Part one
It was wet, sticky and hot. The sweat poured out of you from places you never sweat before. Attempting to wipe the sweat off your body was a pointless action that the remaining crew of fifty gave up on days ago. Sixteen members of the crew had already been escorted back due to heat sickness. The constant sound of insects buzzing and birds yelling became a white noise day one into the five day march through the jungle. The noise the crew now heard was the hacking of machetes, and the murmuring of conversations fighting against the sounds of nature.
“I think we ought to turn back, we are already almost out of supplies, the crew won't survive like this.”
Mark said to John, the leader of the expedition.
“Doesn't help that you can eat five men's worth of food. You hulking bastard.”
Kyle said to the large man, who cast a shadow over Kyle's thin wiry body. Used to the provocation from the navigator, he ignored it and spoke up once more.
“We won't last another day, don't forget that we have to keep provisions to survive the trip back down.” He spoke slowly through labored breaths, his large body heaving with each one. He was looking pale, with eyes that couldn't focus on anything. The heat was close to claiming him as another victim.
“We don't have to, it's a five day journey, and what do you know it's been five days.”
Kyle’s voice purred out like a cat.
“Alright Kyle that's enough teasing the big one, he could squash you flat you know.”
John said after hacking down a branch in front of him.
“If you have so much energy you should be using it to cut a path for us.”
He shoved the machete into Kyle's hand who made a disgusted face like he was given a hideous writhing worm. He was about to give it to someone else when John's stern look made him think otherwise. With a sigh he took the front position hacking at the never ending wall of vegetation.
“Listen mark I appreciate the concern, your accountability is why you're a core member of the team. But the cost of this expedition already exceeded what we were expecting. If we don't find the tomb on this journey, no one finds it, ever.”
“Is the tomb something worth dying for?”
“We're not going to die. I’ve never gotten lost in my entire life.”
Kyle said annoyed.
“Shut up!”
John barked. Kyle grumbled but didn't say anything else.
“Do you know the profits the last unearthed ziggurat made?”
“No.” Mark grumbled.
“Two point five billion dollars, now I'm not saying that's worth dying for, but it's certainly worth living for. If we don't find it today we will head back down okay?
“I'm not like Jones, digging up old treasures is not my idea of living.”
“Great because after we find this one, you won't have to dig anything again for the rest of your life.”
“Hey, so this is new.”
Kyle's voice quipped in.
“What now!”
John snapped.
“The plants stopped.”
“What?”
“I don't know, but there isn't anything to hack at anymore.”
And there wasn't, they broke through a wall of jungle that opened up into a vast abyss. The light from the path they were on trickled only a few feet into the clearing. Not even a single beam of sunlight fell from the trees here.
“Mark, get the torches.”
John said in a hurried tone. The large man was already digging into the massive pack he carried on his back. As soon as he pulled one out John swiped it from his hand. A beam of light revealed the large clearing and the monumental Ziggurat that stood in the center.
“Lord almighty, this is even better than the stories said.”
Kyle grabbed a torch from the hands of Mark as well.
“We're all going to die.”
He said mockingly. Multiple beams of light now danced along the opening. It was a perfectly circular plain. With grass that was cut and well maintained. Seeming otherworldly in a jungle this wild.
“Mark go get Jones he’ll want to see this.”
Part 2
The crew of fifty made their way into the clearing, seating up tents and light posts around the Ziggurat. Several spotlights were fixed at different angles around the looming structure, giving it an ominous glow. Five men sat around a table in the captain's tent. The three earlier were joined by Jones the lead archaeologist, and Sam, who was the representative of the local tribe who first discovered this Ziggurat, and helped lead the crew up. Sam was his English name, the crew had too hard of a time pronouncing his actual name so John decided it would be easier to call him Sam.
“It's unreal, even the indigo paint on the top remains. Gold and silver accents on the stone have not eroded at all. We've only been able to artificially create images of what we thought they would look like, but here it is, in all its glory. Like it's been frozen in time.”
Jones was rambling excitedly, like a child on Christmas day.
“It shouldn't be possible, I can't even begin to explain the scope of this discovery.”
“Well explain it in numbers.”
John said tired of hearing him rant about it.
