Kristina M. Serrano - Gold Silence

While Cliff was on some island honeymoon with Martha, Whistler and I returned to the gym and a new class schedule for the fresh autumn semester. On campus, we were greeted with two surprises. The first, Brandie and Lynette explaining they'd transferred here from community college. Unable to stop myself, I squealed and jumped at the news, having missed Brandie's almost-comical energy and sweet Lynette's attempts to keep up.

"Oh, guess what," Brandie said. "We're taking some Egyptian class as an elective. Do you have..." She dug out a sheet. "What's it called... Here we go. 'Introduction to Tomb Excavations?'"

"Yeah," I said in disbelief. "Whistler and I both."

"Where is your soulmate-love-of-your-life-dream-guy?"

I laughed. "Another class. He's supposed to meet me outside the building for this one." Sure enough, I found him leaning against the brick wall, one knee bent, hands in his pockets, looking gorgeous as ever in the afternoon sun like the gold light of Post World.

But far from my level of drooling, Brandie merely commented sadly, "So

Cliff married Mack's daughter."

"Never saw it coming," Lynette admitted.

"What? Oh, yeah. It was strange but sweet."

"Oh, well," Brandie said, sighing. "Does Whistler have any tall, dark, and handsome friends?"

"Yeah, Cliff," I said, laughing, then ducked as Brandie swung her backpack at my head.

Catching sight of me, Whistler smiled that subtle smile and walked over. "Look who joined us," I said.

He threw an arm around me, and I filled him in about Brandie and Lynette as we walked inside the building and ascended the stairs to our classroom. We'd barely found seats near each other when Dr. Desert (as he liked to be called), whom I'd had the previous year for Egyptian History, walked into the room and greeted the class.

"Stand right back up," he said. "Class will be taking place off campus today."

"Seriously?" Brandie piped up. "Sweet."

"A fun way to kick off the new semester, I thought," Dr. Desert agreed, laughing. "As you know, the high school near here raises money every year by setting up a uniquely themed haunted house. For this Halloween, my niece asked if I would lend a hand, so, yes, the theme this year is 'Haunted Egypt.' We'll be walking through a sneak peek of realistic landmarks and tombs I helped construct, which will give those acting a chance to practice frightening their guests."

Everyone else chattered excitedly as we left the class for a campus bus, but my heart sank. Before Post World, I would have been squealing at the thought of how ridiculously fun this would be. Now, all I could do was hope I didn't make an idiot out of myself.

But something told me that was bound to happen. Shaking hands, tense muscles, sharp breaths.

Whistler, on the other hand, gave me a look that said, "They don't know 'haunted Egypt.'"

I grinned at him, trying to cover my moronic worry. You're being utterly ridiculous, Selk. Stop it. Now.

The bus ride only took minutes, and then the class stood outside of what looked like an abandoned warehouse. One by one, we all entered, even Dr. Desert, Brandie and Lynette in line behind Whistler and me. My nerves had been forgotten on the ride over here, but when Whistler and I stepped up to the door, dj vu erased my easy smile. I wrapped an arm around his waist.

Avoid the mummies at all costs...

"Selk?" Whistler looked at me as if catching on. "We don't have to go in. It's not like we'll be quizzed on it or anything. And if we are, we can just read about the topics or something."

"That's right," Brandie said, "you've already been to the real Egypt, Selk. You've got your degree aced."

Laughing a little at Brandie and taking comfort in her and Lynette's presence behind me, I stepped into the building with Whistler. If they were here, we were on Earth. Nothing but lighthearted fun would happen.

Before us, a dark trail stretched between black walls with poorly painted, glowing hieroglyphic replicas. Yet, goose bumps prickled my skin. If I squinted, they weren't too dissimilar to the hieroglyphics right before the mummy tunnel, the illustrated sarcophaguses...

Around the very first bend, a boy dressed as a pharaoh jumped out at us and yelled, "You're not welcome! Go back or be doomed for disturbing my final resting place!"

Brandie and Lynette shrieked at the surprise. I gasped, then covered up the shock with a laugh. Whistler joined in. I knew the boy reminded him of a ridiculous version of Tut.

At that, I wondered about the real Tut, how he and his Drusilla were enjoying their new free life. I imagined them traveling all over the world, making up for lost time. I actually smiled in disbelief, after so much time still finding it difficult to process the fact that the real Tutankhamen still walked the Earth with his one true love, who happened to be Cleopatra's granddaughter.

A movement snapped me back to the present, making me jump, but it was only two kids in a poorly attached camel costume. Turn by turn, we weaved our way through poorly animated crocodiles, paper mach pyramids, a shrieking girl poking her head through a hole in a cardboard sphinx cutout, and a forest of plastic papyrus reeds where the high schoolers hid and grabbed at our ankles. Gradually, calmness coaxed the fear away. These were nothing but kids in costumes. No magic, no promise of death. Only a field trip.

Brandie, Lynette, Whistler, and I laughed until we turned another corner and the neon glow paint vanished. Behind us, a door sealed shut. Moaning noises came from somewhere beside of us. And then, we were surrounded by glowing masks and bandages. They screamed at our faces, clawed at us, tried to make us bleed and trap us in their sarcophaguses... Slow us down to catch us...

In my mind, I banged against the mummy's chest, trying to push myself away like pushing against a bandaged building. It wouldn't let me go. I couldn't break free. Screams and rapid breaths intertwined, my heart racing beneath the mummy's sharp fingers as it clawed at my collarbone, trying to tear me open, fill its home with a bath of blood...

"Guys, run!" I cried, somehow finding Brandie and Lynette and pushing them in front of me.

"Cool it, Selk," Lynette said, screaming and giggling as one of the glowing horrors grabbed at but didn't touch her.

"Yeah," Brandie said, casually strolling through the tunnel. "Did you forget that, you know, there's no such thing as ghost mummies or whatever they're supposed to be?" When one of the masks fell off, she added, "Ooh, hello, tall, dark, and last-year-in-high-school. Call me when you get to college."

"Really?" the actor replied.

"Stick to the script," one of the masked actors scolded before resuming his threatening noises and grabbing gestures.

My heart still pounding, I forced myself to exhale deeply and press on. I jumped when Whistler grabbed my hand.

"We should be out soon," he murmured, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

Embarrassed by acting like a kid, I just nodded and kept walking. But just before the exit, I supposed for the grand finale, three actors in glowing masks leaped from the ceiling and lunged at us. Screaming, without thinking, I kicked and punched until they'd all doubled over, grabbed Whistler's hand, and raced through the door into muted sunlight.

Trembling from scalp to soles, I peered back into the warehouse, managed to croak a "sorry" at the actors, and then leaned against the brick wall.

Ashamed but still terrified, I buried my face into my hands, mingled images of the haunted house and Post World flashing through my mind.

"Selk?" Whistler put his hands on my shoulders, but I didn't look at him. "Selk," he repeated, "it's okay. This isn't Post World. You're safe. You never have to face another mummy again."