This is weird I said to my self definitely weird. Against all odds I still thought the diary was real even though it wasn’t in hieroglyphics. I turned over the page and read on:
“I am embalmed alive. Me. The pharaoh. The king! And why? For one reason only. Because upon my neck, I bear a strange birthmark-a red stain in a strange shape that frighten my people. They think it is a sign of evil.
Even I am not sure what it means. Does it mean I am evil? Could I actually hurt people? Am I mad?”
My hand trembles as I flipped to another page and read on:
“Each night my spirit walks the earth. For centuries. Each night my spirit writes this diary. But now, at last, my chance has come tonight, here in the strangest of all pyramids, I will escape my prison!”
Can it be possible?
Is the mummy going to escape tonight? How? And is this the “strangest of all pyramids?” The pyramid building? I started to contemplate. Whether any of this was true (actually true) I had grave doubts now. I read over the pages again-trying to make sense of it. I still had a feeling that the diary might be right. I shoot a quick glance sideways to make the lobby guard isn’t watching then I stuff the diary into my bag. Then I heard my mum calling my name. “Yoo-hoo.” Again she calls me. Bring Prêtte and come on!” she says. I’ve got to getaway so I can look at the diary. I don’t want my parents to see it now and take it away. I scan the lobby for somewhere to go. I spot an elevator. Hmmm. Maybe I can duck in there and zoom to the top of the pyramid finish reading the diary before someone finds me. Naaahh! Besides mum might get angry.
So I thought of coming back that night when the mummy comes back to life. I feel the diary hidden in my bag and look around for Prêtte. “Coming, mother!” I said. I’ll come back tonight and find out whether what ever the diary says is true I thought.
“See you later,” I whisper to the mummy. He looked completely dead like he should. Although I did see him move his arm. I keep the diary hidden in my bag during dinner in china town. I never get a chance to read it. Back at the hotel, Prêtte is hungry again. She insists on ordering from room service, but they never show up. She wants to stay up waiting, but eventually my parents make me, Prêtte and Tony go to bed. Finally, when everyone else is asleep, I sneak out of the hotel. The cool, foggy night air makes me shiver as I walk two blocks to the pyramid building. The streets are empty at this time of night. When I reached the building, slipped in through the front door-and found the lobby guard asleep. He’s sitting on a stool, slumped over a tall reception desk. A small light on his desk gives the cavernous lobby an eerie glow. I stepped past the guard, towards the display in the centre of the lobby. After a minute, my eyes adjust to the dim light. Then I spot it-and gasp! The glass case holding the mummy was broken. The mummy is gone! I stare at the display case. My hands are clammy. My heart beats faster I can’t believe it. Has the mummy really escaped? All the other glass cases were fine. There’s a fancy golden throne in one, a large, feather-shaped fan in another. Only the mummy display case is broken. Only thee mummy is gone. I missed it. I was too late. Broken glass littered the floor at my feet. It seems as if the mummy practically exploded out of his case! Slowly, I inch closer. I glance down, avoiding the glass. That’s when I spot it. Trails of old clothe bandages. Not just one either a whole bunch of it. I know this is crazy, but it looks as if the mummy unwrapped himself as he ran away. I can’t see the bandages very well in the dark. So I bend over to pick one up. But something stops me. A noise. Someone is coming from the far side of the lobby. I better get out of there and fast I thought. The guard could be making the noise. Or it could be the mummy. Either way I did not want to be found. I dash across the lobby and darted behind the pillar. SCRAPE…SCRAPE… It sounded as if someone is dragging his feet across thee floor. Who ever it was is heading my way. Could it be? My knees trembled with fear. I am out of here I decide. Running into a mummy or a guard would probably be bad news. I race through the revolving door at the front of the lobby. I run down the dark, empty streets towards your hotel. Hey-are those footsteps behind me? I don’t look back. I don’t want to know if the mummy is behind me. Finally I reach my hotel room and slip inside with my key. Phew, I think. Safe. Luckily every one is still asleep. My parent’s door is closed, so they don’t even hear me come in. the room is really is suite. My parents are sleeping in the bedroom and me, Tony and Prêtte had the living room. A thin blade of light streams into the living room from the bathroom. The light is left on for Prêtte, who snores on the sofa bed. Tony is stretched out on the floor. I tip toe past him, heading towards my sleeping bag on the floor as well. Suddenly a hand reaches out and grabs my arm! Yikes! I jump, stumbling over Tony’s sleeping bag. When I catch my balance, I spin around. I see my brother ginning at me in the dim light. “What are you doing up so late?” Tony whispers. He lets go of my arm. “Where did you go?” Inquires my brother. “Shhhh,” I whisper, pointing at Prêtte. I didn’t want Tony to wake her up. Then I explained to Tony all about the mummy, including the mummies diary. “Let me see it,” Tony demands, sitting on his sleeping bag. He loves this kind of thing. With the light from the bathroom, I could see diary lying on top of my sleeping bag. The diary is right where I left it.