“Well the last ziggurat discovered only had its lower two stages intact and still made over two billion dollars. There is literally no precedent for this.”
“In other words it's priceless, is what I'm hearing.”
John said as a wicked grin spread across his face.
“Well yes, but also the information of the past we could gain, all the theories and concepts won't be theoretically any longer, we could piece together history in a way no one has before.”
“Right, very interesting. Mark, how is the team doing? How long can we stay here?”
“Well, it's not as hot or humid here, and the stream that circles the base of the ziggurat is clean drinking water. We also found a garden with fruit bearing trees. We could survive off the fruit alone for a month. If we needed to. The base of the ziggurat has rooms and beds that are intact, our people have moved into the rooms making themselves at home. Sam’s people are saying it’s an evil place and won't eat the fruit, drink the water or even go near the Ziggurat.”
“What a bloody waste, are your people okay?”
Kyle said mockingly to Sam.
“It's not normal. Bad feeling.”
Sam said going over the English words very slowly, trying to be understood which has been a recurring problem for him.
“I agree, the trees on the perimeter meet above the ziggurat creating a dome, but it's too perfect. All of it is.”
Mark growled.
“Of fucking course you agree with him, few hours ago you thought this didn't even exist.”
Kyle whined.
“Well, it seems like there are people maintaining it, maybe a tribe of people who live in this jungle that revere this site.” Jones added, trying to explain.
“No people, in the jungle.”
Sam said with a downcast look.
“There are still tribes of people without any contact to the outside world, a jungle this dense could easily have multiple tribes hidden in it.”
“Maybe.”
Sam said without confidence.
“What do you suppose will happen if this tribe shows up during our ‘excavation’.”
Kyle said slyly.
John patted his holster at his side, he never went anywhere without a loaded gun.
“Negotiations of course.” He said with a hearty laugh.
“Fair enough.”
“Kyle, what’s your take on this?”
“Well the directions are perfect and like the pyramids in Egypt, the walls are built exactly facing north east south and west, must have had someone as good as me oversee it.”
“Right well let's get some rest everyone tomorrow morning we will start exploring in full force. You said they had beds intact?”
“Yes, what seems like the head priest's room I told the crew to save for us, it even has a water fountain that collects from the stream.” Jones said.
“Wonderful, let's get going.”
The men all started heading to the room, all but Sam.
“Sam, you're coming too, good work leading us here, you don't even understand how rich we will be. As thanks for leading us here, come, share the nice room with us.”
“Sir Smith is okay, I sleep with my crew.”
Sam said nervously.
“Fucking hell, how many times do I have to tell you to call me John.”
“Sorry sir John.”
“Look there are no ghosts that are going to get you in our sleep. The scariest thing around here is when I lose my temper. Now let's go.”
Reluctantly Sam followed behind him.
The room was spacious, built into the lowest section of the Ziggurat, the sleeping quarters were sectioned off to the side of the room. The five rope beds had folded fur blankets and pillows laying on top.
“It's like a five star hotel. Where won't get yelled at for stealing the sheets.”
“You’ve stolen sheets?” Mark growled.
“Tried to, not very easy to be discreet.”
The judgmental looks from the crew prompted another response out of him.
“They were exceedingly comfy. Wanted a little bit of that five star quality at home.”
As the crew got ready for bed, they noticed that in each of their sheets there was also a scarab pendant, and silken robes. The scarab was made of gold, with a sapphire abdomen. The robes were indigo colored.
“Mines broken. Weird, the first thing here that's not intact.” Kyle complained.
“The leg?” John said
“Yeah, yours too?”
“Mine is missing the front left one as well.” Jones added.
“No mine is the front right one.”
They noticed that the scarabs all had a missing leg, a different one for each scarab.
“This probably had significant religious meaning to the people that built them.”
“And it is?” Kyle questioned.
“I'm not 100% sure yet, I'd have to cross reference my notes.”
“Isn't this the only reason you're here, to know things?”
“Seems i need to remind you, your only role has been fulfilled you lead us here, now you're just needlessly taking up space. So just shut up.” Jones said tiredly.
Mark didn't say anything but had a hearty chuckle.
“Alright men, it was a rough journey, I think everyone is a little high strung. Let's get some rest so we don't end up killing each other.”
