Love Through The Ages 2

story continues from part two

Love through the ages - Part Three
Based on an original idea by Wrappers Delight

Moss continued onwards down the tunnel, her small flashlight lighting the way. This tunnel was larger then the one she had been crawling through only minutes ago with Jan. She had to pause a moment to wipe the tears that gently ran down her cheek. Looking up, she continued onwards down the tunnel. It had to come out somewhere. She tried to think about what to do after that. This whole operation had gone completely out of control.

She had to find the other members of her team, regroup, and then find a way out of this tomb. Every other tomb she had been in over the years had a way out, whether it was a small tunnel or a shaft, there was always a way out. Her flashlight caught something ahead. At first Moss couldn’t tell what it was. Then she realized that the light from the flashlight was mixing with another light source.

Heart pounding with relief, she sprinted down the corridor. Light! That meant an exit must be nearby! The light got brighter and brighter as she got closer and closer. Moss finally entered the room where the light was coming from. Expecting to see a shaft leading up to the surface, Moss was disappointed when she saw only a torch placed in a holder, its tip bright with flame. Disappointed, Moss sighed. A dead-end. She’d have to think and find another way out.

This thief is different from the others. They were young, and she is older. She must be the leader, hardened after years of thievery. But I’m going to make sure she never robs another tomb again. I slowly move into position. The thief stands, thinking about something. The perfect opportunity. She followed the torchlight, just as I thought she would. It’s the last mistake she’ll ever make.

I slowly stretch my fingers forward, ready to unleash the wrappings that will encase her entire body. When she’s wrapped, she’ll fall and I will be free to dispose of her in whatever way I see fit. Wait… something commands my attention. I pause and listen. Suddenly, in my mind’s eye, I see the worst possible thing happen.

The other two thieves are just outside the princess’s chamber! No! This must not happen! I did not loose her, and then become her guardian to have her be found by these thieves!

As Moss thought about any other possible way out of the tomb, she thought she heard a whooshing noise above her head. Fearfully, she looked upwards at the ceiling. Nothing. There was nothing there. Relieved, she turned and headed back the way she came, hoping to find another exit.

Theodore and Natalie were walking though the corridors of the tomb, unknowingly coming dangerously close to the tomb of the princess. Had they known of the peril that awaited them, they would have turned and run back the way they came.

“So Theodore,” Natalie said after a lengthy silence. “Tell me about yourself. I don’t recall hearing about what you want to do for a living.”

“Well,” he began as his flashlight danced across the stone walls, “I really don’t know. I feel like I’m adrift with no port in sight. The steering wheel is in front of me, but I don’t know where to go.”

“If it’s any comfort.” Natalie said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I don’t know where I’m going either.” Theodore smiled.

“I know this is an odd time to bring it up, but… are you… um… currently dating anyone?” He asked. Natalie blushed.

“Out of all the times and the places, you want to ask me now? Oh Theo, I’m flushed.”

The two smiled, and for a brief moment, they forgot about the fact that they were trapped in a tomb with no current way out.

The tunnel abruptly stopped. They had reached a dead end. “Oh nuts.” Theodore said as his light shone over the corridors end. “I guess we’ve got to turn around and see if we can find another way.”

“But there is no other way.” Natalie said. “I looked carefully when we were walking, and there was no other way out.” Theodore paused, pondering what to do. “Well, we could…”

Before Theodore could finish his statement, something very heavy slammed into Natalie’s head. She fell to the ground and passed out.

It took Natalie a long time to come out of unconsciousness. But her sore arm muscles helped her to gather her senses. When she opened her eyes, Natalie was lying on the ground, her clothes torn from her body. Her arms were bound behind her in steel manacles, a steel collar chained her neck to the wall, and her ankles were chained together as well. Somebody obviously wanted her to be kept helpless.

After struggling for a few moments, Natalie decided that it was useless trying to escape. She focused her thoughts towards trying to figure out what happened. But she couldn’t remember. The only thing she could remember was something hitting her on the head. Although she couldn’t see it, she felt the large bump on the top of her head. A muffled scream commanded her attention. She looked up to see a horrifying sight. There were two forms in front of her. One she recognized, the other she did not.

