Friday, March 28, 1890 – Afternoon
Wagon Caravan, Egypt
It seems I have slept the morning away. The last night was a long one. It all started because we had so much trouble finding the bandit’s hide-away. We did not find it until dusk. By the time we did, we were in for a surprise.
We entered the camp to find the two bandits left to guard it lying dead. A dozen feral cats lounged around the camp. One was even cleaning itself while on top of one of the dead man’s back.
We tried to shoo the cats away, but they did not go far. Stopping just outside the campsite and waiting, watching us. It was a disturbing scene and reminded me of what occurred outside of the curio shop back in Cairo. I mentioned it to Isaac, and he agreed that it was disturbing.
Mr. Landers and I searched the camp for the stolen artifacts while James examined the bodies. My search turned up empty. The artifacts the captured bandit had described to us were not here. Mr. Landers found one piece but that is all. I have not had much of a chance to examine it, as Mr. Landers is keeping it safe. It appeared to be an ancient rulership rod, maybe 50 to 60 centimeters long. It appeared to have a carved snake’s head on one end. But that was it. Nothing else was found.
Even more disturbing was Mr. Conners’ examination of the dead men. One had a broken neck along with a number of other broken bones. Mr. Conner’s concluded the man had been struck with great force by something very dense. The blow was powerful enough to knock the man back against the ground with enough force to break his neck. A look of terror was frozen on the man’s bruised face. The other dead bandit had been strangled.
Isaac meanwhile had tried searching the sands for the tracks of the persons responsible for the attack. Unfortunately he said the cats’ activities had obscured the ground around the camp site too much. He found the tracks of three men, but could distinguish no more.
Later we returned to the caravan, by which time it was late into the night. I turned in, exhausted. The caravan has started on its way and we should reach the dig site in an hour or two. I am sure to have more to write later today.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Friday, March 28, 1890 – Night
Work Camp, Egypt
We have arrived at the dig site and settled into the workers’ camp. The camp is quite large, with well over 200 workers, mostly poor locals. We are staying in one of the barracks, and as I write in my journal tonight I can see the lack of privacy I will have while here. I share the building not only with my companions but with a dozen other men.
Met with the camp overseer, Erich Bulow, and had an interesting dinner with him. He informed us of all the problems that have arisen around the dig. First there have been an increasing number of accidents in which workers have been killed or maimed. It is dangerous work, but Erich Bulow assures us the accident level is unusually high.
He went on to tell about the bandits that had been raiding the camp at night, but we assured him that they had been taken care of, and he was very much relieved, but then mentioned a new terror.
Apparently three lions were stalking the lands around the workers’ camp at night. It is highly unusual for lions to be in this terrain. Bulow said that they have attacked workers who have been out late at night. Apparently some of the workers have been working in the dark to collect some of the ancient curios for themselves. Six have been killed over a week’s span, and now most of the workers do not go out at night any more.
One of the workers claims an even stranger store. He says that one of the lions spared his life when he held out an ancient ceramic figurine shaped like a cat towards the beast. The lion took the figurine in its mouth and turned away, leaving the man alive. No one else witnessed this, or give it much credence.
Finally, almost ten days ago, one of the workers went mad and killed five of his fellows one night. The group had been out scavenging for items in the rock quarry at night. In the morning the badly brutalized bodies of five of the men were found. A short distance away the mad man sat on the ground. He was covered in blood and babbled nonsense. He had a crazed, deranged look in his eyes. Bulow had the man incarcerated, while he tried to determine what to do with him, but the man sickened and died a few days later.
All of this has made the workers’ camp a dark and gloomy place. Many of the workers are desperate to leave and often refuse to worker. Bulow claimed his overseers have to use very reprehensible measures to get the locals to stay and work. He said he regretted it as a necessity, but it seemed forced for our sakes.
Tomorrow, I’ll start work on cataloging the finds Bulow has uncovered so far, while Isaac plans on hunting down the dangerous lions. Speaking of the ancient artifacts, I did not get a chance to review the rod discovered at the bandit camp. Mr. Landers slept longer than I did this afternoon, and when I saw him later it seems he was still groggy and had forgotten it in his baggage. He promised to show it to me tomorrow. Have to keep him to that promise!
Work Camp, Egypt
We have arrived at the dig site and settled into the workers’ camp. The camp is quite large, with well over 200 workers, mostly poor locals. We are staying in one of the barracks, and as I write in my journal tonight I can see the lack of privacy I will have while here. I share the building not only with my companions but with a dozen other men.
Met with the camp overseer, Erich Bulow, and had an interesting dinner with him. He informed us of all the problems that have arisen around the dig. First there have been an increasing number of accidents in which workers have been killed or maimed. It is dangerous work, but Erich Bulow assures us the accident level is unusually high.
He went on to tell about the bandits that had been raiding the camp at night, but we assured him that they had been taken care of, and he was very much relieved, but then mentioned a new terror.
Apparently three lions were stalking the lands around the workers’ camp at night. It is highly unusual for lions to be in this terrain. Bulow said that they have attacked workers who have been out late at night. Apparently some of the workers have been working in the dark to collect some of the ancient curios for themselves. Six have been killed over a week’s span, and now most of the workers do not go out at night any more.
One of the workers claims an even stranger store. He says that one of the lions spared his life when he held out an ancient ceramic figurine shaped like a cat towards the beast. The lion took the figurine in its mouth and turned away, leaving the man alive. No one else witnessed this, or give it much credence.
Finally, almost ten days ago, one of the workers went mad and killed five of his fellows one night. The group had been out scavenging for items in the rock quarry at night. In the morning the badly brutalized bodies of five of the men were found. A short distance away the mad man sat on the ground. He was covered in blood and babbled nonsense. He had a crazed, deranged look in his eyes. Bulow had the man incarcerated, while he tried to determine what to do with him, but the man sickened and died a few days later.
All of this has made the workers’ camp a dark and gloomy place. Many of the workers are desperate to leave and often refuse to worker. Bulow claimed his overseers have to use very reprehensible measures to get the locals to stay and work. He said he regretted it as a necessity, but it seemed forced for our sakes.
Tomorrow, I’ll start work on cataloging the finds Bulow has uncovered so far, while Isaac plans on hunting down the dangerous lions. Speaking of the ancient artifacts, I did not get a chance to review the rod discovered at the bandit camp. Mr. Landers slept longer than I did this afternoon, and when I saw him later it seems he was still groggy and had forgotten it in his baggage. He promised to show it to me tomorrow. Have to keep him to that promise!
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Saturday, March 29, 1890, Afternoon
Work Camp, Egypt
I was distracted from my cataloging and thought I would take a break to write in my journal. Unfortunately the reason for my distraction was a deadly accident. There was a rock slide at the quarry that raised a huge ruckus. The noise disrupted my concentration and so I decided to investigate it. Three men were killed by the avalanche and at least 7 more were hurt. Truly unfortunate! Could there be some curse of the ancients on this site?
I took the opportunity to track down Isaac to see how his hunt as gone. He said it had proved fruitless so far. He also mentioned Philip had not joined him on the hunt because he overslept. That reminded me to go after Mr. Landers and get that ancient burial rod from him.
I found Philip napping after having helped dig out some of the survivors of the rock slide. I asked him for the artifact and got a strange response.
“I do not have it with me. Can I get it and bring it …,” he began to say. “Wait…. I have it right here,” he said and drew it from within his jacket. I found this response strange but even more so what happened next. I reached out to take it from him, but Philip pulled it away. Mr. Landers can be a trickster but there was no merriment in his eyes.
I asked him what he was doing and he responded that he just wanted to hold on to it for a little while longer. At this I was perplexed. I could tell from his face that Philip did not himself understand this compulsion any more than I did. After quietly giving it some thought, I asked him if it would be alright for me to examine it while he held onto it. To this he agreed.
