five
.
May 19th
Christen awoke hugging a pillow, frowning when she realizes she’s alone. She opens a bleary eye when her alarm sounds, reaching to shut it off. She wishes Tobin had stayed. She can’t explain it, she just wants to be around her. She rolls on her back, stretching limbs lazily, thinking of Tobin’s tales of her childhood last night. She hung on every word she said until she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Being so close to her, feeling the heat she radiated, there was no doubt she was human. Yet how could she disappear and be invisible to everyone else? She must be a spirit, Tobin admitted it herself. She had come from the Field of Reeds, sent back here to assist her for some unknown reason.
Why does she feel she’s falling in love with a ghost?
Her morning is spent double checking the assignments the students turned in. They created action plans for relic identification, handling and packing. It was a little presumptuous to have in hand since they haven’t found anything yet but Christen viewed it as an onsite learning experience and it would come in handy if or when they found anything of note. Brigid has now been assigned to assist Jurgen with the filming, implementing a two camera operation. Vero and Hasani are with Ari in the tomb, carefully moving the display items against the far wall. Mark and Shani are updating the daily notes of the expedition and including the actions for the engineers and the team.
With the comforting sound of fingers on keyboards in the background, Christen sips her third cup of coffee, trying her best to not let her thoughts drift back to Tobin. She needs to focus on her job and get her act together. She directs her attention to the documents Ari had given her about the export procedure, jotting down details on her notebook. She’ll have to get a copy of the shipping manifest so she can submit it to her coworker Becky so she’ll know how large of a truck Stanford will need to use to pick up the artifacts from the freight airline.
Since security is present, they will transport any artifacts back to the mess hall for final numbering, identification and packing for the international flight. Items will be crated and packed with the upmost care. Ari will supervise the process, co-signing off with her on each item they will ship out. Depending on what type of items they discover, if any, Ari will decide what will be sent back to Stanford. Christen is aware that some items may be so delicate the chance of breakage would be too great to allow it to travel further than to the Egyptian Museum. She doesn’t believe they will find any large items since the corridor is so narrow yet there have been instances that large items had been discovered. Back then, the workers would disassemble them and bring them into the tomb or chamber and reassemble for the dead to use in the Underground. There have been wagons, thrones, tables and beds found in tombs before. Either way, anything they can bring back will be amazing to work on, so she’s not worried about being disappointed with that.
She is worried about finding an empty room but has that nagging sensation in her head of Tobin’s mysterious words and how she alluded to something being there behind the seventh panel gives her hope they will find something.
An hour later, her and Mark and Shani join the others at the tomb, jumping in to assist where needed. At lunch, they discuss how to handle the removal of the panels and question Asim on what it would entail. He informs them of past projects he was involved in how they differed. He admitted he was perplexed about the sonar readings and felt if there was indeed an additional room, the entrance could be blocked fully with bricks or even possibly a cave in. That would explain why the readings are confusing.
They shorten their rest period to eagerly return to the tomb, anxious to have it prepared for Monday and their first attempt at removing the seventh panel. They are sending down an airline and it’s tedious work, connecting shorter portions of the flexible line and feeding it down the corridor. It will be attached to a generator with an intake fan to ensure the air quality is safe while they work. Hours later, after hauling down heavy tools, wagon loads of packing material, small tables and additional lights and fans, they finish. They’re all sweaty and exhausted. Ari locks the tomb entrance and declares they are officially done until Monday morning.
Once they arrive back at camp, the group gather to find cold drinks and relax for a few minutes.
“I’m going to head to my home for the weekend,” Ari announces, slowly hefting himself from his chair, “My grandchildren will be coming over.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Christen offers, gathering her courage and a water bottle and follows him outside.
“This has been going incredibly well, Christen,” Ari states as he leisurely strolls through camp towards his truck.
“It has,” Christen agrees nervously, “I do have to ask your opinion about something,”
“And what would that be?” he asks genially. Ari is an easy man to talk to. He’s very down to earth and approachable.
