MUMMIES EVERYWHERE
DISCLAIMER: The Mummy and The Mummy Returns belong to Stephen Summers and to Universal Studios, not to me.
For the past week, young Alex O’Connell had been a terror to behold, and today of all days, Evie needed to go to the museum, to meet with the curator about a shipment of artifacts coming in from Central America. already Alex had been sent to his room three times for not doing what he was told, and already, Evelyn’s patience was running thin.
In the front hall of their house, Evie was trying to get Alex into his coat and was not getting much help from him. He wouldn’t stand up, and kept telling her his legs weren’t working, nor were his arms working. Just as she was about to pull her hair out, and lose all of her patience, Jonathan walked in the door looking tired.
“Uncle Jon,” Alex yelled, suddenly finding that his legs did work. He ran to his uncle and grabbed ahold of him. “Will you come with us to the museum?” he asked as he looked up at one of his very best friends.
Jonathan was much older than Alex in age, but the way the two of them carried on, one would never know. He looked down at Alex then at his sister who looked frazzled and smiled. “Sure partner,” he said.
Once Jonathan was going, Alex let Evelyn put his blue wool jacket on him, then they were off to the car.
******
Upon their arrival at the museum, Evie instructed her brother to keep Alex out of trouble, then left them at the entrance of the museum, to go and find Mr. Havez, to see what trouble they were having.
“Well where should we go?” Jonathan asked, already knowing what Alex would say.
“I want to see the Mummies,” came his very enthusiastic reply.
Jonathan shook his head and followed his nephew through the museum, up to the second level, where the Egyptian section was. There wasn’t anything new there, but Alex loved to visit each Mummy.
“Uncle Jon, do mummies ever get out of their case and come after people?” he asked, not knowing anything about his parents, or Jon’s adventure in Hamunaptra before his birth.
“Uh, hmm, Well I don’t think so,” Jonathan said scratching the back of his neck.
“Well my friend Petey said they do. He says that when the moon is full that Mummies walk the earth and other creatures,” Alex said. His friend Petey was a year and a half older than him, a boy Alex had met in the park, who he played with alot, and who filled his head with that sort of nonsense.
Jonathan before really thinking about it told Alex that the only way a mummy could come to life is if someone read from the Book of the Dead. When he looked down at Alex and saw the frightened look on his face, he realized just what it was he had told the boy, and quickly changed the topic, coaxing Alex to go with him to a store near by to get a lollipop, hoping that Alex wouldn’t remember what Jonathan had slipped up on.
*******
The rest of the day went by remarkably well. Alex seemed to have forgotten about the Book of the Dead and the Mummies, and had been content to play with his army men putting them into mock battles, until Rick arrived home from his office. Then the two of them had spent a good hour practicing horseback riding.
Now Alex was in his bath tub having more battles, this time with a ship and his rubber duck, while Evelyn got his pajamas laid out. She was ready for him to go down so she and Rick could have some time just for the two of them.
“It’s a duck, watch out,” Alex said as the ship tried to sail away from the giant duck. His ship was smaller than the duck, and Alex figured that the bigger toy would win. “The ship can’t make it and the duck gets it,” Alex said as he crashed the duck into the ship, causing it to turn over and sink.
“All right Alex, I need to get you cleaned up so we can have dinner,” Evie said as she walked in and settled by his tub.
“But I’m not finished playing yet mum, and the people have to escape the big bad duck,” he said as he righted the ship.
“You can still play, but I need to get you clean,” she reassured.
He let her clean him and even wash his hair, but when it came time to get out of the water, he protested. “But I need to give my ship and my duck a bath,” he said trying his best to stall getting out of the water.
Evelyn closed her eyes and sighed and was glad when she felt a strong hand on her shoulder before Rick told Alex it was time to get out of the bath tub.
“But my duck is dirty,” Alex said as he began to pout.
“Alex, right now,” Rick warned.
Alex pouted more but stood up, letting his father lift him out, then shivered until a towel was wrapped around his body, and then he let his dad carry him into his room, get him dried off and into his warm pajamas.
*********
Dinner, was for a change quiet, and Alex almost fell asleep at the table. He had not taken a nap, which was something he still needed, at least that was Evelyn’s way of thinking. When his head tipped forward about to fall into his plate, Jonathan who was settled next to him reached out and held him away from the plate, until Rick walked around and lifted him away from the table into his strong arms.
