The minister yelled at the professor with nervousness, "What is going on?! Where the hell did all those mummies come from?" He took out his pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and lit one as he looked at the professor in anticipation of his reply.
The professor's pale face was bouncing between the car windows looking at the scenes outside, "I don't know. I never saw anything like this or read anything about it. I swear I don't know."
"YOU ARE THE PROFESOR!!! YOU SHOULD HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS!!!"
He looked at the minister and answered with a sincere look, "I know but believe me I don't know anything."
The atmosphere around them filled with violent tire screeching and metal clashing as a number of cars on the roads honked and dodged around the running ancient bodies while others crashed into one another as they helplessly tried to drive around the multitudes in the area. The minister's chauffeur madly beat the horns but to no avail as the crowds forced him to drive in semicircles down the roads trying to safely drive the minister through the ghastly obstacles.
The minister threw his hands in frustration as he wailed, "WHAT IS GOING ON IN EGYPT!!! I FEEL I'M LIVING THROUGH SOME VOODOO FAIRYTALE!!!" Suddenly the minister's eyes locked on something through his window that made him scream with terror, "AND LOOK AT THE SKELETONS!!!"
Chariots driven by human skeletons and pulled by the skeletal bodies of horses burst from openings in the green grounds around the roads. The iron of the chariots glistened in the morning lights as they stormed across the roads hindering the minister's car. The villagers of the areas ran out of their houses dancing madly with panic and fear as the lush vegetation and shrubs were chopped down by the ancient soldiers that were flooding their area like a high tide, feeding the march towards Luxor. One human skeleton took a horse that was tied to a tree near him and rode it. It bucked a couple of times afraid of the horrific entity riding it but the skeleton was able to break its wildness skillfully. It's owner that was plowing a piece of land nearby with oxen ran up to it as it screamed out loud but soon dashed back yelling with dread at what he saw. In no time the horse was galloping off catching up with the rest of the soldiers in their march.
"I just remembered. I believe I got it your Excellency," the professor screamed. "These guys are waging war!"
"No! I think their having a Halloween party down in the Valley. Of course they are off to war. I can see that from there armor! I just hope we are not their striking target!"
"Your Excellency you are missing my point. They don't care about us. They would have hurt us when we were back in the Valley! You see when the pharaoh commanded me to move out of his way he told me my war is not with you!"
"MEDHADT STEP ON IT!!! OUR PRIME MINISTER HAS TO HEAR ABOUT THIS!!!"
The professor continued while his mind panicked with reasoning, "Something provoked these guys anger to the extent that they rose to fight it back. I just wonder what it is."
The infinite thousands of soldiers grouping in legions, the countless chariots that were parking with military precession, all yelled death warnings to their enemies and to whoever dared to threaten their country, while they gathered in the valley and around the surrounding cliffs. Within an hour's time the campaign was almost ready for the march that was hundreds of miles long through the Egyptian wilderness.
Ramses's mummy stood proudly in the midst of his threatening soldiers and commanded, "MOVE SOLDIERS, TO SINAI!!!"
*****
Omar Sidki the PM of Egypt sat silently behind his luxurious bureau in deep thought with a big frown on his face to the extent that he didn't react with Medhadt and Charles entrance to his spacious office in the Prime Ministry. Omar's office manager closed the door behind the guests at their request as they took calm respectful steps towards the silent man.
Medhadt greeted as they stopped in front of his bureau, "Good morning your Excellency." The figure remained silent. Thinking his frown and silence was because of the surprise conference request Medhadt apologized saying, "I'm sorry for the short notice council with you sir but I can assure you the matter is of grave importance."
"I heard Medhadt." The PM answered dryly. He gestured the gentlemen to sit down. "I just don't know what to do."
Medhadt and Charles looked at each other with despair as they heard the PM's remark. Omar was a thin five foot and a half gentleman in his late forties with some gray hair spurring around both sides of his head. He had a white complexion, black eyes and a heart shaped face. His office was barely decorated aside from two beautiful paintings, one depicting the pyramids of Giza and the other a green wilderness full of leafless trees giving the impression of an autumn atmosphere. A distance across his fine redwood bureau was a set of fine black leather couches. Medhadt and Charles were seated on leather chairs located on both ends of his bureau opposite of each other.