The rod turned out to be approximately 45 centimeters long, and 3.5 centimeters thick. It was made from ancient wood and had been petrified over the thousands of years. One end of the rod had a snake’s head carved from solid gold. The snake’s mouth was open as if to strike. The rest of the length of the wooden rod had been carved, very convincingly, as snake scales. Overall the appearance was of a small golden snake.
After examining the piece, I went to Mr. Conners and Isaac and told them that Mr. L was behaving strangely. I asked them to watch him. Since Isaac wanted to hunt down the lions plaguing the camp, James volunteered to look after Philip. I am concerned by his behavior but cannot conclude what it portents.
Work Camp, Egypt
I was distracted from my cataloging and thought I would take a break to write in my journal. Unfortunately the reason for my distraction was a deadly accident. There was a rock slide at the quarry that raised a huge ruckus. The noise disrupted my concentration and so I decided to investigate it. Three men were killed by the avalanche and at least 7 more were hurt. Truly unfortunate! Could there be some curse of the ancients on this site?
I took the opportunity to track down Isaac to see how his hunt as gone. He said it had proved fruitless so far. He also mentioned Philip had not joined him on the hunt because he overslept. That reminded me to go after Mr. Landers and get that ancient burial rod from him.
I found Philip napping after having helped dig out some of the survivors of the rock slide. I asked him for the artifact and got a strange response.
“I do not have it with me. Can I get it and bring it …,” he began to say. “Wait…. I have it right here,” he said and drew it from within his jacket. I found this response strange but even more so what happened next. I reached out to take it from him, but Philip pulled it away. Mr. Landers can be a trickster but there was no merriment in his eyes.
I asked him what he was doing and he responded that he just wanted to hold on to it for a little while longer. At this I was perplexed. I could tell from his face that Philip did not himself understand this compulsion any more than I did. After quietly giving it some thought, I asked him if it would be alright for me to examine it while he held onto it. To this he agreed.
The rod turned out to be approximately 45 centimeters long, and 3.5 centimeters thick. It was made from ancient wood and had been petrified over the thousands of years. One end of the rod had a snake’s head carved from solid gold. The snake’s mouth was open as if to strike. The rest of the length of the wooden rod had been carved, very convincingly, as snake scales. Overall the appearance was of a small golden snake.
After examining the piece, I went to Mr. Conners and Isaac and told them that Mr. L was behaving strangely. I asked them to watch him. Since Isaac wanted to hunt down the lions plaguing the camp, James volunteered to look after Philip. I am concerned by his behavior but cannot conclude what it portents.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
THe Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Sunday, March 30, 1890 – Morning
Work Camp, Egypt
Philip continues to act strangely. He awoke from a nightmare in the night. His screams awoke everyone in the bunkhouse. After calming him down, Philip was able to tell us he had a very vivid dream. He awoke to find his bed had become a writhing mass of snakes. He was covered in snakes that wiggled all over him. As panic was rising in him he realized there was someone standing next to his bed whispering into Philip’s ear the entire time. The figure was a man with burning eyes and snake-like teeth. At that point he had awakened screaming.
Disturbed, we tried to get some sleep.
Mr. Conners also related an incident from yesterday after noon involving Mr. Landers’ strange behavior. He had found Philip sitting on a boulder near the rock quarry, and approached him to see how he was doing. In response Philip responded, “Why do you call me Philip? My name is Kematef.”
James said Philip had a very intense look on his face as he said that. He was taken aback and asked Philip what was wrong, why did he say that. Philip’s eyes became clouded and he acted confused, looking around as if he did not know where he was. After a few seconds, James repeated his question, and Philip responded back, “What? I did not say anything.” James tried to press him, but Philip swore that he had not said anything.
I shall ponder Mr. Landers as I continue my work with the relics today.
Work Camp, Egypt
Philip continues to act strangely. He awoke from a nightmare in the night. His screams awoke everyone in the bunkhouse. After calming him down, Philip was able to tell us he had a very vivid dream. He awoke to find his bed had become a writhing mass of snakes. He was covered in snakes that wiggled all over him. As panic was rising in him he realized there was someone standing next to his bed whispering into Philip’s ear the entire time. The figure was a man with burning eyes and snake-like teeth. At that point he had awakened screaming.
Disturbed, we tried to get some sleep.
Mr. Conners also related an incident from yesterday after noon involving Mr. Landers’ strange behavior. He had found Philip sitting on a boulder near the rock quarry, and approached him to see how he was doing. In response Philip responded, “Why do you call me Philip? My name is Kematef.”
James said Philip had a very intense look on his face as he said that. He was taken aback and asked Philip what was wrong, why did he say that. Philip’s eyes became clouded and he acted confused, looking around as if he did not know where he was. After a few seconds, James repeated his question, and Philip responded back, “What? I did not say anything.” James tried to press him, but Philip swore that he had not said anything.
I shall ponder Mr. Landers as I continue my work with the relics today.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Sunday, March 30, 1890 – Late Afternoon
Work Camp, Egypt
I am making progress on the cataloging. I have noticed a number of the artifacts with the cat motif that Mr. Bulow mentioned. I should be finished cataloging the lot of them in another day or two. I hope to begin studying them in detail to see what insights they may hold into ancient Egypt.
Things around the camp have become more morose. My colleagues did not inform me earlier, but apparently one of the workers was found this morning. He had been savaged by one of the lions during the night. He apparently was dragged from his hovel where he slept in the night. Only the overseers live in the barracks. All of the local workers live in tents or crude lean-tos. The death has settled another layer of tension in the camp. It has also increased Isaac’s resolve to hunt down these animals. He is planning to stay out late tonight hunting them. We wish him all good luck.
Work Camp, Egypt
I am making progress on the cataloging. I have noticed a number of the artifacts with the cat motif that Mr. Bulow mentioned. I should be finished cataloging the lot of them in another day or two. I hope to begin studying them in detail to see what insights they may hold into ancient Egypt.
Things around the camp have become more morose. My colleagues did not inform me earlier, but apparently one of the workers was found this morning. He had been savaged by one of the lions during the night. He apparently was dragged from his hovel where he slept in the night. Only the overseers live in the barracks. All of the local workers live in tents or crude lean-tos. The death has settled another layer of tension in the camp. It has also increased Isaac’s resolve to hunt down these animals. He is planning to stay out late tonight hunting them. We wish him all good luck.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Monday, March 31, 1890 – Late Morning
Work Camp, Egypt
I am getting a late start this morning. Very tired. I did not sleep well last night. Just as I was settling in for the night, there was the sound of a rifle shot. It created a huge clamor as everyone rushed out into the night.
Eventually we found Isaac, who was the one who had fired. He had seen one of the lions near the edge of the camp and fired. He is a great shot and could have sworn he had hit the beast. At the sound of the shot it bolted into the darkness.
As we searched the area there was no sign of blood or any indication that the lion had been wounded at all. Isaac remained on guard while the rest of us returned to sleep.
Much later I was awakened again by Mr. Landers. He had another bad dream and the commotion he caused awoke me. He had had a similar dream to the night before, with the snakes. I still have no explanation for Mr. Landers’ unusual behavior. But now it is back to my work.
Work Camp, Egypt
I am getting a late start this morning. Very tired. I did not sleep well last night. Just as I was settling in for the night, there was the sound of a rifle shot. It created a huge clamor as everyone rushed out into the night.
Eventually we found Isaac, who was the one who had fired. He had seen one of the lions near the edge of the camp and fired. He is a great shot and could have sworn he had hit the beast. At the sound of the shot it bolted into the darkness.
As we searched the area there was no sign of blood or any indication that the lion had been wounded at all. Isaac remained on guard while the rest of us returned to sleep.
Much later I was awakened again by Mr. Landers. He had another bad dream and the commotion he caused awoke me. He had had a similar dream to the night before, with the snakes. I still have no explanation for Mr. Landers’ unusual behavior. But now it is back to my work.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Tuesday, April 1, 1890 – Evening
Work Camp, Egypt
We have had quite a scare. Mr. L disappeared for a time this afternoon. It all seemed to start when James rushed in to interrupt my work early this afternoon. He could not find Philip.
