“That would be Evelyn.” Evelyn Medley was a long time friend of Ronia and Grace, and was an extraordinarily talented musician. She was quite tall and thin, but pear-shaped at the same time. Her strawberry pink hair sparkled in the waves of sunlight, as did her glasses and chocolate brown eyes. She was beaming – something that seemed to show off her square jaw, but in some ways, Luke found it kind of adorable. Though he'd never tell her that. They all laughed, just happy to be with each other again. Simply great friends enjoying one of the best moments in life.
~
“So what do you wanna do today?” Evelyn asked the the other three. They were sitting on a cream coloured couch in Grace's house, where her mother had served them tea and small jam cakes after returning from the train station. It wasn't a large house. There were all the essentials: Couch, Chairs, Television, Kitchen, Bedrooms, etcetera, but it suited Grace and her family just fine. Ronia flicked on the small television near them, distracted in her thoughts. “...Dunno” she replied with an empty voice. Luke decided to break the sudden awkwardness of Ronia virtually ignoring Evelyn. “Hmm...” He thought for a while. “I've got it! Lets go racing on Emberlake Road! Ronia – you brought your skateboard along with you, right?” He said, turning to Ronia, who was now transfixed on the Channel 12 News. “...Huh? Wha? Oh, y-yeah.” She said, brought back to reality. “Great! Then it's settled. I'm gonna go get my bike – I'll meet you all there.” Evelyn said, hopping off the couch and running out the door. Grace smiled. “Luke, you can use my brother's bicycle. He doesn't use it any more now that he's away at University.” “Thanks, Grace!” He said, returning the smile, and begun to leave toward the backyard. “C'mon Ronia!” Grace called as she followed him. Ronia was still staring at the television. “R-right..!” And she got up to follow them, taking a jam cake with her.
After a while, Grace's mother came in as she realised it was awfully quiet in her living room. She saw that the four had gone, and begun cleaning up the cakes and tea, but noticed that Ronia had left the television on, and was displaying something rather interesting. “Hundreds dead, and even more severely wounded. This is a dark day in history, folks.” The reported said with a heavy American accent. The subtitle on the screen said “Bombing Massacre in Egypt” and the reporter was wearing what looked like a radiation mask. Grace's mother sat down on the sofa, her attention grabbed. “Early this morning, the sun was blacked out by what the locals thought to be a Lunar Eclipse, but was actually a tremendous explosive projective. An entire civilisation has been reduced to ruins. As you can see behind me, the land has been torn asunder – craters, chasms, and burning pits, all what used to be a sparkling oasis. Scientists hypothesised that a meteorite had crashed into the Earth, but representatives from NASA confirmed this wasn't so, especially after radiation and particles of metal were found. There doesn't seem to be any link to where the bomb came from, and many world leaders, including the communist countries of China and North Korea, say that this catastrophe had nothing to do with them. Officials will continue to investigate, and we'll have more reports for you as it comes up. I'm Leon Adams with Channel 12 News.”
Grace's mother looked wearily at her television, taking in all the reporter had said. “What a nightmare...” She thought. Finally, she bowed her head and gave a silent prayer for the victims of the bombing, and continued on with her cleaning.
~
Later on Emberlake Road, Grace, Luke, Evelyn, and Ronia all gathered at the steepest part of the road – a long, downwards hill that any reckless skater could reach their top speeds and fulfil their adrenaline needs. “Okay, everyone ready?” Luke asked, but Evelyn waved a finger. “You know the rules. Safety check first.” Luke sighed. “Oh fine...Helmets and visors?” “Check!” They all replied in unison. “Elbow and knee pads?” “Check!” “Leaving Evie behind?” “CHECK!” and three of them took off, leaving Evelyn in the dust. “Hey!” She scowled, and pedalled after them. It was probably worth noting that anything with wheels was prohibited on Emberlake Road, for obvious reasons. Of course, that didn't stop these four.
Wind rushed through Luke's hair, as he got faster and faster on the hill's decline. He was in the lead, and was loving every moment of it. “Yeaaaaah!” He cheered, watching the trees and small houses rush by. He felt like he was on top of the world. Like he was invincible. Suddenly on his right, he saw Ronia come up next to him, riding her skateboard like it was gliding on air (it essentially was). She saluted him, and crouched on the board, angling her arms in a position to take her faster down the slope. She zoomed right past Luke and into first place, with as Luke saw to his mild dismay, Grace following right along her in second. Luke decided to use a function of this bicycle that he never got a chance to use – something Grace's brother referred to as “The Unlocker.” It was a series of extra chains set on the wheels, that capped them at a certain speed, put in place by the manufacturer for safety reasons. Grace's brother had modified his bike so that these chains could be disconnected from their tethers with a red push button mounted on the handlebars. With a determined expression, Luke reached his thumb over to the button, and pushed down on it. Instantly, he felt like he'd just hit an acceleration pad that you often find in one of those racing video games. The wind became exceptionally stronger, and it reflected on his speed. He saw that he was catching up to Ronia and Grace rapidly, passing Grace in seconds and Ronia in a few more. Nothing was clearly visible now except the goal at the bottom of the hill, marked with a small red flag.