Christen stops walking to look at him, “What has been your experience with seeing things you can’t explain?” she bravely asks him.
He chuckles softly, linking his arm through hers and directs the towards his pickup truck. “I’ve seen many things,” he admits, “sometimes the walls talk even.” When they arrive at his truck, he opens the tailgate and hops on the back to sit, gesturing for her to join him. Christen obliges, uncapping her water and taking a long drink while she waits for him to hopefully continue.
“I’ve seen lights I couldn’t explain,” he finally speaks, “and would swear on all that’s holy that I heard voices.”
“Have you seen anything?” Christen asks urgently, “either in the tombs or on the desert?”
He nods slowly, “I have,” He takes his time removing his pack of cigarettes form his shirt pocket, shaking one out and offering it to her. She declines with a shake of her head and he nods and produces a lighter, bringing the smoke to his lips and lighting it with a deep inhale. He exhales loudly with a sigh.
“I know you speak Coptic,” he shares with her, “perhaps the Gods are trying to speak to you,” he offers.
“What would they want with me?” she asks, looking at him closely.
He shrugs slightly, “Perhaps to guide you to a new tomb,” he offers, “perhaps they feel you are worthy of telling the story of Hatshepsut. It would be like them to want a woman to do it,” he smiles, “They are big believers in setting things right,” he chuckles, bringing the cigarette back to his lips.
“What if you don’t know what they want?” Christen presses, now that she’s talking to him about this, she needs answers.
“You must be patient,” he advises, “they play chess while us lowly humans play checkers,”
She thinks about that for a minute. “What if” she starts, “what if a…spirit was emotionally affecting someone? Have you ever heard about that happening?”
Ari side eyes her for a moment, taking another drag off his smoke before answering. “I saw a spirit once,” he nods, raising the hand holding the cigarette to gesture up the road, “thirty-two years ago at KV57, Horemheb’s tomb.” He inhales deeply and exhales slowly, “Scared the shit out of me,” he admits, smiling at her.
“What happened?” Christen asks with wide eyes.
“I was alone in the deep tomb,” he explains, “A beautiful woman pushed me forward out of it,” he explains, “she pulled me up on my feet and dragged me up the corridor.”
“Did she say anything to you?”
He shakes his head, “Just as we get a few feet from the tomb entrance,” he says, “a tremor came through the ground. A big one. Rocks began to fall from the ceiling and we ran.
She didn’t let go until we got to the mouth of it. She held my arms and told me to go town and visit my favorite pub tonight. I had to stay to eat dinner.”
Christen tilts her head at him. “Really? Did you go?”
“Yep,” he says and abruptly slides off the tailgate, offering her a hand as she slides off. “I went. I certainly wanted a drink or two after nearly being killed in a collapse. So, I went and I stayed. I met my future wife. She had a drink with me at the bar and then joined me for dinner and the rest is history.”
The two are quiet for a moment.
“I don’t need to know what you’ve seen or heard,” he says warmly, “just follow your instincts. Your gut. They won’t lead you wrong.”
Christen swallows hard and nods, “Thanks,” she says shakily.
He pats her shoulder, “Don’t fret too much on this,” he smiles at her, “you aren’t going crazy.”
She nods and then straightens up, “Have a nice time with your grandchildren,” she smiles.
“I don’t know if I’ll see you Sunday night or Monday morning,” he replies, grinning as he moves to the door, “but have a relaxing weekend.”
“Okay,” she smiles, feeling lighter even though she still has many unanswered questions.
“See you,” he says with a wink and enters his truck. Christen walks back to the tent, joining the students and engineers relaxing around the table. Christen offers to shower last, encouraging the other females to go first so they can leave for the hotel. She assures everyone she’ll be fine on her own, security is still on patrol and the kitchen staff have left her access to make her own meals. She’s looking forward to just shutting down and relaxing. And hopefully spending time with Tobin, a small detail she doesn’t share with anyone.