Philip had been groggy all morning, because he had not slept well last night, neither had any of us. James suggested he take a nap in the barracks. After seeing that Philip was settle, C. had left him there. After lunch he returned to check on Mr. Landers, but he was gone. No one seemed to know where he had gotten to. Mr. Conners came to me and we went to Isaac and woke him up to help in our search. Isaac had been sleeping after his all night hunt that had proven fruitless.
As we frantically searched the camp buildings, the news of Philip’s disappearance swept through the workers. They were very agitated, and their dread whispering followed us around the camp, as we conducted our search.
After hours of searching we finally found Philip sleeping on a jumble of broken rocks outside the camp. Sprawled on the ground nearby was the body of one of the lions. As I stepped forward to check on our companion, a hissing sound stopped me. A large asp slithered out of the cracks in the rock on which Philip was sleeping. It raised its head, bared its fangs, and hissed a warning at us. We all stopped waiting to see what the viper would do, afraid it may attack us or the still sleeping Mr. Landers. Isaac cursed that he did not have his rifle to shoot the venomous creature. After a moment of indecision, the snake lowered itself and slithered back into the rocks.
Seconds after it disappeared, Isaac rushed forward and manually heaved Philip off of the rocks and dragged him clear. Mr. Landers turned out to be groggy, but none the worst for ware. He was very confused and did not know where he was or how he had gotten there.
While I was questing Mr. Landers, Isaac was examining the body of the lion, trying to discover why it had died, all the while making sure to stay clear of the rocks where the snake had disappeared. He could see no blood or wound that would have felled such a beast, and exclaimed his frustration.
James went to work examining the beast as I lead Mr. Landers back to the barracks. As I did so, I noticed the Egyptian rod sticking out of his coat pocket. I reached for it to put it somewhere safe, thinking such a princely artifact should not be carried so carelessly. Philip reacted very rudely, pushing my hand away, and claiming the rod was his. I was amazed at this sudden transformation of my companion from the groggy, confused sleepwalker to this harsh, manic-possessant. I tried to explain, but Mr. Landers would not listen, only clutched the rod to his breast and turned away from me. I followed him back to the barracks without a word, only leaving him when I was sure he was safely back in bed.
I meet with Mr. Conners and Isaac outside, where James informed me of the results of his examination of the lion. The only marks he could find to indicate the cause of the great cat’s death, were two puncture marks. He could not be sure without performing chemical tests, but judging by the bruising around the marks they appear to be the bite marks of a venomous snake. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm this as James does not have access to the proper chemicals to conduct the analysis, out here in the desert.
His hypothesis is that the lion was killed by the asp which challenged us, and which we saw slither back into the rocks near where Mr. Landers was sleeping.
Why the snake did not strike Philip is a mystery. Even more curious is the fact that by attacking the lion, the snake effectively saved Philip’s life!
Something unnatural is permeating this land. I believe it has something to do with the secrets of the ancients. I still have a number of items to catalog, but I am too anxious to get started researching the artifacts to see if they can shed some light onto our modern day mystery. Tomorrow I will forgo with cataloging the last of the items and begin my research!
Work Camp, Egypt
We have had quite a scare. Mr. L disappeared for a time this afternoon. It all seemed to start when James rushed in to interrupt my work early this afternoon. He could not find Philip.
Philip had been groggy all morning, because he had not slept well last night, neither had any of us. James suggested he take a nap in the barracks. After seeing that Philip was settle, C. had left him there. After lunch he returned to check on Mr. Landers, but he was gone. No one seemed to know where he had gotten to. Mr. Conners came to me and we went to Isaac and woke him up to help in our search. Isaac had been sleeping after his all night hunt that had proven fruitless.
As we frantically searched the camp buildings, the news of Philip’s disappearance swept through the workers. They were very agitated, and their dread whispering followed us around the camp, as we conducted our search.
After hours of searching we finally found Philip sleeping on a jumble of broken rocks outside the camp. Sprawled on the ground nearby was the body of one of the lions. As I stepped forward to check on our companion, a hissing sound stopped me. A large asp slithered out of the cracks in the rock on which Philip was sleeping. It raised its head, bared its fangs, and hissed a warning at us. We all stopped waiting to see what the viper would do, afraid it may attack us or the still sleeping Mr. Landers. Isaac cursed that he did not have his rifle to shoot the venomous creature. After a moment of indecision, the snake lowered itself and slithered back into the rocks.
Seconds after it disappeared, Isaac rushed forward and manually heaved Philip off of the rocks and dragged him clear. Mr. Landers turned out to be groggy, but none the worst for ware. He was very confused and did not know where he was or how he had gotten there.
While I was questing Mr. Landers, Isaac was examining the body of the lion, trying to discover why it had died, all the while making sure to stay clear of the rocks where the snake had disappeared. He could see no blood or wound that would have felled such a beast, and exclaimed his frustration.
James went to work examining the beast as I lead Mr. Landers back to the barracks. As I did so, I noticed the Egyptian rod sticking out of his coat pocket. I reached for it to put it somewhere safe, thinking such a princely artifact should not be carried so carelessly. Philip reacted very rudely, pushing my hand away, and claiming the rod was his. I was amazed at this sudden transformation of my companion from the groggy, confused sleepwalker to this harsh, manic-possessant. I tried to explain, but Mr. Landers would not listen, only clutched the rod to his breast and turned away from me. I followed him back to the barracks without a word, only leaving him when I was sure he was safely back in bed.
I meet with Mr. Conners and Isaac outside, where James informed me of the results of his examination of the lion. The only marks he could find to indicate the cause of the great cat’s death, were two puncture marks. He could not be sure without performing chemical tests, but judging by the bruising around the marks they appear to be the bite marks of a venomous snake. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm this as James does not have access to the proper chemicals to conduct the analysis, out here in the desert.
His hypothesis is that the lion was killed by the asp which challenged us, and which we saw slither back into the rocks near where Mr. Landers was sleeping.
Why the snake did not strike Philip is a mystery. Even more curious is the fact that by attacking the lion, the snake effectively saved Philip’s life!
Something unnatural is permeating this land. I believe it has something to do with the secrets of the ancients. I still have a number of items to catalog, but I am too anxious to get started researching the artifacts to see if they can shed some light onto our modern day mystery. Tomorrow I will forgo with cataloging the last of the items and begin my research!
Last edited by Band2 on Thu Jun 01, 2006 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Wednesday, April 2, 1890 – Evening
Work Camp, Egypt
A fruitful day of research. I spent the good part of the day secluded in the antiquates room pouring through books and examining the artifacts. After studying them I have come to some conclusions. It appears the cat motif that appears on a large number of the items relates to the ancient Egyptian goddess, Bast. I believe that these items are from a tomb of a high priest or priestess of Bast. The same Egyptian characters appear on a number of the antiquates and appear to be the name of the high priest, but I am unable to translate it with the research materials I have on hand.
There were some other events that occurred today that I should mention. Isaac found the body of one of the workers this morning. The man had been savaged by the lions. Bulow believed the man was trying to flee into the desert in the night, only to fall prey to the lions. The rest of the workers are becoming very desperate. According to James the oversees are having to use very severe methods to get the men to put in a full day’s work.
James also informed me that Philip had another nightmare last night. He was able to recount some of the dream to Mr. Conners. The same man with burning eyes and snake-like teeth appeared in the dream whispering into Philip’s ear. As he turned to see the man better he felt venomed fangs bite into his ankle. The poison swept quickly through his body racking him with pain until he pasted out. Upon waking he was drenched in sweat.
I feel these dreams may be tied to the snake scepter that Philip has in his possession and refuses to part with. Tomorrow I will try to focus my research on it. Hopefully I can uncover something, as it seems to have a malevolent influence on Philip.
