A Wager between the Gods

Part One

For the sixth time that day, Anubis sighed. The ancient deity of Egypt sighed much these days. Existence without purpose was a fairly dull existence. Yes, he still had his powers. He had his huge palace on the banks of the spiritual Nile, and huge numbers of his followers who had decided to stay at the Egyptian afterlife. 

But for all his riches and wonders, Anubis had one thing that the old deities lacked now. 

The belief of humans. 

For thousands of years, nobody had believed in the old gods anymore. With no one left who worshipped them, the Egyptian deities had no choice but to leave the realms closest to earth, and go back to their original existence, far away from earth’s physical realm. 

There, they kept each other company, conversing and playing with their subjects who chose to follow them. Most of the ancient Egyptians had decided to live more lives on earth and try other beliefs, but some had followed the Egyptian deities to the Egyptian paradise.  From here, they could watch Earth, and everything going on there. They could watch, but they could not directly interfere with the lives of the humans below unless they asked. 

Anubis hated that law. During his heyday, he had loved interfering with the lives of mortals. He had relished in that power, he had used it every chance he got. 

Now, all he could do was watch, for no mortal ever called on him. 

“Hey Anubis!” Bastet said as she walked up. “What are you doing over here? We’ve got a party going on!” Behind her, the Egyptian deities were drinking fine wine, roasting meat over a fire, and bathing in the spiritual Nile. Sobek and Taweret were playing cards while Horus and Osiris were playing a volleyball match with several peasants. 

“No thank you Bastet.” Anubis said. 

“Are you still obsessed with watching earth?” Bastet said. “I admit, it’s fascinating to watch, but it’s a bit much if you watch it too much.” 

“If we could interfere, we could make it so much more interesting! Make it the way it should be!” 

Bastet shook her furry finger at Anubis. “Now, now Anubis, you know we had our time down there.  But that’s over.  We’re retired now!  Let’s enjoy it!” 

“Retirement?!” Anubis snapped. “I don’t want to party, or drink wine and eat food! I want to shape the world!” 

“Well hello there!” Both spirits turned to see Odin walking up, dressed in his furry swim trunks and munching on a leg of meat. “What’s going on?” 

“Oh you know, Anubis is having one of his “I want to shape the earth” periods.” 

“Another one?” The Norse god said as he took a big bite of meat. “You know Anubis, you can’t keep doing that forever. It can drive you nuts. Just look at Talaloc. He wanted to interfere so much that he went crazy after a while.” 

“Yeah, well…I guess you’re right.” Anubis said. “But that still doesn’t change my mind.” 

“Maybee you coullld try going down there in human forrrrmmm.” The snake god Quetzocotal said as he slithered up to the group, giving a ride to several souls on his back. 

“Yeah!” Bastet said. “You could try being a human. Though you won’t have all your magic powers, you could influence others.” 

Anubis gave this idea some thought. “You are right. I could become a great tyrant, taking over the world! I could…” 

“Uh, I think you’d probably be a bad commander.” Bastet chuckled. “You’d probably go back as an ordinary guy or gal. Maybe a nice quiet life as a librarian or something.” 

“Librarian?!” Anubis scowled. “No, not me! I’m destined for greatness!” 

Bastet gave up. “Oh, okay. Just try going down there and seeing what happens when you try to take over the world. I bet you won’t last a year down there.” 

“You’re on!” Anubis said. “I’ll prove you wrong! I’ll go down there and show you all!” 

With a quick zoom, Anubis headed off towards earth. The deities and their human spirit friends went over to watch what happened. 

As he was a powerful spirit, Anubis had a few exclusive powers that other spirits lacked. For one, he could incarnate at will in an aged body and retain his spiritual memory. 

He landed in Manhattan, and incarnated as young man in his twenties. 

If there was one thing Anubis didn’t like, it was becoming a spirit in a physical body. The physical realm was so annoying, compared to the perfect realm of the spiritual. 

But he could stand being in this body temporarily. He would show them all back up there what a real ruler would do with his new role. 

The alley he had landed in was no place to start a world conquest. Running out, Anubis looked around. He was in a large square, Times Square if he remembered correctly. He would start his conquest here. Running into the streets, he reached the center of the square. 

“Pitiful humans!” He shouted. “I am Anubis, God of Egypt! You will all bow down and worship me! You will cower beneath my might! You will…” 

Anubis realized that the humans were watching him, but they were roaring with laughter.