He didn't need to ask again. The air in the ziggurat was cool and dry, after trekking through the humid jungle for nearly a week the men fell asleep as soon as they pulled the blankets over their bodies.
Jones was the first to awaken, he had a spotlight aimed at the roof revealing a large mural with vibrant paint. It depicted five men around a shrine, they had the same robes on that they were now wearing, with the scarab pendant lifted in the air. John was the second one awake. Jones started talking as soon as he noticed movement.
“It's a ritual of some kind.”
“No shit.”
John groaned voice still heavy with sleep.
Jones just kept on talking.
“The positioning, it's like a star they all take a knee and after raising the pendant.”
He paused translating the text that was painted.
“They enter the realm of the immortals?”
“It’s always immortality.”
“Yes but the way it's written is more like a door. Like they physically enter, not a state of being or abstract.”
“I'd love to walk through the pearly gates too, but if immortality worked like that we would see a lot more old bastards walking around here.”
“I think we should replicate this pose, it might help me understand more.”
“I think it would make for a hell of a shot.” Kyle said while mimicking a camera with his hands.
They woke Mark and Sam up. And after grabbing some fruit, and finishing the last of the instant coffee they had, they made their way up to the top of the ziggurat. A sunless morning, without the sound of birds or bugs. The crew was so excited that they didn't notice the unnatural quietness, no one except Sam who lived near the jungle most of his life.
“Now normally this area was reserved for the most holy people. So that the gods would not be upset. That's why the rooms are all on the lower floors and the shrines and altars should all be here. This is the only staircase that goes to the top, the others stop partially up.”
“Would they make sacrifices?” Mark asked.
“Oh most certainly, animals, maybe people depending on the god they were trying to appease.”
Sam and Mark shared a worried glance at each other.
“Haha don't worry you pussy cats. I’d be the first to get sacrificed.” Kyle said as he flaunted his robe.
“I kinda like this, simple yet elegant, and the gold scarab to top it off.”
He brought his thumb and his pointer finger together, while making a soft kiss sound.
They reached the top of the ziggurat, it was surprisingly bare. The ground was engraved with symbols and pictures no one but Jones could make any sense of. In the center of the shrine was an altar with four channels that ran down the side.
“That's for the blood right? So that when they murder people it's not too messy.” Kyle said while looking at Mark and Sam. Jones didn't notice he was just saying it to piss them them off and answered anyway.
“Yes, not quite though usually the blood flows in a pattern, very symbolic.”
“Take picture, quick please sir.” Sam said nervously while shifting his feet.
“Okay Jones, let's hurry this up.” John said.
Jones arranged everyone around the altar. While Kyle set up a camera.
“Okay now we all take a knee, and lift your pendant.”
“Picture is set to go off in five seconds.” Kyle said then ran back into position.
Five, four, three, two and then flash! As the camera went off circular segments of the ground underneath each of the crew members suddenly dropped like an elevator and they began to sink into the belly of the ziggurat.
Part 3
Down and down they went. The stone pedestals they were on sunk quickly, smoothly without sound, save for the faint click they made when they locked into the bottom. With a flash, lanterns mounted to the wall came alive. The five men were standing in a bare room with four walls. There was a large painting on one wall and nothing else in the room.
“I guess they didn't have elevator music back then.” Kyle said.
He looked at the faces of the other men, and was disappointed when one heard his joke, not even Mark gave a reaction, they were all dumbfounded.
“Enter the realm of the immortals, I knew it wasn't just a metaphor.” Jones said while walking up to the mural on the wall.
“Jones, how do we get back up?”
Mark growled.
“We probably do the same thing we just did now, but in reverse.”
Mark went straight away back to his pedestal that was now flush with the ground and took a knee. Sam was still on his as well, trembling as he tried to keep himself together.
“Let's go then.” He bellowed at the rest of the crew.
Kyle erupted in a fit of laughter.
“Mark, you understand we just accessed a hidden area of the ziggurat, there will be riches here, isn't that right Jones.”
“Yeah the mural depicts an ancient king or ruler on a throne surrounded by countless treasures.”
“We’ll see how countless it is.” John added.
“You know the king there doesn't look very happy about all his treasure.” Kyle noted.