Work Camp, Egypt
A fruitful day of research. I spent the good part of the day secluded in the antiquates room pouring through books and examining the artifacts. After studying them I have come to some conclusions. It appears the cat motif that appears on a large number of the items relates to the ancient Egyptian goddess, Bast. I believe that these items are from a tomb of a high priest or priestess of Bast. The same Egyptian characters appear on a number of the antiquates and appear to be the name of the high priest, but I am unable to translate it with the research materials I have on hand.
There were some other events that occurred today that I should mention. Isaac found the body of one of the workers this morning. The man had been savaged by the lions. Bulow believed the man was trying to flee into the desert in the night, only to fall prey to the lions. The rest of the workers are becoming very desperate. According to James the oversees are having to use very severe methods to get the men to put in a full day’s work.
James also informed me that Philip had another nightmare last night. He was able to recount some of the dream to Mr. Conners. The same man with burning eyes and snake-like teeth appeared in the dream whispering into Philip’s ear. As he turned to see the man better he felt venomed fangs bite into his ankle. The poison swept quickly through his body racking him with pain until he pasted out. Upon waking he was drenched in sweat.
I feel these dreams may be tied to the snake scepter that Philip has in his possession and refuses to part with. Tomorrow I will try to focus my research on it. Hopefully I can uncover something, as it seems to have a malevolent influence on Philip.
Last edited by Band2 on Thu Jun 01, 2006 3:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Wednesday, April 2, 1890 – Near Midnight
Work Camp, Egypt
Another disturbance in the night. I write now to try to calm myself and get to sleep.
Earily tonight, I tossed and turned for a few hours. Unable to sleep because my mind was focused on coming up with a solution to the events around this dig site. A loud scream pulled me out of my bed. With the others I grabbed my revolver and rushed outside to shouts of, “The Lions! They’re back! Quickly, the lions! Hurry before they kill again!”
Isaac, James and I, along with a number of the overseers rushed into the night searching for the lions. With lanterns to light the way, we came to the base of the rock quarry. There the lamp light revealed two of the hulking cats. They were pawing the rubble and calling to each other with roars that were blood-curdling.
I could see that one of the cats had a dead viper in its mouth, while the other was pawing at the cracks in some rocks trying to drag another snake out. As the cats appeared to be occupied and not notice our approach, Isaac took the opportunity. Quickly raising his hunting rifle and taking aim he fired. One of the beast was struck.
Now the cats knew we were there, but instead of turning towards us, they turned to face the bluff of the quarry. They threw back their heads and emitted a horrible roar, then paused and tilted their heads as if waiting for something. Most of us were struck dumbfounded by this behavior.
Not James. He raised his revolver and fired. He missed. His bullet struck a rock not two feet from one of the lions, but it did not flinch. This made many of the overseers to begin talking nervously amongst themselves. As they began to back away fear on their faces, James and Isaac both stepped forward to fire again at the lions. Before they could, the two lions turned away from us and leapt into the night. They still fired, but missed.
Isaac wanted to immediately go after the lions, but none of the overseers would agree to venture into the night after the beasts. With James as his only support, Isaac decided it was too dangerous to go and all of us returned to barracks, confused, but at least comforted by the knowledge that one of the raving beasts was severely wounded.
Work Camp, Egypt
Another disturbance in the night. I write now to try to calm myself and get to sleep.
Earily tonight, I tossed and turned for a few hours. Unable to sleep because my mind was focused on coming up with a solution to the events around this dig site. A loud scream pulled me out of my bed. With the others I grabbed my revolver and rushed outside to shouts of, “The Lions! They’re back! Quickly, the lions! Hurry before they kill again!”
Isaac, James and I, along with a number of the overseers rushed into the night searching for the lions. With lanterns to light the way, we came to the base of the rock quarry. There the lamp light revealed two of the hulking cats. They were pawing the rubble and calling to each other with roars that were blood-curdling.
I could see that one of the cats had a dead viper in its mouth, while the other was pawing at the cracks in some rocks trying to drag another snake out. As the cats appeared to be occupied and not notice our approach, Isaac took the opportunity. Quickly raising his hunting rifle and taking aim he fired. One of the beast was struck.
Now the cats knew we were there, but instead of turning towards us, they turned to face the bluff of the quarry. They threw back their heads and emitted a horrible roar, then paused and tilted their heads as if waiting for something. Most of us were struck dumbfounded by this behavior.
Not James. He raised his revolver and fired. He missed. His bullet struck a rock not two feet from one of the lions, but it did not flinch. This made many of the overseers to begin talking nervously amongst themselves. As they began to back away fear on their faces, James and Isaac both stepped forward to fire again at the lions. Before they could, the two lions turned away from us and leapt into the night. They still fired, but missed.
Isaac wanted to immediately go after the lions, but none of the overseers would agree to venture into the night after the beasts. With James as his only support, Isaac decided it was too dangerous to go and all of us returned to barracks, confused, but at least comforted by the knowledge that one of the raving beasts was severely wounded.
Last edited by Band2 on Thu Jun 01, 2006 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Thursday, April 3, 1890 – Mid morning
Work Camp, Egypt
I took a risk this morning. I hope it was worth it. I brought Philip to the antiquities room, along with his scepter. There I was able to use my arcane knowledge to summon the spirits. I wanted them to reveal if any of the objects in the room were enchanted. While I have studied the techniques long and hard, I have not had a lot of experience dealing with the spirit world. I was successful this time, but the experience was not a pleasant one. It never is.
In any case, back to the subject at hand. Through my mystical dealings, it was revealed that the Egyptian rod was magical in nature. None of the other artifacts were thought. So then I focused my research on identifying the rod. Since, Mr. Landers would not relinquish it, I had to have him stay nearby thorough out the research so that I could refer back to the scepter if needed.
Philip was in a daze most of the morning, constantly dosed off, which forced me to awaken him whenever I needed to see the rod. Once he mumbled something that sounded like, ‘The serpent shall strike again. The cat shall not escape.’ All together his present was mostly a distraction. Eventually I made some headway.
Based on my research, it appears to be a symbol of the Egyptian god Set. The scepter appears to be part of the burial process, but I am not sure of its exact purpose. From what little is known by scholars, the followers of Set and Bast were rivals of some kind. This fact seems strange. The burial rod is the only item found that is not related to the other items by religion. Why was it found here? Perhaps my original supposition that we are close to uncovering a tomb of a Bast high priest was wrong. Surely a symbol from a rival set would not be entombed with a high priest.
I know that the rod is enchanted in some way. Could it be responsible for all the ill luck around the dig site? Is it cursed in some way? I need to share my findings with the others – There is some disturbance outside. Will write more later.
Work Camp, Egypt
I took a risk this morning. I hope it was worth it. I brought Philip to the antiquities room, along with his scepter. There I was able to use my arcane knowledge to summon the spirits. I wanted them to reveal if any of the objects in the room were enchanted. While I have studied the techniques long and hard, I have not had a lot of experience dealing with the spirit world. I was successful this time, but the experience was not a pleasant one. It never is.
In any case, back to the subject at hand. Through my mystical dealings, it was revealed that the Egyptian rod was magical in nature. None of the other artifacts were thought. So then I focused my research on identifying the rod. Since, Mr. Landers would not relinquish it, I had to have him stay nearby thorough out the research so that I could refer back to the scepter if needed.
Philip was in a daze most of the morning, constantly dosed off, which forced me to awaken him whenever I needed to see the rod. Once he mumbled something that sounded like, ‘The serpent shall strike again. The cat shall not escape.’ All together his present was mostly a distraction. Eventually I made some headway.
Based on my research, it appears to be a symbol of the Egyptian god Set. The scepter appears to be part of the burial process, but I am not sure of its exact purpose. From what little is known by scholars, the followers of Set and Bast were rivals of some kind. This fact seems strange. The burial rod is the only item found that is not related to the other items by religion. Why was it found here? Perhaps my original supposition that we are close to uncovering a tomb of a Bast high priest was wrong. Surely a symbol from a rival set would not be entombed with a high priest.
