her eyes.

"No. No way." I denied it fully and laid down on the bed closing my eyes. I heard Evy gasp and immediately my eyes shot open and I sat up and pulled my gun from underneath my pillow. I saw a man standing there in black robes that looked vaguely familiar. I pointed my gun at him about to shoot but he had my sister in front of him acting as some kind of shield.

"Sir, I am not in the mood to negotiate, so if you would let my sister go that would be great!" I said slowly and calmly. Just then Rick burst through the door with his guns at the ready I quickly reached for my weapons bag.

"Josephine!! Evelyn!!" He called our names. Just then the window opened and there was another man in black robes holding a gun who started shooting at us. Immediately, Rick and I started shooting back at him. I watched as Evy took hold of a candle that was burning and shoved it in the mans eye that was holding her, it dropped on the floor and caught the rug on fire. I quickly ran over to her grabbed her by the arm, and followed Rick out the door.

"THE MAP, I forgot the map!!" Evy yelled about to turn back. Both Rick and I grabbed her before she could run back into the burning room.

"Relax. We're the map it's all up here." Rick said gesturing to his brain. Evy rolled her eyes.

"Oh that's comforting!!" She said as we dashed behind a wall. Rick and I started reloading our weapons. I got done first and noticed the shots were getting closer and closer to Ricks head. I quickly grabbed his gun holster and moved him to the side so he wouldn't get his head blown off. He pulled out another gun from his holster and we were moving again. He shoved his weapons bag into Evys arms.

"Can you swim??" He asked her.

"Well of course I can swim if the occasion calls for it!!" Evy yelled at him confused as the flames filled the barge.

"Trust me. It calls for it!" Rick told her swiftly scooping her up and throwing her with his bag overboard. He gave me a look that said, 'don't make me throw you in too'. I quickly took the hint and dove off the ship with my weapons bag in tow. As I swam I felt the weight of my bag dragging me down under the surface. I went under the water and struggled to break back up for air. I finally broke the surface and gasped sucking in dirty river water, it burned my lungs. I went back under, gasping under the water, filling my lungs even more. My vision was starting to blacken up, I couldn't see or breathe I had no idea what was happening. Suddenly, I felt a weight under me lifting me to the surface. It was like I was aware but outside my body. It was a very strange feeling.

Oh my god Joe! That was Evy talking

What the hell happened??? Jonathan exclaimed. I heard hooves on the beach near me.

I felt a heavy pressure on my chest then a light one on my lips. Then more compressions and again. I felt the water flow back up through my chest. I started coughing and my vision came back. I heard a bunch of sighs around me. I saw Rick above me on his knees.

"Oh thank god." Rick said and hugged me. I looked to Evy and Jon, Evy was hugging Jon looking relieved as hell. I looked to the left of them and saw my beautiful friend I had made on the barge. I stood up and walked over to him petting his head.

"Where did he come from?" I asked Rick my voice hoarse.

"He just followed us up here. Are you okay?? You should rest. I don't need you dying on me." Rick said from behind me.

"Oh... No, no I'm fine." I trailed off not worrying about it anymore. Evy and Jon then came over to me and hugged me. Then I saw the weirdest thing yet today, Beni was standing there on the other side of the river.

"You really should just relax.. We just lost everything, all of our equipment all of our clothes!!" Evy said but was drowned out by Beni.

"HEY O'CONNELL!! O'CONNELL LOOKS TO ME LIKE I HAVE ALL THE HORSES!!" Beni yelled to us.

"HEY BENI!! LOOKS TO ME LIKE YOUR ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE RIVER!!" Rick yelled back to him. After this debacle they hoisted me up onto my horse (whom I had decided to name Hidalgo) and we rode into town to find more equipment and clothes.