When she enters her tent after her shower with an armload of her dirty clothes and a smile on her face, she’s met with Tobin sitting at her table, returning her smile. Christen dumps her clothes on the table and spreads her arms apart, giving Tobin an expectant look as she waits for a hug. Tobin stares at her for a minute, giving her a once over before her eyes are drawn to Christen’s erect nipples pressing the material of her t-shirt out and then she stands and obliges, holding her close.
”You smell exquisite,” Tobin murmurs against her ear and inhales deeply.
”So do you,” Christen says breathily. They pull back a little bit, still holding on but far enough to look at each other. Christen touches the necklace Tobin is wearing. She fingers the round colorful gems, curious as to what they are. Then she lets her finger slide over the ankh, the smooth gold cool under her fingertip, letting it linger on Tobin’s dark skin.
”This is beautiful,” she compliments, ”it is so pretty.”
Tobin beams at her, ”Thank you,” she says softly. She reaches across to brush back Christen’s damp hair from her eyes. ”You worked very hard today,” Tobin states knowingly, as if she had witnessed her, ”very physical labor.”
Christen nods, ”We are ready for Monday,” she says with a happy sigh and small smile.
Tobin smiles, ”Wonderful. Now you rest until then?”
”Yes,” Christen replies, looking at her fondly, ”Would like to eat something? I need to eat,”
Tobin agrees and follows her out of the tent and to the kitchen. She marvels over the kitchen, touching the stainless steel surfaces with wide eyes. She is fascinated by the refrigerator, opening and shutting the door, watching as the light goes on and off, amusing Christen to no end. Silently she watches as Christen moves around the kitchen selecting items for their meal. She agrees easily to eat whatever Christen prepares, willing to try any of her food. Christen chooses an easy fish dinner, wanting it use the final fresh filets available and feeling it would be something similar to meals Tobin had eaten in her time.
Tobin bashfully admits she has never cooked, claiming that the family servants and then later, the royal staff always saw to her needs. She’s looking around at the counter and offers to help if Christen would direct her how to do it properly and Christen lets her do simple tasks. Tobin is in awe of the chef’s knife, holding it with reverence and amazed at the craftsmanship and Christen warns her to be careful with it. They return to the tent to eat, Tobin asking her about the spices she used and they discuss their favorite foods. Christen introduces Tobin to the wine she brought, explaining the flavors and the basics of how wine is made and she adores how Tobin’s face flushes after a single glass of Malbec.
”Would you like to lie on the bed and talk?” Christen rather boldly questions, feeling the wine a little. Truth is, she just wants to feel Tobin next to her. Stands up and takes Tobin’s hand, ”Maybe you could borrow some of my clothes and be comfortable?”
Tobin looks just as mesmerized as Christen is feeling as she nods slowly and follows her to the wardrobe. Christen selects a t-shirt and mesh shorts for her and steps away to give her some privacy. She doesn’t mean to but Christen stares as Tobin turns her back to her and strips off her long sleeved tunic and gently lays it on the chair. She’s completely nude and Christen sucks in air in between her clenched teeth and feels herself growing aroused. Tobin’s ass is tight and powerful looking just like her legs are. The muscles on her back and shoulders ripple as she puts on the t-shirt. Christen holds back a chuckle as Tobin nearly loses her balance as she struggles to put the shorts on. When she turns around, Tobin’s eyes are looking down, one hand pulling at the shirt and the other feeling the silkscreen of the faded Stanford logo.
”This feels nice,” Tobin smiles shyly at her, walking to meet her at the bed. As she slides onto the bed, Christen gasps. ”Your arm!” she nearly shouts as she scrambles to her knees.
Tobin looks down at the writing on her inner forearm and looks back up at her, looking apologetic and suddenly slightly ill.
Written in English on the Egyptian woman’s arm is the question Who’s there?