Theodore was standing in front of Natalie, being bound in skin-tight bandages, being wrapped up head to toe like a mummy. He was almost finished. Only his eyes remained to be wrapped. Strangely, his limbs had been all wrapped separately from the body, instead of being wrapped together, which would have ensured that escape would be impossible.

Instead, Theodore’s wrapper was focusing on finishing his eyes. Theodore’s fingers had been bound tightly together, making them useless, but he was still trying to punch his wrapper. But he… she… didn’t seem to notice. At that moment, Natalie realized that Theodore’s wrapper was completely covered by bandages all over his… uh…

Natalie realized that she couldn’t tell the wrappers gender, for the layers the person wore were thick enough to conceal the wrappers gender. Not even its eyes were visible.

Theodore continued to try and punch his wrapper, and Natalie wondered why he didn’t just kick her away. She then realized that he had a thick steel collar around his neck, identical to the one she was wearing. It was chained to the ceiling, and if he lost his balance, then he would dangle and suffocate.

Fed up with Theodore’s futile punches, the mummy quickly produced a pair of black iron handcuffs. The mummy moved behind Theodore and grabbed his wrists. With incredible strength the mummy forced Theodore’s hands behind him, where the mummy clasped the heavy cuffs around his wrists and locked them in place, holding his arms behind his back.

Pausing another moment, she bent down, produced another pair of black iron manacles and locked them around Theodore’s bandaged ankles, drawing them closely together. With his struggles now held in check, the mummy returned to the task it had been doing a moment earlier. It picked up the bandages and resumed wrapping them around Theodore’s face.

Now completely helpless, Theodore sobbed as the bandages slowly covered his face. He noticed Natalie looking at him from the floor.

“Manntallee!” His muffled scream was hard to make out. Natalie shook her head as tears flowed from his eyes. She couldn’t help him, and he knew it.

The mummy reached his eyes, and withought pausing, wound over them tightly. The look of terror was the last thing Natalie saw on Theodore’s eyes. With his eyes covered, the mummy sped up the process of wrapping bandages around his face, doing it’s best to seal his features away forever. Theodore struggled as hard as he could, but his movements were now limited to swaying back and forth in a limited manner. It didn’t affect the mummy as it continued to bandage him up.

Its work completed, the mummy walked away from the bandaged body of Theodore and went over to a switch in the wall. Lowering it, a small panel in the ceiling opened. Natalie heard gears grinding, and a long chain came down directly above Theodore. There was a small clasp at the end of it.

The mummy walked over to Theodore and quickly unlocked his collar from the ceiling. Before he could attempt an escape though, the mummy quickly circled behind him and undid one cuff from his wrist manacles. Moving fast, the mummy pulled both of Theodore’s arms in front of him. The mummy re-cuffed the manacle, grabbed the ceiling chain and attached it to the cuffs.

Theodore frantically tried to do something about his wrist manacles, but with his fingers bandaged, he could do nothing. The mummy went back to the lever and pulled it up. Instantly, the ceiling chain began to go up. Theodore’s arms were slowly drawn up with them. He panicked, tried to hold his arms down. But the pull was too great to resist. His arms were forced upwards and above his head. He frantically tugged and pulled as the chain was slowly pulled up into the ceiling.

Soon, Theodore was lifted off of the ground and hoisted into the air. Natalie watched in horror as his completely mummified body was pulled inch by inch into the dark hole in the ceiling. Soon, only his legs were showing. Then his knees. Then his bandaged feet were pulled upwards, and the ceiling panel slid shut and locked with a loud clang. Theodore was gone.

Another fool punished for his actions. I’m certain that my princess is proud of the way I am protecting her. I for one, am very grateful to Anubis. He gave me the opportunity to guard my princess thousands of years ago. I have thanked him many times beyond count through the years. Thanked him for allowing me to fulfill my duty. I am so happy that I want to bow and worship him right now.

