Microhorror Writing Contest

Tomb Raiders of the Nephthys

“There is no curse! Now break the Seal of Anubis, and get me into that tomb.”

Fearing the curse of Anubis more than Sir Arnold Cruthers’ temper, the site diggers threw their shovels and picks down as they bolted from the Valley of the Kings dig site.

“Cowards! I curse you all! Douglas! Break that seal.”

“But we need to preserve it for the museum ...”

Cruthers grabbed a heavy sledgehammer off the tomb stairs. With a single blow, it smashed through the seal of the tomb. “There I opened it. Clear away the debris and get me in there.”

Doug shut up and did what he was told to do. He pushed the tomb door open just enough for Cruthers to enter. “You want the claim to fame, you lead, Sir.”

Cruthers grinned. “Gladly, I like that phrase. My claim to fame.”

A moment later, Cruthers screamed, “Damn those Tomb Robbers! They got everything.”

“But it looks like we’re in luck, sir. They left the sarcophagus. It’s untouched.”

Douglas brushed clean what appeared to be a line of glyphs. Cruthers pushed Douglas aside. “Let me see those glyphs. Yes, I can make them out.”

“What’s carved there, sir?”

“It reads, ‘No gold, no jewels, no adornments can equal my love for you. It lives forever. Anubis.’”

Both stood there, stunned. Douglas came to his senses first. “Perhaps this burial is like King Tut’s triple caskets of gold and bejeweled adornments.”

“Yes. Yes. Help me slide the granite lid off.”

The lid hit the floor with a, 'Thunk.'

Both stared inside at the lightly wrapped female mummy with nothing else adorning her body.

“Wow, look at her. It’s as if she just fell asleep and she’s still alive. She can’t be dead?” A strange urge overcame Doug. He caressed her wrist, feeling for a pulse. There was none. He could not stop himself from kissing her ruby-red exposed lips.

Cruthers screamed, “What are you doing, you pervert? Get out of here. Now!”

Douglas bolted out of the tomb. Cruthers reached into the sarcophagus to examine the corpse. The mummy’s bare hand grabbed his wrist. He couldn’t pull away. He felt his life drain from his body out through his wrist into her strong, pulsating grasp.

She spoke, “His kiss awakened me. Now your body shall nourish mine, and all your memories feed mine. All praise Nephthys, Goddess of Death.”

She drained his body and emptied his mind of all he knew until he crumbled to dust. She stepped out, of the sarcophagus, full of life.

When Doug returned, he spotted the mummy’s wrappings along with Cruthers’ shoes beside the sarcophagus.

Standing there, wearing only Cruthers’ shirt, Douglas recognised the ravishing beauty from inside the sarcophagus.

Nephthys dropped Cruthers’ trousers onto the stone floor. “Come here. Drop to your knees, dog.”

Doug collapsed to his knees as his face turned into the face of a Doberman Pinscher. Nephthys said, “Now serve me, please me, my Anubis, my Guardian of the Dead.”