With a sudden shock of embarrassment, Anubis realized that he was naked. He hadn’t bothered to look around for clothes. 

“Damnit!” He shouted. “I will not stand and tolerate your disobedience! I will crush you all! Bow down before the power of Anubis!” 

He leveled his hands at the pitiful mortals around him and summoned the power of lighting upon them. 

Nothing happened. 

As a human, he couldn’t summon lighting. 

Fuming, Anubis ran into the streets to get away from this place. He couldn’t take all the laughter and the jokes from the people looking at him. 

“DAMNIT!” 

He didn’t see the car until it was right on top of him. 

THUNK 

Thirty seconds later, Anubis zoomed back up to the Egyptian part of the spiritual world. The Egyptian gods and human spirits there were chuckling and laughing. 

Anubis was red as he walked up to Bastet. He said nothing as the cat spirit chuckled. 

“Well,” she said. “That didn’t seem to go too well.” 

Anubis said nothing, his pride damaged. 

Bastet rubbed her chin, pondering something. “Well now, if I remember correctly, I bet you that you wouldn’t last a year down there. And it turns out that I was right! Now, what payment do you owe me?” 

“Wait a minute.” Anubis said. “I don’t owe you anything!” 

“Of course not.” Bastet said. “You don’t owe me anything. But we did make a bet. And I don’t think you like shrinking from your honor.”

Fuming, but knowing that the cat spirit was right, Anubis gave in. “All right, what do you want me to do?” 

“Well know,” Bastet said. “If I recall correctly, you wrapped up that poor couple and kept them alive for sixty years. What were their names again? Ah yes, Narell and Asphet.” She chuckled. “Boy were they ticked off when they found out you were playing a joke, threatening them with Hell and all.” 
 
“Well…I was bored!” Anubis said. 

“Well now, lets see what you think of being in their place.” Bastet said. “How about we both incarnate on earth, I wrap you up, send you to a museum, and you stay there for sixty years? Sounds like poetic justice to me!” 

Anubis growled slightly. This deal wasn’t working out to his favor at all. Of course, he didn’t have to go through with it. But his pride was at stake, so… 

“All right.” He sighed. “I’ll do it.” 

Bastet gave a little squeal of delight. “All right!” She said. “I’ll head down there and get ready. I’ll get you when you least suspect it!” 

With that, Bastet took off and sped down towards earth, rapidly becoming little more then a speck, then a dot, then nothing as she went to earth’s physical plane. 

Shaking his head at the sheer stupidity of it all, Anubis decided to get going. 

“Have fun!” Odin said as he took a large sip of mead. 

“Yessssss.” Quetzocotal said as he enjoyed a chin scratch from one of his spirit friends. “Welllll be watching youuuuu!” 

Shaking his head, Anubis took off and headed straight for earth, leaving the spirit world behind. 

It was such a pain to take on a physical form again. This time, Anubis chose to avoid a large city. He chose a small, out of the way town in the middle of the country the humans called Canada.  The body, again, was that of a young man, well-built and wise in appearance. And again, he had landed in an alleyway. 

Looking around, he saw that Bastet had been here. There was a pile of clothes and some money lying next to a trash can. A note lay on top of the items. 

Looking in it, it read, “I’ll catch you when you least suspect it! Love,” and a pawprint of ink. 

Sighing, Anubis put on the jeans and blue shirt that Bastet had left him. What to do next? Shelter was probably the biggest priority, lest his physical body die from exposure to the elements.  Leaving the alleyway, Anubis looked around. This small town he was in did not appear to have many places of residence where he could find shelter. Perhaps he could ask some of the humans for a place to stay. 

“Well hello there.” A cracky voice said. Turning around, Anubis saw an old woman standing next to him, slowly shuffling along with a walker. “You look a bit lost. Can I help you?” 

“Well, I am looking for a place to stay. Do you know where I can find lodging?” 

The old lady chuckled. “As a matter of fact, I do know a place. Old Elaine’s hotel, at the end of this street. I’m one of the owners!” 

“Thank you good woman. I wish you well.” 

The lady smiled. “I’ll see you around sonny!” With that, she slowly started shuffling away, a cat following her. 

Anubis walked down the street, and soon enough a large building appeared with the sign “Elaine’s hotel” above it. It was a small hotel, but it would do. Judging by the prices, Anubis figured that he would be able to stay here for a while.  Walking inside, he was greeted by a human man behind a counter. “Hello sir. Are you looking for a room?” 

“Why, yes I am.  I am seeking lodging for a week.” 

