CHAPTER ONE: THE PLAN TO THE PAST

Bell rang dismissal time. Caroline Adams, a girl with a long ebony black straight hair, oval shaped face matching her beautiful pair of piercing dark partly mediterranean, partly asian violet eyes was getting out of the classroom number four hundred and five’s door along with some of her classmates in her last subject every Tuesday which was Philosophy. She was going home though she still had one place to go before leaving the school premises. She was on her way outside the Arts building and striding her way to the gym where she would be waiting her cousin Heather Campbell from her last subject which was Introduction to Anthropology. She walked briskly passing other students, who were by some reason knew her, greeted her with a smile or a wave of a hand. Caroline started to rummage on her yellow hued tote bag searching for her mobile phone. As soon as she found it, she rang her cousin’s number to remind her that she was dismissed already. When she reached the gym, she entered the double door and walked straight to the left bleacher and sat there until Heather came.

Caroline was a twenty year old young woman and orphaned by the age of nine. She barely talked about her parents mishappenings. Though, she was not alone. Her cousin Heather was also an orphan, lost her parents by a crime at the age of seven. Since both of them lost their parents at a very unripe age, they started living with their Uncle Rothford John in Hertfordshire in his very own though inherited Victorian house from his grandfather Sir Rothgang Dwaine Adams where anyway, both of the girls were born. It wasn’t after all moving into a different place since they knew the place very well. Besides, their Grandmother Estelle was also living with them. Naturally, they inherited the very old interest that ran into their family’s blood. Their undying love for Egypt. Its ancient ruins, artefacts, mysteries, mummies and its history. Uncle John would always say that they had the blood of the very first Egyptologist set on record in the history, Napoleon Bonaparte but that of course was just a self-acclaimed concept.
After some ten minutes of boresome waiting, a girl with a prominent and natural red long curly hair was visibly walking towards Caroline’s direction.

“What took you so long?” asked Caroline hotly with her arms crossed and folded on her chest.
Heather didn’t answer straight away but helped herself first of putting down her floral shoulder bag and sat. “Well Carol, I went first to the library and I found this.” Heather was giving something to Caroline which obviously looked like pages from books that had been photo-copied. Caroline wasn’t actually reading what the information on the paper were. She was merely scanning the pages and stopped as Heather asked her again “So, whatcha think? Star guides indeed eh?”

Caroline nodded and gave her a big grin like of a clown with thick lipstick on the mouth to exaggerate the grin. “What’s with that stupid grin? Is there something that I need to know?” asked Heather with one eye brow raised.

“Yep my girl, you are uninformed of something special, something outrageous!” cheered Caroline.

“Outrageous?” Heather repeated the word unbelievably.

Caroline nodded with eagerness but didn’t spill the beans yet. “Well, there would be no point of you telling me that there is something outrageous out there, where ever or whatever it is if you are not gonna tell me and you just keep on nodding, indeed?” added Heather almost likely wanted to start an argument since she was very known to get angry easily.
“ok Ms. Flame! I’m just trying to keep you interested and wondering if you will make some guesses!” barked Caroline as she loosened her artificially planned facial expressions which made Heather’s temper a little warm. “See, Ruth. Her brother Paul, made, built...factually, invented something like let’s say, something which can take us to the past, and not just any past but.. a past which is related to the topic of our thesis in our career. Do you read me Heath?” Her violet eyes on Heather’s own green eyes checking of some surprise that would come out of it.

“You mean to say, like a time machine?, isn’t it?” Heather responded as she was pondering what her cousin just told her.

“Precisely!” Caroline agreed.

“So how do this thing work? I mean is it safe, or is Ruth’s brother a hundred percent sure that this thing you are saying won’t fail in the process of usage?” asked Heather curiously. Obviously, She did not want to believe anything about it.

“I dunno anything about it internally for now..that’s why I am expecting a call from Ruth by eight tonight.” admitted Caroline. Caroline found small traces of fright from her cousin’s face when she gave a weak answer to her. “Look Heath, I know you are scared about it, and maybe you are also scared of the interest I give in this thing. But I assure you, I will not risk, not a single strand of my beautiful black hair if I am not sure that this thing will work perfectly. Ok? Don’t give me that face! We will be together with this, and besides if something bad happens to me, it will happen to you too.” Both of them laughed and Caroline stood up and gestured Heather to go home.

As they rode the double-decker bus, they found seats on the upper deck at the last row and they were talking of things which weren’t related to studies and school.
“..What does he think about himself anyway?..he is not the right guy for you Carol. Believe me.”

“Oh I dunno, You know we’ve been having this relationship for two years already..It’s just that if I will be the one to break it, I will probably start to feel guilty!”

