Egyptian Timewave

Chapter 3

Abayomi stares down the path of sphinxes at the temple, her expression open in awe. She had known it was grand, but seeing it is another thing entirely. With a few deft movements, Abayomi turns back to look the other way, again down the line of sphinxes. Even now, there are so many of them, but a great number of those that were there before are now gone.

She closes her eyes for a moment at the thought of the majesty the temple once held, only echoes of it remaining. When she opens her eyes again, Abayomi lets out a gasp as color floods into the avenue, soaking back into the sphinxes. For a shining moment she can see it as it was, full of bustling people, but then it is gone.

A pang of despair strikes her momentarily, but it is swiftly swept away with the feeling of a gentle secret, its weight settling against Abayomi's heart. She presses her hand there for a heartbeat before she lowers it again and turns to face the temple once more. Her father is waiting several yards beyond her, a smile on his face.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

Abayomi nods. "More than I could dream."

"Come on, let's go inside."

They walk between the pylons of Ramses II and into the Court, evoking a gasp from Abayomi as she spins around. Despite only half of the court remaining, it is still a magnificent sight. Even though they have withstood the wear of centuries, the pillars still clearly hold their elaborate carvings. She almost wants to stay and stare at them for hours, but she continues through the temple instead.

The colonnade is open to the sky, a shadow of what it was when- Abayomi blinks and a flicker of movement crosses her vision. Scores of people cross her path, carrying or dragging stones, rope, and several other items. The colonnade looks whole and fresh, despite the process of it still being in construction. She stares for as long as she can, not sure how long the image will last.

But before long, she is forced to blink, and it fades back into the remnants of the colonnade. With a quick swipe of her fingers, Abayomi wipes the pinprick of a tear away from an eye before her dad can see it and question. Her mind is distracted the rest of the way through the temple, enough so that while her eyes take in the sight, her brain won't process it for quite a while. She doesn't speak the entire time, except with a few brief answers when her father asks a question.

He does it now. "Who built this temple?"

Abayomi doesn't even blink. "Amenhotep III."

Her father blinks a couple of times. "That was fast. Have you been reading about the temple?"

She comes back to herself then and shakes herself slightly. "I read a bit, but these pillars here, against this wall-" Abayomi trails off for a moment as she steps closer to them. "Do you see the cartouche here? It refers to Amenhotep III and while the rest of these hieroglyphs are faded, but from what I can tell, they say that he started the construction of the temple at the very least."

Her father crouches beside her. "How can you tell? These hieroglyphs are so hard to make out."

Abayomi shrugs, ignoring the hints of discomfort at her own knowledge. "My young eyes are better than yours, I guess."

Her dad scoffs. "Rude!"

Abayomi shrugs again, using it to give off a sense of easy banter. But she isn't at ease, not now. She doesn't know how this information is in her head. She had read that the temple was under construction during the time of Amenhotep III, but the books she has read said nothing about these cartouches. The way she spotted them, that's what she would expect if she had already known where they were, if she'd seen them over and over again when they were sharp and fresh.

But she hasn't. This is the first time she has ever been to Egypt, let alone Luxor. She shakes her head again, inhaling sharply. When something lightly touches her arm, she almost jumps. The only reason she doesn't is because she catches sight of her father out of the corner of her eye. He's the one who touched her.

"Abayomi, are you alright?"

"Yeah, why?"

He gives her a sharp look. "Because you've been out of it since the colonnade. I was ignoring it before, but now . . . What's wrong?"

"I'm fine, Baba. I was just thinking. I guess I got a little lost in my head."

"What were you thinking about?"

A smile flickers across her face. "The temple mainly. It's very sad."

"Hmm. How so?"

"The temple, it must have been so beautiful in its prime. Ipet resyt. The southern sanctuary and one of four great temples of the new Kingdom. Tall pillars and pylons, decorated with beautiful stories told in hieroglyphs." Abayomi stares at the remnants of the hieroglyphs, a soft, sad expression on her face.

"Aya? Are you sure you only read a little about the temple?"

She shrugs. "I guess it was more than a little."

Her father laughs. "Come on. We can check out the market."

Abayomi beams. "Oh yes please!"

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Hmm. What do you think was going on there? What did she see? What did you think of the temple? tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~ Goddess of Fate, signing out