I know that the rod is enchanted in some way. Could it be responsible for all the ill luck around the dig site? Is it cursed in some way? I need to share my findings with the others – There is some disturbance outside. Will write more later.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
error correction
I just noticed that I had two days as March 31. So I went back and renumbered the dates correctly.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Thursday, April 3, 1890 – Evening
Work Camp, Egypt
Gone! All gone! The workers have fled, unable to stand working in a place they think is cursed. Only myself and my companions, Mr. Bulow, and a dozen or so overseers remain here at the camp. The rest packed up what little belongings they possessed and marched in mass out into the desert. A dreaded silence now settles on the camp. The effect is eerie. We have all huddled into the barracks, no one going out as if the silence and the events of the day make us afraid of being alone.
I had best start with what James and Isaac have been able to tell me about what went on today while I was deep in study.
Shortly after dawn, as work was beginning for the day, Heir Bulow, approached Isaac and James. He wanted to show them something the workmen had found. The men had been cleared a new section of the quarry for work. While they were clearing the grass and bushes from the base of the bluff they noticed that the rock had been smoothed down, as if it had been worked by hammer and chisel in the past.
Indeed, when they reached the base of the cliff, that was the case. Mr. C and Isaac walked the entire face of that part of the bluff, and noticed it had all been worked before.
While they were puzzling over this, a great cry erupted from among the nearby workers. Unable to understand the men’s shouts in Arabic, they asked Bulow what was wrong. He said the men were shouting about an eye. This sounded strange until they noticed some of the men pointing up at the bluff. Following the men’s outstretch hands they could clearly see what appeared to be a round eye, carved on a massive scale. The pupil was nearly a quarter of a kilometer high, and shaped like a cat’s eye.
James deduced that the eye was revealed as workers on the cliff above were clearing the sage brush and grasses, but the workers began making claims that “the eye had opened.” Isaac told me the effect was unnerving as he felt as if he was being watched. The effect was even greater on the workers, who were very nervous the rest of the day. Their work was slow as they continually would stop to glance up at the eye.
Only a short time later, another accident occurred. One of the workers who had been clearing the brush on top of the hill was descending back down when the rope he was using suddenly snapped. James, Isaac and Heir Bulow all heard the man’s scream and rushed to help, but the man perished in the fall.
Heir Bulow directed an overseer and some men to climb the cliff and investigate the accident. They called down that the man’s rope had broken. The overseer said the rope appeared to have been badly frayed. He said it appeared to have been chewed.
This news quickly spread amongst the Arabs, who whispered fearfully back and forth. Heir Bulow tried to get the men back to work, but the men moved sullenly and continued to whisper back and forth.
James asked one of the overseers if he understood what the Arabs were saying. He replied, “It is just some nonsense. They are worried about ‘cutting the cat.’ Some garbage like that.”
The morning was passing by, as James and Isaac consulted each other. They thought the accident may have been caused by one of the two lions still on the loose, and were making plans to scale the rock wall to hunt for it.
Their plans were interrupted by one of the Arabs running through the camp screaming. The man’s eyes were wild and his clothes in torn rags. The overseers and some of the workers tried to catch him but he avoided them dodging away from them, yelling and screaming. James and Isaac joined in the chase of the deranged man and with their help the overseers soon were able to subdue the man. The man’s body was covered in scratch marks, which already had begun to fester, and his mouth foamed. As he was being held by the overseers he began speaking to the laborers who had gathered around to watch the incident, waving and pointing with his one free hand.
Soon chaos erupted in the camp. Workers were screaming and shouting. Others threw down their tools and stalked off. James shouted to Heir Bulow asking him what the man said to cause this commotion. Heir Bulow just say the man was raving, speaking only madness, and hurried off trying to organize the overseers to restore order in the camp.
James approached the overseer who had translated for him earlier and asked what the mad man had said exactly. The response was, “He said, ‘It killed Ahmed. A creature killed him.’ Then something like, the creature will kill us all. ‘Everyone who cuts the cat will die!’”
For the next few hours anarchy reigned in the camp. At first only a few of the laborers started to leave, but soon they all began to follow the example and the workers packed up their meager belongings and left in mass. Heir Bulow and his overseers tried desperately to stop them, becoming very brutal. This resulted in numerous fights throughout the camp. Mr. Conners was knocked senseless when he tried to interrupt a fight between a couple of overseers and some Arabs.
By the afternoon all of the workers have fled. The rough houses they had occupied and the streets of the work camp are empty. Only a stray cat or two, pets of the laborers left behind in the confusion, crawl the streets.
We were all in shock and wandered about for a few hours, until by silent but mutual consent all of the overseers, Heir Bulow, and my companions retired into the same barrack building for dinner.
No one knows what to do now. Hr. Bulow is a broken man. Sitting in the corner by himself, he refuses to talk to anyone. The overseers are edgy, and eye us with some suspicion. Probably because we objected to their rough treatment of the laborers this afternoon. Isaac makes talk of continuing his hunt for the two lions. Philip continues to nod of to sleep if we do not watch him, and James sits looking for a logical explanation to the events here when there is none.
I still need to tell my companions what I learned this morning. Dinner is almost ready. Afterwards I will pull them outside and inform them of my discoveries.
Work Camp, Egypt
Gone! All gone! The workers have fled, unable to stand working in a place they think is cursed. Only myself and my companions, Mr. Bulow, and a dozen or so overseers remain here at the camp. The rest packed up what little belongings they possessed and marched in mass out into the desert. A dreaded silence now settles on the camp. The effect is eerie. We have all huddled into the barracks, no one going out as if the silence and the events of the day make us afraid of being alone.
I had best start with what James and Isaac have been able to tell me about what went on today while I was deep in study.
Shortly after dawn, as work was beginning for the day, Heir Bulow, approached Isaac and James. He wanted to show them something the workmen had found. The men had been cleared a new section of the quarry for work. While they were clearing the grass and bushes from the base of the bluff they noticed that the rock had been smoothed down, as if it had been worked by hammer and chisel in the past.
Indeed, when they reached the base of the cliff, that was the case. Mr. C and Isaac walked the entire face of that part of the bluff, and noticed it had all been worked before.
While they were puzzling over this, a great cry erupted from among the nearby workers. Unable to understand the men’s shouts in Arabic, they asked Bulow what was wrong. He said the men were shouting about an eye. This sounded strange until they noticed some of the men pointing up at the bluff. Following the men’s outstretch hands they could clearly see what appeared to be a round eye, carved on a massive scale. The pupil was nearly a quarter of a kilometer high, and shaped like a cat’s eye.
James deduced that the eye was revealed as workers on the cliff above were clearing the sage brush and grasses, but the workers began making claims that “the eye had opened.” Isaac told me the effect was unnerving as he felt as if he was being watched. The effect was even greater on the workers, who were very nervous the rest of the day. Their work was slow as they continually would stop to glance up at the eye.
Only a short time later, another accident occurred. One of the workers who had been clearing the brush on top of the hill was descending back down when the rope he was using suddenly snapped. James, Isaac and Heir Bulow all heard the man’s scream and rushed to help, but the man perished in the fall.
Heir Bulow directed an overseer and some men to climb the cliff and investigate the accident. They called down that the man’s rope had broken. The overseer said the rope appeared to have been badly frayed. He said it appeared to have been chewed.
This news quickly spread amongst the Arabs, who whispered fearfully back and forth. Heir Bulow tried to get the men back to work, but the men moved sullenly and continued to whisper back and forth.
James asked one of the overseers if he understood what the Arabs were saying. He replied, “It is just some nonsense. They are worried about ‘cutting the cat.’ Some garbage like that.”