Charles finally spoke, "Your Excellency I fear that something as grave as this would have had to have been provoked by something yet more sinister and gruesome."
"Professor…,"
Medhadt abruptly interrupted the PM apologizing. "Please excuse my unexplainable poor manners as I failed to introduce…" Suddenly he noticed that the PM called his friend rightfully by his expertise, "So you know my friend Professor Charles?"
"It's OK Medhadt. No apology is needed. I already knew of your press conference with the professor. When General Hussein, head of Police, telephoned to confirm the catastrophe in Luxor, he mentioned that both of you were hosting a press conference in celebration of the discovery that channeled this havoc. Now professor do you have any idea what provoked this or how on earth we can end it."
"What I can tell you is I heard the mummy that is supposedly that of Ramses II say that they were headed towards Sinai. The thing they are colliding with rests at Sinai or beyond."
Medhadt commented, "Only three nations rest after Sinai, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Jordan."
Omar threw his hands up in frustration saying, "Or the sea perhaps!" He cupped his face in his hands and spoke, "So I have to contact all three PM's in those countries and ask them if anything fishy was reported to them today. I feel so embarrassed." He banged his office with his fists commenting, "Great God. I have to do what I have to do."
He telephoned his secretary and commanded, "Connect me with His Excellency Hayel Al-Udwan, PM of Jordan on the phone. Kindly tell him this is an emergency please. If he is not available connect me with his deputy Hamdy El-Suroor." He placed the receiver back on the desk while Medhadt stated, "I'm no less frustrated than you are your Excellency. We have to know what it is. If it annoyed our dead it will be annoying to us eventually."
"Your Excellency I stood face to face with Ramses's mummy. It didn't hurt me. It told me in its antique language that its’ war is with someone else."
"We shall soon know professor. We shall soon know."
The phone on the PM's desk rang. He picked it up enthusiastically, "Hello…Mr. Udwan?…Your Excellency…Thank you…I can assure you it is a matter of national security that has propelled me to call you so abruptly…you see a certain province of our nation was troubled with irregular or perhaps things within the context of paranormal activity this morning and I was only asking if anything of a similar nature was brought to your attention in Jordan. Even if it’s of a general nature or of minimal importance to you it can mean a lot to us…"
Suddenly Omar grew uncomfortable and sat up in his chair listening attentively, "I see…Oh is it that serious? You are not alone…You don't want to know what has just happened in Egypt…Its not any better. What ever is battling your battalions right now has provoked the anger of a huge ancient Egyptian army that just rose out of their graves; our army has just closed off Luxor to any civilians but our headquarters gave strict orders to avoid any unnecessary clashes…My deepest condolences to the families of your martyrs…"
A deep frown grew on Medhadts’ and Charles' faces as they heard Omar ask his counterpart, "What happened."
*****
"DESERT RAGE DESERT RAGE DO YOU COPY?!" Colonel Hafeth's radio screamed with the panicking voice as the skies lit with lightning and thundered above. The rain drops trickled down on Colonel Hafeth's helmet and tan face as he grabbed the radio from his waist and answered back, "Speak to me!"
"They are everywhere by the thousands! We are locked in our jeeps and are unable to descend."
"Try to move away from the area now!!!"
"Our jeeps are stuck in the mud. We can't move a meter and its' just not safe."
"What the hell are they!!!?"
"Anything but humans" A distortion arose then the signal got caught off
"Surveillance do you cop?!"
Colonel Hafeth radio remained silent. Deeply distressed he radioed to General Riyadh. Soon he heard his voice answering.
"General I have some disturbing news."
"Just say it. It's been a terrible day since the earliest hours."
"Our surveillance units might not be able to make it back alive. General whatever is out there is not human and definitely not pleasant."
"God have mercy on us. Listen the best thing for you to do is reroute your trip back to Kerak. Retaliate when you have to but switch routes. I will send back up soon."