It was true, the ruler in the painting was slumped on the throne in his red robes, head in his hands while looking towards the sky with a vacant look.
“Typical silver spoon baby, never appreciate the things you're born into.” John growled.
“Guess that's why we're here, to appreciate it all for him.” Kyle said with a smug look.
“Now you're getting it.” John said while giving him a firm pat on the back.
“There Isn't anywhere to go, it's an empty room. Treasure was probably taken out years ago. Let's go back up.” Mark said, getting impatient.
“This is a door, not just a painting.” Jones said while eyeing the wall.
“Look, there are five indents in the wall, conveniently scarab sized.”
He took off his scarab pendant and pushed it into a slot in the mural. John and Kyle did the same. They looked over at Mark and Sam who were clutching their scarabs.
“Mark.” Jones said slowly.
“If we give up our scarabs, how will we get back up?”
“Jones?”
“There are always multiple ways out, worst case we just pull them out of the wall, we don't even know if it's going to work yet.”
“Everything here works.” Mark said dejectedly.
He reluctantly went up to the wall and pushed his scarab in. It was just Sam left, who was hiding his pendant.
“Sir John, let me go up please. You bring other man.”
John walked up slowly to him, and put his hand out. Glaring down at Sam. When Sam didn't give the pendant, John smacked his hands, knocking the beetle loose. He tried to scramble for it but John already had it.
“This is why I hate dealing with locals.” He said under his breath as he walked up to the wall. This section of the painting had a top down view of an altar room. The other Scarabs were placed north, east, south and west, on the corners of the altar room walls. The last slot was on the altar itself. He pushed the scarab into the altar, and although the shell was blue, the beetle flashed red before being sucked into the wall. The wall disappeared, slipping into the ground quickly, quietly.
“We could pull them out of the wall?” Mark growled, the agitation in his voice growing.
Jones just shrugged.
“It's incredible how well this place is built. Guess we have to move forward now.”
“Honestly Mark, I'm not just saying this to be an ass this time, but you really have to stop being such a whiny bitch, it's so annoying.” Kyle said.
“I hate to say it Mark, but I agree with Kyle for once, we are closer than ever to the greatest discovery, perhaps in human history, we don't have time to be waiting around.”
“This place has been here for centuries, it wont leave tonight.”
“No it won't, but other people will show up sooner than later, and unlike Kyle I don't like getting caught with my pants down.”
“That was one time, and I had so many drugs in my system you can't really blame me.” Kyle complained.
The crew walked slowly down the hallway now, with Jones taking the lead, he was explaining things they saw, and talking about history all the while. John was hardly paying attention, he was filled with single minded determination to find the treasure room. Sam walked behind them in the rear with downcast eyes. Not wanting to follow, but wanted to be left on his own even less. They proceeded like this until the passageway split into a fork. The party all turned to look at Kyle.
“What, I don't see a fucking street sign either.”
“Navigate, navigator.” Mark said tauntingly
“Of course, we all take ancient labyrinth courses in school.” He said sarcastically.
He went behind Mark and started rummaging through his heavy pack.
“What are you taking?” Mark asked.
“Shut up.”
He grabbed a can of spray paint and marked an X on the ground.
“We will take the right one and see where it goes for now, unless you want to split up?”
His frivolous demeanor diminished as he asked Mark the question.
“No we will stick together, do your thing Kyle.” John added.
“Of course.”
They spent about an hour walking through twisting passage ways, with Kyle making occasional sighs and groans of frustration. Soon they arrived at another split in the passage with a black X marked on the ground.
“Some navigator you are.” Mark grumbled.
“Do you want to try? It doesn't make sense we should have been somewhere else.” Kyle said annoyed.
“We're not.”
“Listen you big fucker, i know what I'm doing. Something isn't right, We took only right turns but ended up coming out of the left tunnel. You're too slow to understand but that's not how it's supposed to work.”
“It is just a loop? A false passage?” Jones asked.
“You're the one who is supposed to find the hidden things.”
“The passage might be moving, as we go through it. The builders probably wanted the robbers to give up.” Jones said.
“Yes it's working great on some of us. Mark, get the journal and compass out of the bag.”