The morning was passing by, as James and Isaac consulted each other. They thought the accident may have been caused by one of the two lions still on the loose, and were making plans to scale the rock wall to hunt for it.
Their plans were interrupted by one of the Arabs running through the camp screaming. The man’s eyes were wild and his clothes in torn rags. The overseers and some of the workers tried to catch him but he avoided them dodging away from them, yelling and screaming. James and Isaac joined in the chase of the deranged man and with their help the overseers soon were able to subdue the man. The man’s body was covered in scratch marks, which already had begun to fester, and his mouth foamed. As he was being held by the overseers he began speaking to the laborers who had gathered around to watch the incident, waving and pointing with his one free hand.
Soon chaos erupted in the camp. Workers were screaming and shouting. Others threw down their tools and stalked off. James shouted to Heir Bulow asking him what the man said to cause this commotion. Heir Bulow just say the man was raving, speaking only madness, and hurried off trying to organize the overseers to restore order in the camp.
James approached the overseer who had translated for him earlier and asked what the mad man had said exactly. The response was, “He said, ‘It killed Ahmed. A creature killed him.’ Then something like, the creature will kill us all. ‘Everyone who cuts the cat will die!’”
For the next few hours anarchy reigned in the camp. At first only a few of the laborers started to leave, but soon they all began to follow the example and the workers packed up their meager belongings and left in mass. Heir Bulow and his overseers tried desperately to stop them, becoming very brutal. This resulted in numerous fights throughout the camp. Mr. Conners was knocked senseless when he tried to interrupt a fight between a couple of overseers and some Arabs.
By the afternoon all of the workers have fled. The rough houses they had occupied and the streets of the work camp are empty. Only a stray cat or two, pets of the laborers left behind in the confusion, crawl the streets.
We were all in shock and wandered about for a few hours, until by silent but mutual consent all of the overseers, Heir Bulow, and my companions retired into the same barrack building for dinner.
No one knows what to do now. Hr. Bulow is a broken man. Sitting in the corner by himself, he refuses to talk to anyone. The overseers are edgy, and eye us with some suspicion. Probably because we objected to their rough treatment of the laborers this afternoon. Isaac makes talk of continuing his hunt for the two lions. Philip continues to nod of to sleep if we do not watch him, and James sits looking for a logical explanation to the events here when there is none.
I still need to tell my companions what I learned this morning. Dinner is almost ready. Afterwards I will pull them outside and inform them of my discoveries.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Thursday, April 3, 1890 – Later that same evening
Work Camp, Egypt
Night has fallen, and the tension has increased. It is no longer silent outside. The eerie yowling of cats fills the night air!
We first noticed the cats when I took my friends outside for a talk. Making the excuse that we were going out for a smoke we went out only a short distance from the door. I told them all I had learned that morning. When I finished, James asked my opinion on the matter. Before I could respond, Isaac interrupted.
“Look,” he said pointed out into the camp. “Cats. There. And there. There are cats everywhere.”
It was true. Dozens of cats crawled through the streets of the camp. Others lounged on window sills. Reflective eyes stared out of windows and open doorways throughout the camp. There seemed hundreds of them. Even more disturbing to us, was when we looked back at the barracks. On the roof were four cats, lazily watching us.
We hurried inside to alert the others. They came outside and reacted with unease. Soon the overseers had hurried back into the barracks and locked the door. Locked the door! Is this what it has come to? We are so petrified that we lock the door to house cats?
Shortly after we were back in the building, the chef called out. He had followed everyone outside to see the cats. When he returned to the kitchen, he found it overrun with cats. They had gotten into the stores and were eating everything. He noisily shooed them out and secured the back door.
Now everyone is on edge with the cats’ continuous yowling outside, preventing anyone, including Philip from getting any sleep. Isaac just related to me a nightmare he had last night. He had awaken with his heart racing from a dream involving reflective eyes watching from the darkness, just like the cats’ eyes we had seen outside. This revelation just adds more tension in the air.
Work Camp, Egypt
Night has fallen, and the tension has increased. It is no longer silent outside. The eerie yowling of cats fills the night air!
We first noticed the cats when I took my friends outside for a talk. Making the excuse that we were going out for a smoke we went out only a short distance from the door. I told them all I had learned that morning. When I finished, James asked my opinion on the matter. Before I could respond, Isaac interrupted.
“Look,” he said pointed out into the camp. “Cats. There. And there. There are cats everywhere.”
It was true. Dozens of cats crawled through the streets of the camp. Others lounged on window sills. Reflective eyes stared out of windows and open doorways throughout the camp. There seemed hundreds of them. Even more disturbing to us, was when we looked back at the barracks. On the roof were four cats, lazily watching us.
We hurried inside to alert the others. They came outside and reacted with unease. Soon the overseers had hurried back into the barracks and locked the door. Locked the door! Is this what it has come to? We are so petrified that we lock the door to house cats?
Shortly after we were back in the building, the chef called out. He had followed everyone outside to see the cats. When he returned to the kitchen, he found it overrun with cats. They had gotten into the stores and were eating everything. He noisily shooed them out and secured the back door.
Now everyone is on edge with the cats’ continuous yowling outside, preventing anyone, including Philip from getting any sleep. Isaac just related to me a nightmare he had last night. He had awaken with his heart racing from a dream involving reflective eyes watching from the darkness, just like the cats’ eyes we had seen outside. This revelation just adds more tension in the air.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - The Awakening
Thursday, April 3, 1890 – Night
Work Camp, Egypt
The horror! How can words describe it? My hand shakes so. I can’t just yet.
I am better now after the brandy. It helps settle my nerves. Hopefully now I can relate what has happened.
I should start by mentioning Nazif. He was one of the company’s overseers, and had a cruel disposition. Nazif was involved in the altercation which James had tried to interrupt. James suspects that it was Nazif who struck him, but could not be certain.
As the night went on, some of the men tried to get some sleep. Nazif was one of these. My friends and I, except for Philip, were determined to maintain a vigil, as we were too unnerved by the resent events.
An hour or so before midnight, Nazif awoke with a cry. It seems a cat had crept into the room and was sitting on his chest staring at him. Nazif’s shouts sent the thing springing for cover under another bed. The noise brought everyone’s attention to Nazif’s bunk. The man was irate, cursing in a mixture of Arabic and German. During this time James pointed out that there were two other cats that had somehow crept into the barracks as well. These cats were hiding in corners or under beds and sat watching us all.
The irate Nazif tried to kick at one of the cats but missed. He chased another cat until it disappeared under a bed. Incensed and maybe out of his mind, he drew his revolver and fired it at one of the cats but missed. Outraged at the man’s outlandish behavior I demanded that he stop before he hurt someone. He listened to neither myself nor any of the others but fired again.
Isaac moved forward to disarm the man, but before he could Nazif fired a third time. This time he struck a cat that had been perched on a top bunk. The injured cat meowed pitifully, and fell to the floor. It seemed to stare accusingly at Nazif as it struggled to get to its feet, but moments later it fell heavily on its side, dead.
No sooner had the cat perished, then I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. It was another cat. More than one if fact, but dozens of cats. They had somehow crept into the room and stared down at all of us from rafters, table tops, and window sills, with arched backs and eyes narrowed to slits. Their fur and tails were fluffed as if agitated, but they remained absolutely motionless. I noticed that the yowling outside had stopped and everything was quite.
I stood there looking from the dead cat on the floor to all the others watching us for sometime before Isaac spoke up.
“Do you hear that?”
“What?”
“That scratching sound.”
It was true. There was a faint scratching sound, and it was coming from the front door. It sounded like a cat that wanted to be let in. Seconds later, the entire door burst inward, tearing off at the hinges. In from the night strode a creature of horror. How do I describe it?
