My life is that of an archeologist. Not one of those old people you see on television. I am a man of his late twenties. As a child, I was fascinated by the ancient Greek and Egyptian myths about the winged horse and Ra the sun god and so on. I have gathered some artifacts and information and have come to the conclusion that some of them, maybe all of them, once truly existed.

I put my pen down and relaxed, trying to think of what to write next. After a moment of consideration, I decided that would be enough for today. I scribbled my name and the date, Gene Sologo, June 19, 1995. I have been looking for evidence of my theory for weeks, every day the same. The National Geographic Society and other major companies and research laboratories had stopped letting me use their labs because they thought I had gone insane. I feel like I’m getting close this time. Very close, but I just can’t find enough proof of my theory.

I heard a knock at the door. “Come in.” I yelled, for I knew who it was. “Any news?” I asked. “Well, the public library got a new shipment, but other than that, nothing.” She replied. “Michelle, I’m getting tired of getting nowhere. Were not going to find anything here.” “Yes, but the locals seem to be frightened. This is Greece, one of the most famous places in the world as far as mythology and religion goes. They know something that we don’t, and I intend to find out. How about you?” She proclaimed.
“Hmph. Thanks for the inspiring speech.” I teased, “Fine, lets check the library first.” “Wait a moment…” She went off to comb her hair. I don’t know why, but she seemed to be obsessed with fixing her already beautiful hair. It was shiny brown and fell down to her lower back. It matched perfectly with her amazing brown eyes that many men would fall for. In fact, many men have tried, but seemed to back off when they saw her with a ‘crazy archeologist’. “Alright, Gene, Lets go.”

“Choose something’ an’ get out of ‘ere, I’m not kiddin’ this time.” Mrs. DeNarrow insisted as Michelle and I walked in, spitting and chomping her cheesecake as she spoke. “Yes ma’am.” I said, half teasing, half serious. “What about the new shipment?” Michelle asked. “O’er there.” DeNarrow pointed her fat finger. An hour later, I had read some fascinating things about the Minotaur, an ancient Greek Myth about a mix between a human and a bull, but still no more support for my theory. I got up, getting very impatient. “Mrs. DeNarrow, what are the locals afraid of?” she looked stunned, as though no one had tried to make conversation with her for months. “Something about a Minotaur and Anubis joining together to form a new alliance to judge not only the dead, but soon, every living being on the planet. It is said that Ammut is dead, and the punishment for having a heavier heart than the feather of Maat is to be sacrificed to the Minotaur in the middle pyramid of Giza.” I stood there with my jaw hanging open, partly surprised by what she told me, but mostly surprised that I was not the only one who thought myths were real, but the entire city of Athens had the same theory. “Michelle, do you still have access to a small plane?”

We flew over the Mediterranean Sea toward Giza, the desert landscape got closer and closer, then we landed at the outskirts of Giza the next day. I finally had this feeling of growing success. I had finally found a hint of proving my theory! I was bursting with excitement when we landed at an airstrip. We went into another hotel so we could get ready and make arrangements to enter the pyramids. As we entered, I asked Michelle “Why didn’t I think of this before? Of course it would have something to do with the pyramids.” “You probably expected to see Zeus or something at Greece, roaming the streets and signing autographs.” She joked. “Ha, ha, ha, very funny. So now you don’t believe me.” I replied. “Hey, mister, I believe you more than you know.” She said, “Let’s get some rest, we’re going to need it for tomorrow.” “Yeah, I guess so.” I said, almost too excited for the next day, where the world would finally see that I was right, and not insane.

As we rode into the desert the next day, the wind and stinging hard sand flew at my face. We were in a jeep going at least 75mph. The three gigantic pyramids seemed to get bigger and bigger as we got closer and closer. “We’re almost there. You got everything?” Michelle asked. I checked my bag. “Yep.” We came to a slow stop near the middle pyramid. I felt a growing gloominess, if you’d call it that, coming from them. “Hey, Mich, do you see that?” I pointed at the top of the pyramid. Right when she turned, it disappeared. “What?” “The top of it is- was glowing.” “robably just a mirage, don’t worry, I’m having them too. I thought I saw your brain back there.” She teased, obviously mocking me. “Ha, ha, ha, you’re such a comedian.” I teased back.