But the time is not right. I still have the other fool to bind and store. I turn and look at her. She’s still looking at the area where her accomplice was. She doesn’t notice me yet. Good.

Moss’s quest to find the exit from the tomb had hit a dead end. She had gone through all the chambers that she had found, and all of them were dead ends. At this rate, it seemed like she would never get out of here. A scientist would probably come in one day far in the future and find her long dried corpse.

“How ironic.” She thought. Strangely, she found that she was giggling. This whole situation had become so dire that she found the idea very funny.

While she struggled to keep her giggling from bursting into a full-fledged laughter of madness, her eyes drifted across the wall and fell upon some detailed imagery. Intrigued, she walked up to the wall.

How shall I wrap this one? Should I unchain her, tease her with fantasies of escape? Or should I wrap her up right now, chains and all? Decisions, decisions. She’s noticed me by now. Her form reeks of fear. My bandaged lips attempt to smile. Yes, chains and all will be the method. Make her even more helpless. She will be fun to wrap. Watching her expression as she realizes her fate. But where she’s going, I’ll unchain the collar from the wall.

I reach over and do just that. Now unchained from the wall, she struggles briefly, trying to escape. But those manacles still do their job, thousands of years after their manufacture. I raise my fingers. She lets out a moan as she realizes what I’m about to do. Time to get to work. Stretching my fingers, the bandages start flying.

Moss looked at the wall in front of her, her nervous hysteria already forgotten. The pictures in front of her seemed to tell a story. There was a large sketch of a huge underground complex buried deep within the sand. It took her a few seconds to realize that the complex was the tomb she was in. There was a very long tunnel leading from the tomb complex to the great pyramid.

I take my time, slowly swathing the woman’s legs with the bandages, winding them tightly around every inch of her lower body. The bandages go over her manacles and they disappear under the layers and layers that I put on her.

Moss carefully traced her path that she had taken from the tunnel, through the deep passages until she reached what had to be her current location. To her delight, she figured that she was very close to the main tunnel. If she could only find the way there, she might have a chance.

She winces as the bandages cover her bound arms. Is she cold? Or is she frightened? No matter. I find myself enjoying watching her expression as more and more of her body is transformed into a bandaged, mummified form. Not much longer now. She will soon be completely encased.

According to the map, there should be a hidden passage somewhere near her. Moss’s heart pounded with excitement. The possibility of actually escaping with her life was more joyous then anything she could imagine. She eagerly searched the nearby walls, hoping that her flashlight didn’t give out.

Only her face is left now. Her entire body below her chin has been enveloped in an inch of thick white bandages. Her mummified form squirms and struggles as I slow down the bindings. I like to tease these thieves as the sight they treasure so much is taken away from them. Watching their eyes fill with panic as they realize that they will soon be blind and completely helpless.

This thief does not disappoint me. Her eyes plead with me as I wrap up her mouth, sealing her muffled protests within her. I wonder if she can see my eyes behind my own wrappings. They have been veiled for thousands of years. Soon, that same fate will meet this thief.

It had to be here. The walls didn’t feel right. Moss recalled some other tombs where the entrances to secret passages were pushed slightly into the walls. Moss closed her eyes and slowly moved her fingers over the wall. Searching, hoping, praying.

I’m almost finished. Her head is completely wrapped, except for her eyes. I deliberately left her eyes unwrapped so I can enjoy her final moments of sight. Flicking my fingers, the bandages close in. The thief looks at me, pure terror in her eyes. Then the bandages mercilessly close over her eyes, sealing them away forever. More and more bandages swirl around her face, sealing it very tightly and completely. Another layer over the entire body just to be sure.

With her body now encased and mummified, it’s time to put her within her final resting-place. Reaching down, I grab her bandaged shoulder and drag her away from the wall. She lets out a heavily muffled squeal as I drop her form on the ground. I press a very small, very well hidden button set in the wall. A tiny block falls down, revealing a space set within the wall that is just large enough to contain a human body. Reaching in, I take out a thick rope and wind it around the thief’s ankles. Tying it down tightly, I press another hidden button.