Except…
I didn’t leave it lying open, did I? I rush over and pick up the ancient book. Someone has just written in the diary, as well as that the ink was still wet! “Some thing really freaky is going on.” I say trembling; I sit beside Tony on the sleeping bag I read the new entry out loud:
“I have waited forty centuries for this night. The night when the stars are once again just as they were on the night of my birth. The night I can return to life! But now it is not to be. Why? I was too eager. I tried the spell too soon & the diary has fallen from my hands!”
“I knew it!” I whispered to Tony. “I knew I saw his arm move. That’s when he dropped the diary.”
I went back to reading:
“And now my diary has been stolen. My LIFE has been stolen! I must take revenge on the one who steals my magic. Perhaps DESTROY the thief!”
Revenge. Destroy! The words are horrible. They jumped out at me from the page, a terrifying warning. Tony let out a low whistle. “ But how did he write that?” he asks. “How did he get in here?” I remembered what I had read earlier. “He-he wrote it with his mind,” I explained. Tony’s eyes widened. “But how-”. A knock at the door cuts him off. Who’s there?
I clutch Tony’s hand. “Don’t answer it!” I whispered. Tony stared at me. “But it might be room service,” he protests. “Room service? Now?” I glance at the clock. It’s one a.m. “Yeah.We ordered food three hours ago, but it never came. Maybe that’s it now.” “ Or may be It’s the mummy,” I argue. “ Only one way to find out,” Tony told me. He’s right. And as scared as I was, I needed to know who was at the door? “Okay,” I grumble. “I peek quickly.” Hold on a second.” Tony grabs the diary out of my hands and shoves it under Prêtte’s mattress. Then he nods at me. I walk across to the door and take a deep breath. I open the door just a crack and peer out. All I can see is a gauzy bandaged arm. I slam the door shut. “It’s him!” I whisper to Tony “It’s got to be!” I lean all my weight against the door. No way is the mummy getting in I thought. KNOCK. KNOCK-KNOCK. “It can’t be a mummy, dummy,” Tony says getting up from his sleeping bag. He stomps towards the door and shoves me aside. “Come on I mean is a mummy going to knock on a door politely? Some times I wish you had would use you brain for once.” My brother Tony said. “Don’t open it!” I begged him. I reach for the doorknob to try to stop him. Too late. Tony swings open the door open. Standing there in the dimly lit hallway is a small figure wrapped in ancient bandages with bits of its body hanging out. The mummy! Before any of us could stop him the mummy pushes through the doorway. There’s a mummy standing in the hotel room! I could hardly believe my eyes he must have followed me from the pyramid building all the way to the hotel room. “You… stole… my… diary… you… stole… my… existence…,”the mummy whispered slowly in his hard screechy voice. “Now… I… will… take… my… revenge.” I was to stunned to move. The mummies arm shoots out 2 metres like an extendable arm and grabs my throat! His arm return to normal size again as he pulled me towards him. “Revenge… will… be… mine….”the soft wheezing sound he makes between every word is terrible. It fills my ears, making me shudder.