We took turns entering by a small gap in the wall, just large enough for one person to get through. When we got inside, we were at the bottom chamber of the great pyramid. There was nothing but dust and some openings to the outside. Spider webs and huge cobwebs hung from the walls and ceiling. The floor was covered with dust and odd insects. “Michelle, this is it, I can prove my- our theory if we can just get to the top.” I said. “Why the top?” “because, if the minotaur was at the bottom, it already would have been found, don’t you think?” She was silent for a moment, almost a creepy kind of silent. “Mich, what’s wrong?” I asked. No reply. “Hey, Mich, snap out of it!” I shouted as I saw her standing there in shock. Then I discovered for myself what it was. Her flashlight was pointed at a pile of messy organs, with now hollow human skins lying bloodily on the ground next to them. There were huge scratches on the wall, as if something monstrous had done this to them. Hoof prints patted the dust-covered ground. Bus somehow, this didn’t phase me as much as it did her. “Come on, Michelle, lets get to a higher level.” I said. “But-but Gene! Look at this! We should get out of here.” “Not yet.” I replied.

We headed to the far left of the room where there was a marble staircase going up to a wide, dark chamber. The old stairs creaked under our weight. As we entered this chamber, the door shut on us, trapping us in. The room was pitch black except for a hole in the wall just big enough for a rat to fit through that let a single, small beam of sunlight through. “Hey, Michelle, did you hear that?” “What?” “I heard something running. Maybe it was you.” “No, I was standing here the whole time.” “Okay, lets look for an opening.” As we were looking, I heard another sound. Something was breathing heavily above me. I looked above and saw drool coming from huge teeth. I frantically looked for an exit, and my hand finally pushed back a small brick, opening a door. I heard a loud roar. “Michelle! Run!” I yelled with all the breath left in me. Right after, I heard it roar again with sheer evil. The dark figure stepped into the tiny ray of sunlight. It had dual horns the size of racecars and a mouth with gigantic, razor- sharp teeth. Its heaving chest was the size of two minivans, and it had shackled hands that could crush solid steel with ease. The blood oozing from its mouth was the same color as its skin, but lighter. Its four hooves pounded on the ground. Its bladed tail waved back and forth as it prepared to charge.

“C’mon, Gene” Michelle yelled. I turned and started running with all my strength down the chamber that the brick had revealed. This one was the same as the first one we were in, only it was short and narrow. The Minotaur roared again with earsplitting might. He started to trudge after us. Then, after a moment, he lunged. We turned and flattened ourselves against the wall. After shaking off, he was chasing us again. He was gaining on us when we reached the end of the chamber. There was no getting away now. He had us.

Michelle was screaming. The Minotaur’s huge teeth were gleaming. But when he approached, he stopped. Almost as if time itself had frozen. I felt something slightly stabbing at my chest. Then, it felt as if ten thousand knifes were butchering me from inside my own flesh. The pain was blinding me. All I could see was black. Michelle had passed out. Then, the pain stopped. As my vision cleared, the black turned into gold, a beautiful gold. As if I were standing inside of the Egyptian sun. I was at the top of the great pyramid. I heard something breathing. . . A dog? No. More like a Jackal. I turned around and looked down to see the thing. I saw feet. Not human feet. Brown and somewhat furry. I looked up, and Anubis, the great god of judgment, was looking down at me. He stood like a human, and was dressed like a human, but his skin and face was like that of a dog.

He threw me aside with his staff, turning his gaze upon Michelle, who was still out cold. “Bring me the woman.” He ordered me in a stern, cold voice. I felt a presence inside me. As if I were no longer in control of my own body. In fact, I wasn’t He was controlling my mind. I picked up Michelle with both hands and brought her to him unwillingly. “This woman has been living a life of evil for some time. She has committed such sins as burglary, theft, and murder. She will be weighed on the scale.” I stood there, shocked. “Human. You must take her heart. Take it out and weigh it against the feather of Maat.” “No.” “Do it or I’ll make you.” He sneered. He seemed to be enjoying this. I stood there, persistent not to brutally murder my assistant. He growled under his breath. Then he waved his staff and took control of me again. I was trapped in my own brain, doomed to kill Michelle. I felt and saw my hand reach, with excessive strength, into her chest and rip out her heart.

My hand was oozing with blood. I put the heart on the scale. It was heavier than the feather of Maat. I dropped to the ground, barely able to move. Anubis lifted Michelle with one hand and dropped her down to the Minotaur’s chamber through a shaft. “This woman will be punished!” He shouted as he did so. Blood sprayed everywhere through the Minotaur’s gigantic teeth. Then it all went black.





Epilogue:
Gene survived. He was not charged for murder, for they never found Michelle’s body. Today he still has nightmares about Michelle getting torn to pieces with massive teeth. Scientists from the National Geographic Society and others are starting to believe his theory, as he brought the feather of Maat back with him. He has joined with them but says that he will never enter the great pyramid of Giza again. They made many discoveries, and his dream had come true.
Now the world had the same theory.



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I wrote this in 8th grade. It won 1st place in the citywide Young Author's Contest, and 2nd place in the Caldera Writing Contest, as well as a publishing offer from a major subsidy publishing company. w00t!