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Alejandro had always dreamed of becoming a paleontologist and after he disowned his family he’d gone on to get his PHD. Now he’s finally on his first dig in Egypt. A large deposit of bones had been found. After a long day of sifting through sand in search of bones, everyone decided to take a rest.
Alejandro woke in the middle of the night to horrified screams. When he exited the tent a gruesome sight awaited him. Many of his colleagues were on the ground, barely recognizable, as their skin had withered and aged until it resembled jerky. Lifeless glassy stares bore into him. He swallowed.
He had a decision to make. Did he stick around to look for survivors? Or did he run away to save his own skin? Ultimately Alejandro cared about himself above all, and honestly if he did stay he’d probably end up like everyone else.
So he ran in the direction of the nearest city. In all likelihood he wouldn’t reach it any time soon, but it was better than staying at the camp. Eventually he passed out.
When he came to, he was surprised to see a young man holding his head in his lap. He had strong features, an oblong head, a firm square jawline, and a hooked nose. His skin was bronze and his half lidded brown eyes stared into him. He’s not wearing much. A simple white skirt, and bandages wrapped around his limbs and torso.
“Who are you?” He asked quietly, still kind of sleepy.
“You may call me Noah. It’s good I found you. Who knows what else could have found you.” The man whispered ominously. “Why exactly are you alone in the desert with no supplies?
“My camp was attacked last night.” Alejandro admitted. “I don’t know what. All of my colleagues had been withered until they resembled a dried out corpse. I didn’t want to stick around after that.”
“Understandable.” Noah replied. “To whom am I speaking?”
“I’m Dr. Alejandro Burromuerto.” He told him.
“Alejandro Burromuerto.” The strange man whispered as though tasting the name on his tongue. “I wonder if you’d be willing to help me?”
Alejandro raised an eyebrow. “You just met me.”
“Indeed, but I have no one else to rely on. You see, some things of great importance were stolen from me. I intend to get them back, and would greatly appreciate some help.” Noah said.
“I should probably see if I can’t find the nearest city. As you say I have no supplies.” He pointed out.
“No worry, I have a satchel of supplies.” He told him, gesturing to a bag nearby.
“That looks familiar.” Alejandro frowned.
“Who can say? I imagine most satchels look similar to one another.” Noah said. “Alejandro Burromuerto, I want your help.”
Alejandro didn’t know why, but he felt almost compelled to help this stranger. He’s not normally an altruistic person. Nor is he a trusting one. He’d normally ignore this stranger and continue on to town without a second thought. After all, he should really report what had happened to his colleagues.
Somehow though, he couldn’t bring himself to do so. “Very well then. Do you know which way the thieves went?”
“I have a general direction, yes.” Noah replied, pointing north. “With luck we should catch up to them.”
So the two of them started in that direction. Alejandro could see nothing but sand for miles. It's not long before he’s hopelessly lost, as sand dune after sand dune passes him by. There’s something about a place like the desert. A place with very little in the way of landmarks. Everything seems to be repeating over and over again. Like you’re trapped in an old cartoon using a repeated background. You almost start to zone out.
He’s broken from his thoughts by the sound of rumbling in his stomach. “I suppose I haven’t eaten since last night.” He noted.
“Well that won’t do.” Noah told him, reaching into the satchel from earlier. “There’s dried meat and fruits in here.” He held them out for Alejandro to take.
Alejandro would definitely have puked if he had anything in his stomach to do so with. The dried out meat reminded him of the ghastly sight that had met him last night. His colleagues, people he’d not known long ,but had nonetheless become acquainted with enough to feel real, all withered husks on the ground. He bent over dry heaving. “No thanks.”
Noah raised an eyebrow and put the rations back. “Fine.” They continued onward for several more hours. As they went Alejandro began to pick up dried weeds.
“Do you even know where we’re going?” Alejandro asked.
“I assure you that I do.” Noah told him. “That said, it is starting to get dark. We should probably stop for the night.”
Alejandro nodded. “You’re right.” He placed the weeds on the ground and pulled out his lighter. “It won’t make much of a fire, but we need a source of heat.”
Alejandro watched the flames rise up, tending to the fire until he was sure it wouldn’t go out or spread. He glanced up. Noah’s face in the light of the flames was beautiful. A strange mix of masculine and feminine features.
“You should eat.” Noah told him, holding out the dried meat and fruit again.
Alejandro knew this was true, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. “I can’t. The experience from last night has shaken me too much.”
Noah cupped his face. “I really do think you need to eat Alejandro Burromuerto.
Alejandro suddenly felt as though he had to listen. He had to eat the food that was being offered. He took the dried food into his hands. It still made him feel sick to look at, even as it drew closer and closer to his lips. When he begins to consume it, he begins flashing back to the night before. His colleagues all dried out. Ellody, Mary, Harold, all of whom had been very excited to find the dinosaur bones with him. He gagged, but found himself unable to stop eating until all of the meat and fruit was gone.
