In Love with a Jackal

10.

I let go of Anubis the second the world stopped spinning around us.

"That was absolutely unnecessary!" He exclaimed as he stumbled a few steps away from me before aggressively wiping at his mouth with his sleeve.

"I can't believe that actually worked." I muttered back, simply in awe that I was actually standing in my university's foyer again. My shoulders sagged as relief flooded me; who knew kissing could have more than one purpose.

Everything was same as it had been before we'd left for magic memory land. I didn't know how much time had passed but it couldn't have been much. The sunshine was still here, the people in line at the entrance coffee shop were the same, even the security guard I had seen this morning was still standing there staring at us. Wait, staring?

It seemed a couple of people in the foyer were giving us some dubious glances, but I simply brushed it off as odd for now. After the horrors I had just experienced, both life threatening and emotional, I was just so glad to back here in the normal world again. I would even hug the floor and vow to never let it go ever again for all eternity, if you know, the floor were a little easier to hug.

There were no killer sandstorms here, no vengeful addidas wearing gods and none of my romantic traumas. I didn't even care anymore that I had locked lips with Anubis. Again.

"Hey, hey..... Are you even listening to me?"

I felt someone grab my shoulder and I automatically looked up. This tall and lanky dude with bronze skin and black curly hair, in a borrowed sweater and golden sandals who happened to be the ancient egyptian God Anubis.

I don't know what switch flipped inside me, but it suddenly occurred to me that the entirety ancient egyptian deities and lore may actually be real. You know, giant half-lion lady that asks you riddles and all.

And the one standing right here was the Jackal headed keeper of the dead. He wasn't a werewolf, or fairy or a woodland sprite. No, just a freaking God.

My palms found my forehead as I tried to process that realization.

I stared at his face again. He was really Anubis. I was so skeptical about everything, always, but for some reason not a sliver of me doubted it anymore. It was like some of this weird memory magic had seeped into me, telling me that this was all real.

I was truly linked to the god Anubis.

This was fucking horrible.

Unsettled by my blank empty staring at him, Anubis waved his free hand in front of my face,

"Hey!... Are you o-"

"You're really Anubis." I interrupted him, finally admitting something I had firmly denied for the past 24 hours.

Somewhat relieved I was responding again, Anubis let go of me and his tight expression relaxed a little,
"Glad you finally arrived at that conclusion," he remarked, "Only took you an arm and a..." he paused seemingly remembering last night's events, "I guess another arm."

I took a deep breath.

I didn't know what I would do from now on, nor how I'd come to terms with this situation but atleast I had come to a new resolve.

No matter what, I'd get through this.

Somehow.

Just, somehow.

Once again, I found myself being shook rather violently at both shoulders.

"I'm talking to you Tina, human." the shaking continued, "Pay attention."