I struggle against his grip. To make things worse he tightens his grip on my neck. I can hardly breathe now. Why isn’t my useless brother doing any thing why isn’t he helping me? I glance at him. Tony’s standing next to me, wide-eyed, mouth-hanging open, frozen with fear. “Tony!” I tried to say. Only it comes out as “Toonnnkkk” because the mummy’s grip is so tight around my throat. The mummy let out a wheezing breath. “Give… me… the… diary-or else!”. Give the mummy the diary or else? I thought. I was almost too afraid to wonder. “The… diary!” the mummy repeats. He shakes me by the throat, making me gag. “I must… have… the… diary’s… magic. That… is… the… only… way… I… can… return… to… life….” I felt the mummy’s musty hot breath on my face. It wheezes out between his hard, thin lips. Finally he let go of my throat. I lurched away from him, but instead he clutched me tightly by the hand. He’s got some grip for a little dead guy! I thought. “Give him the diary!” I croak. I rub my sore throat with my free hand. “No way,” Tony says. “We can’t do that.” “Why not? Are you nuts?” I yell. Then I glance towards my parents’ bedroom door. “MOM! DAD!” I shout. From behind their door, I hear my mother’s sleepy voice calling back. “Go to sleep. You kids are going to be a wreck in the morning. If you don’t settle down.” “But, mom!” I exclaim. “Not another word!” she calls back. “Now good night!” from her tone, I know she mean’s it. I am on my own. The mummy tightens his grip on my arm. “Tony, please! Give him the flipping diary,” I beg. “Not until he let’s go of you,” Tony insists. The mummy hesitates. WHEEZE… WHEEZE… finally he releases my arm. My knees shake as I race to Prêtte’s mattress and pull out the diary from underneath it here you I rush towards the ancient mummy. “Not so fast!” Tony grabs my wrist to stop me. “Listen, I know about these things. Mummies, Ghosts, Aliens-its always the same. We let them loose on earth, and we’re in big trouble. I’ve seen it in movies a lot. Helping dead people come back to life, well, it’s a big mistake. Don’t give him the diary. He could turn into some kind of crazy, evil monster and–” “But Tony!” I interrupt. “He’s already come back to life! What’s the big idea? And anyway, he’s going to kill me if we don’t give him the diary!” Tony shrugs. “Okay,” he says. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ll be sorry.” Tony sounded pretty sure about this. “Here take it!” I thrust the diary into the mummy’s bandaged hands. HSSSSSSSSS…
The mummy lets out a long, raspy sound like a sigh. I could swear his expression had changed.
His face seemed to soften with relief. “Ahhh, yesss…,” the mummy says, clasping the diary to his chest. “Now… all… need… is…” Another long wheeze escapes from his mouth before he speaks the last word. “You!” Before I can jump away, the mummy ‘s hand darts out and he grabs my wrist. He picks up the tail end of one of his bandages, a long one that has come partly unwrapped. Quickly, he uses it to tie my wrist behind my back-like a prisoner! Then he does the same thing to Tony! For an old dead guy, he sure moves fast! The instance the bandage touches me, I feel my skin begin to wither and harden and shrivel. My arms and legs grow stiff I can barely move. He yanks the bandages, and me and Tony both stumble towards the mummy. He wraps more of the ancient strips around and around our bodies. What’s happening?” I start to ask Tony. But when I glance at Tony’s face, I let 0ut a horrible scream. Tony’s face is brown and leather-hard just like the mummies! And what’s more, his eyes are gone! Only to deep, empty eye sockets remain! I stare into them deeper and deeper, feeling myself getting dizzy. It almost makes me pass out in disgust. “ What have you done to my brother?” I shriek. The mummy doesn’t answer me he simpily takes another wheezing breath. Terrified I stuggle to lift my hands to my face. I can barely move. I want to scream again when I see my fingers. They were bony, shrivelled and dry just like the mummies. Just like Tony’s. Finally I touched my own cheeks and felt for my eyes. My fingers probed the spots where my eyes used to be.
