The Cursed Pharaoh's Bride

Chapter XVI

Carolina

A yawn escapes my mouth for what feels like the hundredth time today. Tori gives me a worried glance as we walk away from the class I had just finished. Bless her soul for waiting up for me every now and then. 

“Are you okay, Carol? You seemed really tired this morning,” she asks. 

“I’m fine,” I lie, “I just haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately. But I’ve had a paper due this week and I found out I have to worry about my first mid term for another class soon so I’ve just been stressing a little.”

“Ohhh, so is that why you didn’t go to the lab this week?” She asks. 

“Uh yeah,” I respond as if the real reason I’ve been missing sleep is because I have trouble staying asleep. When I am asleep, it’s a dreamless experience that leaves me waking up empty. And to make matters worse, I find myself feeling restless and anxious during the day. I find myself wondering if Elijah is okay. Is this how he felt when I wouldn’t talk to him? Is the restlessness and anxiety my own feelings, or is it coming from him? 

I told him to stay out of my life stay out of my life, and he has. He hasn’t texted me and the lack of dreams more than proves he’s not in my head at night anymore. But I didn’t think I would feel like this from staying away from him, and it’s only been three days since I last spoke to him. Maybe I’m just reacting to what he told me. The idea of some secret society coming after me is chilling. But it’s unrealistic. If they know I exist, they would’ve come after me already, and I haven’t even been wearing the ring when in public. 

“It’s a good thing today is Friday,” Tori says, “You should take a nap when we get home.”

“Don’t you remember? I told you I was meeting with Jay and his friends now. We’re going to see a movie,” I remind. 

“Oh yeah,” Tori responds, “I’m sure that will be fun. Are you sure that’s not going to turn into a date or something? What if his friends conveniently don’t show up?”

“What is it with you and dates?” I ask, a small smile crawling onto my face. “I hope he doesn’t do that and I’m going with the expectation that his friends show up. A break from the madness is what I need right now.” 

“You’re right. I still think you should take a nap or at least try to go to bed early tonight. Speaking of dates, what happened to Mr. Rich-boy-Seka-Corp.?”

“It didn’t work out,” I quickly say. 

“Really? Do you have any idea why?” Tori questions. 

“We just didn’t have a lot in common. And I think that’s obvious,” I reply. 

“Well that’s a shame,” she sighs. We finally stop when we make it to the subway station. This is where we part ways. 

“I’ll let you know when I get home. The movie ends a little late so you might still be working your shift when I make it back to the apartment,” I say. 

“Alright. Have fun. Lots of fun,” she teases with a wink before leaving me at my uptown bound train. 

It isn’t long before I make it to Columbia University where Jay told me to meet him. He said everyone was meeting outside the lab he worked at. I walk through campus looking for the specific building we are supposed to meet at when I see a familiar Scottish middle aged man with graying hair and dark framed glasses that cover tired looking hazel eyes. I notice he’s carrying a large stack of folders and papers with him. 

“Professor Cohen,” I greet as I walk up to him. 

“Carolina,” he greets with a kind smile, “What is my old friend’s star pupil doing here?”

“I was actually meeting up with your star pupil. I’m supposed to meet him at your lab but I’m having trouble looking for it,” I admit. 

“Well I’m heading back there now. Walk with me,” he insists. 

“Thank you, sir. Would you like me to help you carry those papers? It’s the least I can do,” I offer. He gladly splits his stack of files with me. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, how have you been doing?” He asks. 

“I’m doing well. I’ve been hard work at school and I’ve been working with Dr. Jones again,” I respond. “Why would I mind that you ask?”

He lets out a chuckle. “Well, given you weren’t feeling well on that trip to Egypt.”

I try to keep myself from grimacing. “I honestly haven’t thought much about it. It’s all in the past at this point,” I say warily. 

“Well it’s good to hear you got over it. I honestly felt bad. We should’ve kept a better eye on anyone. It get hot in the desert and anyone can faint from heat stroke,” he says nonchalantly. Heat stroke. Is that the story everyone went with?

“That is very true,” I agree weakly. 

“What we found in that tomb was truly amazing though. It’s a good thing you found it,” he continues, “It’s really a shame we couldn’t recover a body. It still baffles me.”

I have to keep myself from shuttering at seeing Elijah’s mummified body rising up. We finally make it inside a building, which I can only assume is where his lab is. As we make it to the front of the door of the lab, Cohen looks at me and let’s out a sharp laugh. He must have seen my disturbed look. 

“Oh lass, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he chuckles. “Come now, it’s not like the mummy rose up from the dead and walked off on its own. It’s impossible, am I right?” I don’t like the eerie tone in Cohen’s voice at his last comment. I notice he’s giving me a strange look that I don’t particularly like. It may have sound like he was joking at first but now I’m not so sure if was. 

Before I can dwell on it further. A smile returns to Cohen’s face and he opens the door, letting me into the lab. We’re greeted by four students, one of them being Jay. They are either taking off their lab coats or already retrieving their school bags. 

“Carolina, you found us, I see,” Jay greets with a smile. 

I let out a nervous laugh. “Yeah. It was all thanks to Professor Cohen.” 

“I was glad to help,” he says. “Are you all going somewhere?”

“Yeah, we’re heading to see a movie,” one of the students replies. 