"I will do my best but I have a soldier’s instinct that we will end up clashing with them very soon. They seem to be in big multitudes general."
"Wait further orders from me."
Colonel Hafeth eyed the movements across the horizons with awe. The movement was just gigantic. As the seconds passed he was able to see their mobs storm sporadically across the muddy desert. "Colonel Hafeth did you copy my orders."
He snapped back in the radio, "BATTALIONS IN POSITION, STANDBY TO ENGAGE IN WAR!"
"HAFETH WHAT IS GOING ON!!!?"
"General the hostiles are at eye visibility to me. Estimated clashing point is within three minutes maximum!"
The two battalions dispersed themselves quickly in legions of one hundred soldiers behind twenty heavy canons across a one kilometer length. The fifty tanks that accompanied the battalions took their fighting positioning and waited for their orders. As the colonel gave the firing orders to the soldiers' the canons surprisingly stood without life. Soon the power of the tanks died down tearing any hope for heavy fire power. The captains tried their automatics that were in their hands but only to find them jammed. As the colonel heard the feedback on the radio he picked up his binoculars and eyed the far fronts. He gulped hard as he saw the lengthy creatures with their swords and spears in their hands; their gruesome human bodies that were full of dense hair and beastly bull heads with long horns. Their sight made him shiver with alarm and distress. "What ghastly demons are these?" He thought as he studied them. Two captains came running up to him with pale faces as he placed down his binoculars ravaged with distress. Despite his powerful faith in his strong men he knew that they are going to get slaughtered up with this wicked inhuman army. But still he knew deep inside that his men were part of an army with great achievements of bravery and will not run away from a battle no matter what the circumstances are. He looked at the legion behind him that was standing like a wall of solid concrete waiting for his orders. He looked at the two lengthy well built captains saying, "We have no other way but to fight man to man." He withdrew his sword as the captains returned obediently to their stations screaming," PREPARE FOR BATTLE!!!." He radioed his men screaming, "ATTACK AT WILL," as the gruesome beastly enemy barely two hundred yards away heaved chilling beastly howls at them and quaked the grounds underneath their feet from their outstanding numbers.
The open fields filled superbly with the Jordanian battalions’ fierce yells as they raced towards the demons. Within seconds the battle field lit viciously with sword banging and ruthless brawling. Numerous casualties fell from both sides as the battle grounds gradually filled with the dead and their body parts. However the battalions were unaware that they were fighting an army with a count that doesn’t end. The creatures' numbers were restored constantly during the fight. Soon they were outnumbered with the unretreating counts of their opponents against their casualties. The battalions’ violent defense was no match for the vast numbers of beasts. After one long hour of brutality the two Jordanian battalions were finished and the creatures continued their threatening run towards the villages of the southern parts of the kingdom, leaving nothing but bloody mud in the Wadi Rum deserts. In the mean time a general evacuation was in progress in the southern parts of the Kingdom.
*****
The wretched beings feasted on every living animal they found in their wake as they came up on the emptied villages in the southern parts of the Jordan. Domesticated beasts, birds and common animals were prey to their insatiable appetites as they tore at their raw flesh and nourished themselves. Despite the successful lengthy evac operations, many citizens in the far province of Aqaba were left behind with no refuge but the churches, mosques and their prayers.
As the assailing legions reached Aqaba City on the shores a few scores of its’ creatures picked up the smell of fresh human blood close by. They broke off from the gigantic multitude dispersed in the empty city streets and followed the scent till they arrived to a mosque and church built besides each other within the city neighborhoods. The two religious estates that were full of families and children made them boil with want. They howled viciously as they circled the estates looking for a way to break down the holiness that clothed them.
Father David from the Orthodox faith stood in the center of the church calming down his beloved brethren that were shaking with fear with his warm friendly disposition. A five foot and a half chubby fellow with a white complexion, black hair and beard, and blue wide eyes he stood confidently stating to the scores of people that were seated on the benches, "Our Lord asked us to pray so we will be always with him with our hearts and souls. Fear not for our Lord will hear our cries soon. I will leave you for a seconds’ time and ring the bells of the church…"
Suddenly disagreement from the crowd snapped back, "No father. Its too dangerous," "It's safer inside the church," "Please don't leave us alone," the concerned voices sounded unendingly.
