Another self insert with me as the character.....
Dr. Maria is an archeologist fresh out of the University of Helsinki. She runs a small antique shop on the side, her life is constant work, and she has no time for romance, that is until one of her c...
As the day to depart to the excavation site loomed over her, Maria tried not to think of Ville. Yes, she would miss him, but if this were true love, one that she felt would last, he would be here. She was also happy to hear Angel practicing with Alexi to regain confidence in her racing. At times she thought of how her life would have been if she had married Alexandre. She would not have been able to follow her dreams, and most of all, meet the wonderful man she was with now.
Yes, Ville made Maria so happy, but she was also scared, for love was complicated. Though they tried to make their relationship one that was not overly formal, she could sense he wanted to ask; he was, after all, a gentleman. He knew that she was old-fashioned. In her heart, she officially wanted to be his lady. Yet, she thought of all the heartache that had come after her engagements, and she hesitated.
Other than that, Maria kept herself busy at work deciphering codes, writing papers, presenting at the University, and examining samples at the lab. She barely had time for exercise. She was so tired at the end of the day. Yet, she would always reach out to Angel and see how she was faring.
"It's hard, as hell, but having Alexi makes it all worth it," Angel texted, making Maria feel glad that the man had come into her friend's life. Angel was still in love with that passion for racing, and it was a crime that she had given it up. She was meant to race.
Though it seemed far, the day of the excavation of the newly found Egyptian ruins, finally arrived and bidding farewell was hard. Maria had to leave things ready and prepared at work for her shop to keep running swiftly while she was absent. Angel wished her all the luck, and so did Alexi.
On the other hand, Ville sent her a sweet letter making her promise she would be safe and return for he would be done with the gigs he had lined up on the day she was set to come back. Once more, she tried to reassure him, but she did not understand why he felt hesitant in his heart.
The plane ride to Egypt was tense for Maria. Although she was excited, she was also nervous, excavations and discoveries always took time, and mistakes could prove fatal.
"I expect great results from all of you, be safe," her boss said over the text that she was now reading. The terrain, of course, as she had expected it, hot, unforgiving, during the day and cold and eerie during their evenings. Standing before these ancient monoliths whose structural creation still puzzled science, was a sight to gape at for Maria and her team, no matter if they had seen it before.
Egypt held all the ancient power that had given way to all of the lore, myths, and history. It was indeed a seat of royalty and mystical aura. Setting up the site and taking the first steps into excavation was a tiring task. Often the team had to rest to feel hydrated and continue to find ways to lead the excavation to what were believed to be new tombs and sections within a pyramid.
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"Who knows how long they have been buried," Jack, one of the team members, stated. "Years, centuries, millennia, one can only imagine, and that is why we are here," Maria said as she joined the team to dig away. The hard labor tough, not necessary on her part, allowed her to focus. Though this was tedious work, it had to be done. The past was an important part of the world that could not stay buried. Even if the descent into them proved long, it had to be done, no matter what.
Moons came, and the sun rose over Helsinki's skies; Angel was gaining more confidence and even dared to take the wheel thanks to Alexi. She wished Maria was already here, yes the date was still far away, but she missed her friend. However, they understood that the trip was not set to end soon.
Ville wrote with her on his mind hoping to see here again and counting the days on the calendar, and the date was close. Yet, so far, she had been asked to focus solely on her efforts, so communication was harder. If he had a license to dig, he would have run to be beside her, yet his music kept him busy.
It was almost 8 months later after the date of return that things really begin to turn dark... Maria's team should have been done in 5 months...Ville snapped. Angel and Alexi looked everywhere and asked around, but the more they did, the more fruitless their search became. The rumors of the team being lost began to torment their days and nights. Nightmares and restless nights before had never plagued Ville, he was a walking zombie, and his heart was not beating. He wanted to keep hope alive, but with everything so uncertain, he was going mad.
"So no word yet..." Ville asked again, as he always had all this time, even if he often felt hopeless. Something pushed him on. He was as if he had been recently smoking his third pack of cigarettes. It had been three months since he had seen or heard from Maria. He Alexi and Angel had no idea where the excavation was and whether it had been extended or what had happened.
Angel had been busy as she was now practicing racing independently. Yet, after 3 months of not hearing a word from her friend, she was distressed. Maria's expedition was set to finish in 5 months at the least. She was to report back, and the investigation would continue to flourish with another team.
Furthermore, there was no information on the news. The Archeological Society was not willing to dole it out either as it was classified. It was only when he flicked a random channel desperate to find a sign of her. Alexi, Angel, and Ville had been looking for information in every nook and cranny. It seemed like a fruitless search, and it was driving them all crazy. That is until Ville randomly flicked his television channels trying once more like he did every night.....that his heart leaped and fell.
"Today, after express permission from the society of Finland's archeological team was given by the local authorities in Egypt that the excavation team sent to explore the ruins 8 months ago, is now confirmed lost. The team which was set to come back to Helsinki over two months ago is nowhere to be found, and a cave in seems to be the cause, yet we will keep you all informed," the reported stated, as Ville stood up with tears in his eyes.
He knew now, all those nightmares, all that uncertainty, all that restless energy, his phone rang off. "Angel, did you," Ville said as Angel crying was informing him over the phone that apparently there had been a cave-in. The team sent to explore had been trapped there for two months with barely any food or water.
Ville started shaking and had to reach for his asthma inhaler. His baby and her people were stuck in there. For all they knew, they could be dead. He needed to go, even if he had to break rules he needed to be there, no way in hell was he staying here any longer.
Angel and Alexi beat him to the airport. No words were shared. Ville knew where they were headed. Yet "You have that race your first one," Alexi said, "My friend means more to me than my dreams, even if she would not forgive me for letting them go," Angel said. Alexi smiled, proud of his girl as Ville followed them onto the airplane, heart on his throat.
Simultaneously, within a deep crumbled passageway, Maria sat against a wall, her throat dry. She recalled how fast the cave-in had happened, how little time they have had to react, how it had felt to have some rocks fall on Emilia's legs, and how she had prayed she would not die in her arms. Still, she was so weak, such a young girl. Now her body weeks dead had added to the desperation and suffocation of the team. She had failed to protect her, and she knew she should have been the one to die. She should have never accepted the job. It was too risky.
Comrades had turned against each other, people fighting over water and food, desperate for a sign of help. They had sent a radio signal out, but no one had sent word back, they were gonna die here....and she would never see the light or his face again....at least she hoped Angel was happy.
Jack had run off like a crazed man wanting to get out and find a way. They had not seen him since weeks ago. The team of now 5 was falling apart. Some had died of dehydration, some during the cave-in, others had attacked each other, and Maria had been forced to separate them. Yet, now it was hide and survive, for it was a vipers nest and she was easy prey like any other, if only she had been able to see the sun his eyes, and the sky once more... but now...