It appeared to be a woman. If woman is a term that can be applied to something so hideous. Her flesh was shriveled almost like a dried prune and you could clearly see her bones through her gray skin. Her hair clung in dark clumps to her scalp and her eyes were dried husks. When she moved, her bones make a faint grinding noise. The creature wore a battered kilt of antiquity that appeared to be white. Golden sandals were on her feet. On her head was a wooden headdress carved in the shape of a cat’s head and artfully painted golden.
If that was not horrifying enough, the two lions that had been terrorizing the camp bounded into the room behind her.
One look at the creature caused many of the men to scream and flee in panic to the back of the room. James was one of these affected by the fear. I myself felt it as well. The fear seemed like a force pressing down upon me, but I tried to fight against it as I fumbled for my revolver.
The lions were the first to attack. One chased after the men fleeing to the back of the room, while the other pounced on one of the overseers who was frozen in place with fear. Luckily I was not the only one to remain facing the beasts, as Isaac too, though shaken, grabbed his rifle to face the beasts. He fired at the lion that pursued James and the men, striking it. I clumsily fired at the other lion, but the fear was affecting me now and my hand trembled so that my shot went wild.
I was under the impression that the desiccated monster had hardly moved, but now I noticed that she was in the middle of the room standing over the cat that Nazif had shot, looking down on it as if in pity.
I stared amazed at this scene, until another blast of Isaac’s rifle startled me back to my senses. His two shots had downed the great cat and he rushed forward to finish it off. I meanwhile turned back to the other lion that was mauling his helpless victim. I wanted to move closer to get a better shot, but I fear I was not courageous enough to do so. My shots again were hopelessly inaccurate.
When my gun clicked empty, I tried to steel myself to rush forward with my cane to strike at the beast. I heard Isaac’s rifle fire again as he fired a final shot to put down the first lion. The noise caused me, by chance, to glance around. That is when I noticed that Nazif was standing petrified with fear staring at the monster as it slowly walked from the dead cat towards him.
“Run you fool!” I shouted. What foolishness that was, as I myself struggled with my own fear to act.
The creature reached out with one hand. I could see the nails on her hand were very long and sharp. She grasped Nazif around the neck with one hand and lifted him clear off the ground! With her other hand she racked her nails across his face horribly mutilating him.
Finally, something propelled me forward and I raced at the thing. I raised my cane high and crashed it down on the creature’s back once. Twice, and a third time. All to no affect. She continued to use her claws to do terrible work on Nazif’s head. The poor man could not cry out as she was suffocating him with her other hand.
When beating it with my cane had no effect, I backed away and tried to hastily reload my revolver. Unfortunately, one of those cursed cats was underfoot, and I tripped over it. By the time I could re-stand and finished loading the revolver Isaac came up beside me. Just then the creature threw down Nazif’s lifeless body. Both Isaac and I raised our guns and fired less than a dozen paces from the monster. No effect! The bullets do not even mare her chalky gray skin.
The creature turned on us and strode purposely forward. It swung out at Isaac, hitting him and knocked him backwards off his feet. I continued firing my revolver at the creature blindly, until the gun began to click empty.
When the monster turned to face me, my blood turned to ice. It took a step towards me and stopped. I heard a noise as if all of the cats in the room had hissed angrily at the same time. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Philip boldly striding forward. He was holding out the ancient burial rod that he had obsessed over for days now. At first I thought my eyes deceived me, but the snake head of the scepter was writhing like a real snake.
Shouting something like, “The serpent shall strike again. You cannot escape!” Philip advanced on the creature, which actually stepped back away from him. Suddenly the writhing snake leapt forward growing to some two meters long and struck at the monster. The snake’s fangs sank into the undead creature’s flesh. The creature recoiled as if mortally wounded.
The creature’s body crumbled away into dust, and a breeze scattering the particles. I saw something in the swirl of dust. It looked like a tiny bird with a strangely shaped head. Its appearance was ghostly, almost transparent. The tiny thing spread its wings and darted out into the night through the opened doorway. The lone lion rose from the mangled form of its prey and bounded out after it.
As soon as it disappeared, Philip collapsed to the ground. I rushed over to help both my fallen companions. Isaac was badly bruised by the monster’s attack, but would survive. Philip was sleeping again, the ancient snake rod, now nothing more than a wooden scepter again, clutched in his hands.
The horror of this experience has left me drained. I finally feel sleep coming on. I shall tried to get as much rest as the remains of the night allow, as who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Work Camp, Egypt
The horror! How can words describe it? My hand shakes so. I can’t just yet.
I am better now after the brandy. It helps settle my nerves. Hopefully now I can relate what has happened.
I should start by mentioning Nazif. He was one of the company’s overseers, and had a cruel disposition. Nazif was involved in the altercation which James had tried to interrupt. James suspects that it was Nazif who struck him, but could not be certain.
As the night went on, some of the men tried to get some sleep. Nazif was one of these. My friends and I, except for Philip, were determined to maintain a vigil, as we were too unnerved by the resent events.
An hour or so before midnight, Nazif awoke with a cry. It seems a cat had crept into the room and was sitting on his chest staring at him. Nazif’s shouts sent the thing springing for cover under another bed. The noise brought everyone’s attention to Nazif’s bunk. The man was irate, cursing in a mixture of Arabic and German. During this time James pointed out that there were two other cats that had somehow crept into the barracks as well. These cats were hiding in corners or under beds and sat watching us all.
The irate Nazif tried to kick at one of the cats but missed. He chased another cat until it disappeared under a bed. Incensed and maybe out of his mind, he drew his revolver and fired it at one of the cats but missed. Outraged at the man’s outlandish behavior I demanded that he stop before he hurt someone. He listened to neither myself nor any of the others but fired again.
Isaac moved forward to disarm the man, but before he could Nazif fired a third time. This time he struck a cat that had been perched on a top bunk. The injured cat meowed pitifully, and fell to the floor. It seemed to stare accusingly at Nazif as it struggled to get to its feet, but moments later it fell heavily on its side, dead.
No sooner had the cat perished, then I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. It was another cat. More than one if fact, but dozens of cats. They had somehow crept into the room and stared down at all of us from rafters, table tops, and window sills, with arched backs and eyes narrowed to slits. Their fur and tails were fluffed as if agitated, but they remained absolutely motionless. I noticed that the yowling outside had stopped and everything was quite.
I stood there looking from the dead cat on the floor to all the others watching us for sometime before Isaac spoke up.
“Do you hear that?”
“What?”
“That scratching sound.”
It was true. There was a faint scratching sound, and it was coming from the front door. It sounded like a cat that wanted to be let in. Seconds later, the entire door burst inward, tearing off at the hinges. In from the night strode a creature of horror. How do I describe it?
It appeared to be a woman. If woman is a term that can be applied to something so hideous. Her flesh was shriveled almost like a dried prune and you could clearly see her bones through her gray skin. Her hair clung in dark clumps to her scalp and her eyes were dried husks. When she moved, her bones make a faint grinding noise. The creature wore a battered kilt of antiquity that appeared to be white. Golden sandals were on her feet. On her head was a wooden headdress carved in the shape of a cat’s head and artfully painted golden.
If that was not horrifying enough, the two lions that had been terrorizing the camp bounded into the room behind her.
One look at the creature caused many of the men to scream and flee in panic to the back of the room. James was one of these affected by the fear. I myself felt it as well. The fear seemed like a force pressing down upon me, but I tried to fight against it as I fumbled for my revolver.
The lions were the first to attack. One chased after the men fleeing to the back of the room, while the other pounced on one of the overseers who was frozen in place with fear. Luckily I was not the only one to remain facing the beasts, as Isaac too, though shaken, grabbed his rifle to face the beasts. He fired at the lion that pursued James and the men, striking it. I clumsily fired at the other lion, but the fear was affecting me now and my hand trembled so that my shot went wild.
I was under the impression that the desiccated monster had hardly moved, but now I noticed that she was in the middle of the room standing over the cat that Nazif had shot, looking down on it as if in pity.