“Okay, that’ll be about…one hundred and seventy five dollars.” 

Grumbling slightly about how much it cost, Anubis counted out he required amount from his collection of money. 

Taking the green papers, the man produced a small key. “Room 32 on the second floor.” He said. 

Anubis bowed. “Thank you.” Though he was strongly tempted to try and put a spell of forgetfulness on this man and take his money back, Anubis realized that he didn’t have his powers anymore. Fuming silently, Anubis walked away to find his room. He hadn’t been on earth for more then an hour, and already he didn’t like it. 

The room was small and stuffy. The windows were closed, there was a table, a small bed, and one of the devices humans called a television. 

Slightly curious, Anubis inspected the black box. He pressed some buttons, and was rewarded with a moving picture on the screen. He looked at it with great fascination. It was interesting to think that bloodthirsty humans could take the time to create devices like these.

A knock on the door interrupted his viewing. “Room service.” 

Turning, Anubis laid eyes on a woman in a hotel uniform. He noticed at once how pretty she was. Blond hair, glasses, and a medium build. Her voice was gentle and non-threatening. 

And her eyes… her green eyes spoke of an intelligence and kindness. 

“Um sir?” 

“Oh,” Anubis shook his head. “Excuse me, I was… staring into space.” 

The woman smiled and nodded her head. “Yeah, that happens to me too. Would you like room service?” 

Anubis nodded his head, eager to allow this woman into his room. He didn’t know why, but he liked her. 

The woman went to work as she cleaned the room, making it as clean as possible. As she worked, Anubis looked at her with great curiosity, but at the same time, suspicion. Could this human really be Bastet in disguise? He couldn’t let his guard down for a second. 

“There we go!” The maid said. “As good as new!” She turned to him. “Do you need anything else?” 

Anubis thought for a moment. “Well, having a companion to discuss worldly manners over an evening meal would be a pleasant experience.” 

“Is that an invitation to dinner?” 

“Yes, it is.” 

The woman chuckled.. “Well then, I guess I’m up for it. How about we meet in the lobby at six?” 

Anubis nodded. “That will be satisfactory. I shall wait for you there.” 

Smiling, the maid left, giving Anubis a wave as she walked out the door. 

When she left, Anubis walked over and closed the door. He needed to think. He had to find out if this woman was Bastet or not. The evening meal would be a perfect opportunity. 

The maid went to the storage room to get more supplies for the other room, only to be met by her fellow co-worker, a new hand who had been hired only a few days ago. 

“So Rose,” she began. “Tell me again, which material do I use for cleaning the curtains again?” 

“It’s this one.” Rose said, pointing to a yellow colored spray bottle. “Just be careful not to get it on the windows. It streaks like mad and takes forever to clean off!” 

The new hire chuckled nervously. 

“What’s wrong?” Rose asked. “You seem nervous… and a little unfamiliar with things around here.” 

“Well, it is my first week, and I do admit, I just arrived here in town.” 

“Really? Where are you from?” 

The new hire shrugged. “Oh you know, from out of town.” Rose nodded. Now it was the new hires time to counter the assault. 

“So Rose, you seem a bit cheerful. Why?” 

Rose chuckled. “Oh, you know Clarie. Meet new guy, guy asks me out, I accept, you know, the usual deal.” 

Clarie smiled. “Oh really? What’s he like?” 

“Well, he’s probably smart, because he uses big words. He’s attractive, handsome, and I feel good being around him. Why?” 

Clarie smiled devilishly. “Oh, I’m hoping that if he passes you up, he’d be mine for the taking!” 

Rose rolled her eyes. 

The remaining hours until the evening meal were a pain to the ancient spirit. He remembered how time, the infernal thing, passes so slowly when one is eagerly awaiting something. 

His curiosity and his anxiety hung over him like a dark, ominous cloud. Was this woman really Bastet in human disguise? Or was she a familiar presence, one that he couldn’t remember? 

He didn’t have much longer to wait. Six-o clock soon came, and he was in the lobby promptly when the clock chimed. 

Rose showed up a few minutes later, dressed in a casual outfit of jeans and a button up green shirt. She smiled upon seeing him. 

“Well,” She asked. “You all ready to go?” 

Anubis nodded. “Yes. Do you have a particular dining establishment that you prefer eating at?” 

Rose gave a small laugh. “My my, you do love big words don’t you? Well, I do go for Fubu’s house of Sushi.” 

“Very well then. We shall dine there.” 