“There.” Noah smirked. “That wasn’t so hard now was it?”
Alejandro groaned. “That was horrifying.”
The smaller male raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? I apologize, but I had to put you through that.” He began to run his fingers through Alejandro’s hair.
Alejandro sighed at the feeling. He wanted to yell. He wanted to snap back, but he’s suddenly feeling very tired. He can feel Noah inhaling behind him. It wasn’t long until he found himself lying across the sand, Noah’s smirk the last thing in his vision before he blacked out.
When he wakes the sun has risen, but the heat isn’t too bad yet. The fire is out and Noah is staring down at him. “Good, you’re awake. I think the thieves aren’t too far ahead of us. Another day or so.”
Alejandro sighed. “Noah, I really do think we should find the nearest town. You can report your missing things, and I can disclose the fate of my colleagues.”
“No.” Noah told him. “I refuse to leave the fate of what is mine in the hands of anyone but myself.”
Alejandro rolled his eyes. “Whatever, I still need to report the death of my colleagues.”
“Please, Alejandro Burromuerto. I need your help.” Noah told him.
Similar to last night Alejandro now felt like he had to listen to Noah. That he could not possibly leave him to fend for himself in the desert. He wanted to argue with it. He wanted to ignore it and walk away, but he couldn't.
“...Fine. If you’re certain this will be over within a day or so.” Alejandro said.
“Good.” Noah smirked. “Now come.”
Much like yesterday they spent hours trekking through the desert. Alejandro was lost in thought. There was something off about Noah. How was he convincing him to do this against his will? Why was he so sure where his things were? And moreover, nothing seemed to affect the smaller male. Not the heat of the sun, nor the cold of the night, he didn’t seem to get thirsty, and Alejandro had yet to see him eat.
“Noah? You insist I eat, but I’ve yet to see you eat anything.” Alejandro said.
“I assure you I ate last night.” Noah told him.
Further and further they trekked into the desert. Eventually they came across the remains of a fire. Noah leaned down. “Yes. My things were here last night.”
“What exactly was stolen from you?” Alejandro asked.
“There are things one cannot live without, and the thieves have stolen several of mine.” Noah said.
“That doesn’t answer my question.” The Spaniard frowned.
“Let me put it to you this way, if I don’t get them back my soul will never be able to rest.” The smaller male whispered.
“Your soul?” He prompted.
Noah did not elaborate further. “Do not concern yourself with it, Alejandro Burromuerto.” He told him, as he moved forward.
Alejandro followed him. At this point he wanted nothing more than to stop this madness. He wanted to stop in place and refuse to move on until Noah gave him a proper explanation. Something about all this feels wrong. Yet he can’t seem to do it. He feels compelled to continue.
Eventually the sun was once again going down and they made another fire. In the low light of the fire Noah looked ethereal. Alejandro was more tired than he was last night, and at this point he wanted to slip into unconsciousness so he didn’t have to deal with the strangeness of today. He lay out on the sand, surprised when Noah placed his head in his own lap.
“You know Alejandro.” He whispered, running his hands down the Spaniard’s bare collarbones. “You are so beautiful. Inhumanly so, if I didn’t know better I’d think you were a vessel for one of the gods.”
Alejandro blinked slowly. “Which gods?”
“The gods.” Noah said as though it were obvious. “Surely you know of them? Ra, Sekhmet, Horus, Anubis?”
“The Egyptian gods?” The Spaniard whispered.
“If that is how you refer to them.” Noah said, leaning forward, his lips now inches from Alejandro’s own. “Even if you aren’t a vessel for them, you are surely blessed by them.” The smaller male inhaled.
Alejandro yawned, even more tired now. Noah leaned closer, his lips brushing against Alejandro’s own as he whispered. “If it were within my power you would never leave my side.”
“We barely know each other.” Alejandro whispered, his eyes drooping.
“I know your soul, Alejandro Burromuerto, and it is the most vibrant I’ve seen.” Noah said as Alejandro blacked out.
The next day Alejandro woke to Noah already standing, satchel in hand. The fire had been put out. “Good, you're awake. Eat something and let’s go.”
Alejandro gagged upon seeing the dried meat again. “I can go on longer.”
Noah sighed. “Fine, that saves us time anyway. The thieves are not more than a couple hours out. We should catch up to them today. Then I can finally get what is mine back.”
They trekked through the desert again. Alejandro no longer attempts to leave. What point would there be? Noah will somehow force him to come regardless. He simply wished he knew how he was doing it. At this point, he knows Noah isn’t human. He hasn’t quite figured out what he is, but not human.
Which makes last night concerning. Alejandro had enjoyed being stroked by Noah, having his lips brush against his. If Noah’s not human, that places the whole interaction in a strange place. Was it something Noah made him feel? And even if not, interspecies romance is a little iffy.
Alejandro knew the moment they came across the thieves. They had stopped to eat lunch. Currently a large muscular, burly black man was cooking over a fire. Next to him was another man, far shorter but still muscular with looks that wouldn’t be out of place on a low grade television show. Both were dressed in button up shirts and khakis.