”I said it to you! Twice!” Christen exclaims, ”I have been feeling all sorts of things about you and I thought maybe you were the one but you have not said it back,” she angrily spits out, thrusting her arm out to show Tobin her soul mark. ”Why have you not said it?” she asks, her voice cracking with emotion. Christen aggressively shuffles on her knees towards Tobin as Tobin backs away until she’s leaning against the headboard looking terrified.
”Why have you not said it, Tobin?” Christen heatedly demands, tears forming in her eyes and her chest heaving with emotion. She’s angry and confused and wants to know why Tobin hasn’t said her words in return.
Tobin’s eyes are wet when she slowly looks up at her, ”I have wanted to,” she says in a whisper, ”I have wanted to so badly,” her voice cracks.
Christen looks at her miserably, ”Why have you not?” she cries, feeling tears roll down her face and her stomach knotting up.
”I cannot,” Tobin explains helplessly, ”I am not of your world,” she cries, ”You are my soulmate but I cannot be with you,” she sobs in anguish, bringing her hands to her face as she cries. Her body shakes as she cries and how inconsolable she sounds startles Christen out her own anger. After she wipes her eyes and when looks at Tobin her first emotion is heartache for her. Christen can hear the absolute devastation in Tobin’s cries, the sorrow is palpable and Christen cries right along with her, feeling the same emotions. Why would this happen? Why have soulmates meet if they can’t be together. Christen soon becomes more aware of Tobin’s devastating grief, hearing the hurt coming through loudly as she sobs and suddenly all the anger leaves Christen and she only wants to comfort the woman. Tobin’s heartfelt sorrow only strengthens Christen’s belief there is far more to Tobin’s story, she just doesn’t know what it is. She slowly slides off the bed and finds her towel from her shower. She wets a corner of it with water from her bottle and brings it back to the bed with the water bottle. She sits on the side of the bed next to Tobin, who is now sniffling, her breathing uneven with her hands still covering her face.
Christen softly grips Tobin’s forearm, ”Please,” she urges quietly, bringing Tobin’s hand from her face. Tobin lowers her other hand, looking devastated and timid as she hiccups and sniffles. ”I am not angry,” Christen clarifies, ”I want to understand,” she says as she tenderly wipes Tobin’s face. Tobin takes the end of the towel and wipes her face, letting out a deep sigh as her shoulders slump.
”When Osiris called for me and told me to find you,” Tobin sniffles, ”she told me my quest was to help you find your treasure. I was not to speak the first words in my mind when I saw you. I was not to reveal to you I was your soulmate then.” Tobin’s chest heaves she breathes deeply, tears continuing to slowly rolling down her face. ”I can not commit myself to you until I am of your world. The Gods will not allow it.”
”Why would they even bother to send you if you could not say your words?” Christen is confused and frustrated, it seems so cruel.
”It is time for the story of Hatshepsut to be told,” Tobin explains, swallowing hard. Christen offers her the water bottle and she takes a drink, curling her legs up to her chest and wrapping both hands around the bottle. She’s still shaky and her voice sounds ragged. ”The Gods want you to tell her story, they have been waiting for you.”
”I do not understand,” Christen shakes her head as she looks at her. She can feel tears prick at her eyes. This doesn’t seem fair. Why would she develop such a deep connection to Tobin without her ever speaking her words, she shakes her head with frustration, why would this happen. She doesn’t think this is how meeting your soulmate works.
”The Gods did not explain this to me. They simply told me to come and help you,” Tobin states, her voice cracking, ”I then must go back to the Underground to find you in your time.”
Christen's mind is whirring with questions and she misses Tobin's last sentence. She leans back and sees how broken Tobin looks. She’s pale and her eyes are red rimmed from crying and she looks absolutely spent from emotion.
”Do you have any idea why this happened this way? It seems so unfair to us both,” Christen asks, curious as to what the Egyptian’s theory would be if she had one. The strangeness of this has overtaken her other emotions.