I stared amazed at this scene, until another blast of Isaac’s rifle startled me back to my senses. His two shots had downed the great cat and he rushed forward to finish it off. I meanwhile turned back to the other lion that was mauling his helpless victim. I wanted to move closer to get a better shot, but I fear I was not courageous enough to do so. My shots again were hopelessly inaccurate.
When my gun clicked empty, I tried to steel myself to rush forward with my cane to strike at the beast. I heard Isaac’s rifle fire again as he fired a final shot to put down the first lion. The noise caused me, by chance, to glance around. That is when I noticed that Nazif was standing petrified with fear staring at the monster as it slowly walked from the dead cat towards him.
“Run you fool!” I shouted. What foolishness that was, as I myself struggled with my own fear to act.
The creature reached out with one hand. I could see the nails on her hand were very long and sharp. She grasped Nazif around the neck with one hand and lifted him clear off the ground! With her other hand she racked her nails across his face horribly mutilating him.
Finally, something propelled me forward and I raced at the thing. I raised my cane high and crashed it down on the creature’s back once. Twice, and a third time. All to no affect. She continued to use her claws to do terrible work on Nazif’s head. The poor man could not cry out as she was suffocating him with her other hand.
When beating it with my cane had no effect, I backed away and tried to hastily reload my revolver. Unfortunately, one of those cursed cats was underfoot, and I tripped over it. By the time I could re-stand and finished loading the revolver Isaac came up beside me. Just then the creature threw down Nazif’s lifeless body. Both Isaac and I raised our guns and fired less than a dozen paces from the monster. No effect! The bullets do not even mare her chalky gray skin.
The creature turned on us and strode purposely forward. It swung out at Isaac, hitting him and knocked him backwards off his feet. I continued firing my revolver at the creature blindly, until the gun began to click empty.
When the monster turned to face me, my blood turned to ice. It took a step towards me and stopped. I heard a noise as if all of the cats in the room had hissed angrily at the same time. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Philip boldly striding forward. He was holding out the ancient burial rod that he had obsessed over for days now. At first I thought my eyes deceived me, but the snake head of the scepter was writhing like a real snake.
Shouting something like, “The serpent shall strike again. You cannot escape!” Philip advanced on the creature, which actually stepped back away from him. Suddenly the writhing snake leapt forward growing to some two meters long and struck at the monster. The snake’s fangs sank into the undead creature’s flesh. The creature recoiled as if mortally wounded.
The creature’s body crumbled away into dust, and a breeze scattering the particles. I saw something in the swirl of dust. It looked like a tiny bird with a strangely shaped head. Its appearance was ghostly, almost transparent. The tiny thing spread its wings and darted out into the night through the opened doorway. The lone lion rose from the mangled form of its prey and bounded out after it.
As soon as it disappeared, Philip collapsed to the ground. I rushed over to help both my fallen companions. Isaac was badly bruised by the monster’s attack, but would survive. Philip was sleeping again, the ancient snake rod, now nothing more than a wooden scepter again, clutched in his hands.
The horror of this experience has left me drained. I finally feel sleep coming on. I shall tried to get as much rest as the remains of the night allow, as who knows what tomorrow will bring.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.
The Diary of Dr. Hoffman - THe Awakening
Friday, April 4, 1890 – Early Morning
Work Camp, Egypt
With the first rays of dawn, we were up. None of us could get much sleep after last night. Even Philip. Outside, Isaac found the tracks the undead creature had made as it approached our barracks last night, and we determined to follow them to their origin.
We followed the trail to the rock bluff and saw they entered a cave. Before we approached too closely, luckily Isaac spotted the lion waiting to strike at us if we went into the cave. We can thank God again for his hunter’s instinct. Now that we had spotted the creature it was an easy matter to dispatch it with our fire arms.
With the beast killed, we were able to approach and explore the cave. The cave itself was unremarkable, but at its back we found an open door. Behind was a passageway that leads deeper into the hillside. The hallway was man-made and covered with hieroglyphics similar to those in other ancient Egyptian tombs. As we debated whether to continue, Philip had a revelation.
“I understand now what I have to do. The creature must be stopped, and we can only do it with this,” he said and held up the snake rod. We asked him what he was talking about.
“The dreams. It’s the dreams I have been having. In the dreams, I always heard someone talking in my ear, but I could never remember what was said when I awoke. When we came in here, everything came back.
The creature is called Sachmet. She was a priestess until she was cursed for some foul deeds. I think it was claiming to be a god or something. I am not sure. She was buried in this tomb but the curse turned her into that monster. This snake thing was to keep her imprisoned. It must have been moved, allowing her to leave the tomb. It also has the power to destroy her.
I must go to the center of the tomb. To her resting chamber. There I, we can stop this evil. Come on, follow me.”
We had to physically restrain Mr. Landers as he tried to head down the tunnel right then and there. After getting him to explain it all again, we all decided he was right. We had to see this through to prevent an ancient monstrosity from being released on the world. But we were ill prepared right then for a trek under ground. We needed lanterns and other supplies. So we returned to the camp.
Here everything is still in chaos. Most of the remaining overseers have begun packing their belongings and preparing the few wagons left to leave. As I tried to ask some of the overseers about obtaining the needed supplies we were approached by four of the overseers. They apparently were friends of Nazif’s, and when they heard that we planned to go after the creature that killed him they swore vengeance on it. They are Ahmed, Madji, Ali, and Naguib and all are stout young men. So now there will be eight of us entering the tomb. Mr. Conners and Isaac went with them to prepare the supplies while I sit here writing this down.
My God bless us and give us the strength to see the end of our endeavor.
Work Camp, Egypt
With the first rays of dawn, we were up. None of us could get much sleep after last night. Even Philip. Outside, Isaac found the tracks the undead creature had made as it approached our barracks last night, and we determined to follow them to their origin.
We followed the trail to the rock bluff and saw they entered a cave. Before we approached too closely, luckily Isaac spotted the lion waiting to strike at us if we went into the cave. We can thank God again for his hunter’s instinct. Now that we had spotted the creature it was an easy matter to dispatch it with our fire arms.
With the beast killed, we were able to approach and explore the cave. The cave itself was unremarkable, but at its back we found an open door. Behind was a passageway that leads deeper into the hillside. The hallway was man-made and covered with hieroglyphics similar to those in other ancient Egyptian tombs. As we debated whether to continue, Philip had a revelation.
“I understand now what I have to do. The creature must be stopped, and we can only do it with this,” he said and held up the snake rod. We asked him what he was talking about.
“The dreams. It’s the dreams I have been having. In the dreams, I always heard someone talking in my ear, but I could never remember what was said when I awoke. When we came in here, everything came back.
The creature is called Sachmet. She was a priestess until she was cursed for some foul deeds. I think it was claiming to be a god or something. I am not sure. She was buried in this tomb but the curse turned her into that monster. This snake thing was to keep her imprisoned. It must have been moved, allowing her to leave the tomb. It also has the power to destroy her.
I must go to the center of the tomb. To her resting chamber. There I, we can stop this evil. Come on, follow me.”
We had to physically restrain Mr. Landers as he tried to head down the tunnel right then and there. After getting him to explain it all again, we all decided he was right. We had to see this through to prevent an ancient monstrosity from being released on the world. But we were ill prepared right then for a trek under ground. We needed lanterns and other supplies. So we returned to the camp.
Here everything is still in chaos. Most of the remaining overseers have begun packing their belongings and preparing the few wagons left to leave. As I tried to ask some of the overseers about obtaining the needed supplies we were approached by four of the overseers. They apparently were friends of Nazif’s, and when they heard that we planned to go after the creature that killed him they swore vengeance on it. They are Ahmed, Madji, Ali, and Naguib and all are stout young men. So now there will be eight of us entering the tomb. Mr. Conners and Isaac went with them to prepare the supplies while I sit here writing this down.
My God bless us and give us the strength to see the end of our endeavor.
Only two things scare me and one is former back-up dancers for Christina Aguilera.