The couple left the hotel and walked out into the street. The night sky was filled with stars, and the sounds of distant music drifted through the air. 

“It sounds like your village enjoys dancing.” Anubis said, feeling slightly awkward at the silence as they walked. 

“Oh yes, we do like our dancing.” Rose confessed. “After all, we don’t have much else to do in this small town of ours.” 

A meow caught both of their attention. Looking down, Anubis saw a black cat walking towards them. 

And this one looked exactly like those blasted cats Bastet loved so much. 

“Aw, a kitty!” Rose said as she reached down to pick up the cat. “I love cats!” 

Anubis said nothing as his human companion held the cat in her arms. “My, aren’t you a sweetie?” She cooed as she stroked the animal. “Do you like cats?” 

“I can’t say that I care for them very much.” Anubis said. 

“Aw, that’s too bad. I’ve always loved cats. And they seem attracted to me more then usual these days.” 

That last statement made Anubis very suspicious. 

Rose put down the cat, which looked directly at Anubis for a second, then took off into the night. 

They reached Fubu’s house of sushi in no time. Anubis couldn’t help but wonder why on earth humans built these Japanese food style buildings with lots of bright lights and silly decorations. 

But Rose was happy being here, and that was good. 

They took a seat and ordered their food. Anubis had a hard time deciding what food to try, but Rose convinced him that the Wasabi specialty was excellent. 

There was a slight silence as they waited for their food to arrive. Anubis politely looked around, then decided to start the interrogation.

“So,” he said. “How long have you lived here?” 

Rose smiled. “Oh, you’re flattering me aren’t you? Well, it doesn’t really matter how long I’ve lived here does it?” 

Anubis’s eyebrow raised slightly. “Very well. Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself?” 

Rose smiled and pushed her glasses up a bit. “Well, lets see here… my name is Rose, I’m from a small town to the east, my favorite food is…um…boy, what is my favorite food? I think it could be the…” 

As Rose talked, Anubis noticed how she spoke. She paused often, as if she couldn’t remember her own past. She could be making it up as she went along. Bastet could sometimes be completely fake while trying to fool someone. 

But… the strange thing was that the human Rose didn’t feel wrong, or out of place. She felt normal, and her only real problem seemed to be slight forgetfulness. 

“…and my favorite movies are anything that involves a hot handsome hunk who loves the leading lady with all his heart, and who…oh look, the foods here!” 

The waiter presented the couple with a plate of small sushi rolls. Anubis’s rolls were covered with a pasty substance. 

“Well, dig in!” Rose said as she took her chopsticks as effortlessly picked up a roll. 

Anubis took his two sticks and fumbled with them, trying to make them work like Rose’s. 

“Blast these sticks!” Anubis cursed. “They are not working correctly!” 

Rose let out a small laugh. “Well, you aren’t doing it correctly! Here, let me help.” 

She reached over and took the sticks, and placed them in position between his fingers. “There we go! That’s how you do it!” 

“Why…thank you.” Anubis said, a bit flattered. 

It took a few tries, but Anubis was able to pick up one of the bizarre little rolled things. Putting it in his mouth, he took a few bites and swallowed. 

No sooner did he swallow before he let out a deep gasp as the full power of Japanese Wasabi hit him like a hammer in the mouth. 

“It burns!” He gasped. “It burns like the flames of a thousand fires!” 

Instinctively pointing his finger at the remaining pieces of sushi, he chanted his favorite curse. “By the power of Anubis, I command thee to burn in the fires of lightning!” 

Nothing happened. 

Anubis cursed under his breath. He hated being a human. 

Looking over, he expected to see Rose staring at him, convinced that he was a wacko. 

Instead, she was giggling like mad, with some tears of laughter coming down her cheeks. 

“My oh my,” she giggled. “You are quiet funny!” 

Bastet never giggled at him like that. 

A crack appeared in Anubis’s armor. 

“You…” Anubis said. “You think so?” 

Rose smiled and nodded her head approvingly. “What’s your name?” 

Anubis paused, caught off guard. What name to use? 

“It’s uh…it’s uhmm….Jack. My name is Jack.” 

“Jack…” Rose muttered. “What a lovely name.” 

The rest of the evening was a blur. The two finished eating (Being much more careful with the wasabi), and walked back to the hotel. 

Clarie was waiting anxiously to find out what the date had been like. Had it gone well? Did Rose leave the guy, leaving him for the taking? 