Tobin nods and licks her lips, slowly uncapping the water and taking another drink. ”I think I must explain my relationship with Hatshepsut to you so it will make sense.” She states. She shifts to sit cross legged and Christen scoots from the side of the mattress to in front of her.
”As Hatshepsut and I grew up, we became best friends. We shared everything, we studied our lessons together. Socialized with the same people. As we grew into adulthood, I realized I was in love with her. We had said the words of our soulmarks to each other and we were convinced we were soulmates. I stayed by her side as she courted Thutmose the Younger, as she must because of her royal lineage. I offered her support and felt my love would never be returned. It hurt, but I understood my place and accepted my fate. Thutmose the Younger and I shared the same soul marks which was strange yet not uncommon and it was thought it to be because of the bloodline. After Hatshepsut married, we still were best friends. After she birthed her daughter Neferure, she had difficulty conceiving another child. When she did, her pregnancy was not successful. It happened two more times and then Thutmose the Younger took on Iset, as was the way and she birthed Thutmose the Third. While Hatshepsut raised Neferure and Thutmose the Third, she and her husband grew apart and he devoted his time to Iset and ruling the land.” Tobin clears her throat and drinks from the water bottle.
”Our friendship grew even closer. She professed her love to me and I did as well. We consummated our love. We were together for years, happy and in love. I did my best to care for her complex health issues. When Thutmose the Younger died, together we supervised the construction of their tomb and mine as well. When Hatshepsut became so ill and the end neared, I vowed to be with her as she travelled the Underground and assist her to the Field of Reeds. Hatshepsut did not believe she had the power to demand I be buried with her, she would be buried with Thutmose the as was the custom. We vowed to find each other in the Underground and spend our time in the Field of Reeds together.” She pauses to take a breath and another drink.
”After her death, once I was certain all of Hapshetsut’s funerary plans were certain, I sacrificed myself for her.” She points to the scar on her neck and Christen gasps with shock. Tobin nods solemnly, ”I never saw her in the Underground,” she says sadly, her eyes looking large and forlorn, “When I finally came to meet and stand in judgement before Osiris, I was frantic. Osiris took pity on me and asked what troubled me. I explained my situation. Osiris listened to my story and then weighed my heart and found it to be light and full of truth and goodness. I was then sent away. When I was called for, I was in the presence of Osiris who had called on other Gods. Isis, Horus, Anubis, Ra, Hathor, Seshat and Thoth. Qebhet offered me cool water before I told my tale again.”
”Tobin,” Christen whimpers, reeling from her story, reaching out to hold her hand.
”I was terrified as I told my tale for the second time. Pausing to answer questions the Gods had about me and Hatshepsut. They inquired about my soul mark and Osiris said that Hatshepsut and Thutmose the Younger had the same mark. Osiris told me Hatshepsut and Thutmose the Younger had proclaimed their love in the Field of Reeds when they reunited. The Gods could not believe this had happened. They sent me away again. I was given food and drink, but I could not eat. I was sick with grief. They called me again and said I was to go to the Field of Reeds and enjoy every pleasure offered to me. They would call on me when my soulmate was ready.” < /p>
Tobin slowly lifts her arm and runs her fingers on her mark and then looks at Christen, giving her a half smile, ”Five days ago this appeared on my arm and I was called to stand before Osiris. I was told to return to the tombs for I was to meet a beautiful woman, my soulmate. She would have eyes more amazing than the finest emeralds and she would be kind and beautiful and smart. She would have her soul mark written in my language and I was to wait before I was to say them. I was told to help her complete her task and then return to stand before Osiris a final time.”
”Why can’t you stay? You are here now, stay with me!” Christen urges, not wanting to let her go. This whole thing seems to be unreal to her.
Tobin’s eyes glisten, ”I wish I could, but I am not of this world.” she says, her voice full of sorrow and regret.”I must go back to the Underground and find my way to you. I will be someone who lives in your world and only then can we be together.”