Alex didn’t even open his eyes or protest as he was carried upstairs, and once in bed, he snuggled up with his Paddy Bear and continued to sleep as Rick pulled the blanket up over him.
Once his son was tucked in, Rick knelt down and kissed his cheek, reaching out to stroke his head for a moment. “Sleep well pal,” Rick whispered, then left to go finish dinner with Evelyn and tell her about the rest of his day.
************
Something woke Evelyn and as she sat up. Quickly she realized what it was and left Rick snoring as she hurried down the hall to Alex’s room. Her little boy was sitting up in his bed crying, and she hurried to him, gathering him into his arms, as he continued to cry.
Evelyn stood up and carried him to the rocking chair where she sat down and began to rock him. “Shhh, I’m here now,” she crooned as he began to calm down, though he had a tight grasp around her neck, and it was evident that he was upset about something. “Alex, can you tell me what happened?” Evelyn asked as his cries subsided.
“Nothing,” came his sleepy reply.
Evelyn turned her head kissing his cheek. “Did you have a dream?” she asked.
He didn’t respond, so she didn’t press him, guessing that perhaps he had dreamed something unpleasant, and just didn’t want to talk about it. She looked past Alex as Rick walked in, and pressed her finger to her lips shaking her head, wanting Alex to go back to sleep.
Rick had woken up not knowing why Evie had left their bed, but guessed it had to do with Alex. He returned to their room, and lay in bed for what seemed like hours, but in truth were only minutes before Evelyn came back to their bed. When she settled in beside him, he pulled her gently into his arms. “So what happened?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. He was crying, but when I asked him what was wrong he wouldn’t tell me. I think perhaps he had a bad dream,” she said as she snuggled closer to her husband.
“He’s never had one,” Rick pointed out.
“I know, I guess something scared him, but maybe it will only be this one time,” she said as they both began to drift back to sleep.
A short time later, both of them heard his shrill scream and this time both of them went to his room, their hearts pounding. When they arrived they found Alex in his bed, his covers pulled over his head as he cried.
While Evelyn went to him, Rick turned on the lights finding everything as it should be.
This time, Alex did not calm down as easily, and both parents sat on his bed side holding him, both concerned.
“Shhh, take a deep breath my brave boy,” Evie said as she rocked him.
Alex did so and then took another, grasping around her neck when she stood up to get a wet wash cloth to wipe his now tear stained face. “Will you sit here with your father for a moment?” Evie asked as she held him tighter.
“Nooo noo,” he said in a very panicked voice.
“Rick will you go get a wet washcloth?” she asked as she settled back on the bed, continuing to rock him.
Rick left to do that, hoping she could get Alex to tell her what had frightened him so.
“Will you tell me what happened?” she asked.
“No,” he said simply as he shut his eyes, knowing that he was safe in her arms, and worried that if he told her he was frightened of the mummies at the museum, that she wouldn’t let him go back.
“You will feel better if you talked about it,” she tried, but he didn’t say anything. She gently settled Alex in her lap and wiped his face, before he once again clung to her.
Rick sat beside them placing his hand on Alex’s back. “Hey pal, did you have a bad dream?” he asked.
“I didn’t,” he said through a yawn.
It was obvious to both of them that he wasn’t going to say anything, and Rick decided first thing in the morning he would talk to Jonathan and see if anything had happened that may have caused his son to have these bad dreams.
Rick sat with them this time, and only when Alex was good and asleep, did they put him back down in his bed. When they returned to their room, Evelyn tried to think of something that could have frightened him, but had no idea. “We went to the museum and Jonathan had him for a few hours while I spoke to Mr. Havez,” Evie said as she rubbed her hand against his chest.
“You didn’t take him any place else?” he asked as he took her hand and began to kiss her fingers.
“No, he and Jonathan went to the sweet shop, but there aren’t any things for him to be afraid of in either place,” she said, quickly becoming distracted by the attention he was giving to her fingers, then up her arm.
**********
The next morning, when Jonathan arrived home, he found both Rick and Evelyn sitting in the Parlor looking very tired. “Rough night?” he asked as he walked over to one of the chairs and settled down.
“You could say that,” Rick said as he put down the paper he had been reading. “Did anything out of the ordinary happen with you and Alex yesterday?” Rick asked, hoping Jonathan could shed some light on what had woken Alex five times last night.
