The Curse in Her Blood

Prologue

It had started 6 months ago when she had got the news. Her best friend, Sarah, sat stoically next to Robin absorbing the information with a brave face while Robin openly broke down. As if Robin were the one who had been diagnosed with a very advanced form of Leukemia and not Sarah.

Sarah and Robin had been best friends for years. With a two-year age difference, they met when and her family moved in down the street Robin was 5 and Sarah was 3. By the time they were 8 and 6, the two were inseparable. Never one without the other.

Now it looked like Sarah was going to die young and Robin would be left alone.

Not good for a girl with abandonment issues and an incapability to open up to new people and make new friends. Sarah had taken the news much better than Robin had though. She decided almost immediately that she wouldn't let this beat her, but she didn't start treatment.

Robin was at a loss as to how Sarah could put this off. The longer she did the worse her chances of survival got. But Sarah was adamant that she wasn't going to get ravaged by the cancer treatments until the two of them lived a little.

So, they pooled together their money and took off. They went on this round the world where they explored all the places, they had ever dreamed of going on. They had many adventures, and tried everything that Sarah had wanted to try. Sarah became wild and impetuous, though she had always had a wild streak in her, she had always been the braver of the two women. The cautious, first-aid orientated Robin remained steadfast by her side, reminding her to take it easy when she got too tired and urging her to go back to get treatment.

Their journey had taken them to the Island of Philae. They had dreamed of being archaeologists when they were younger, until Sarah realized she loved acting more than paleobotany and Robin realized she loved to write more than she liked dirt or playing in it. But this was a chance to react past fantasies by getting to the island and wandering around the ruins pretending to be in The Mummy movie. Where Robin would most likely have to play the role of Brendan Fraser as Sarah always wanted to be the dashing female in need of rescue.

In a way she sort of was.

They had found out, once they got to the Island, that there was a dig going on and most of the really cool sections of the Island had been cordoned off. Of course, Sarah was livid. She convinced Robin to stay behind. To wait until it was dark. To wait until everyone else had left. To hide in a hollowed out old house, whispering old stories and inside jokes while sipping on warm water and chewing on dry crackers, until night had fallen and the stars were out.

Robin was tired, dusty, and aching, but Sarah was literally dying and not complaining so she could bear through this for her. Sarah slept through some of the wait and while she slept, Robin read a book. She had finished it the first month of their trip, and had reread it at least four more times since then. It looked just as worn as she was. At least she could have a shower... when they stopped at a hostel that had clean, warm running water that is.

When the light was finally gone, Robin roused Sarah and asked what she wanted to do. Sarah wanted to see a mummy.

They walked through the desolate streets, sticking to shadows, rolling through alleyways as if they were spies on a secret mission. Like there might be security to spot them. Robin told her that The Island of Philae had been explored years ago, and mostly likely completely emptied out. There probably wouldn't be a single mummy to be found. Sarah argued that no one would be digging there unless they thought there was something to be found. Robin had conceded that to be true and consequently shut up.

After that they headed straight for the dig site, walking hand in hand, jumping at every shadow or thing that went bump in the night. Which was usually a cat being startled or the wind knocking something else against a wall in a series of clatters. Then they found it, they found that the dig was inside of some large temple. Where, inside, they found themselves atop a dark stone staircase that lead to what Robin was certain would be death. It was clear that the excavation area that they were interested in, and even more clearly it was most likely somewhere down those stairs. Robin didn't like the dark but Sarah was fearless and determined to see what was down there.