Christen slides into Tobin’s lap and Tobin immediately places her arms around her to hold her tight. ”Osiris has said I will find you when the seasons change and the air blows cool. You will say yours words to me when we meet,” She gives her a tender look, ”and I will say my words to you in return.”
Christen looks at her, crestfallen, her heart beating wildly, yearning for her to touch her. She takes Tobin’s hand and guides it to her jaw, allowing the Egyptian to hold her. Tobin’s touch is tender, her eyes bloodshot yet gentle and now calm that the truth has been revealed.
”I think I am falling in love with you, Tobin,” Christen whispers, leaning in close, ”you better come find me.”
Tobin smiles at her, her eyes crinkling with affection, ”I vow to find you, my love,” she says just as softly as she leans in to kiss her. ”It is our destiny to be together.”
”When must you go?” Christen asks before she kisses her again.
”When you have safely found your treasure,” Tobin whispers and kisses her deeply. As they kiss full of desire, Christen moves her hands to cup Tobin’s breasts, the contact making Tobin moan softly in her mouth. When she begins to massage her breasts, Tobin suddenly comes to her senses and pulls back, breathing heavily as she looks at Christen. The woman is looking back at her, her eyes blazing with lust and her chest heaving.
”Christen,” she breathes out, ”we should stop,” she cautions, ”as much as I want this…”
Christen nods as she bites her lower lip, ”Perhaps we should not tempt fate,” she agrees with regret. She slowly removes her hands from Tobin’s breasts, bringing them up to tenderly cup her face, her expression becoming serious. Tobin looks at her lovingly, ”Please know,” she says tenderly yet firmly, ”I will do everything I can to find you, I vow this to you.”
Christen feels overwhelmed by her, she wants this so badly. She wants Tobin to find her. ”I am frightened I will not know it is you,” she admits her greatest fear.
Tobin gives her a reassuring smile, removing a hand and gently lifting Christen’s arm, her other hand softly stroking her skin covering her soul mark. ”You will know,” she nods at her. Her hand now moving to place her palm on Christen’s sternum, over her heart, “You will feel it here and will be certain.”
Christen nods through her tears, her chin quivering and desperately wanting to believe her words with all of her heart. It’s nearing the end of May and she takes Tobin’s promise to mean she’ll find her in the fall. She looks up at Tobin and sees how she’s looking at her with such devotion. She’s never felt like this before, she feels like chest could burst from the emotions running through her. She feels as if she’s totally truly, deeply in love with Tobin.
”You. Better. Find. Me.” She threatens, half in fun and all in earnest, poking at Tobin’s sternum with each word.
Tobin gives her a dazzling smile, ”You. Better. Find. Your. Treasure.” she replies, lightly tapping the tip of Christen’s nose with each word.
Christen scrunches her nose, showing her teeth as she shakes her head slightly, enjoying this humorous side of Tobin. Then she sighs and smiles at her. ”If I were to tell anyone about this, they would think I have lost my mind,”
Tobin half shrugs as she juts her lower lip out and nods. ”Perhaps you should not speak of it.” she suggests, lifting an eyebrow.
Christen sighs heavily once more, running a hand through her curly hair before she drops both hands in her lap and looks at her again. ”Will you stay with me until I work again?” she asks, wanting to spend as much time with her until she has to go.
”I will.” Tobin husks, giving her a shy smile, dropping her chin and looking up at her through her long eyelashes. She reaches for Christen’s hands and gives them a reassuring squeeze.
May 21st
Monday morning comes much sooner than Christen would like. Her and Tobin spent Saturday and Sunday together with Tobin vague hints of where to look in her own tomb in KV60 for a few special items. She worried if they would survive the passage of time, finding it hard to believe how many years have passed. Christen gets her to share what her time in the Field of Reeds was like, if it was the paradise they believed it to be.
