Awakening To Sight

Awakening to Sight
By: Sheiado

Author’s Note: Nope, this isn’t going to be in letter form. I just wanted to skip through the bs of Moira finding the map, their meeting, etc. It was a way of getting past a couple of weeks into the story lol. Anyway, Morgan took a two passenger plane with a friend of her Uncle’s… therefore there is no problem with her carrying guns (and it was kinda back in the day shortly after WWI). I guess I should have mentioned that, huh?

Other Notes: Thank you for the reviews. They have helped immensely so please do continue to R&R and tell me what you think so far!

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Chapter Two: A Plan of Attack

Shadows flickered along the sallow walls, moving in rhythm with the muffled bellows echoing within the rowdy establishment of a downtown Cairo tavern. Two men of different stature, obscured by darkness and a stifling cloud of cigarette smoke, sat opposite one another. They were deep in conversation, their voices drowned out by the distinct noise reverberating around them. One was a tall and very brawny man with dark chocolate skin and brown eyes that mirrored nothing except a chilling sense of cold calculation.

His companion was more light skinned, tan and crisp from hours of labor and exposure within the rays of Egypt’s powerful sun. His features were dark, but far more prominent than the man sitting opposite of him.

“Well?” His companion asked nonchalantly, his thick wrist moving to pour himself another drink.

He sat back in his chair, his eyes and face void of emotion except bored indifference. The light one sighed heavily. “The rumors are true, Abdul. They have found a map to the lost city of the dead and are recruiting the last of their excavation team.”

“Good,” Abdul replied, musing upon the expected news. “To stop them before reaching the city should be effortless.” His dark eyes stopped coldly, his gaze expectant upon the other man. “And you, Harpreet?”

Harpreet bowed his head, a ghost of a smile curving upon his lips, “Shall be joining them, my friend… with a price, of course.”

Abdul curled his lips into a wry, cruel smirk, an expression that would seem most disturbing and out of place on such exotic features such as his. “But of course. I would expect no less from you.”

“Do we have a meeting point then?” Harpreet inquired darkly, knowing that his friend’s answer would be crucial to their scheme.

Expecting such a question, Abdul nodded. “They are taking the barge to make less track across the desert, yes?”

“Of course. You plan to make the attack along the sea?”

“It would be the best option. We have the advantage of surprise and less chance of witnesses. We can’t afford to make placement for errors, far more so with Medjai lurking around.”

“So it will be done. I will do my best to ensure our possession of the map. It should go smoothly. Dr. Chaitlain is far too trusting for her own good, as most women are.”

Abdul smiled darkly in agreement. “If we should make gain on this adventure, my friend, we shall be very wealthy men.”

Harpreet nodded in agreement. “We have no need to doubt, Abdul,” He assured, “We will succeed.”

Standing up, Harpreet saluted him warmly, raising his drink swiftly to his lips before murmuring, “I shall meet you on the barge.”

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Absently, her emerald eyes scanned the vastness of the rippling sea around her, her fingers clutching anxiously at the iron railing to the barge’s side. The sky was beautiful at sunset, expanding to a gorgeous assortment of colors that could be mastered by no artist of imitation. The sparkling orb winking proudly upon the horizon made its journey toward the Earth, hovering en route for its venture in the direction of the underworld.

Despite the beauty before her, Morgan had not the power to hold back the all-consuming feel of apprehension in her being. The dread pulsating through her flesh unnerved her to no end and it was then that Morgan put her excitement to rest. No good was to come of this journey, she could feel it.

The air held an eerie stillness to it, silent and looming, giving off the foreboding sense of inevitable danger that made the small hairs on the back of Morgan’s neck stand up on end. The spirits, she felt- the energies of the land, were warning her. And the sun’s descent to leave the Egyptian sky in darkness made the chill within her heart grow.

Calming her senses, Morgan closed her eyes gently, allowing her heart to become one with the wind that fluttered openly around her. Light whispers reached her ears, murmuring soft spoken secrets that served only to increase the highly intensified trance she felt herself being pulled, willingly, into.

Images came into her line of sight…

~Flames engulfing the exterior of the barge, ~

~Corpses lying in crimson puddles, eyes glazed over. Lifeless. ~

~Shouts of terror, ~

~The map presently in Moira’s possession, ~

~ ... 'They will come,' A voice whispered to her…

The images were gone, fading, just as pressure on her arm alerted Morgan to a presence at her side. “Morgan?”

Opening her eyes, Morgan turned her astonished gaze toward the women scrutinizing her openly.

“Yes?”

Moira, taking note of the woman’s shocked expression, replied gently, “What’s wrong?”

“I saw something.”

If it weren’t for her serious expression, Moira would have chuckled. “You see something?” She asked slowly. She looked around her, perplexed, her blonde hair falling gracefully into her eyes as she noted softly, “I don’t see anything, except for water and metal.”