He replied with assurance, "I have no fear of them. Look at how they circle the mosque and church unable to enter these holly places. Your safety is guaranteed by a much mightier power that rules our world and he will guard us."
The multitudes eyes followed the brave hearted priest as he walked through the church's entrance. The creatures circling the church howled angrily as the smell of his flesh fueled their frustration. Father David shivered a bit from their gruesome bodies but deep inside his heart he was comforted by powerful faith and trust in the Lord. He grabbed the ropes that were hanging down from the bells resting high on top of the church. With one pull the bells sounded.
Simultaneously he heard the “Athan” from the Mosque fill the atmosphere with the bells of his church. The Bells and the Athan made the creatures cover their ears and race away disturbed from the estates. "Thank you Lord. I just knew that my friend Sheikh Husny was thinking of the same thing," he thought as his arms moved the ropes up and down constantly, the ensuing prayer of the Athan with the bells succeeding in making the creatures depart farther away from the holy estates.
The Priest immediately headed to the sacrifice table and announced, "Glorified is the Kingdom of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit."
The faithful replied, "Amen."
The Athan continued in the backgrounds as the church and the Mosque unified in their prayer, calling on the mercies of the Lord, and brushing away the cruelty that was only moments ago threatening their safety.
*****
The evil army flooded the shores of Aqaba with their immense legions and stood before the waters of the red sea. Thick clouds of mist came upon them and filled the beaches and city streets veiling them completely. In a minute's time the mist thinned up and their wings flapped heaving them into the skies. The already gray weather of the city dimmed into a semi nightly ambiance as the blanket of black bats formed, its dark color reflecting on the shores, extending from the skies of Aqaba till Eilat in Israel.
An Israeli destroyer going about its normal duties patrolled the sea borders of Eilat calmly while the evil gradually extended over their water domains. The radars read nothing but the sudden irregular dusk made its crew dash out of their stations on its decks and look with awe at the flying bats. One of the them stormed down on the ship and flew around its crew that were gathered around eyeing the misfit. Suddenly a thick column of mist the size of a human being engulfed it. In seconds the mist unveiled it atrocious essence. The crew gasped and yelled terrified as their sinister visitor stood looking at them, his vicious teeth that had sharp fangs at their sides showing behind his hostile looks. Solomon, a soldier of the ten that were standing on the deck, tried his automatic but panicked as he found it jammed and threw it at the beast. It bumped into its' heavy body and fell back down on the deck with a clatter. The demon in front of him raised his sword and attempted to strike him but he jumped back dodging the strike. As the rest of the soldiers stood petrified like rock from the scene, he counter jumped back at the demon and battled with him, his bulky body posing a challenge for his assailant and pinning him to the ground of the ship’s deck. He grappled to take the sword away but failed as the demon quickly dipped his teeth into the flesh of his neck paralyzing him with a thousand waves of pain and panic. A spine chilling anguished yell rushed from Solomon filling the deck as he felt the fangs dipping deeper into his flesh torturing him mercilessly. He searched for tolerance and strength to help him bear through the biting. Shortly he managed to override the pains he felt and grabbed the bull jaw of the beast. As he jerked him away from his neck the air filled with flesh tearing, making fountains of blood sprout from his neck. The Demon suddenly stood up and wavered in his place with pain, roaring madly. He swayed hysterically as his chest raged with a flame of fire. Two other bats hearing the cries closed in on him but screeched and flew away scared of their mate's fate. The soldier clutched his bloody neck crying with pain and eyeing his necklace that held the icon of the Hand of God as it branded the beast in his chest. Within seconds his beastly body erupted like a flame heaving on him more agony. He jumped over board into the sea and just ceased to be. The nine other soldiers that were looking unbelievingly at the incident that began and ended in less than a minute rushed towards the soldier tending to his needs. Binyamin the captain of the vessel stormed to his station and soon emerged with a first aid kit. He eyed with awe the massive wounds the biting left in Solomon's neck and said commemorating, “You will need stitches for those. It just happened to fast for anyone to do anything. Your next medal of bravery is coming your way big time soldier.” The bats' flight soon ended and the weather lightened up. Solomon moaned repeatedly, his body tired from the bleeding, while the other soldiers took him to the medical quarters of the ship. Soon the ship's doctor was stitching his wounds. Shortly the destroyer changed its path and headed back to the military docks in Eilat to report what had happened.