The rope is pulled taunt, and then slowly begins to pull the thief into the small chamber. She struggles and squirms as much as her bound body will allow. But inch by inch, she is pulled into her resting-place. Then she is pulled all the way in. Curious, I take a look into the niche. Her body has been tightly compacted, with less then an inch of space between the body and the walls.

Satisfied, I press the first button. The small piece of stone slowly works its way back into place. The mummified thief lets out a barely audible scream as the block seals itself in place, never to open again.

Success! Moss gave out a small squeak of joy. This had to be the way out. The piece of stone gave ever so slightly at her touch. Putting both hands against the stone, she pushed as hard as she could. Her efforts were rewarded with the stone slowly moving until it vanished from sight, revealing a small passageway.

“Why is it always the small passageway?” She wondered. She didn’t give it any more thought as she eagerly crawled through, eager to leave this place.

The tunnel went forward for several feet before it suddenly stopped. A dead-end. No! This couldn’t be! Not all this way for nothing! Frustrated, Moss threw her flashlight on the floor. The floor collapsed. A bit shocked, Moss peered through the hole. The long tunnel was right below her. She was almost out. She grabbed the edge of the hole and dropped down into the passageway.

The tunnel was the same as the last time she had been in it, save that there was a heavy stone behind her, which had sealed off the entrance to the tomb complex itself. There was no way back. The idea of heading back was quite ludicrous at the moment. Taking her flashlight in her hands, Moss ran down the tunnel, desperate to escape this horrible place. She had only gone a few feet before she heard a zip sound. Something caught her ankles.

Her forward momentum suddenly brought to a halt, Moss fell forward and landed with a loud thud, the flashlight falling from her grasp. She turned and saw the most ludicrous sight yet. A fully wrapped mummy was walking directly towards her, a hidden door closing itself behind her. Impossibly, bandages were coming out of her fingers. What was worse, was that the bandages were wrapping themselves around her legs.

Moss instinctively tore at the bandages that were beginning to completely cover her legs. This mummy wanted to turn her into a mummy! But after all she had gone through, with the deaths of Jan, and possibly the deaths of her companions, Moss was not going to go down without a fight. Frantically looking for a weapon, Moss’s well-trained eyes spotted a lever that was protruding from the wall closest to her. Without giving it a second thought, she desperately reached for the lever. Moss sensed that it was her only chance to escape.

The bandages had now contained her body up to her breasts. Movement was rapidly becoming incredibly difficult. Stretching her fingers with all her might, she grabbed the lever and pulled. For a moment, nothing happened. Then there was a low rumbling sound that slowly began to increase in volume. The mummy stopped. The bandages that had half-wrapped Moss’s breasts ceased to move. The mummy looked around, looked at Moss, then turned and ran back through the hidden door from which it came.

Now alone, Moss tore at the tight bandages that encased her lower body. Her fingers moved faster and faster as she sensed that great danger was coming. The walls were now beginning to shake, dust drifting onto the floor. Moss managed to reach into the back pocket of her pants and removed a small pocketknife. Flipping out the small saw, she hacked and tore at the strips that still bound her legs. The rumbling was now very loud and the entire tunnel was shaking violently.

With a final cut, the last of the white bandages fell free. Now able to move again, Moss grabbed her fallen flashlight and ran down the tunnel. She heard loud thuds behind her, but didn’t dare look back as she ran with all her might. There was the sound of rushing water as it chased after her. Moss’s bouncing flashlight illuminated the doorway in front of her. With a final sprint, Moss ran and threw herself through the doorway. She landed hard, but immediately got up and ran again, heading up and up into the pyramid.

Nobody was there to see it, but when Moss had pulled the lever, she had triggered the last-ditch defense of the tomb. The tunnel which connected the pyramid and the tomb complex had been built beneath the Nile River.

By pulling the switch, Moss had opened the tunnel to the river, and now the rich blue water was flooding the tunnel. Unable to take the weight of the water, the tunnel collapsed completely, imploding upon itself. The water forced its way through cracks and passageways, flooding the lower levels of the complex completely. Torches flicked, then were put out under the rising levels of the water.