A smile crept across John's face, he knew that Kyle was getting serious, last time he saw him so annoyed they got lost at sea during a storm while looking for a shipwreck, would have been the end of them back there if he didn't find a way.
“Mark let him concentrate, he will be fine.”
They went around the loop one more time, this time Kyle was scribbling down in his notes while they went through, and timing how long it would take them to reach certain points. They once again ended up coming from the left exit and seeing the black X on the floor.
“We're back again.” Mark said.
“Shut up, this is all part of the process.” Kyle scowled at mark.
“I've almost got it figured out.”
For a third time they went into the right passageway, taking the same path as normal. About halfway through Kyle stopped and got the crew to go back the way they came.
“Why are-”
“Don't even start with me.”
He looked down at his watch and then down at his notes.
“Anytime now.”
Suddenly a section of tunnel in front of them broke off and rotated upwards, revealing a slim staircase undeath that went downwards into darkness.
Kyle couldn't hide his confident smile.
“Tricky tricky, but you'll have to do better than that.”
“Good work Kyle.”
John said, before taking the lead down the new passage. They went down for some time, the stairs were steep and narrow. Unlike above there were no lights on the walls, there weren't any walls at all. The crew descended in the silent darkness. When the ground leveled out Mark got the torches and handed them out to the crew members. They were on a catwalk that was wide enough for only two people, one if the person was Mark sized. There was a knee high railing that ran along the side.
“I can't see the bottom.” Mark said, holding his torch over the rails.
“Interesting, they must have hollowed the ground underneath the ziggurat. But why?” Jones said to no one in particular.
“You tell me.” Kyle muttered
“Let's keep the pace up boys.” John said eagerly.
At the end, the catwalk split into five different paths. John started down the rightmost path, used to the way Kyle likes to navigate, as soon as he walked a meter down the path, the ground behind him gave out and fell into the darkness. Jones had to jump backwards to avoid being swallowed up by the abyss.
“Looks like we have to split up this time. Go one at a time, the ground might fall.”
“I'm not going to be first.” Kyle whined.
John knew his crew would spend the next few minutes arguing, so he went ahead on his own. The path ended in a smooth stone slide.
“Hahah, what kinda crazy bastard built this place.”
Without any hesitation he launched himself into the slide, slipping and gliding for a while until he was launched off the end and landed roughly on another thin path. This path was perpendicular to the slide’s exit. His beam of light revealed that he stopped inches before the knee high fence that separates him from the abyss below. Looking around he saw four other slide exits. Jones was next, he came tumbling down and landed on his chest knocking the wind out of him. John helped him to his feet and stood off to the side waiting for the rest of the crew. Sam came next he landed lightly but couldn't keep his balance and hit the ground rolling into the fence.
“Sam, nice to see you in one piece get over here.”
Kyle landed gracefully like a cat, he took a few seconds to take in his surroundings.
“Where is-”
Before he could finish his sentence, Mark came hurling down his slide, his own body weight and the pack of supplies gave him too much momentum to slow down, He crashed into Kyle sending him flipping over the edge of the rails and into the abyss.
Part 4
The crew was quiet. They had made their way to a wide chamber. No one wanted to be near the edge after what had happened. Each mourning the death of their partner in their own ways. None was more devastated than Mark. Who now lay on the ground silent, unmoving.
“He's been like that for hours now Jones.”
“It's because he knocked him off.”
“It could have been any of us. It was an unfortunate thing.”
John looked over at Sam who was now quivering on the ground.
“Truly unlucky.” He added.
John walked up to his friend.
“Don't look so down, at least he can't make fun of you now.” John joked.
Mark didn't reply.
“We're all sad, but the only thing we can do is get out of here alive. We will send his family enough so they don't have to work again.”
“He didn't have a family. It's only been about the money for you. We all knew that.”
John was about to say something but Mark's voice boomed, cutting him off.
“But he's dead! I wanted to leave, your greed got him killed. He was an ass, but he was the best navigator, you can’t buy another of him.“
“I know dammit! I understand, I'm the leader, it falls on me, but we have to live ourselves.”
“Without him we wouldn't have made it this far. Now that he's dead we might as well be.”
“We have to keep moving.”
With a sign he got up. Glared at John and walked to catch up with Jones. Who was studying next door. It was massive and took up the entire back wall of the chamber they were in. There were lanterns in this room like the hallways now far above them.