She almost pounced on Rose when she came in. “So Rose.” Claire asked anxiously. “How did it go?” 

Rose smiled, still swimming in pleasure. “Oh, he was great.” She said. “Amusing, charming, and he sure acts like a gentleman!” 

Clarie’s anxious expression dropped. “So… that means you like him?” 

Rose lit up. “Of course! He’s the best thing that ever happened to me! And the best part is that he agreed to go out with me tomorrow night!” 

Clarie glared. She didn’t say anything. She was going to have to move quickly to get this guy for herself. 

Anubis lay on his back on his bed. He too, was swimming in feelings of pleasure. This woman was good. This woman was very good. She made him feel… so good. 

And they were going out tomorrow evening! 

Maybe his stay on this planet wasn’t going to be so bad after all. 

The next week went by in a blur. Every evening Anubis and Rose would meet in the lobby of the hotel and go out. They went out to the movies, to restaurants, and to Rose’s favorite place, the bookstore. 

Anubis had the gift of charming Rose with his bumbling attempts of adapting to human life. She found him so charming and so lovable. 

And Anubis found this woman to be an utter delight. Simply being around her was a soothing balm to his spirit. Surely this woman was a wonderful gift, a gift that made him smile and feel like singing. 

Rose found her boyfriend to be so charming that she couldn’t get him out of her mind. As more and more time went on, she simply wanted to be with him more and more. 

Clarie, on the other hand, was not pleased. She had to get this man. If only he knew what she had planned for him… 

Finally, two weeks after meeting for the first time, Rose made the guess, followed what her little inner voice said. 

As Clarie sipped some water on one of her breaks, she couldn’t help but notice how upbeat and chipper Rose seemed. She sang and hummed to herself as she poured some coffee. 

“What’s up with the humming and the singing?” Clarie asked. 

“Oh, I think my boyfriend Jack is getting close to proposing.” A very cheerful Rose replied. “He should be doing it any day now.” 

There was a loud snap as the glass cup in Clarie’s hand snapped. 

“Clarie, are you okay?” Rose asked, looking at her co-workers hand. 

“I’m fine.” Clarie muttered. 

“That could use some disinfectant. I’ll be right back.” Rose quickly took off to find the nearest first aid kit. 

Clarie cursed her luck. Her plan wasn’t going as she’d hoped it would. She had to move fast, had to corner this boyfriend and get him all by himself. 

Then she would make her move… 

Anubis had made the decision. It would happen tonight. He had considered all the possibilities, put two and two together, and decided that he loved this human woman. 

He wanted her to be his lifemate. 

But how to do it? It would be at night, he knew that much. Then there would be a token of his appreciation. And then he would kiss her, give her the most wonderful kiss he could give. 

Going out for a days shopping, Anubis bought some supplies that he needed, hunted around for materials, and finally had everything he needed. 

Going back to the hotel, Anubis spent the rest of the afternoon putting together two objects that he would use that night. Using some of what magic he could still use, Anubis put a charm on both objects, binding them to each other. 

He smiled. This was a gift the human Rose would love. 

Like star-crossed lovers, the two met the lobby of the hotel that evening. They didn’t even need to discuss about where to go for dinner. Anubis could tell that Rose was feeling up for more sushi. 

So they went to Fubu’s, took a table and ordered the sushi. 

Outside the building, someone quietly snuck up to the kitchen, carrying with her a small vial of laxative. 

When the food arrived, Rose and Anubis ate slowly, enjoying each bite. Anubis had to admit that this stuff wasn’t bad once one got used to it. 

Quiet jazz and piano drifted through the restaurant’s speakers. There was the quiet sound of water bubbling from a fountain. 

Anubis decided that now was the moment. The mood was perfect. 

As Rose finished her last piece of Sushi, Anubis looked at her and smiled. 

Rose looked at that smile, and she gave one in return. 

“I have something for you.” Anubis whispered. 

Rose’s heart stopped for just a moment. “What is it?” She giggled. 

Anubis reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out one the two things he had crafted. 

“I made this for you.” Anubis said, presenting a necklace. It was plain and simple, but it had a brilliant blue stone set in the center. 

“Oh…” Rose gasped as she took the necklace. “It’s so beautiful! I love it!” 

“That’s good.” Anubis said as he lifted his necklace, identical to its twin. “And these necklaces have a special feature. Whenever they get close to one another, they will vibrate.” 

Anubis pressed his necklace up against Rose’s. To her amazement, the two necklaces vibrated and hummed quietly. 