“Well, I hope you have fun. Just remember to enter today’s data in the spreadsheet by Sunday night,” Cohen responds before letting us leave. 

“Carolina, I’d like to introduce you to my coworkers and good friends,” Jay says as he leads me to the group of students. 

His friend group consists of one other guy and two girls. First there is Kyle who is a tall but wide young man with dark skin and curly locks. His form looks imposing but he seems to come off as being very quiet. Then there’s Aisha and Lia. Aisha and Lia are both kind looking petite women. Aisha, however, is more on the plump side with dark, reddish skin and wavy black hair. Lia is very thin with light skin and pin straight black hair. 

It doesn’t take long to get to the movie theater. But that doesn’t mean we don’t already start conversing and getting to know each other. Jay’s friends ask me how it is that I met Jay, which unfortunately makes us bring up our trip in Egypt. Luckily, the whole tomb fiasco doesn’t get mentioned. I quickly find out that Jay’s friends are an interesting bunch. After bringing up Egypt, we discussed past vacation and traveling plans. I eventually ask them what they do in Professor Cohen’s lab which soon leads to a different conversation about some club fair even that recently happened in their schools. That soon leads to someone spilling some gossip on how some students recently crashed a Columbia party. I don’t know exactly who anyone is referring to but that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the juicy gossip. 

Before we know it, we’re at the movie theater. I try my best to pay attention while watching the movie but my mind keeps drifting away. At first I’m not thinking about much, my mind too exhausted to form a single thought. Soon I find myself thinking about Elijah. What is he doing now? Is he still at work? Has he watched any movies? Would he ever like doing something like this with me? 

I shake those thoughts away. Why should I care? I’m the one who told him to stay out of my life. I shouldn’t be thinking about him anymore. Forgetting about him is for the best. I don’t belong with someone like him. Or maybe if just not good enough. That wouldn’t be anything new. 

I’m snapped out of my thoughts when I notice Jay shift in his seat beside me so his elbow is on the arm rest and he’s leaning his body towards me. I should focus on being with guys like him. Or at least, being friends with people like him. Aisha, Lia and Kyle are really cool too. Not to mention I’ll always have Tori to lean on. The last time I was with a guy was over 6 months ago. It’s not like I’m avoiding all men but I’m still not ready to get off my break from guys. It’s been so long since I’ve been single. The last thing I need is to rush into something I’m not ready for again. I can’t rush into anything with Elijah. 

I try to get myself to pay attention to the movie and for the most part, I’m able to. I did get distracted when I felt eyes on the back of my head. But when I turned around, the back of the theater looked the same every time I checked: dark and empty. 

We walk out of the theater, enthusiastic about the movie. I try to match everyone’s enthusiasm but it’s getting harder and harder for me to hide my exhaustion. It’s already dark out and everyone is trying to figure out what to do next. 

“There’s a cookie shop near here. Do you guys want to stop by?” Aisha proposes. Nobody denies the idea. 

“Do you want to come along, Carolina?” Jay asks, giving me a slightly concerned look. 

I smile at him, thankful for his concern. “Yeah, I could go for a cookie,” I say. 

On our trip to the shop, while we are at the shop and as we leave the shop, Jay hangs back to stay by my side. It gives me the opportunity to learn more about him and for him to get to know me. 

I tell him about how my family lives in Queens and I talk to my parents often, or at least as often as I can. I used to live with them when I started college but with all the extra classes I started taking, they helped me work towards renting an apartment with a roommate. I tell him how Tori is an old friend since high school and she was easily my first pick for my roommate. Alexa is my last pick. 

In return, Jay tells me how his parents live in Long Island and he has an older sister who attends medical school upstate. He tells me about how he’s expected to follow in his sister’s footsteps.

“So that’s why you’re applying to medical school,” I say while finishing my cookie. We are making our way towards Roosevelt Park, which is about a block away from the cookie shop Jay and I left his friends at. “Do you know what kind of doctor you want to be?”

“I’m not sure yet,” he admits as he scratches the back of his head with uncertainty. 

“I’m sure whatever you become, you’ll be great at it,” I encourage. 

He gives me this warm smile, a twinkle present in his dark, almond shaped eyes. “Thanks,” he says bashfully. 

We’re walking through the park, close to Central Park which is one street over, when I start to see dark, shadowy figures moving behind the trees around us. 

“Did you see that?” I ask. Jay looks around curiously. 

“See what?” He asks. 

The dirt around us starts to pick up and swirl around us. It makes the wind pick up and I feel a gust push me away from Jay. The dirt accumulates further and swirls around me, blocking me off from everything around me. It’s as if I’m trapped inside a twister made of dirt. As the walls start to close in, I notice the dirt looks less like regular soil and more like dry, black sand. My heart is racing as I feel the wind rapidly traveling upward, the air around me thinning out. 

I hear someone calling out my name in horror. Jay. Is this the Dark Sand Society? I should’ve listened to Elijah. 

Suddenly, I see the tip of a silver blade poke through the dark sand and slice through the twister upwards. The sand prison destabilizes and then dissipates completely revealing the last person I thought would save me. 

My eyes widen in recognition at the slim man in front of me. I’d never think I’d find comfort in his pale blonde hair and annoyed looking blue eyes. But I think about anything, I’m just shocked he saved me. 

“Charles?”