The Writers' Block Anthology

Island IV: The Duat

Bought an orange to get rid of scurvy for Island III.

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 It was cool. That's the first thing that came to my mind. The earth underneath me was cool and the air smelt musty. My eyes fluttered open and were met with the canopy of stars. I couldn't help but gasp. I never saw stars like these in the city. Never. I never knew there were so many. As my senses woke, I heard the insects and amphibians singing their collaborative orchestra and the babbling of water. The wind whistled through the reeds and the mud scrunched as I sat up, realizing my legs were partially in the water and that where I rested was on the bank of a river.

"Where . . . ?" I asked myself softly. "How did I . . . ?"

I stood up, checking my body to make sure I was whole and if there were any clues as to where I had been before. My clothes were foreign, Asian, and beautifully designed. There was nothing in my pockets. However, my wrists looked raw and irritated. I tried to remember what had happened and, for that matter, who I was. I couldn't remember anything. But, how could I remember the city? Have I ever been to a city? Ugh, and my head. My hand flew up to my forehead, pressing, in an attempt to soothe the spike of pain. This sucks.

Dawn peaked, blushing, over the horizon. The rosy light illuminated several triangular teeth tearing into the navy blue blanket. I squinted toward the soft light, are those pyramids? No, there's no way. That would mean . . . I gazed across the inky expanse of the river, that would mean this would have to be the Nile . . . and that I am in Egypt. How the heck did I get to Egypt of all places?

I tried to pull every fact I knew about Egypt from my malfunctioning memory, but nothing was of real use except that the Egyptians built their civilization along the Nile and that pyramids were tombs for their pharaohs. Maybe I could find some help if I followed along the river.

With nothing else to go on, I start my very cautious journey. It was very hard to see even with the light of dawn. Without light pollution, it's incredible how dark it can get. I held my hand up in front of me and waved. Only when I held it up to the sky could I see the outline clearly. I didn't know how long I had been walking, only that the sky was streaking with the pastel colors of early morning, preparing the stage for the sun to finally make its grand appearance. I could make out the tall structures of the Egyptian civilization against the pale backdrop and found myself right next to one of the pyramid tombs. I stopped for a moment in front of the gaping entrance, curiosity clawing, almost tangibly, at my being. I turned my eyes to the towering structure. It seemed to beckon me into its embrace.

My hand ran along the sandstone wall as darkness folded around me. No torches were lit to guide my way, walking completely on blind faith that this force would guide me true. The air around me seemed to become hotter with every step, soon sweat ran down my face and my clothes clung uncomfortably snug. A faint red glow appeared in the distance as the path began to descend and any hope that curiosity might relinquish me fell away. As I reached the edge of the light, everything was cast in a red hue. The space opened up into an impossible cavern, fog shielded me from seeing any corner, wall, or even the ceiling as it would form at a designated distance away. I stood on a platform overlooking an expanse that looked somewhat like Egypt itself.

The heat was stifling, making it uncomfortable to breathe. I turned to head back from where I had come when a rumbling and an ear-splitting roar slashed through the awe-filled silence. I froze, heart beating painfully against my ribs, and slowly turned, coming face to face with a giant black serpent, blood dripping down its scales, and eyes glowing red. It regarded me a moment before rearing its head back against the foggy ceiling only to be launched sideways by something I can only describe as lightning as the instantaneous boom knocked me on my back, and momentarily I could only see black. I blinked several times and my vision slowly returned. I could hear distant screeching but, from the rumbling of the ground, I could tell my hearing was messed up too. I shakily stood, stumbling several times as my legs wouldn't stop wobbling. In the distance, I could see a massive winged beast circling what looked like an Egyptian village. A little closer were other beasts, smaller, but with the head of a bird and the body of a lion. Below, running along the ground were things that looked like demented giraffes, the body of a feline and the neck and head of a serpent.

The lightning struck again, sending the black serpent to the earth below with an agonizing shriek. It spasmed, coiling around itself, flopping like a fish out of water until it laid still. A glowing boat hovered over it, and standing on the deck was a man with the head of a falcon. He stared at the serpent and then turned toward me. I screamed, finding my strength again, and ran as fast as my feet could carry me away from the strange place and out of the pyramid itself. I ran straight into the shallows of the river, the sun fully risen over Egypt. The river was freezing compared to the tomb. I could feel it leeching the heat from my body with a sigh of relief. I laid down, body partially in the river and partially on land so filled with reprieve that I didn't hear footsteps approaching.

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Eternally Yours,

~ Phoenix