Jonathan thought back to the days events which were quite fuzzy at the moment due to him having a hang over. “No, we went to the Egyptian section and then to the sweet shop, then we took a walk, and thats about all,” Jonathan said as he stood up steadying himself as the room began to spin. “Well I will see you for lunch,” he said, and left for his side of the house.
As he left, Evelyn thought about what Jonathan had said, and wondered if something at the museum was making him afraid, though what it was, she couldn’t guess for he had been going there since before he could walk, and there wasn’t anything new for him to see in the Egyptian section. “I think I’ll try and have a talk with Alex,” she said as she stood up from the chair she had been sitting in.
Rick watched as she left, wondering if she could get out of him what he was afraid of. They had tried most of the night and then this morning when they found him at the bottom of their bed asleep, they had tried again, but had not gotten anything out of him.
********
In his room, Alex had his army men set up. The men in green were on one side and the men in blue were on the other. Each man was very detailed from the expression on his face, to the buttons on his coat, and the weapons he held in his hand. Rick had gotten Alex both sets for his forth birthday, and Alex loved to have mock battles.
“You get there, and when the mummies come you shoot them with your guns,” Alex had one man say to the other.
He held one man in green, and man in blue, moving them so that they stood right in front of another. “Now mummy, you will die and never again hurt Alex,” he said as he made the sound of a gun firing. The green man fell to the ground then Alex jumped when his mum called out to him.
“Come in,” he said as he set his men back up.
Evelyn did, finding him in the midst of what looked like a mighty battle. “Who are your men fighting today?” she asked, having gotten used to finding him making mock battles.
“I can’t say,” he told her looking down at his legs.
Evie stepped over the men and settled next to him. “Alex, did something you saw at the museum frighten you?” she asked.
“No,” he said still not looking at her.
“Are you afraid of the mummies?” she tried. When he nodded his head she pulled him into her arms. “Those mummies can’t hurt you. They are just bodies of men who died a long long time ago,” she said.
“Petey says they come alive when there is a full moon, and Uncle Jon says that the Black book of the Dead does it to,” he said not really understanding what that meant.
Evelyn held him a little tighter at the mention of the book, and was ready to go find Jonathan and give him a piece of her mind. “What did Uncle Jon say?” she asked.
“He said the book does something that makes them come alive, and I don’t want them to eat me,” he said as he began to sob against her shoulder. His imagination had gotten the best of him and he was very convinced that the mummies would eat him.
“No baby, mummies don’t come to life,” she said, though she herself knew better, but right now she needed Alex to feel safe.
“But Petey says they do,” Alex said as he lifted his head from her shoulder to look at her.
“Well Petey was likely saying that just to frighten you and I will speak to his mum about that,” Evelyn said as she kissed away his tears.
“So they can’t come and hurt me?” he asked.
“No my sweet boy, they cannot,” Evelyn said.
He sighed then looked at her. “All right, I’ll believe you because your my mum and you wouldn’t lie to me or let anything bad happen to me right?” he asked.
Evelyn held on to him for long moments. “Nothing bad will happen to you Alex,” she promised. When he was ready and when she was, they parted, then Evelyn left to go find Jonathan and really lay into him.
*****
Snug in his bed sound asleep, Jonathan had no idea what was about to happen, until he was pulled out of his bed and slammed hard against the wall by his very strong, very angry brother-in-law.
“Rick put him down please,” Evie said as she grabbed his arm trying to get her husband to release him. She was angry with Jonathan, but wanted him in one piece to answer their questions.
Rick let him go, letting Jonathan slide to the floor with a thud.
“What were you thinking, telling Alex about the Book of the Dead?” Evie practically screamed.
Jonathan shook his head, feeling it pound more when he did, as well as when she screamed at him. “What book of the dead, what are you talking about?” he asked, really not knowing what it was they were talking bout.
Rick walked over to him and stood him up. “You told our son about that damned book, and he thinks that the mummies are going to eat him,” Rick said as he dropped him to the floor again.
“Oh that, I really didn’t mean to let it slip, and I think his friend Petey has him more convinced of it than I do,” Jonathan said as he began to feel guilty at knowing Alex was afraid of something he had let slip.
“What exactly did you tell him?” Rick asked as he loomed over Jonathan.
Remembering how Rick had held Beni to the fan, once when he had been interrogating him about Imhotep, Jonathan quickly remembered. “I just told him he needed it to do any raising of the dead, I really didn’t mean to say anything, and I figured he would forget it once we were out and about,” he said.