Tobin explained how the Underground was a series of tests, some physical and most about her character. She felt it was specific to each person and it was as if episodes of her life was being flashed before her and she was reviewing and explaining the choices she made in those moment. When she was accepted to the Field of Reeds, it was fine to her, seeing her loved ones that had died long ago, especially her sisters. It was as if each day was a vacation and never the same as the day before. While it was a joyous time, it left her feeling empty at times since she did not have her soulmate with at her side. She repeated quietly a few times how she didn’t blame Hatshepsut for making the decision to be with Thutmose the Second, since they were King and Queen it would have been highly unusual for her to choose someone other than him.
It shocked Christen how compatible they were even when they were clearly from different times. They never seemed to run out of topics to talk about and then, when Christen needed to do some reading before Monday, they could both do their own thing. Tobin enjoyed quietly sketching in the notepad Christen had given her, challenging herself with using the different pens and pencils to create the drawings she insisted Christen not to look at. Christen spent her time researching more documents from the Egyptian Museum about KV60- Tobin’s burial chamber, researching previous dig permits and jotting down what they discovered.
The air between them was comfortable, as if they had been doing this for together for years. Christen would look up from her laptop to look across the table and see how Tobin was concentrating on her work. How she would squint at the paper, her forehead crinkled with singular focus. How the tip of her tongue poked out from her mouth. How her left hand grasped the pencil in an almost painful twisted way with fingers jumbled around the wooden shaft. Tobin would glance up and give her a shy smile, her eyes silently questioning her.
Christen would return the smile and then go back to her laptop screen, jotting down the cache of goods found in the tomb of the woman sitting across from her. The irony of it was not lost on Christen. She would shake her head a little at times with how ridiculous it seemed.
They couldn’t keep their hands off each other, kissing frequently and deeply, neither escalating their touches into something more, respecting their agreement that they shouldn’t consummate their love just yet. They sleep curled into one another, bodies touching and providing heat during the chilly nights.
Now, Monday morning comes and Christen is resolved to not break down as she watches Tobin slowly gather her tunic and pull it over her head. She resolves to remain strong and take comfort in knowing she’ll see Tobin again in a few months’ time. She resolves not to cry and give in to the nearly overwhelming sadness that is threatening to erupt in any moment. But when Tobin turns to face her as she smooths down the silky material and gives her this somber look, that expresses all of the sadness Christen is feeling, that all goes out the window.
The tears come and Tobin takes three big strides to gather her in her arms, whispering soothing words to her. It takes a few minutes before Christen can nod against Tobin’s shoulder and draw apart from her, holding both her hands in hers. They give each other sad smiles and then Tobin gives her a lingering kiss.
”I will find you,” she promises earnestly.
Christen nods and drops her hands, ”I must go,” she states hollowly, her feet feeling heavy and desperately wanting to remain frozen here with her.
Tobin nods, ”I will see you once more,” she winks, ”you have a big day today.”
XXXX
“It’s plaster!” Asim exclaims, excitedly running his hand along the cream colored wall. The group is huddled around him, cheering with his confirmation. With a surge of enthusiasm, they move quickly into place, gathering the tools and buckets while Brigid and Jurgen film the ensuing activities. With the utmost care, four rows of bricks are revealed at the very top of the opening. Below the bricks is a chunk of solid limestone. As Asim and Dakarai steadily scrape the plaster away, more rock comes into view.
The work goes slow due to being methodical while holding back the urge to just tear into the material. The students are using brooms and shovels to remove to the fallen plaster, transferring them in buckets to the waiting wagon in the corridor outside the tomb. They move slowly so as not to create much dust even though the air is circulating through the pipes they ran down from outside. They don’t want to create a poor work environment and have to resort to wearing respirators.
Even with the air moving, it’s hot in the tomb with all of them in there and it’s making Christen sweat. It’s been hours since they began their morning with successfully removing the two sections of the seventh panel. Christen felt she hadn’t let out a breath until the panels were safely covered in heavy blankets and leaning against the side wall safely out of the way.
