Into the Valley of Isis(novel in progress)

Into the Valley of Isis

beginning of a novel in progress

In 1922 Howard Carter's discovery of King Tut's tomb brought an obscure branch of sudo-archeology to the forefront of the scientific and historical worlds. The study of Egyptology was now in high demand by college students and by 1924 Alexis Sampson had been swept up in the mystery. But was it her natural curiosty combined with the sudden fame of the subject that lured her into the scientific world or was it something else, something closer to her own personal history.

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Her cold hands trembled in anticipation, lightly skimming across the rough, ancient limestone. Her knees weakened with every impulsive step as if instinct were leading her to an unknown, yet familiar, destination. Apprehension pulsed through her veins with the force of a torrential flood. Finally, at the end of the dimly lit passageway she came to a dead end. The wall that stood before her was painted ceiling to floor with hieroglyphics and in the center a deep impression of a hand. Slowly she lifted her hand up to the indentation. Touching it lightly with her finger tips she gradually pressed the rest of her palm into place. Startled, she jumped back as a door began to slide open.

The sound of sistrums, ancient Egyptian ceremonial rattles, echoed loudly as she warily crossed the threshold into what could only be the ancient world of Egypt. The inside of the room had both painted and carved scenes of Egyptian ceremonies. The most prominent of which was the images of the ancient goddess, Isis, presenting a crown to a woman. Roughly two dozen women all dressed in white linen and beaded collars made of lapis lazuli, turquoise and carnelian stood with rattles in hand.

They began to shake the sistrums more vigorously as they cleared a path, each bowing their head as she passed by. Before her sat a large stone chair, a throne, carved on the arms and backrest with more ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Reaching out her hand she touched the edge with her fingers, then, the large clock on the wall chimed six times and Alexis startled awake. "Not again." She whispered to herself as she slowly rolled out of bed.

Alexis had been having that same dream nearly every night since she began working at the British Museum three months ago. At first she thought nothing of it, just a reaction to a new and exciting environment. She started at the museum only two weeks after finishing her graduate work in archaeology hoping to learn more about the specifics of Egyptology before venturing onto her doctorate studies.

Her first assignment, like all the other interns, was to uncrate and catalog the new shipments of artifacts, any and all artifacts not just Egyptian. In fact there were no shipments from Egypt for the first two weeks and Alexis became a bit impatient and disappointed. She had been an avid fan of anything Egyptian since her uncle first brought her to this very museum as a child to see the mummies, not surprising since she was herself born in Egypt. Orphaned at birth, her unwed biological mother died from complications in childbirth.

The Sampsons, Alexis' adoptive parents, had been living in Cairo for two years. Mr. Sampson was a financial adviser for a large British shipping company that did business with the British Museum. Mrs. Samson was unable to have any children of her own and therefore decided they would adopt a child. There were so many children in the orphanage, but it took merely one look at Alexis and they knew she belonged with them. Scarcely six weeks from her first birthday, her enormous dark eyes and one-toothed grin won over the Sampson's hearts in an instant. Shortly after the child's second birthday the Sampson family returned to England.

For the next three years Alexis had rather a normal life. Betina Sampson began educating her little girl very early. Alexis could read by the time she was four and was denied no subject in the scope of her curiosity. "Knowledge is power and my little darling with have all she wants. She will not grow to be a woman who is dependant on a man for her identity." Mrs. Sampson explained to anyone who would listen.