A Christmas Expedition

This story was written for Laura Pruett's unofficial challenge, "Mummies For Christmas -- Again? Let's Have A Challenge!" I am definitely not a story teller as much as I am a poet so please excuse me if this totally sucks. Of course as always with my story writing attempts, any and all feedback is welcome. -Sam

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Cairo, Egypt. 3 AM, December 24, 2024

I was utterly exhausted, on the verge of collapse. The thought of examining another artifact was unbearable. "It's Christmas Eve, for heaven's sake!" I muttered under my breath. How had I allowed myself to become entangled in this expedition? "Still complaining, Kieran?" It was David Styles, the lead archaeologist on the project. "We haven't discovered anything even remotely intriguing yet, David," I replied. "And what about the south passage?" David asked. "It's too unstable," I responded. "Well, go get some rest, my boy. Return refreshed in a few hours, and we will reassess that passage."

I departed for my quarters and fell asleep the moment my head touched the pillow.

Upon waking, five hours had elapsed. I quickly donned my boots and khaki shorts and made my way back to the dig site. David and his wife, Peggy, were waiting at the entrance to the south passage. "Kieran, over here! I hope you had a good rest. We have reinforced the left side of the entrance with additional beam support and are prepared to enter," David informed me. "I'm not entirely convinced that's wise, David, but alright," I replied.

The scoop struck something solid almost immediately. "What is that?" Peggy inquired. This was undoubtedly some form of burial site, David speculated. It would require considerable effort to excavate such a large stone container. We dedicated the next three days to this task, ultimately uncovering what appeared to be a sarcophagus. It was enormous, suggesting that something of significant importance was interred within. I estimated its date to be around 37 BC, but I would need a closer examination once it was opened.

The process of opening it took an additional two days due to the stone's fragility. A substantial amount of manpower was necessary, and many crowbars were damaged in the effort to loosen the sarcophagus lid. When the moment finally arrived, the lid slid off and crumbled to the cavern floor. I was astounded by what lay within. There were three mummies inside; two were no more than two feet tall, while the third was considerably larger, with remnants of what seemed to be red velvet threads clinging to the exposed bones.

David and Peggy stood with their mouths agape, leaving me utterly astonished and at a loss for words. Suddenly, the atmosphere turned frigid, and the mummies began to move. I was certain of their motion, and before I could comprehend the situation, they emerged from their stone tomb. The larger figure appeared to attempt communication. In an unexpected moment, he exclaimed, "HO HO HO!" and I realized that I was in the presence of the original Santa Claus, accompanied by two elves. A mix of fear and exhilaration coursed through me, as this was an extraordinary discovery, especially on Christmas Eve! Santa approached me, his hands extended. At that instant, a wave of terror washed over me; I glanced around to find that David and Peggy had fled, leaving me alone with the astonishing sight. I backed away, backing up until my back was against the cavern wall...

BZZZ! BZZZ! The alarm sounded. It had been five hours since I had settled down for a rest.

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This was written for the below challenge: