Beauty and the Pharaoh

Chapter 24 - [Beauty and the Loving Aunt]

I didn't tell Atem what craziness I saw the night before, mostly because I didn't want to freak him out. However, there was another reason for why I wasn't telling him... I was sure there was, but I couldn't figure it out.

Anyways, I wasn't feeling particularly good the next morning cause I barely slept. My stomach, for some strange reason, was turning the entire time in nervousness.

I didn't actually think that I saw the wizard... did I?

I mean, that was practically impossible. I watched Atem kill him!

Was I so ignorant to the power of magic to realize that bringing people back to life was possible?

No... that's ridiculous.

But then again, a year ago I would have said time traveling Pharaoh's were ridiculous too.

As I pondered the possibility of my ignorance to magic, Atem walked into my room with my massive, red hot water bag.

It was purchased a couple years ago specifically because every month, on the second day of 'that time of the month,' my uterus felt like it was going to rip right out of my tummy. A nice, hot water bag on my belly would always reduce the pain.

But I had used it on Atem when he once hit his head against the cupboard in the kitchen because I left it open, and so now he knew about it.

So yeah, he walked into my room, hot water bag in hand, and spoke to me with his usual annoyed look, "is your back still hurting?"

"Kind of," I said. After washing my face and eating breakfast, I had returned to bed because of that weird nervousness still in my belly. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Atem thought it was because of my back.

I didn't like this feeling.

It was kind of like the feeling I would get when I found out that my marks were up. Or the feeling you get right before an exam.

Ugh, it was so uncomfortable.

The slight throb in my back was nothing in comparison to what was going on in my stomach.

And the worst part was, I couldn't understand it.

"Turn around then, and put this on your back," Atem said.

I did as he said, turning myself around so that I was lying on my front on my bed.

Atem sat next to me on my bed, placed the bag on my back and patted it a couple times before looking down at me, "what exactly was it that startled you last night, May?"

I swallowed back some of that nervousness. "It could have been a mouse," I lied.

"A mouse? Is that something you people are afraid of? Tiny, harmless mice?

"Mice are pretty scary!" I argued, "they can be vicious!"

"Oh, dear Ra, you're pathetic," he put his legs up on my bed despite insulting me.

I sighed and turned my head away from him, resting it on my pillow, "god, I'm so tired."

"But you just woke up."

I didn't say anything to that. Instead, I stared at the wall and thought of a way to change the topic and feel better.

But instead, I did exactly the opposite.

I looked back at Atem, "how crazy is magic in your world?"

"Crazy?" He looked down at me. He was leaning against my headboard and I only now noticed that he had a book in his hands.