My rage is building. That thief had been so close to my grasp, and she had to trigger this tomb’s last ditch defense system. I must return to my princess immediately, or I will never be able to protect her. My legs run three times faster then a mortal’s legs. I easily run through the rapidly flooding corridors, keeping one step ahead of the rising water. The princess’s chamber is so close. So close.

There it is! With a final push, I run and dive through the doorway. Turning, I see a great wall of water thundering towards me. I slam my fist into a lever. The heavy stone door responds by dropping immediately, slamming into the ground a half second ahead of the water. I listen to the water as it slams against the door, trying to find a way in. But the door holds. At over five feet thick, it will hold. I close my eyes and watch as the rest of the tomb is flooded with water. Every chamber and every passage is filled to the brim.

In a way, that thief has done me a favor. She triggered the device that makes this tomb truly impenetrable. But where is she? I can no longer see her. No matter. If she has any sense, she will not return.

Moss’s legs screamed to stop as she continued to run through the pyramid. The water was still coming after her, but not as quickly as before. Her lungs were on fire and her legs threatened to collapse beneath her. But she had to keep going, had to reach the surface and safety. Finally, she saw the exit from the pyramid. With a final push, she ran and leapt out of the large hole. She fell onto the ground, completely exhausted.

Breathing heavily, she lifted her head up and looked at the Nile River. It was still flowing, but had lost several feet. Too tired to care anymore, Moss fainted, lying under the warm touch of the sun. When she regained consciousness, she would make the decision never again to work in pyramids, or be involved with Egypt ever again.

The water has finally stopped. All is quiet now. The princess is safe within her sarcophagus. I have completed my task. I am finished. Perhaps now I can return to my rest, and await the next time when my princess needs me.

But looking at all the ruined bandages that lie on the floor, I realize that it will be a rest that will not be as restful as before. I will be thin, vulnerable. I feel as if I have lost my very skin. If only I could summon a team of embalmers to wrap my body again, to feel the comforting and loving tightness of the bandages embrace.

O Anubis, why must I rest while vulnerable? I have done my duty to protect my princess, and now I must rest and wait for any future threats. But I feel so… empty.

Wait. What is this? I’m being, being lifted into the air! Is this a feature the tombs builders put in all those years ago? No, it can’t be. But what is it?

I feel a great and powerful presence near me. Is it… do I dare ask… Anubis? Is he holding me up in the air?

I feel something around my feet. Looking down, I see that a bandage has appeared, and is wrapping itself around my bandaged ankles. Then another bandage appears, and then another, and another! Soon, I am being bound again with thousands of bandages that wind themselves around me!

This is so wonderful! I feel the loving tightness again that I enjoyed for thousands of years. I am being wrapped again so I can rest. This must be the work of Anubis! I eagerly give in to the ordeal, allowing my benefactor to do whatever he wants.

I am soon bound head to toe in a layer of bandages, my arms and legs sealed together. But another layer is wrapped, and then another and another. I soon loose track of how many layers are being applied to my body. I feel joy beyond words!

The bandages continue to lovingly embrace my body. I feel an ecstasy beyond anything I have ever known.

Soon, I estimate that I am bound within thirty or forty layers of bandages. I am completely and utterly immobilized, unable to even twitch my fingers. Encased in the wrappings of the gods. A fate that is so wonderful.

I feel my body being slowly placed back into my personal coffin. I am gently placed inside, the bandages creating a snug and comfortable fit. I hear the lid placed on and sealed, and then the sarcophagus lid is placed on and locked.

I can sense the powerful force leaving me, but I am not sad. I am overjoyed that Anubis directly answered my question. I am… safe… protected, and comforted by my wrappings, as if they have a mind of their own and they are comforting me. I feel like an infant in its mother’s warm and safe womb.

This is a fate that I gladly embrace. I close my eyes, and slowly drift off, waiting for the next time my princess needs me.

Any and all comments are always appreciated!

10.10.05