“With this, we will always know where each other is.” Anubis said. 

Rose was rapidly becoming overwhelmed by her emotions. She knew that the moment was coming. He was going to propose to her! 

And she knew with all her heart, that her answer would be yes. 

“Rose,” Anubis said quietly, looking into her eyes. “I have something I want to say to you.” 

Rose looked back, her eyes twinkling with desire. “Yes?” She could barely contain her excitement. 

“I…I…” 

“Yes?!” 

Suddenly, Anubis’s eyes went wide. 

“I…I have to go to the lavatory! I’ll be right back!” 

Anubis quickly got up and dashed off to the bathroom. 

Rose frowned. That wasn’t what she expected. Oh well. Jack would be back in a minute or two, and then he would propose. 

That was all right. She would wait. 

Anbuis made it to the bathroom with only seconds to spare. Running past the large window, he dashed into a stall and unzipped his pants as fast as he could. 

“Curse the human bowels!” Anubis thought to himself. “Another stupid aspect of living in a physical body.” 

After two minutes, Anubis had completely emptied himself. Sighing, and worn out of energy, he zipped his pants back up, and slowly stood up. 

That was when the lights went out. It was dark inside the bathroom, and now the only light came from the large window. 

“Hello?” Anubis called out. “There’s someone in here!” 

Feeling his way, Anubis walked out of the stall. As his human eyes adjusted to the light, Anubis noticed that the window was open a crack. Someone had sneaked inside. 

Something rubbed his ankle. Looking down, Anubis saw a cat that looked up at him. 

It looked exactly like the cats Bastet liked… 

Something was pressed over his mouth. Anubis smelled something sickly sweet. 

Within a second, his vision went blurry as he lost control of his limbs. He fell to the floor, his sight fading quickly. 

He heard a faint voice chuckling. 

Then there was darkness. 

* * * * * 

When Anubis slowly woke up, he found that he was no longer lying down on the ground. He was standing up. 

Or rather, something was holding him up. 

“What?” 

He was also stark naked. He felt his hands above his head, tied together in a thin material of some kind. 

But why was there darkness in front of him? His eyes were open. 

Then he realized his eyes were covered with a black cloth. 

“So, you’re awake.” A voice said. It was a female voice. 

Where was Rose? Was she here too? 

“If you’re wondering about your girlfriend, she’s not here.” The unseen voice said. “It’s just you and me now… 

“…Anubis.” 

That voice… 

“So, do you know who I am? We met once before, but you didn’t recognize me. Now, I guess it’s time for you to see what body I chose.” 

With a quick pull, Anubis’s blindfold was pulled off his head, and he saw his captor. 

He let out a gasp. 

“You!” 

It was the old lady who had directed him to the hotel. 

The lady smiled. “Always the one you least suspect, eh?” 

“It was you all along!” 

Bastet chuckled. “Yep. I’ve been watching you this past week. My lovely little pretties have been giving me updates on how you were doing.” 

Anbuis looked and saw several black cats walking around Bastets legs, rubbing them affectionately. 

“I’ve waited until the moment when you were the most happy with life, when you felt on top of the world. And now the moment’s come to transform you into a mummy.” 

Anubis shook his head frantically. “Bastet, no, you can’t do this!” 

Bastet smiled. “Oh really? What’s going to stop me? You’re all tied up!” 

Anubis struggled with the ropes that tied his hands together. No luck there. His ankles were tied together as well, and bound to the floor. 

She was right, Anubis realized. She had him tied up and helpless. 

“You can’t do this Bastet! I’m in love with a human woman! I want her!” 

“Hmm… this sounds a lot like the situation that young Egyptian man was in. He loved a woman, was on top of the world, and then you came in and mummified him and his love. Sounds like poetic justice to do the same to you!” 

Bastet opened a bucket, and Anubis saw dozens and dozens of rolls of bandages, straps, and cloth sheets inside. 

He was going to be wrapped up alive. 

“Besides,” Bastet said as she picked up a syringe. “You agreed to this earlier. Lets get it done with!” 

She walked up to Anubis and pointed the syringe directly at Anbuis’s side. With a quick poke she pushed it in and injected Anubis with a clear liquid. 

Anubis gave out a gasp and suddenly began to go limp. “Wha…are you…doin…” 

“Don’t worry my dear.” Bastet said. “It’s a paralysis drug. Stops all your voluntary muscle functions so you won’t move an inch!” 

