The hidden goddess

Chapter 1: The Mysterious Journal

Riley looked at her grandfathers old house as she sat in the back of her parents car. She didn't feel much for it as she never really liked her grandfather.

He never really talked and just sat in his chair staring out the window endlessly. She Always wondered what he was thinking when he was looking out the window like that.

Perhaps he was thinking about his past or about the worlds troubles? maybe.

Riley looked up at the old willow that stood strong next to the house and opened the car door. her mother was already unlocking the front door to have a look inside. Riley walked up the old creaky steps of the porch and stood behind her mother. "are you sure it's okay if we just sell his stuff ?"

she asked her mother with a nervous undertone in her voice. her mother replied to her "of course it is honey, it's better for his old stuff to be reused then for it to just stand there and rot."
Riley nodded in agreement "yeah i guess that is true" she carefully walked into the house and looked around at the old picture frames and furniture.

"why don't you go have a look upstairs ? i'll have a look down here" her mother smiled as she closed the front door and walked into the kitchen.

"okay" Riley said as she was already making her way up the stairs. once upstairs she looked around and noticed a second set of stairs. "the attic ?" she remembered the times her mother told her to stay away from the attic when she was younger. but just a peek wouldn't hurt would it ?

she looked down the stairs to check if her mother wasn't coming up and silently snuck up to the attic. When she flipped the light switch she noticed there were lots of boxes stacked onto each other. some were half open and others stood lonely in a corner catching dust.

she squeezed trough a gap between some of the boxes noticing an old desk with some stuff littered around it. It had drawers attached to it. Riley immideately took a look inside of them as one was already partially open.

She took out some pencils and some old papers and it revealed a Journal underneath. it was old and had probably already suffered a few splashes of coffee judging from the stained outlook. Riley carefully picked it up and jumped as she heard her mother calling her from downstairs "Riley? I think it's going to rain in a little while we should head home. i think we left Buster outside"

she looked at the little gap between the boxes thinking of her dog before squeezing back trough the gap while hiding the journal under her shirt. She jolted off the two sets of stairs smiling and looked at her mother whom had already opened the front door. her mother sighed "look at you all dusty" she shook her head as she ruffled Rileys hair causing dust to fly everywhere

"ugh mom ! don't do that" Riley sneezed just before heading off those same creaky porch steps and back to the car.

Once they arrived back home Riley immideately went to the backyard still hiding the journal under her shirt. Her dog Buster was sitting on the back porch looking at the door sadly and immideately looked over when Riley appeared next to him.

Riley looked trough the window of the back door to see if her mother had already entered the house but assumed she was still busy opening the front door wich was quite creaky and old. causing it to need a lot of force to open. "don't worry Buster" Riley said still looking trough the window. "Mother won't take long i'm sure of it"

she smiled and petted Buster on his head. Her mother had now made her way into the kitchen and unlocked the back door. once it was open Buster immideately went inside. Riley followed and smiled at her mother before heading upstairs to her room.

where she took out the journal and opened it. The first entry was written in an old fashioned handwriting, probably her grandfathers she thought to herself.

luckily Riley had Always been good at
reading and this handwriting was actually quite easy to read. she let her eyes go over the pages and noticed something was scribbled on the bottom of the page.

It was a warning : Whomever reads this do not try to Uncover the truth ! or else you and possibly your associates will die in horrible ways. Riley shivered, die in a horrible way ? what truth could possibly cause a horrible death ?

She immideately shook the thought of drowning or burning alive off and started to read the first entry.

England, May 19th 1920

My Name is Gregory Tompson. i'm 20 years old and off to Egypt to aid one of my colleagues with one of his most recent findings. A pyramid dating back to ancient times that hasn't been opened before !

I can just imagine all of the treasures to be found inside ! Maybe we'll even learn more about the way the people lived back then. I'm heading out first thing in the morning with some of my colleagues. most of us are exited while two of my colleagues are still not sure about the validity of this all.. after all every pyramid that has been found and taken record of  has already been pillaged by graverobbers or archeologists like ourselves.

I understand his doubt but can't help but be exited. even if it has already been pillaged It's still my first job. I should get some rest now as tomorrow will be a busy day.

The entry ended. Riley looked up from the journal wondering what her grandfather could have possibly found that is so terrifing that he put up a warning. perhaps whatever it was he was still trying to figure out in his head untill the day he died.

Riley closed the journal and put it under her pillow before sitting up. "Riley ? would you like something to eat" Riley snapped out of thought and looked at the door "Sure ! i'll be right there mum"

she got up and walked down to her mother whom was already making some snacks as it was only 12 o' clock "do you have any homework for tomorrow?" Riley shook her head "not much."

she said as she sat down at the kitchen table. "i finished most of it during class already" she smiled

"I see. that's good" her mother replied softly Rileys thoughts went off to the journal again. trying to think of what the warning could mean. her mother finished up the snacks and put them on the table before sitting down herself. she looked at Riley "Are you okay ? you seem a little off"

Riley looked up at her mother "Don't worry about it i'm fine" Riley smiled at her mother again then took a bite out of one of the crackers her mother had made. her mother put her hand on Rileys hand and said "it's okay if you're sad about your grandfathers passing. it's nothing to be ashamed of" Riley Frowned "i'm not ashamed of anything." she paused for a few seconds then continued

"it's nothing special. really" her mother sighed while also grabbing a cracker "okay. if you say so". Riley quickly finished her food then went back upstairs to her room and took the journal from under her pillow again to read the second entry. as the warning and the first entry had made her curious as to what more it held.

Egypt, May 22th 1920

We finally arrived in Egypt after a long journey. i'm still just as exited as two days ago, luckily some of my colleagues have stopped being negative about it and are also enjoying themselves. It won't be long untill we arrive at the pyramid.

we are now traveling on camels and have put up camp in the middle of the desert. we have enough water for the rest of the trip and won't have to worry about it once we have arrived at the main camp wich is apparently close to a village.

according to the locals it's true nobody has ever opened the pyramid as most warnings from the villagers have scared them off. i don't fully understand what they mean with ancient evil though. some of my colleagues have been joking about a curse and about living mummys. but that couldn't be true. all of the mummys found have been as dead and unmoving as possible.

and a curse ? i'm a man of god but i don't believe that that is even possible. a curse is something you'd find in a witchtale or mediëval times. but we'll find out soon enough. even though i don't hope it is truly as dangerous as the people here speculate it to be.