I rubbed my eyes to wipe away the haziness from my sleep. Our sand-made roof had disintegrated, and an assembly of oversized hooded cobras apparently tunneled their way through the walls of our temporary shelter before awoke.

We were completely encircled. If they had uncoiled and stood straight up on their over exaggerated, muscular tails, they would have reached over 100 feet tall-- easily. It was clear that hunger still inhabited their stomachs. The cobras’ massive fangs dripped with saliva defining just how hungry they were. One wrong move from either of us and I anticipated we would be their first exceptionally large meal in a truly long time.

I couldn’t have remotely anticipated what was about to happen next. The largest of the cluster began to speak in a confident, yet somehow soothing voice. The head of this cobra smoothly transitioned from that of a cobra to that of a lioness and back again. With an elaborate headdress, its continuous, chameleon like transformations bared her level of prominence and authority amongst her loyal nest of followers. Her tongue long and hissing, she presented her ultimatum to us,

“I am Wadjet, the goddess of Lower Egypt. I come in this form of because it is my lifelong responsibility to defend my reining Pharaoh -- Khufu. I am equipped to strike and conquer my adversaries in a moments notice and on demand. There are not many who can challenge my overwhelming strength and precise abilities. However, Khufu’s rein has reached deep down into his soul and destroyed his ego. If he continues on this path, he will obliterate this land and its people.”

We listened attentively as Wadjet continued in her majestic approach,

“Khufu has been overtaken by the power of the sacred book of the dead - The Papyrus of Ani. He has prepared for the afterlife more than any other before him. This, with the expectation of holding the highest status in eternal existence. This mission has consumed his every move, and it has transformed him into an evil, dark lord. His powers are immense and he will be difficult to conquer. We will spare your lives and aid you in your voyage home if you complete this task. If you choose to ignore this request, there will be no possibility for your much sought after excursion home. The window for your return will be sealed forever.”

Ashley and I stood in astonishment, but without hesitation, we accepted our assignment and our fate.

Wadjet continued to explain that it was required for the two of us to come to possess the Papyrus of Ani. It was the only way to salvage Pharaoh Khufu’s soul and permit him safely through the gates of the Afterlife.

We were instructed to follow the direction of the arms of the sun until we reached the Great Pyramid of Khufu. It was there that we would discover and possess the sacred book of the dead. In dominating this thorny undertaking, we would save Khufu’s soul, his people, and we would be granted our path home.

Wadjet and her loyal nest ensured us that their extreme clairvoyance would consistently track our progress and our intensions. If they were nearby, they would come to our assistance. Although we were not enlightened as to why we were instructed to keep our paint brushes close to us at all times, I had a distinct feeling we would need them to exit this quest. We were made aware to always be walking on the most delicate of eggshells to prepare ourselves for the quiet dangers that lurked about this seemingly empty land.

Ashley and I departed as the new sun peaked over the silhouetted sand dunes. It was only a matter of time before the cloudless sky enabled the mammoth amount of heat from the sun to exhaust our bodies. Our legs would continue to tire with every sinking footstep, but we walked at a fast pace, determined to get home.

After a few grueling hours en route for the Great Pyramid, Ashley and I decided to take a break. We fluffed up the sand and took a seat. We sat quietly, both trying to take in all that we had experienced so far.

Then, out of nowhere, Ashley began to sob. She took a breath in and held it for a few seconds to hold back her wave of emotion before she offered her thoughts.

“I wish I never went down into your basement. We are not going to make it through this, are we? I thought we were strong, but this is too much for me to handle. I am just a girl in eighth grade. I am not an Egyptian goddess with extraordinary powers to take control of the most powerful Pharaoh of all eternity. I want to go home….”

With those words, Ashley’s thoughts of going back home overcame her emotions, and she bawled for a few uncontrollable moments. I went over to her to console her and assured her that we would return home soon. My words were kind, persuasive and encouraging.

“Ashley, please don’t cry. If I hadn’t met you, I wouldn’t have gained the courage to go back into that basement. You are the stronger one out of the two of us, and I need you. If it were not for you, I would have no true friends at Rocky Edge. If I had no friends, there would be no one to worry about me. By showing me your heroism in coming here, you give me the strength and bravery to move on. I couldn’t picture being here without you by my side. Now, I know you are worried and so am I, but I am confident that everything will be okay. We were meant to experience this crossing. We will rescue history as we know it, and maybe solve a couple of its mysteries along the way. Are you in?”

Ashley began to take control of her breathing and of her tears. She slowly nodded, and her eyelashes batted as she gazed into my eyes to silently imply that I was more than just her friend. My heart started racing as I leaned in to kiss her …. and suddenly….my foot began to sink at a rapid pace….then my leg.

I felt an intense pull. It was as if someone grabbed onto both of my ankles and held on to them in an effort to save themselves from falling from the roof of a skyscraper. Ashley held on to me for dear life, but my body began to vanish beneath the sea of sand. Her scream was deafening and echoed for miles.