Morgan shook her head. “We’re in danger, Moira.”

The Briton narrowed her eyes. The woman sounded absolutely sure of herself! “We’re in danger? What on Earth are you talking about, Morgan…? Are you ill?”

Staring at her intently, eyes serious, Morgan continued. She needed Moira to understand… otherwise they were both as good as dead. Her visions were aspects of foresight that she took to the utmost seriousness. If she failed to heed her warning, they both would fall to the possibility of ending up as corpses come nightfall, if not sooner.

“I had a vision. This barge was being attacked; everyone was slaughtered, murdered in cold blood, and all for that map that you now carry in your possession.”

Moira stared at her as though she had just sprouted three heads upon her shoulders.

“You and many shall die. Is that map you carry worth your own life?”

When she didn’t respond, Morgan continued, “It may already be too late. But, I would suggest leaving that map here and taking the spare lifeboat back to Cairo. Otherwise, you and I are already dead.”

Most responses to those that receive spiritual warning usually comes in the form of denial, even though deep down they know what they are being told is truth. And Morgan knew all to well that this adventure was a life’s pursuit for the young archaeologist. To ask one to give up one’s dreams was asking the impossible; she would rather die than to do so.

“I will not, Morgan. If your visions are indeed truth, then I will at least die following what I have always been searching for. Can you not see that I live for this?”
She was surprised that Moira had not shouted at her, told her she was crazy, or stormed off in fit of rage. Instead, she had answered her calmly… and truthfully. She believed her as a true friend and Morgan, for the first time, was utterly speechless.

Nodding wordlessly, Morgan continued to stare out openly into the blazing horizon. “Then I would suggest arming yourself… and tell the crew to do the same.”

Moira, smiling gently, walked away to leave the woman alone to her thoughts, as she knew them to be troubled ones…

The heavy silence remained.

Sighing, Morgan leaned her arms out onto the railing, her head resting on her hands as she looked out onto the deep, endless sea.

‘What was it that you wanted me to see by coming here, Grandfather?’

Silence met her unspoken question.

That is, until a new voice interrupted her quiet train of thought.

“So, Dr. Chaitlain had a seer follow her to Hamunaptra?”

Turning around, Morgan watched as one of the assigned diggers, Harpreet, approached her. His dark features and rakish grins unnerved her, it had even from the beginning of this adventure. There was something oddly chilling about his presence and Morgan felt that, even now, she was in some kind of danger.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Morgan replied calmly, her voice devoid of the fear she felt. She crossed her arms, staring at him squarely in the face as if she were unperturbed, even though she was anything but.

He smiled wickedly at her, stopping a few short paces near her frozen body. “I heard everything, my dear.”

“And?”

He approached her slowly, making Morgan back up into the railing away from him. “I knew there had been something oddly different about you, Ms. Green Leaf. I mean, I found it odd for a woman of American Indian race to be on this journey, especially since your kind doesn’t often venture out into this side of the world… Knowing what you know-“

He approached closer…

“Seeing what you are able to see…”

Not allowing him to corner her and knowing full well that she was indeed, in danger, Morgan tried to run from him. She was, however, too late to escape his path.

He grabbed her with bruising force, throwing her forcefully down onto the floor.

Morgan tried to cry out but found both wrists locked firmly above her head and a hand covering her mouth, blocking any sound from reaching the outside. His weight was upon her, straddling her down as he spoke, “I should not allow you to live… but, your gifts, rare as they are, might be of some use to me and my friends when we reach the city… and perhaps later,” he added, a lustful and taunting smirk touching his lips, “I might have other uses for you.”

Morgan glared at him, disgust in her eyes.

He laughed tauntingly. “Oh, yes, my little one. And you shall become very useful.”

Using one hand to grab hold of her wrists, Harpreet grabbed a few things out from his pocket, swiftly tying the rope around the girl’s wrists. He knew she would cry out the moment his hand left her mouth. His lips, forceful and non-too-gentle, suddenly covered hers.

She protested and bucked her hips upward, trying to throw him off of her. She failed and Harpreet chuckled. He soon replaced his mouth with the gag, utterly pleased with himself. “This rope and gag was meant for the Doctor before I killed her. But… I might have to formulate a new plan,” He murmured, tying the long strip of cloth around her mouth. “She will be dead and you, her seer, shall be my captive.”

His weight lifted from hers and Morgan’s eyes widened as he dragged her from the floor to him, her arm held tight within his grasp. “You will remain in my cabin and will meet my companion tonight as we must make gain across the desert. While there, I suggest you rest. You will not escape.”

Then, all she saw around her was darkness.

A voice softly whispered, 'They will come…'


… To Be Continued. Please read and review!!!