“I think you are guilty and you are stupid. Don’t feel pity to a guy who snogs other girls while you are not looking! Caroline! Wake up lass! You are too beautiful for that German shepherd dog, Amadeus!” Caroline laughed as Heather barked and gestured her arms like a scare tree. And for some reason, Caroline was almost close to tears. Heather’s mad face for a Caroline who doesn’t use her head properly when it came to love suddenly disappeared and changed into an understanding, angelic face. She hugged her and caressed her back and whispered to her, “I don’t want to see you hurt girl, you are the only one I have, you are a sister to me. About Amadeus, dump him. If I were you, dump him. He do not deserve a girl like you who have a rare beauty! Understand?” Caroline nodded and loosened herself from Heather’s embrace and rummaged her bag for some tissues. While she wiped her tears off, Heather suddenly thought of one thing, “Caroline, how about dumping Amadeus and then, I would be all about supporting and coming with you on a journey to a past with that time machine?” suggested Heather which made Caroline somewhat petrified to hear her cousin talked like this.
Caroline grabbed the chance, the bargain. A bargain which obviously sounded that everything was for her.

“No more crying please.”

“Sure. Deal.”

Just in time, they arrived at the bus station near their place and got off the bus and walked their way to home. As they reached home, Heather sped up to her room. She changed her clothes and directly went to the kitchen to cook and prepare dinner while Caroline sat in front of the computer in her own room and continued working with their thesis. Some minutes later, the telephone in the sitting room rang. It might had been Ruth calling.

“Will you get the phone Carol?” shouted Heather as she was breading the chicken for frying.

“I’ll get it!” shouted back Caroline as she clicked the word ‘ENTER’ on a website called, ‘Ancient Egypt and Artefacts’ and stood up and walked through the door then to the sitting room.

“Hello. Adams Family. Caroline speaking, how may I help you?” answered Caroline smartly though it seemed memorized long ago. Probably, Uncle John taught her and Heather how to answer properly on the phone since Uncle John had many friends, clients and co-workers who called at home.

“Can I talk to you?! Its me Ruth Dickens!”

“My pleasure honey-bee. So! Howsitgoin?”

“Great! Paul says, its gonna be fine!..we can use it!”

“Oh yea..i like the sound of it. Remarkable indeed!”

“How’s Heather’s reaction to this? And hey Carol, about us, going to the past..mark it!..it will be tomorrow in the afternoon, twelve sharp!”

“What???!!! Are you serious?..or you are just trying to elevate my excitement?” laughed Caroline. “By the way, about Heather, she says she is fine with it. We made a deal that’s why about Amadeus. She will come with us if I will dump him. Course I will dump him with no regrets! I want Heather with this adventure!” she added cheerfully.

“A couple of good news as well for me. Thank you. Where’s Heather now? What is she doing?”

“We have just arrived home about fifteen minutes ago and she’s preparing dinner while I continue working on the introduction of our thesis.”

“Both of you do not have classes tomorrow and on Thursdays right?”

“Yes..so do you.” Smiled Caroline even if Ruth wasn’t seeing her.

“Everything is finalized then? But do come here earlier before twelve..I would love to prepare something delicious for breakfast.”

“Sure Ruth. Ok? I’ll just relay everything we’ve talked about to Heather.”
“Alright. See you tomorrow. Bye.”

“Thank you for your call. Bye.”

Just when Caroline hung up, Heather was there at the sitting room standing on the back of a red couch, her arms and hands resting on it.
“It was Ruth right?” asked Heather. “Heard you say her name.”
Caroline nodded. She said everything to her what they had talked about. Also told her that they had to pack things, things that they would be needing and and she told Heather how grateful she was to have her as a cousin and a sister. Heather cooked fried chicken and they reheated some paella on the microwave which their Grandmother made yesterday. They ate their dinner hastily probably because of the excitement that was inside them of packing things as if going on a long holiday.

“Where’s granny by the way?” asked Heather to Caroline while they were inside Caroline’s room as Heather checked the introduction to their thesis which Caroline was revising since Ruth’s computer was accidentally formatted by Paul without even asking his sister if there were important things on the computer. More to that, they did not have any back-up copies so that they had to revise it again and this time it was Caroline who volunteered in writing the introduction.

“She’s already sleeping. She left her door ajar..and I had to close it cus’ her snoring irritates me so much!”

“Oh ok. Caroline I was just wondering, you see..as you say, we are going to the past, and I believe it will be in the time of Pharaoh Amenhotep III right?”

“Yes. Exactly..What is it you are thinking about?”

“Isn’t it a fact in the history that he had two sons?..including the second to the eldest..you know, Amenhotep IV?..”

Caroline opened her mouth a little, probably wanted to say something and then she closed it again. She was staring into the lilac walls of her bedroom. Until, she spoke again.
“Heather, are you thinking what I am thinking?” asked Caroline now with a changed of facial expression. An eyebrow raised and a seductive smile which looked more seductive because of her mediterrasian ebony eyes.

“Oh yeah if it works Carol..and believe me, I would love to put my head on the shoulder of a prince!” Heather was now smiling the same way like Caroline.

“Wait a minute, do you think we could have the chance to witness how did the eldest son of Amenhotep III, Thutmosis V, really die? Asked Caroline curiously.

“Crossed-fingers!” exclaimed Heather as she gave Caroline the gesture for it. “It would make a big break for us if we could see it. Besides, in my opinion, the 18th Dynasty was the most interesting and wonderful era in Ancient Egypt.” She added.

When they had finished packing all the things they were going to take with them on a rucksack, Heather went to her own bedroom and they slept dreamlessly.

