The Offering
Date: 3/1/2016,
Categories:
Supernatural,
Author: RejectReality
... laughed, breaking the tension. “So are the myths of the cinema born – upon the breath of the gods in the desert winds.” “Shall we proceed?” Cameron said with a smile, glad to see that Abasi’s words had calmed the crowd. The gilded shrine indeed filled the chamber, leaving only a narrow walkway to explore the room. The decorations of the shrine were dominated by the most overt depictions of female sexuality yet, with even the goddesses joining in the pleasure with the priestess and her servant. Cameron snapped pictures of the script running all along the shrine, rolling her eyes when she noticed Trent utilizing his own camera on the sexual reliefs. On the opposite side of the chamber, Cameron saw the door. The seal was intact, the entrance protected by a host of carved goddesses – Bastet the most prominent – and Emuishere. Cameron gasped and said, “Look,” pointing to the seal. “Incredible,” Abasi remarked, leaning in close. Two perfect fingerprints decorated the clay seal. A pair of long, dark hairs likewise protruded from the clay. More hairs lay strewn upon the granite tiled floor. “Emuishere no doubt mourned here. Few others would have found admittance to this holy-of-holies,” Abasi speculated. Cameron could almost see the bereaved woman kneeling before the shrine – her breasts bared, her hair and face streaked with ashes, wailing as she tore at her hair in mourning. Her voice thick with emotion, Cameron said, “We should preserve everything as quickly as possible before we ...
... open the shrine.” All three started as the earth rumbled, shaking the chamber. Cameron could hear gasps and cries of alarm from the adjoining chamber. “Perhaps we should see everyone to the surface,” she suggested once the rumbling ceased. Abasi nodded his head. “Agreed. I will have someone check the integrity of the tomb once everyone is safely above.” “Are you all right?” Someone called into the burial chamber. “We’re fine,” Cameron answered. “The shrine and the seals are intact. Everyone head back up, we’re coming.” Abasi gestured for Trent and Cameron to follow, the trio watching their step for anything that they might have missed after the discovery of the hairs. Cameron saw the last of the spectators leaving the chamber when she stepped through the doorway of the burial chamber. Another slight tremble from the earth prompted a worried glance from Trent and Abasi. The three fell in behind the now more quickly moving crowd fleeing the tomb. Cameron could feel tension in the hot air as soon as she emerged into the Egyptian sun. She shielded her eyes, hearing a great deal of murmuring in Arabic, trying to find out what was going on. Her eyes eventually adjusted and she noticed that the local diggers and guards were all universally facing one spot, their faces showing touches of fear. Cameron followed their gaze and her eyes widened when she beheld the hawk, perched atop the highest point of the nearest tent, staring down on the crowd. Suddenly, the raptor loosed a keen and ...