“Well this one is simple, five pedestals, we all stand on one and open the door.”
“All four of us.” Mark groaned.
“Yes, that's what I was going to say.”
“I told you, you shitty leader.”
“Now Mark, none of us are happy. That wont help the situation.” Jones said
“Don't defend him.”
“I'm not defending him, I'm trying to keep us sane.”
“You should have been trying to keep us alive.”
The air was tense, and time seemed to crawl by.
“Mr. Muller sir, use pack.” Sam's voice broke through the tension of the room.
“Good idea Sam.”
They all lined up and stood on a pedestal each. They were five meters apart from each other.
Mark slung the heavy bag he always carried off his back and dropped it on the fifth pedestal. A section of the door in front of Jones split apart.
“Well then.”
He said as he stepped through the door.
“Are we supposed to go th-”
Boom!
John was about to ask Jones something, when the sound of the door snapping in place answered it for him.
A door now opened in front of John.
“Why couldn't they all be this easy.” He said while walking through.
Sam was next and quickly scurried through the door. It was Mark's turn now, he walked through his door when it opened.
“Great lovely we all made it now.-
“The supplies!”
Mark said and started running to where the wall would open.
“No Mark, leave them dammit!” John shouted at him. But his cries fell on deaf ears. Mark's heart was pounding as he raced through the wall when it opened. He swung the bag over his shoulder, and out of habit started to check the side pockets for a torch.
“Run Mark!
He snapped back to reality and rushed to the door. He reached out to John who was waiting on the other side.
Boom!
The doors slammed, snapping off marks large arms like carrots.
Part 5
No words were said as they made their way down the path. It was elaborately decorated with paintings, vases were displayed on shelves. Murals and paintings depicting historical events. The dream of an archaeologist. But Jones walked with his head down. First Kyle, now Mark. He really wanted to uncover the lost secrets of the world, to be known as a pioneer. He realized that he was as greedy as his leader, and the guilt was chewing him away to nothing. John wasn't doing much better, but none were as bad as Sam. He walked without knowing, he had a soulless look to eyes. Just putting one foot in front of the other was all he could manage. They reached the next room. It had a plaque in the middle, and the ground was carved like the altar at the top of the ziggurat. Jones sighed deeply and went to study it. There weren't any words to be said between Sam and John while Jones spent the next hour decoding the plaque. Jones gestured to John to come to the other side of the room with him.
“I hope you've got some good news.”
“Sort of, I've figured it out mostly. There are spots we need to stand. Over the symbols representing different gods.”
“We lost another man.”
“Numbers aren't the problem here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Only two can pass through this room if you stand in the wrong spot you likely...”
He didn't have to finish the sentence. John was already glancing in Sam’s direction.
“Do you know which ones are safe?”
“Sort of, I know one is the god that reigns over time, for immortality.”
“But I'm not sure if it's the God of Death or the God of Life that it refers to here.”
“Wouldn't you want the god of Life to live?”
“That's what I was thinking, but it's hard to tell who is who.”
“The local cultures still worship these god’s. Many of the other ones are lost to time, save for people like me.”
John nodded slowly.
“You want to go? He doesn't like me. Named him after my dog too.”
“Right. He hesitated. “You know what this means for him?”
“I can't lose you too.”
“How romantic.” he said bitterly.
Jones walked over to Sam, who was staring at the ground beneath his feat.
“Hey Sam, we think the clue to this puzzle will depend on being able to tell the difference between the God of Death, and the God of life.”
He stared at Jones for a while with his glassy eyes, then pointed at the floor beneath him.
“God of death here.”
“Ohh, right, you were one step ahead of me.”
Jones went and positioned everyone. John was over the markings of the God of Time, Sam on Death, and Jones on Life.”
“Well let's get this over with," John said.
Jones arranged them in the positions needed. After five seconds the door slid open.
“Well I thought- Ahhhhh.”
Before Jones could finish he disappeared into a hole that opened under his feet.
“JONES! Fucking hell!”
His fury exploded, he lost his crew and needed someone or something to blame. He shot fire at Sam with his eyes.
“You filthy rat, you knew this would happen to him didn't you!”