It was also worth noting that the location of the goal, a clearing that sat right on the edge of a lake – one that shown like embers in a fire during sunset, hence the name. There was an archway leading into the clearing, and it had a large digital clock in the centre of it. When Luke looked up at it, a cold chill ran down his spine. Instead of showing regular hours and the date, It showed the words “Thirty Days Remaining.” There was a short stone wall blocking townsfolk from falling into the lake on the very edge of the clearing, but Like was going much to fast for the wall to stop him. In the next three seconds, the bicycle had been smashed into the stone, smashing through it and flipping itself – and Luke – into the murky Emberlake.
“No! Luke!!” Evelyn yelled, but it was no use, the wind stole away her words and only left panic and fear. They each reached the clearing, making a half circle on the pavement to stop themselves, and ran to the place where Luke had crashed. “Oh God no! Luke!” Grace exclaimed. Ronia made a quick decision, throwing off her helmet and pads and diving into the water after him. She couldn't see much, but thankfully Emberlake wasn't very deep at this time of year. It was the dry season and there wasn't much rain. In a few seconds, she'd swam down to the bottom and spotted Luke and the bike, unconscious. She grabbed them both, and thanks to her strength and agility learned from her archery, she was able to reach the surface without much delay. Grace and Evelyn pulled up first Luke, then Ronia, who was carrying the bike. As soon as he was out of the water, Luke awoke in a coughing fit, his lungs depositing all the water he'd swallowed.
“Oh thank heavens you're all right!” Evelyn said with a massive sigh of relief and hugging him.
“Sorry...I..” Luke began, embarrassed and ashamed beyond belief. But Grace cut him off, hugging him as well. “It's okay, we're just happy you're safe.” Although, Ronia was relieved that Luke was okay, she responded to the situation differently than the other two. “What the bloody hell were you thinking?!” She yelled at him. “Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Luke looked down in shame. “I'm sorry, Ronia...all of you..it was a stupid idea to race down this road. Especially when I thought to use The Unlocker...” He began, but stopped when he turned his head and noticed the wrecked bicycle lying near them. One of the wheels was nearly detached from the bike, and the handlebars were twisted around in a gruesome position The Unlocker, or rather, what was left of it, was disconnected from the bars, its welding shattered. Its chains were missing, and were where Luke could only guess, at the bottom of the lake. He had a a sickening feeling when he thought that those could've been his lungs.
“Oh, Shit! Your brother's bike, Grace...He's gonna murder me. No – He's gonna murder me, revive me, and then murder me again!” “Ssshh...it's all right. I've got some money saved up. I can get it repaired before his next visit, and he won't ever know. It was my stupid brother's fault for putting that thing on his bike anyway” Grace said sympathetically. Although, this just made Luke feel even worse. He'd rather pay for his actions himself, though sadly he had no money to his name.
He tried to stand, but slipped, letting out of grunt of pain when he felt how much his legs ached from the collision with the stone. Without a word, Grace and Evelyn picked Luke up and supported him by putting his arms over their shoulders. Ronia picked up the broken remains of the bicycle, and followed them. Not another word was spoken until they returned home.[ENTRY TWO END]
“Ah, there ya' go...” Evelyn sighed, putting Luke down on the sofa. They'd finally returned to Grace's house after she and Grace had carried Luke back, and his mood hadn't improved much. He ached all over, and was, for lack of a better phrase, utterly ashamed. The only word Luke would mutter is “Sorry”, to which one of the other three would make a joke of some kind to lighten the heavy atmosphere. “You know, maybe it's just me” Ronia began. “But I'm not very concerned about this clunker here.” she went on, motioning the destroyed bicycle. “I'm wondering more about who's gonna pay for treatments to that wall. I bet it wasn't expecting that, a big mean bike coming in and smashing it to pieces. Poor wall.” To this, Luke reflected just a tiny smile. Leave it to Ronia to know what to say.