When next day came, Caroline found Heather sitting in the kitchen with their granny and uncle. They were having their breakfast while Heather was just plainly drinking tea since they would be having their breakfast at Ruth’s place.

“Good morning everyone...Good morning Wednesday.” muttered Caroline sleepily.

“Oh dear, why did you wake up? You are still sleepy I think..go back to sleep if you want, isn’t it your holiday today?” suggested and asked Granny as she wiped tea residue on her lips with a napkin.

“No, I dun wanna sleep anymore..I always get the feeling that if I oversleep I will experience slight headache again.” She sat next to Heather who was already sipping her second cup of tea.

“So how are you Uncle John, didn’t get to see you last night. What time did you come home?” asked Caroline as she tried to open her eyes wider.

“I came home pretty late cus’ I had to talk to a French Egyptologist in London and I waited for him since he’s organizing something of an excavation in Memphis. Late maybe, but I made a very good negotiation with the man! Actually, tomorrow I will have my flight to Egypt. I must leave for tomorrow –

“Aha! So that means Old Mandy and her cat Dolly can come here and stay with me since you are heading in Egypt and these girls I believe are going somewhere else..they never bothered to stay here during their holidays every week.” Demanded Granny smartly.
Uncle John found this very annoying and dirty. A cat inside his house! He never wanted an animal inside his house. Although everytime he complained about his mother’s friend’s cat, his mother would always defended, ‘A cat is a sacred animal in ancient Egypt!..You are an Egyptologist yourself!’

“Alright.” Sighed Uncle John plainly. A silence was formed and with a couple of sips from Heather on her tea cup. Suddenly, Uncle John barked, “But please mother! Do not let the cat wander around the house! The last time your friend and the cat –
“They have names! Mandy and Dolly!”

“Oh whatever their names are mother! I saw a cat’s dung on the doormat of my bedroom! It was so disgusting!”

“For pity’s sake will you snap out of it as disgusting! That cat’s dung served as a good luck for you! You see, now you are having a new excavation with that Frenchman you say.” Snapped Granny.

“Oh please cut it down! Will you please stop talking about that dung thing! I’m spreading marmalade here!!!” yelled Caroline irritably. While Heather laughed and choked by the tea she was sipping. Everyone laughed and after cleaning off the table, Uncle John set off to his 1975 Ford Mustang yellow car, said he would be meeting the Frenchman again to sign some papers about their negotiation. While their grandmother went to the veranda and started talking on the their wireless phone to Old Mandy, telling her she could stay at home for tomorrow and the following days til her son come back from Egypt. And as for the girls, they headed straight into their own bedrooms, made sure everything were fine and everything packed. Caroline checked the time on her silver-plated wristwatch and said to herself, “We still have an hour and half..I can still manage a shower.” She took her shower while Heather had already done it early morning before sitting with their grandmother and uncle. After an hour passed, Caroline called Heather on her bedroom phone and told her to check what was their grandmother doing outside the veranda and if she was still sitting there. Since the main door, and the main gate was located there.

“Carol! As if you dunno granny! She can stay forever in the veranda if she wants to! I say, we can go out through the back door! At the pantry. We can take our things there and stock it at the boot of the car and of course you drive, I dunno how to drive. Why dun you take the car out of the garage and make it ready at the backyard.”

When everything was ready, the rucksack, the car and themselves, Caroline drove and stopped for awhile in front of the veranda to bade goodbye to their grandmother. “We’ll see you later beautiful Estelle..say hi to Old Mandy from us alright?”

“Alright girls..be safe. Will you be here for dinner or not? Because I plan to make tortilla tonight with some hot, chilli ground meat.”

“Oh...hot!” Heather breathed gesturing her hand like she just ate her grandmother’s chilli tortilla. They said goodbye to her with a single wave of a hand and flying kiss and strode off to Ruth’s house.

Driving their other 1975 Ford Mustang pink car which was white as its original color, Caroline wearing a huge silver white wire-rimmed sun specs which made her looked like a honey-bee, whistling, as the wind touched her hair as it flapped continuously. She seemed rollicking good about the unusual activity they were going to do. On the other hand, Heather was putting some hair cuticle coat on her flaming red curly hair to add extra shine and to make it appear as silky smooth. Which apparently, Caroline noticed and teased Heather that she had not seen her putting cuticle coat on her hair for ages until that time.

“...you just don’t see me putting that’s why..and besides, we are not in the same room!” Heather argued.

“I know...I’m just shaking you a bit.” Smiled Caroline.

They just reached a Y intersection and Caroline made a left turn to Dandelion Road which led to Ruth’s house. It was slightly gloomy road probably because of the effect given by thick trunks and leaves of the oak, horse-chestnut, maple trees around. At the end of the road there was a right turn which shown a beautiful bricked manor house. Some parts of the manor-exterior covered with grapevines that grown naturally around it. Caroline pressed the horn of the car to signalize Ruth that they had arrived. A girl with long wavy tawny hair and heart-shaped face peered on the second to the left window of the house and quickly covered back the beige curtain as if she saw whom she had been waiting for.