7:06 pm.

Camellia parked her car in the garage and stayed inside. She held her phone to call an old friend who is an Egyptologist; she emailed him hours before about the papyruses. “You got the email?” she said immediately after he accepted the call.

“Yes, where did you get these?” he said.

“I don’t know. Someone sent them to me. Do you think this is real?” Camellia said and held her head with her free hand.

“It belongs to their rituals or something, but I never came across something like this before. The only written proof of this story is on temples and it’s not an actual proof but more of a reference.”

“Are you saying it might be real?!” she said louder than she expected.

“I don’t know. Must see it myself. I’m in Aswan for two weeks. Before heading home, I will come to Alexandria to check them myself.”

“No, I can’t wait that long! I’ll see you tomorrow,” Camellia said and got out of her car.

Camellia ended the call after agreeing with her friend about meeting him the next day. She walked outside the garage to the house anxiously. When she got inside, she saw her parents and Nadine sitting in the living room watching an old movie.

The living room contained a seventy-five-inch television on the wall, two couches, and four lazy-boy chairs. The entire house was painted in white, and the dominant colors of the interior were brown and burgundy.

“Hey” — Nadine took a big bite from an apple she was holding, and her eyes were on the television — “sit, this movie is great.”

Camellia greeted everyone and sat next to Nadine’s chair. She looked at the television and then at Nadine, who seemed completely focused on both watching the movie and eating the big red apple.

How could any of it be a reality? How such an unrealistic story could be true? Camellia thought. She wanted to stop everything and scream. It irritates her how bewildered she feels.

Tens of questions burned inside her head. If the story written on the papyruses was true; everything was about to change forever. Scared to even think that it happened, and she was terrified that it might happen again.

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Her loud thoughts stopped when her mother asked her if she had dinner. Camellia answered her, then looked at Nadine, determined what to do next. “Nadine let’s go upstairs,” she said, standing up.

“I’m watching the movie,” Nadine said without moving a muscle. She felt Camellia’s gaze burning her up. “What? it’s my favorite movie,” she said and pointed at the screen innocently. Camellia didn’t blink and kept staring blankly at her. “Fine.” Nadine took a deep breath and stood up.

Camellia was the first to walk, followed by Nadine. As they reached the stairs, Camellia looked back at her. “Are you free tomorrow?” she said and looked at the stairs again.

“Of course not,” Nadine answered automatically.

“Free yourself, I need you to come with me to Aswan,” Camellia said and turned on the lights in her room. Nadine didn’t hear what she said. Camellia closed the door after Nadine walked inside.

Nadine threw the rest of the apple in the trash and sat on the bed. She looked at Camellia, who was nervous. “Okay, what’s wrong with you since this morning?”

“We have to go to Aswan,” Camellia said, still standing next to the door.

“What?” Nadine took the pillow behind her back and hugged it.

“We have to go to—”

“I heard the first time,” Nadine said deadpan.

“—free yourself tomorrow,” Camellia said, leaving her bag on a table next to the door.

Nadine smirked and rested her back. “I knew it. You do drugs. Tell me, what kind is it that gave you this incredible idea?”

“Nadine, I swear to god we have to go! Something is happening! I need to know if it’s true!” Camellia shouted and looked right into Nadine’s eyes without blinking.

“You sound like it’s the end of the world,” Nadine sneered.

Camellia’s face went yellow, and she breathed loudly. “It might… just come with me.”

“What’s wrong? What is happening to you?” Nadine said, after sensing how serious Camellia was.

“I can’t tell you right now, but we must go. I need to know the truth!” Camellia scratched her head nervously. “I don’t fully understand what is going on, but please come with me with no questions.”

“But ...”

“Please, just trust me on this,” Camellia said and looked away.

Camellia’s phone rang making her jump. It was Liam. “Hey, you called me a lot—”

“Is your father, okay?” Camellia said and looked at Nadine.

“—what?” Liam was shocked by Camellia’s worried voice.

“Is he okay?!” she asked again, louder this time.

“Why are you asking?” Liam said after a couple of seconds. Camellia didn’t reply, her heavy breathing was enough as an answer for him. “He is now, how did you know?” a background sound of him walking to another place. “He had a seizure in his sleep yesterday.”

“At what time?” she shouted suddenly.

“Maybe around… Noon, What’s wrong?!” Liam said, shocked by her reaction.

Camellia froze, her eyes wide, and her breathing stopped. “I have to go… bye,” she said and slammed the phone on the table next to her.

She went to the balcony, trying to calm down. She rested her hands on the balcony railing and took a deep breath and closed her eyes tightly. “How is it possible?! how?!” she whispered to herself.