She was right. Anubis now hung limply from his bindings. He was still awake, could see and hear fine, and his heart and lungs were still working. But he couldn’t move any of his muscles. He was completely paralyzed. 

Taking a knife, Bastet cut Anubis’s bindings, letting him fall onto the floor. The necklace he wore around his neck clinked on the hard floor. 

“Besides,” Bastet continued as she took a roll of bandages. “I couldn’t let you fight back. Remember, I’m an old woman!” She laughed as she kneeled and went to work. 

Anubis was not able to move his limbs. But he could still feel what was happening to him. 

He felt the cloth being wrapped around his limbs, going over his skin inch by inch, covering him. And he could do nothing about it. 

Bastet was relentless. She kept going, kept wrapping his limbs and his body up. His legs, arms, body, groin, and neck were completely covered in a layer of wrappings. Anubis’s necklace was wrapped to his chest, where it would remain for the next sixty years. 

Though it took over an hour, she finally stopped when she reached the man’s head. 

When the first body covering was completed, Bastet took a short break, getting herself some water. “You know,” She said. “I think some music might help to pass the time.” 

She pulled out a portable CD player. “Let’s try some Mozart. That human’s work was quite exquisite.” 

With the CD player cheerfully playing Mozart, Bastet went back to work on the helpless body before her. 

One layer was completed. Time to tie the prisoner up. 

Anubis felt Bastet taking the cloth straps and tie them around his ankles, knees, then being tied around his arms and chest, binding his arms to his side. 
Humming in tune with the music, Bastet pulled out a large roll of crisp white bandages. “Now for the next layer!” 

Taking the clean bandages, Bastet began to wrap them around Anubis’s physical body, taking great care to make sure they were very tight as she wound them around his feet and legs. 

As she wrapped, Anubis’s mind was racing. What was he going to do? He couldn’t leave Rose alone! He had to escape somehow! 

Bastet had reached his groin. If only he had his strength back. Then he could fight his bindings. Forget the wager, that woman was far more important! 

Deciding to be cruel, Bastet gently tickled Anubis’s sexual organ, stroking and rubbing it. 

Anubis did sense a vague feeling coming from his groin, one that felt rather good. 

The feeling increased, and soon Anubis felt very good. If he could have, he would have sighed. Now he remembered why humans loved sex so much… 

Just before the feelings reached their climax, Bastet pulled away. A horrified Anubis managed to utter a moan. 

“Now now,” Bastet said. “Young men like yourself shouldn’t be sexually active! It’s the work of the devil you know!” She chuckled, delighting in her friend’s frustration. 

Resuming her work, Bastet continued to wind the bandages around Anubis, wrapping them around his skin and his body as tightly as her aged muscles would allow. 

But it was tight enough. Anubis realized that with each passing moment, his ability to escape this predicament was being diminished greatly. 

This time, Bastet did not stop when she reached Anubis’s head. She went over it, covering and encasing it in bandages, wrapping them extra tight. When she was finished, only Anubis’s eyes were still showing. 

Bastet put down the empty roll and gently picked up Anubis’s head, rocking it gently. 

“You know, you do look rather attractive all wrapped up like this.” 

Anubis glared at her. 

Bastet smiled. “But we’re just getting started!” 

Grinning wickedly, Bastet pulled out several more rolls of bandages. 

Anubis’s eyes went wide with fright. 

For many hours it continued. The wrapping, encasement, and mummification of the great spirit of Anubis. 

He was one of the greatest Egyptian deities. He had wielded the power of the heavens and the earth. Nations and entire populations had trembled before his awesome power. 

And now he was being wrapped up by an old lady. 

After the first full layer came two more of equal tightness. Each layer upon his body thickened his cocoon ever so tightly, compressing and closing it tighter and tighter around its helpless occupant. 

All Anubis could do was whimper. 

He could think. He had lots of time to think as he was wrapped up. 

If only he had been more cautious. If he only he had been more cunning. But he had failed, and he would pay for it by spending the rest of this life wrapped up like this. 

Nine layers of wrappings later, and Anubis was completely unable to move. He simply lay on the floor, held completely immobilized. 

By now, the paralysis drug was wearing off. He could feel warmth returning to his limbs. 

But it gave him no advantage. He was completely unable to move. The bandages and the wrappings around his body were just too tight. 

Bastet took another break, sitting in a chair, drinking some water. Several of her cats were investigating the living mummy that lay on the floor. They walked over him, sniffed his wrappings and even took a nap on him. 

And there was nothing Anubis could do to get them off.  He was as rigid as a board. 