“...ill no report on where the explos—Don't miss the final contest between these two athletes, tonight at eight!” Said the television after Grace had flopped into a recliner and flicked it on, cycling through channels. “Wait, go back!” Ronia exclaimed. Grace did so, turning back a channel to “12 News.” There was a still-shot of a helicopter overlooking a burning city. It seemed like the report was just beginning. “I'm Emily Cainsworth, and we're with you tonight with more information on the Bombing In Egypt. “ “I knew it!” Ronia said, her eyes lighting up. “This was on before we left. I didn't get to hear the whole thing, but...” The news anchor started again, her voice sounding grim: “Earlier today, Egypt was bombed in a massive attack by unknown forces. Officials are still investigating, but so far, they've turned up nothing. We go now to a witness in Cairo who was on the scene at the time of the bombing. The screen flicked to a man standing in front of a camera. When it did, Grace gasped – shocked at the sight. It wasn't pretty. His eye was swollen shut, and he had a huge gash going from down his nose, and curving down to his shoulder, and it was only partially covered by bandages. He had many smaller wounds around his head, which Luke could only guess, where a proper head of hair used to be.
“It was horrible.” He said in Arabic, a translator speaking off-screen. “I was in my fields, tending to my crops, when that...thing came out of the sky. After that, all I could see and feel was ash, fragments of hot metal, and dust all overtaking our city. All I could hear was a harsh whistling...the sound of a massive explosion. When that passed, I got knocked in the head with a large piece of stone. Undoubtedly what came from our fountain.” He put on a smile, but in his eyes was so much sadness. Luke couldn't help but wither at his story. The Egyptian man pointed to his gruesome wound. “That's how I got this. Heh...'suppose it was pretty silly of me to be standing so close to the centre of town.”
They were all mortified. What could've done something as awful as this? None of them could say a thing. No sadness, no bad jokes, just silence. This was the ugly side of life. Humans could land on the moon, or win prizes and money based on revolutionary sciences, but...this was the part that nobody ever spoke of. Their eyes widened as they took in what mankind was capable of. Luke couldn't understand it. Why do people do these things? It's obviously not for money or fame. He just thought it was to prove a point, although that still made little sense.
“What a nightmare...” Luke said softly. “That's what I said!” said Grace's mother, coming into the room. “You knew about this, Ms.Laster?” Evelyn said, speaking up. Grace's mum nodded. “It was on earlier. All they showed were overhead shots of the debris. It's tragic, isn't it?” They all nodded in agreement as news anchor took over again. “Breaking news! Something has been uncovered among the wreckage from the bomb.” A camera went instantly to live footage. There was smoke and dirt everywhere, but through it, they could just make out a long metal box, seemingly unharmed. No – it was unharmed. Two scientists lifted up the box with some difficulty, as it was apparently extremely heavy. They placed it on a table, where everyone could see the artefact clearly now.
They were all amazed. It was made of shining steel, about a foot tall and completely unscathed. Yet, it was found right in the heart of the explosion. What was even more confusing, is that on all four sides was a carving of what looked like a half man-half eagle. Nobody could provide an explanation, except for one man,, the man who had spoken earlier. He approached the crowd and spoke, answering the question that was on everyone's mind: “That is Ra, the Egyptian Sun God.” He said pointing to the carving. “For thousands of years, Ra has been looked at by we Egyptians as the giver of life, and even a creator of all things. The sun provides warmth, new growth, and a sense of comfort. It is only my guess...” He paused, eyes turned heavenward. “...But if Ra is angered, then there's no telling what fury we may be doomed for.” A hushed silence overtook the crowd. All five staring at the television felt a wave of despair and worry wash over them. Not the scientists, not Luke, or Grace, or Evelyn, or Ronia, or Grace's mum...Not even the news anchor. They all just stared at the steel box, and wondered: “Is this some kind of omen?”
It was just then that the television flickered off, and they were brought back to reality. “Oh what nonsense. A vengeful sun god? Hah, completely far-fetched if you ask me.” Grace's mother laughed. “Now now, you all should be getting home. It's almost dark out.” She said to Luke, Ronia, and Evelyn. “..Uh, right.” Luke responded, getting up and heading for the door with Evelyn and Ronia following shortly behind him. “See ya, Grace.” He said, turning back and waving. She returned it with a weak smile, and they left.