After the four rows of bricks were discovered, the group broke of lunch and a rest. It has been a physical morning with all of them taking their turn on removing the plaster, Asim and Ziyad giving each of the students a chance to learn how to safely remove the layers until they reach the block of stone. They also all take turns pulling the wagon up the long steep corridor to be deposited on a tarp to right of the opening of the tomb. Christen uses this as teachable moments, talking about how thinking ahead to set up the space for the refuse is important and to make sure it is far enough from the entrance to not interfere with removing any relics they may find. Security is evident with their increased patrols making sure the area is clear for them to work without worry of any black market groups wanting to take over and steal any of their finds.
Food and showers and the group is back at it, painstakingly using hand trowels to remove the two-inch thick plaster, finding smooth limestone below the bricks at the top. It soon becomes evident that two intimidatingly large carved stones were placed in the entrance to block future grave robbers. The four rows of bricks are only about a foot high, making it an extremely tight area to try to get through. The entrance is roughly two and half feet wide, much smaller than other entrances to chambers of the time.
Manu, since he’s the tallest of the group, is able to reach the top row of bricks and begins to chip away the ancient mortar to free the slightly reddish rectangular brick. Each brick is about three inches in height and nine inches in length. They wonder aloud about how far back it will go before it opens up into the chamber.
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Christen is trying her best not to think of the three hundred plus feet of rock that’s above her as she works on removing the bricks in the small space she’s currently crawled into. She’s actively trying to keep the thought of being crushed to death with one errant tremor in the layers of rock above her. She’s using a small trowel to break the bricks free of the mortar as she slowly makes progress through this entryway to the unknown. She’s soaked with sweat, making her hand slippery on the wood handle of the trowel, but she’s getting it done.
Manu had gotten as far as about three feet before he couldn’t get in the opening any further. Christen immediately stepped up, knowing her small frame could fit in the one foot high by two and half foot channel. Armed with the trowel, her hardhat with headlamp and a respirator from the dust swirling in the small enclosed space, she hefted herself up into the opening with the help of Manu and Asim holding her legs until she was able to move enough bricks to rest her knees on the limestone block. Now, Vero is half in the opening now on a ladder, bent at the waist retrieving the bricks Christen is pushing back, who hands them off to Manu while the others stack them in the wagon to remove them from the area. Ari hands Vero a water bottle to send up to Christen and encourages her to take a break.
“I’ll just stay here,” Christen states, not wanting to shimmy back and deal with the hassle of getting out the tight quarters. She uses the trowel to brush the mortar rubble along her side where Vero would use a short handled hoe to capture it and pull it out of the small area. Then she twists her hips and shoulders to get barely on her side so she can open the water and take a drink. She feels a wave of panic in the tight space, feeling the need to hustle out of there. Just as she considers her options to shimmy out quickly, the familiar scent of Tobin fills her nostrils and immediately calms her. She breathes it in deeply, thinking briefly of it being similar to taking a deep inhale of marijuana. She doesn’t smoke often, preferring edibles, but she’s smoked enough to know that feeling of relaxation when the weed hits the lungs. Now completely at ease, Christen takes a short rest, drinking more water and then she gets back to it. She feels with certainty that Tobin is on the other side of the bricks she’s pulling out, just waiting for her in the new chamber. She maneuvers herself to get back on her belly, stretching her arms in front of her to chip away the mortar and loosen more bricks. She continues to pick away at it, sending back more dirt, debris and bricks for Vero to remove from the area.
“This brick is loose!” she exclaims through the respirator as the top left brick easily moves from its location. She takes it out and the brick next to it is disinterred just as easily. “There’s a void!” she shouts out excitedly, twisting her neck to look back at a grinning Vero, “We’ve broken through!”
Christen hears the group cheering behind her as she looks back to face the remaining bricks, her eyes on the black void and her mind wondering what she will find behind it.
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