“How do I know!?”
“He asked you for advice and now he is dead. Did you tell him a lie on purpose.”
“You want me dead instead, I know this.”
“So you did!”
“My people pray to the god of death to keep him away. But I don't want Sir Jones to fall. I was hoping it would be you.”
John removed his handgun from his belt, pointed it at Sam and made a gesture for him to walk in front. He didn't argue but just walked through the door and down the next passageway. John was keeping him in front in case any traps went off. There were no more traps, just a door, a plain stone door.
“Go on, open it.”
Sam just pushed on the door and it rolled open with ease. He saw what was in the room, paused and looked back at John.
“What's in there?”
Sam didn't answer but just walked into the room.
“Tell me what's in there you bastard!”
John stormed in there after Sam. The doors slamming shut behind him as he did.
“Fucking hell.”
The sight was something John never wanted to see. The square room had a large altar in the middle, and four glass cylinders in each corner where his men's bodies lay suspended in air, what was left of them. Kyle's body, with blood stains down his head. Marks body without arms, looking thinner from loss of blood, Jones’s body was pierced with holes, as if he fell onto a bed of spikes. Only one cylinder was empty. John was by no means an archaeologist, but he had an idea of his own.
“John, there is a door here.”
He stood opposite the doors they came in, there lay a door, with two stone pedestals in front.
“Like the other one.”
John didn't reply.
“Sir John we can leave.”
“I'm sorry Sam but we've come so far-”
“Don't justify.”
Sam walked over to the empty cylinder and turned to face John. Staring at him with a look of contempt. He met Sam's eyes, they were resolute, knowing what was about to come.
“My friends are all dead, I can't let their deaths go to waste.”
“No, you lie.”
“What are you-”
“Your friends are dead yes. Your greed is not.”
John aimed his gun between the eyes of the man he named Sam. Sam’s eyes never left his, even as he pulled the trigger, even after the cylinder behind him opened up and swallowed him, suspending him in death along with the rest of John's crew. There was a rumble underneath his feet, slowly blood bubbled from the floor. It was slow at first but soon it kept rising faster and faster. It was at his ankles now, to avoid the blood he went to the highest place he could, the altar in the middle of the room. He sat on the altar looking at the room filling with blood. John never considered himself a good man and he's killed before. But he was sad, sad that he got his good men killed. Sad that he didn't even know the name of the man he shot. Sad that after all this there was no treasure. No immortality, just regret. The blood was almost level to the altar he sat on. He wanted a smoke, but the smokes were in the pack that Mark died trying to bring. The blood was at his belly button now. John pushed the barrel of his gun underneath his jaw. He imagined drowning in blood several times as he waited there. The gun seemed like the better option. He didn't have time to process the events of the last day, and didn't have time to now. He squeezed the trigger as the blood hit his chest, sending a bullet through his head, killing himself and completing the ritual.
His eyes opened. He was lying on the altar. He felt his head for a bullet wound but it was not there. The room was empty now, the bodies that were suspended have gone somewhere else. His blue robes now died blood red, he sat there on the altar, confused and in shock. His body felt light and strong. He ran a hand through his hair, it was thicker and glossier than ever. He examined his body, the scars he once had, had gone. The immortality ritual worked. He was immortal. A flash of light behind him, there sat a chair where the altar once was.
“Time for the final act I suppose.”
He sat down in the chair, his newfound immortality giving him confidence. It sunk into the ground and took him with it. He was in an elevator shaft going down, and down. When he saw light from below start to rise. A second elevator, soon it would be level with him. A young beautiful man in red robes sat in a chair opposite him going up. They locked eyes only for a second. There was nothing in the king's eyes but pity for John, the man he didn't know. John finally reached the bottom. He got out of the chair, and it retracted back to the surface leaving him behind. The torches flashed on, and the room was brought to life. Sparkles from gold, jewels and silver. It was like a dragon's lair. He spent hours touring the rooms and halls filled with glittering riches, looking for a way to bring the treasure out of there. But there was no way up, no way out. There was a beautiful throne in the highest point of the room that John now sat on. John's heart sank as the truth of his situation dawned on him. He had more treasures than he ever imagined, treasures he would never get a chance to spend for the rest of his life, his immortal life.
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