“NO!” I scream as I plunge my fingers into the, empty holes of my eye sockets. My eyes are gone! But how can that be? I wonder. I can still see. But before I could speak again, the whole world seems to go black. Suddenly I can see nothing. Hear nothing. Feel nothing-exept a terrible dizzying whirl. Finally the spinning stops. The darkness clears. I open my eyes and find myself standing on top of a tower. I recognise it as Coit tower, an old landmark in San Francisco. It’s on a hill over looking all of the city and the bay. The long bandages that tied my wrists, which attached me to the mummy, have gone. Despite the fact that I was still wrapped in ancient cloth. Tony's at my side. He is still hidious still a mummy with with wrinkled dryed skin and no eyes! So am I, I think.
“Now…I…will…come…back…to…life,” the mummy said as he lifted the diary and opened it. “Now…that…the…stars…are…right. And…I…have…the…diary. And…I…am…standing…at…the…highest…place…within…twenty…miles.”
He was only a few feet in front of me, at the edge of the tower. His back is to me as he stands facing up into the sky. I glanced down at my wrinkled hands and shuddered. I don’t feel so sorry for the mummy anymore. Obviously, he has me under some kind of spell. How can I break his power? Hmmmmmm. All it would take is one quick shove to knock the mummy off the tower. And it’s a very long way down! I think I’d better not try anything. Messing around with a mummy’s spell could backfire. The mummy opened the diary and held it up to the sky. “At…last…the…stars…are…right,” the mummy said. I glanced at the page he was holding. It was a map of stars. I glanced at the sky. “He’s right!” I whispered to Tony. “Look! The stars match.”
“Awesome,” Tony murmured. “In…the…name…of…my…ancestors,” the mummy chanted, “I…praise…the…stars…and…all…that…shines…in…the…universe.”
Then to my amazement, he pulled a small vial out from under his bandages. It looked like a test tube! Where did it come from? I wondered. He ripped the page out of the diary. He poured the liquid from the vial on to the page…and eats it!
Instantly I felt a dizzying, spinning motion. The whole world went black as if I’d closed my eyes. Then a rushing wind whipped my face. Lights-or are they stars? –Flash, exploding all around me. “Tony!” I cried out. My ears filled with a horrible wail. Even if Tony had answered I would have not heard it. Finally, all is silent. I opened my eyes. I was all alone, standing on top of Coit Tower. I gazed at the glittering lights of the city below me. I shook my head a couple of times trying to clear it. Then suddenly I felt someone tapping on my back. “Thank you,” said a gentle voice from behind me softly. I whirled around to find a short, tan-skinned young man standing behind me. He wore an ancient-looking robe, trimmed in purple and gold. On his neck I saw a birthmark shaped like a question mark. The birthmark that frightened his people, just as it said in the diary. “Are you-were you-the mummy?” I asked him. “I am the last great king of Egypt,” he said, smiling shyly. “Thank you for giving me my life.”
Then before I could ask him anything else, he turned and vanished into thin air.
“Wait!” I called out. “Come back!”
And then I saw him again. At the base of the tower, far below. How did he get there so quickly? I wondered.
He strolled out into the night. I watched as his brightly coloured robe disappeared into the fog. For a while I just stared after him into the darkness. Then I noticed Tony on his knees a few feet away from me.
“What happened?” Tony moaned. “I feel so dizzy.”
“What happened?” I repeated. “I think we just brought a mummy back to life!”
I helped him up. Then Tony and me gazed at each other for a while. My hands, my arms, my faces. They’re all normal again! No more mummy skin. No more empty eye sockets. Just two normal kids-on top of Coit Tower.
It took some quick thinking, but finally us two found our way back to the hotel. Without getting caught. Our parents would never know that we were ever gone. Before I went to sleep, there was one last thing I had to do. Tony and me hurried over to the Pyramid Building and sneak into the lobby. I had to find out! Is the mummy still on display?
“Tony!” I cried, as soon as I stepped inside. “Look!”
The entire lobby was empty. There is no mummy case. No Egyptian display. Everything-every scrap of evidence that the mummy was there-was gone.
As if it had never been there…