The cook’s eyes widened as they landed on Noah. “Chris dude!”
“What? Did the eggs burn or something?” The other man scoffed. The moment he saw Noah he froze in place.
“Thieves.” Noah glared. “You will give me what is mine or face further consequences.”
“Further consequences?” the smaller male, apparently named Chris, asked.
“Surely you’ve noticed all the bad luck you’ve experienced?” Noah said. “Sandstorms out of nowhere? Bugs overrunning your camp?”
“Dude! I told you we were cursed!” The larger male said.
“Please, we’re not cursed. This guy’s bluffing.” Chris scoffed.
“I warned you.” Noah walked closer to Chris and began to inhale. Alejandro watched in horror as this man aged rapidly, his skin growing more and more withered, wrinkling and thinning until the man resembled nothing more than a dried out husk. He looked exactly like all the colleagues Alejandro had seen two nights ago.
Noah’s eyes snapped to the remaining guy. “Give me what’s mine.”
The large black man began to search through a large bag. Alejandro was frozen in horror. Noah was the one who killed his colleagues. The satchel he’d been holding. The one Alejandro said seemed familiar, he knew where he’d seen it now. It had belonged to Ellody. He remembered a conversation he had with her before all this happened. She’d been explaining everything she had packed and why. Among her provisions were dried meat and fruit. Like what he’d eaten two nights ago.
“Here this ain’t worth it man!” The large black man said.
Alejandro’s eyes widened as he looked at what the man was offering Noah. Four canopic jars, each with a different god’s head carved painstakingly at the top. A mummy. Noah was a mummy. A powerful one that could regenerate by sucking the life force out of others. That’s why he looked human. All the life and vitality of his colleagues had been used to restore Noah.
“Good. Now begone from here.” Noah said. He turned to Alejandro and smirked amusedly at his look of horrified shock. “I suppose you’ve realized I’m responsible for the death of your colleagues.”
“You, why?!” Was all Alejandro could sputter out.
“I suppose I do owe you an explanation. You see, recently my tomb was disturbed by a party similar to your own. They took my organs and I came to return them. When I arrived, the jars were already gone. Stolen by some unscrupulous thieves that had been watching the researchers.” Noah began.
“Initially, all I was planning to do was take back what was mine and return to sleep. Now that the thieves had gotten away, I had to go after them, but I lacked the strength to do it. So I stole the life force from everyone at that camp and began my journey to regain my organs. It was a long journey as the thieves initially had a vehicle, but I managed to make a sandstorm to destroy it. Unfortunately that took a lot out of me. I knew if I didn’t get more life force I would wither and die before I could make it back to my place of rest. So I took their life force as well. I noticed you’d escaped and decided to go after you. You know the rest.” Noah finished. “If it makes you feel better it wasn’t personal.”
“That makes it worse actually!” Alejandro said, the faces of his withered colleagues flashing in his mind again. He rushed at Noah.
“You will halt Alejandro Burromuerto!” Noah ordered. Alejandro found he couldn’t move.
“How?! How are you making me do as you want!” The Spaniard snapped.
“It wasn’t hard. You gave me your name. Your full name. Names have power, you know.” Noah smirked.
So that was why he used his full name so often! “Then why don’t I have power over you?” He asked.
“Because I didn’t give you my real name.” The mummy said. “I said you could call me Noah. Not that it was my name.”
“Why didn’t you kill me?” Alejandro glared.
“Because I needed to make you last.” Noah explained. “If I had taken all your life force at once, I may have started to rot by the time I reached the thieves, and I needed to be at full power.”
All at once? Alejandro’s mind flashed to the past couple nights when Noah had been close, and he’d suddenly felt extremely tired. He’d been feeding on him this whole time. “So was everything you said last night your sick way of controlling me?”
“No. You really are beautiful and likely blessed by the gods.” Noah told him. “And your soul really is vibrant. That’s how I knew you’d last as long as I needed you to.”
Alejandro felt betrayed. “So what are you going to do now?”
Noah smirked. “I’m going back to my place of rest. I should have enough strength to get there before I wither. You can join me if you wish. I wasn’t lying. I would love to have you at my side.”
“Why would I ever do that?” The Spaniard glared.
“Fair enough. You have a life to live. Mine is long over.” Noah said
“What if I try to stop you from leaving?” Alejandro swallowed.
“Do you want to end up like him?” Noah asked, inclining his head at the withered body of Chris. The large black man was long gone. Alejandro shook his head. “I thought not. Farewell Alejandro Burromuerto. I hope the gods continue to bless you.”
Alejandro fell to the sand as he watched Noah walk away. His colleagues are dead, and he’d helped the culprit. His colleagues are dead, and He’d kissed a corpse. Sure, it was a revitalized corpse and he didn’t know, but still.
His colleagues are dead and no one will ever believe what happened to them.