Eventually, they reached the crossroads that led Evelyn in one direction, and Ronia and Luke in the other. They just looked at each other, still shaken by what they'd seen and heard. After a while, they gave each other a hug and went their separate ways with little communication. Ronia sighed. “Haah..all this talk of angry suns and bombs makes a girl really want a cup of tea. What do ya' say, Luke?” She said, pointing to a small café near them. “Wha? ...Oh, yeah, sure.” And without another word, they headed inside, Ronia soothed in the embrace of some good tea, but Luke still wrapped up in his thoughts. Why did any of this have to happen? And if somebody really was trying to prove a point, why Egypt? There were so many questions left unanswered. Finally, Luke came to a decision. “Ronia – tomorrow, we're going to the museum.” She looked at him, puzzled. “Uh..okay. Why?” “Because we're going to investigate what's going on in Egypt. The thing is, neither of us know anything about Egypt. So where's the best place to learn about an ancient country such as that one?” She blinked. “A museum. But, Luke don't you think tha---” “Great, then it's settled!” He jumped out of his chair and ran for the door. “See you at the museum first thing in the morning!” And was gone. Ronia simply blinked again, then turned to a waitress near her who was looking equally confused. “Another, please.” She said, holding up her empty teacup.[ENTRY THREE END]
It was a bright and sunny day as Ronia and Luke approached the polished marble giant that was the National Museum of Egyptian History. They turned and took in the breathtaking landscape around them. The museum wasn't put just anywhere – it was built on the highest mountain in the country, which builders had shaved and flattened out to provide an even and beautiful terrain. After climbing a long series of steps (or taking a lift for those who didn't want to walk), Patrons could look out at the entirety of creation. All the buildings and trees and structures that stretched on for miles. The museum itself, was built in what most called the “Resting Archway.” The main hall was laid going from side to side, and the East and West exhibit halls were built like arms extending from the Main Hall. In the centre of the pavilion that the museum rested on, was a massive compass rose, it's elegant arms pointing to four different flower beds – Blue Tulips, Red Roses, Yellow Daisies, and White Lilies.
People gathered around and stared at the wondrous sights. Luke and Ronia were approaching the large crimson doors when they noticed something odd. There was a plaque mounted onto the door that they'd never seen before. It read: In memory of those who were lost in the April 1987 Bombings of Egypt, here this plaque sits – forever more. “How sad...” Luke said quietly as they entered. Inside wasn't lacking in magnificence either. Everything was brightly polished, and the layout of the interior was atheistic and fresh. In the middle of the room, was a large circular secretary's desk, with accompanying secretary. She was at this moment, answering a question to a young women. There were signs pointing to the left and right that directed patrons to the two different exhibit halls. The East hall was labelled “Education” and was mainly for academic related studies. The West hall, was labelled “Research and Mythology”, and was where Luke wanted to go, although Ronia was feeling less compliant.
“Luke...where are we going?” She asked, tugging her arm, trying to free it from Luke's grasp. He turned to her. “I don't know what's happening in Egypt, but that man on the news said that he was worried about having angered their sun god, and that steel box is just too suspicious. I want to see what we can find out about Ra the Sun God.” Ronia continued, seeing no reason to protest further. They reached the end of the hallway, where there was a large square archway with a sign that said “Research and Mythology Section”. Past it, was a velvety red rug, several computer terminals, many square wooden tables, and lots and lots of bookcases, filled to the brim with everything one could want to know about Egyptian Mythology. “All right, let's split up. You go search that side of the books, and I'll search this side. Report back here with anything that might be of interest.” He said again to Ronia, pointing left and right. She nodded, and without a word, went to it.
Several hours passed. They each presented to each other little bits of information such as who Ra was, and what he did, and what he meant to the people. But nothing very helpful came up, at least, not until Luke found a dusty old book titled “Ancient Lore of Egypt.” He opened it to the Table of Contents and saw that it had an introduction, and then went on to separate chapters about many of the major Egyptian gods. “Hey Ronia, I've found something!” He said calling, and turning to the introduction. It read: “Dear reader. Within these pages you'll find the answers that you may or, may not be looking for. The myths and stories of the Egyptian gods have been retold throughout the centuries, and it's time I brought the truths about these strange and wondrous beings to light. The gods have been known for both peace and harmony, and chaos with just a touch of destruction. But in their wake, we as scientists and archaeologists can uncover the dirt and pick up the pieces to a much large puzzle. I do hope this novel will be of some use to you. Warm regards – M.M.”
Luke could only guess that “M.M.” was the author, and it ran through his mind why an author would only list their initials. “Hey, what didja' find?” said Ronia, waving and approaching him. “Something interesting.” Luke responded with a small smile. “Lets sit down, I think this is worth checking out.” They sat at a nearby wooden table in the corner, where Luke promptly flipped to the chapter about Ra.