“Well he was up five times last night very upset by all of this, and I can’t believe you would cause him such distress. I’m disgusted with you Jonathan. Your way of life isn’t healthy for Alex, and I think for a few days at least you won’t be spending any time with him,” Evelyn said, then turned and left the room, leaving Jonathan stunned as well as Rick.
Evie had never been so angry with him and not being able to see Alex was worse than not having a drink. Jonathan looked over at Rick who glanced over at her.
He realized Jonathan hadn’t meant to tell Alex about the book and while he was angry with him, he didn’t think Jonathan should be away from Alex. “I’ll go talk to her,” he said then left.
*******
Rick found her in Alex’s room reading to him as they sat in the rocking chair snuggled together. Evelyn didn’t look up as he entered, and Alex was almost asleep in her arms. He gently moved the book out of her hands, then lifted Alex up, cradling him in his arms, and carried him to his bed, easily laying him down without a fuss.
Evelyn came and placed the covers over him then left, with Rick behind her. When they got to their room she turned. “Don’t you even tell me that keeping Jonathan away from Alex is wrong,” she said, though she didn’t say it as harsh as she had wanted.
“I won’t, but I think you know that it is. Alex loves him, even if he does do stupid things from time to time, and I think it would be more upsetting to Alex not being able to see him than for Jonathan,” Rick said as he sat down on their bad.
Evie paced for a moment then walked to the bed and settled next to her husband. “I just wish he wouldn’t come home drunk all of the time. It didn’t bother me as much when Alex was a baby, because he didn’t know what that was about, but now he’s getting older and he doesn’t need to see that side of him,” she said as she rested her head against his shoulder.
“I think that is a reasonable request. I’ll go talk to him if you take a rest. Neither one of us got enough sleep, and I think we are going to need rest to get through the next few nights with him,” Rick said, having a feeling that they had not seen the last of Alex’s bad dreams.
“Thank you Rick,” she said, and once he was gone she slipped into their bed and quickly fell asleep.
*****
Since they had gone, Jonathan had taken a cold bath, which had sobered him but made him feel even worse about his nephew. He felt foolish for having told a four year old about the Book of the Dead, and knew if he had not have been hung over, he would never have said anything about the damn book. Now he had blown it and he wasn’t sure how to get things right between he and Evelyn.
As he settled down on his bed, the door opened and he wasn’t surprised to find it was Rick. “So how mad is she?” he asked, then shut his eyes.
“Not as mad. We aren’t going to keep you from seeing Alex, but only because we feel that would be more upsetting to him than anything else, and right now he needs to feel safe. As for you coming home hung over, that will stop. Alex doesn’t need to see that, and I won’t have that,” Rick said as he cracked his knuckles.
Jonathan seemed to get the point and stood up. “No need for bloodshed O’Connell, I’ll keep my wild side in the bars. Is Alex awake?” he asked, then they both looked at the door as he walked in.
“Mum’s asleep and she’s snoring, and I want to see Uncle Jon,” Alex said.
Rick held back his urge to laugh, and now had another person to side with him on the matter of her snoring. “Okay, but you need to have a good nap,” Rick said.
Alex nodded his head and after giving his father a hug and kiss, settled in bed with his uncle. “Did mum get angry because of the mummies?” Alex asked. Another reason he hadn’t wanted to tell was for fear his uncle would get in trouble.
When Jonathan realized that Alex had likely been trying to protect him he felt even worse. “No pal, she wasn’t at all. Your father and I were talking about my wild side,” he said.
“When you do silly things like bump into the wall?” he asked through a yawn.
“Yes,” then to himself, ‘and tell you things you don’t need to know.”
“Did you make up about the book?” he asked.
“It’s a faery tale, sort of like your Peter Pan,” Jonathan said.
“Peter Pan is real Uncle Jon, but I know what you mean,” he said as he snuggled up to his uncle.
“So should I tell you a story?” he asked.
“Yes, tell me about the time you put a frog down mummy’s shirt,” he said as he yawned yet again.
Jonathan chuckled, hoping Evie didn’t find out about that particular story and before he could even finish the story both of them fell asleep.
Alex would have more nights with bad dreams, but soon other more pleasant dreams filled his head, and life for all of them moved on at a very fast very adventurous pace.
THE END