Major Sarah Cohen, the ship's doctor, very soon saluted Brigadier Ehude as she entered his handsome spacious office. She handed him her medical report concerning Solomon whom was savoring medical care in the military hospital. The Brigadier gestured the lady with average height, long blond hair and white complexion to sit down. In a short while her saddened green eyes and attractive but exhausted looks that were engulfed with the military greenness met the Brigadier, as he looked up. His head shook with dissatisfaction after his glance at the report.
"I still don't believe it. K9 saliva? Bats? Flying winged beasts? The size of the lacerations on the Lieutenant's neck? But what does hound saliva have to do with bulls and bats?"
Sarah replied with a sorrowful tone of voice, "Sir as a person of science I'm still baffled by what I saw. But those creatures that attacked us are some hellish crossbreeds of birds, humans and animals. This is the best guess that I can come up with. Transforming from a bat, it stood erect with a human like body aside from their extensive claws and ugly bull heads. The lacerations on Solomon's neck made him bleed massively and did have extensive amounts of dog saliva." Tears came to her eyes as she continued, "There is one more thing."
Ehude replied with some warmness, "Speak up major. What is it?"
"I feel Solomon should be kept under surveillance in the hospital for at least seventy two hours. Although his blood tests are all satisfactory the creature that bit him is a perfect alien to our world. I wouldn't want to collide into any surprises. Brigadier I feel our Rabbis should be consulted with this as well. When the icon of the Hand of God that Solomon was wearing around his neck touched the creature his body burned on the deck."
Ehude felt that there was a bit more than medical concern brewing in the young woman's heart towards the brave soldier. However the incident itself just made him grow uncomfortable with its black details. Suddenly he felt the urge to be alone. He replied, "Your comments are noted Major. I will personally visit the soldier to commemorate him on his performance in a short while. In God's speed."
Sarah left and closed the door behind her. He closed his eyes and thought carefully about what the major and the doctor of the destroyer just told him. "Mother of all fears he thought." What a nightmare. Has the final apocalypse of humanity just begun? An extensive meeting with their chief should follow and most probably the prime ministry and cabinet will have to be notified as well. "What the hell where those things doing in Jordan?" he thought as he rose from his bureau and headed towards his office door. Within minutes he left the three story office building and was walking towards the base's medical center.
To his right was a full view of the sea with a series of destroyers towering in the distances undergoing maintenance and fueling at the military docks. To his left was a two way road that took him through several army buildings and facilities. In front of his office building was a capacious one level army canteen which provided meals for the base's soldiers. Delicious aromas drifted by him as luncheon was in progress. Normally he would stop by and have a bite with the men but the brainstorming he was in was his main focus of attention presently.
The medical center was a three minute ride in an adjacent neighborhood. Despite a private army jeep at his disposal he chose to walk. He needed to think and process the events of the day. A destroyer, a hellish bat transforming into a creature that attacked his men, K9 saliva polluting the wound of one of his soldiers whom was resting under surveillance for any unknown complications; and why bite the man? "Was it a blood sucker?" As the thoughts rolled in his mind he found himself jogging, his legs moving him quickly through the sidewalks and streets that were full of vehicles and soldiers rushing to their errands.