“Where does your allegiance lie?” The top paragraph began. “Is it with Kings and Queens? Is it a bold, fearless leader who has a voice like lightning? Perhaps you're simplistic, and the only one you answer to, is a nice bowl of curry. Whatever it may be, it couldn't be parallel to the mighty Egyptian gods. Those who commanded the forces of nature itself. Although – there is one god who stands out from the rest: Ra. The ancient protector of light. Creator of life, the giver of hope, and harmony. Because the sun was always in the sky, and that it controlled the land itself, The ancient Egyptians believed that it was not just a ball of light in the sky – but a powerful deity. Often, the people would hold prayer sessions in Ra's name, hoping for a fruitful harvesting season, among other things. Ra is closely related to another deity – Atum. Atum's importance in Egyptian history rivals Ra's, as Atum is credited with being the creator of all life. Because Ra also brought forth life, his name eventually became Atum-Ra, and ancient hieroglyphs reflect this. The portraits of Atum-Ra contrast very minimally from the ones just of Atum. They depict him the head of a falcon, and a sun disk floating above his head. Tales of Atum-Ra soar through the pages of history, telling tales of his greatness, and his wrath.
It is often said in the scrolls of doomsayers, that if Ra is angered, then the sky will be thrown into an endless darkness, and “all the land will burn...” Luke read the last few words aloud. He looked up at Ronia, who had a disturbed look on her face. Luke couldn't help but mirror it. Suddenly, there happened to be a very cold, and ominous feeling in the room, and they were searching each others eyes for answers. They found none, and instead, rushed out of the museum – home bound.
~
“What? Wait, slow down.” said Evelyn, sitting in a recliner with a hot cup of tea. They were at Evelyn's house this time – the place where she'd allowed Luke and Ronia to stay while they were in town. They'd rushed in, and told her about what they'd found, and how it could possibly relate to the bombings. “It's true! We found a book that described almost exactly what had happened in Egypt!” Luke said, his words dripping with excitement. She turned to Ronia to make sure it wasn't all just a coincidence. “It's really true. I mean, I was sceptical at first too, but...” She stopped, thinking. “...What if, it..isn't just a coincidence.” She finished, much more softly. Evie looked with confusion at the two of them. “Luke, Ronia...you know I've always trusted anything you say..I mean, I known you two for years! But...” She was at a loss for words, unable to wrap her mind around the possibility of a connection between a history book and a disaster event. “...I just can't seem to comprehend this. I mean, maybe the bomb came from a..I don't know, a missile test gone wrong. Nobody could actually provide an accurate report on what they saw, mind you.”
Luke stood up, and looked at Evelyn with desperation in his eyes. “Evie...I know it seems far-fetched, but you have to believe us. You're right, nobody can accurately report on what they saw, but that's just all the more reason to investigate, isn't it? We can't rule out anything at this point. Please, Evelyn..you have to believe us. Just for one, tiny little moment. What if, whoever was controlling that thing, plans to strike again? What about the Americas, what about Europe? Can you honestly sleep at night with the thought that you might be next? I certainly ca--” She cut him off, defeated. “All right! Fine, okay...You have a point. It isn't proper safety unless we know what actually happened, right? It's our duty as citizens.”
Luke gave her a sudden hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!” “Okay, okay...where would we begin looking for answers?” She said, smiling. He beamed at her. “Well, that's what we came here to ask you about...ya' see, you know how your dad is chief of the Investigations Bureau? Well...we kinda, sorta' want to borrow his access card...” Luke said, a sheepish smile on his face. He expected Evelyn to immediately tell him no, and explain in detail why that was a stupid idea. “Yeah, sure. When?” She said calmly. Obviously it seemed his expectations needed some touching up. Both Ronia and Luke blinked. “Uh...” Ronia began. “Next week? That should give us enough time to prepare.” Luke finished. “Great! I'll call Grace and fill her in. For now, you two should get some rest, it's getting late.” They nodded and stood up, heading towards a flight of stairs. “Yeah. Thanks again, Evie, you're the best!” Luke said with a smile on his face, and ran up to his bedroom. Ronia stayed behind though, with a more humble smile. “Do you think he'll actually find what he's looking for?” She asked Evelyn. “Hah...well, I know if he doesn't, we're gonna be hearing about it for weeks.” She laughed, and waved Ronia goodnight.[ENTRY FOUR END]
" I never knew until that moment how bad it could hurt to lose something you never really had. " ~From the television show The Wonder Years