“You know, it won’t be so bad.” Bastet said. “I bet it’ll go by fast. I recommend living day by day, not thinking about the future.” 

Furious at her calm voice, Anubis tried to thrash. He tried to escape from this horrible prison that he was locked in.  But even with straining his muscles to the limit, he couldn’t do a thing. He couldn’t do a damn thing.  He could do absolutely nothing. 

All he could do was lie there, helpless and immobilized. 

Bastet stretched. “Well, the sun will be coming up soon. Better finish this up. I’m getting tired!”  Bastet stood and took one giant sheet. There were four of them in a box. 

And Anubis was going to be wrapped up in each one of them. 

Placing the sheet on the floor and arranging it, Bastet managed to roll the mummy onto the edge of one of the sheets. 

Rolling the sheet and the mummy, Bastet rolled Anubis up like a burrito, rolling him up into the sheet. 

When the sheet had covered his body, she took several cloth straps and tied them around the body. It was purely for fun of course. Anubis had all the restraints he needed. 

Her old muscles aching, Bastet managed to wrap the mummy in the remaining three sheets, encasing his already cocooned body into thick layers of sheets. 

Almost there. 

There was one final roll of bandages. Bastet took it in her hands and began to wrap them around the sheets, doing them delicately, but with great tightness. 

Anubis couldn’t even feel the layer being placed onto him. He had absolutely no feeling except for the infernal wrappings compressing him. 

His eyes were still unwrapped though. Bastet had avoided wrapping those throughout the entire evening. 

At last, Bastet finished. The last roll of bandages had been completely wound around the living mummy, giving it a final, smooth covering. 

But there was one last thing to do. 

She took a long piece of bandage in her hands. She leaned over Anubis’s head. 

“Now, here comes the really fun part.” Bastet said. “I’m going to wrap your eyes up. You’ll be completely encased in darkness for the rest of your life. You’ll be completely covered in darkness. You’ll never see anything again while you’re on this earth. You’ll never see light again while you live.” 

She smiled as she lowered the bandage. “Have fun.” 

Anubis let out a muffled scream, one that was heard only by himself. The wrapping around his head was so thick that Bastet didn’t even notice the muffled scream. 

Then his eyes were covered. The bandage was wound around his eyes once…twice…three times. Then it was tied down, and it was finished. 

Inside his private prison, Anubis could see nothing, hear nothing. There was only darkness. He began to panic, his heart racing. 

This was all he was going to see for the next sixty years. 

And then there was light. 

Bastet’s face was in front of him. She was smiling. 

“Just kidding!” She said, slapping her knee. “I was only joking! I’ll still let you see. But from the outside, you’re still wrapped up head to toe.” 

Anubis realized that she had placed a charm on him that allowed him to see through his face wrappings as if they were a veil. But from the outside, he was still completely cocooned. 

“Now lets see, a spell to keep you alive for sixty years.” 

Anubis felt a sudden warmth spreading through him. 

“A spell to stop all dietary and water needs.” 

There was a coldness that spread through his body. 

“And a spell to stop all bowel movements.” 

Ice cold spread throughout him. 

Anubis watched as Bastet yawned. “Well, it’s been a long night. I’ll put you in your shipping crate and take you to a museum.” 

Using a strength spell, the old lady managed to pick up the living mummy and drag him to a large case. 

Using her magical strength, she picked him up and plopped him in. 

The large case was lined with straw, cushioning the mummy. 

As Bastet got the lid, she spoke to the living mummy that was about to be locked in the case. 
“Lets see, sixty years, adding leap years…you’ll only be in that cocoon for the next twenty one thousand nine hundred and fifteen days! Hope you have fun!” 

The lid was almost on when Bastet remembered something. 

“Oh, I almost forgot! An aging spell to make you look authentic!” 

There was a sickening feeling that went though Anubis, making his bandages and wrappings age on the outside, giving him the appearance of a fully authentic, aged mummy. 

“See you in the spirit world!” Bastet said as she closed the lid. 

It was now completely dark. 

Anubis had never felt so alone, so isolated. 

At that point, he broke down and cried, his tears flowing into the bandages that enclosed his face. 

The tears were ones of grief and horror. The next sixty years locked away like this! What a horrible fate! 

But what was more horrible was that he would never see his human girlfriend again. He would vanish, and she would never know why. 

As he felt the crate being loaded into a truck, and being driven away to the museum, Anubis cried.

 

27.10.10