It happened with him in a small peaceful village three years ago in the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. He was visiting the relatives of his deceased mother whom was murdered in the holocaust at a Nazi concentration camp during the wars. He was up late chatting with his cousin at their manor house while the fires of a hearth in the living room secluded them from the cool night November currents. When his cousin's awareness suddenly was aroused with doubts whether the door of the farm's horse stable was secured or not they decided to go and check it out. Despite the weather that prevailed in these areas they both got up and headed through the fields that separated them from the stable, a big lantern in the hands of his cousin. The wide open doors met them as they arrived. He never forgot its furious eyes that glowed within the deepest hours of the midnight darkness as it stood on top of its victim. As the lantern light illuminated the premises, announcing its vicious act of blood sucking, it jumped off from the horse that was silently slumbering in its cubicle and attacked him and his cousin repeatedly in the stable. They madly danced around, their arms thrashing in the air, as it circled them and dashed towards them several times. At a strong blow it finally received with his fist the bat flew out of the stable. They both stood breathless from the encounter several minutes before they locked the barn and walked back to the manor house. On the way his cousin told him of the legend that the people of all the surrounding villages feared to have been true during the very early centuries of the area's history.
They were bulky semi humans with very beastly ugly facial and body features. Although nobody truly outlived their attacks and gave an account but four monks of a monastery, their account was very antique, and could have been greatly altered as it was passed down verbally from generation to generation. The beasts had actually lived in the Balkans, most prominent in the warm summer days, and slumbering in tomb caves in the bitter winter days in the mountains. They would travel in communities in the summer nights looking for stranded prey and attacking small helpless villages. Feeding and sucking the blood from their human victims till their death, they would take back prisoners with them to the mountains and present them as sacrifices to their appalling deities. Finally Christianity came to Eastern Europe in the ninth century AD and Orthodox monasteries soon afterwards became common in the wildernesses for meditating and praying. On one warm summer night a community of the beasts attempted to attack a monastery that rested peacefully on a caravan road. As they broke down the doors they were intercepted by the four monks of the monastery whom were awake preparing to pray their midnight prayers silently in the church. Greatly panicking and disturbed by their appearances one of them raised a cross in their faces and asked the Lord to erase them from humanity's path. Within seconds they were turned into bats and flew away from the monastery. Ever since then they ceased to be in the areas and the brutal reports of their practices diminished; up until now.
His heart lit with a sixth sense informing him that those two incidents just might have a link between them. Something bad was about to happen. He had to talk to that soldier personally. He finally reached the two story med center. He dashed through the entrance and through the center's small lobby. A brunette seated behind a desk stood up and gave the Brigadier the saluting he deserved. He greeted back, "good afternoon. Solomon's Cohen's room please."
"Ward number twenty six, to the right wing."
He thanked her and headed as she directed. The left and right wings of the first floor had a total number of eighty rooms, forty at each wing. Ehude followed the numbers hung on the doors till he reached ward number twenty six. He knocked on the door as the door was shut. Nobody answered. He smiled and greeted a nurse as she exited a room next to Solomon's, tending for a soldier that was injured at training. He asked her, "Is the occupant of the room still here? I just knocked but nobody replied."
"Well I'm sure the doctors haven't given him leave at least."
"Thank You."
As she left he knocked again but nobody answered. He screamed out to the nurse that was barely a distance off, "Nurse get me the master key quickly!" She hurried off towards the reception. In a moments time she returned with a set of keys and began unlocking the door. Doctor Isaac whom was close by talking to an officer suddenly came up running asking, "What is going on Ehude?" as the nurse was turning the door knob.
Ehude said nervously, "I'm knocking but nobody is responding. The door was locked with a key from the inside."
The door opened. An empty undone bed rested straight across from them in the room. All three entered to find the room totally empty aside from the corner couches and a small table in front of them. A pair of army boots was under the bed. Isaac checked the restroom of the ward but found it empty. He ordered tensely, "Where is he! Nurse go check to see if he was moved to another room or if he's somewhere undergoing tests!"
Ehude threw his hands up and screamed with frustration, "Doctor Isaac he can't be anywhere else. The room was locked with a key from the inside."
Isaac snapped back, "Well he's not inside."
The door suddenly slammed powerfully. Ehude and Isaac looked at it but found no one behind it. Ehude's spine suddenly chilled. A creepy sensation crept all over him. He gulped hard as his hand moved to the revolver at his side. Isaac asked, "Ehude what is wrong?"
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