ATS Collaborative Fiction #2: "I am a Normal Guy"

As my fingers touch the staff there is a bright flash....then nothing.Strangely I feel at peace.God I hope this is no dream,I feel at peace,peace with the universe.
I start to look around at all the other artifacts,what other wonders are down here?
Lost in thought I wander around...then behind me I hear the shuffle of someones footsteps.I spin quickly raising the staff protectively.There are two robed figures standing,looking at me.There faces hidden in the depths of their hoods.Who are you I ask?One of the robed figures lowers her hood....Mrs.Rubinstein?What...how... how did you get here?Who are you...really.
Lower your staff Vect Knoric'k, Calicokino Palimok.What I said? She looked me in the eyes...your true name is Vect Knoric'k, Calicokino Palimok.And you now hold the staff of Ra.The staff has been searching for you for an eternity. You are the rightful owner of the staff.
Now I'am very confused.I need answers,who am I?And what in the hell is going on?

The name was ringing in my head, over and over again, my vision getting blurry and soon I began to hear a faint voice, it was so distant at first, but then it got louder.
"Sir!"
The abruptly loudness of the voice was like a horn of a truck, and soon, I then opened my eyes. I was in a hospital bed, my vision blurry, and my body aching like I was hit by a truck. Standing over me was a woman with long brown hair, down to her shoulders. She was wearing a nurse's gown, her smile seductive and calming at the same time.
"Sir, you fell down in the hospital lobby, are you okay?"
"The markings! they were on my body!"
"....There was nothing on you, we checked you out, your fine sir."
I wondered what was happening, it was all so confusing, like my reality was twisting and bending, I didn't know what was real anymore....

how could i be back here in the hospital............its not making sense now

the last thing i remember was the staff..yes thats it the staff of Ra... my name.....god my name its Vect Knoric'k, Calicokino Palimok............ and Mrs Rubinstein she was there as well..........but where was that?

as i walked through the main front doors of the hospital, i notice the air is strangely changing, not cold nor warm, but stale some how........i looked around to find everything seemed normal.. people going around their own business as if nothing was going on..........but something was happening.........

as i stepped off the pavement the road started to move, slowly but it was moving...............

Man my head hurts.Dreams and reality,I can't seem to seperate them anymore.I start to walk home,the street seems to be moving as well.I stop to catch my breath,but the street seems to be carrying me somewhere.I don't know what is going on.Is the street moving or has everthing stopped except for me?Shaking my head I continue on...Walking towards my house lost in thought..when it dawns on me my house is not there,none of the houses look familar.Everthing looks older,almost ancient...Now my head really starts to hurt,5 minutes ago I was in the hospital,now where am I?Spinning around everything looks strange,yet somehow familiar.Frozen by panic I start screaming.What is wrong with me,are my dreams reality or is reality a dream?My screaming turns to sobbing...
Someone please help me,I can't go on like this......

[Edited on 05/5/03 by nyeff]

I sat there... in my hands trying to think......I can't just sit here and do nothing, I decided my only course of action was to find Mrs. Rubinstein she seems to be the only person in both my realities...But where is my house where is anything anymore....I focused my mind, I started thinking straighter.. Some of the places I see are now becoming more familiar.....

I strain my trying to focus,then it hits me....This is where my house was.looking east I see a mountain range,sharp jagged peaks towering behind where my house should be.I think these mountains may be the hills I hiked so often,only these have not been eroded by time.
Shaken,but determined I set off for the mountains.Along the way I pray or meditate for Mrs. Rubinstein,I suspect she is far more than a nice old lady.
After a short walk I make it to the foothills of the mountains.Looking around I look for an area where there is or was a cave entrance.I find it in no time,odd I would have thought it would be harder to find.Walking in I go to an area of the cave that had some old carvings in the walls.I had always thought that they were Native American carving,but I'm not so sure now.There they are.These are the same carving I have seen so many times,only these are fresh.The edges are still sharp and there is a red dye or paint highlighting them.
Deeper into the cave I go.I enter a chamber I never saw before,in the center there is an alter,and Mrs.Rubinstein is standing next to it,holding a staff.
She motions for me too come closer.........

as I get closer to Mrs Rubinstein, i notice that the alter is more like a control panel than anything else I've ever seen...........Vect Knoric'k, Calicokino Palimok she says, there is no more waiting.........we have waited long enough for this time now.........you have to go with your destiney...............................we must leave this planet before we are killed along with it and everyone on it!

we thought that you and others like you would be able to save it and the millions of humans who live here as well.............but there is no hope for them anymore.........they seem to enjoy hurting and killing each other more than anything else......there time is now ending, they only have a few earth months left........before this planet self-destructs.......no-one can stop it not even you..........the Staff of Ra orders you to return home, before this time runs out..........

[Edited on 8-5-2003 by blackwidow666]

I slump to the ground.....What about my family and friends I thought....This is so selfish I can't go now....

Maybe you should start from the beginning...Mrs....well whoever you are....I have so many questions.....how did this start..who am I really.....What is going to destruct this planet.....

She sits down next to me and starts from the beginning...

All right sit down Vect Knoric'k, Calicokino Palimok...son.I will tell you what I can.I'am you mother,or at least in human terms.We, our race was created by the old ones,Gods older than the earth herself......We were placed here eons ago,to look after this newborn planet.
We live far longer than any human can,in fact humans have worshipped us as Gods throughout history.I have been worshipped as Enki,Isis,Zeus and many other dieties.
Have you never wondered why you can never really rember you childhood?Why when you asked about it all your answers were generic?You have always been eternal,at least by human standards.
There is so much more to explain to you, but I fear time is running short.There are several things you must do before earth revolts against humankind and destroy's herself.If in your searching can find one human that is willing to risk the horrors you must face,and is willing to give himself up to earth,the planet may be saved.
But do not count on it my son..........

go home my Vect Knoric'k, Calicokino Palimok, my son! you have many things to think about, and so little time to do it in now, it maybe weeks or months............none of us have no real idea.............if you need to come back here, do so, this is more your home than the house you live in, down the hill.........as i turn to walk out i realise that my home isnt there anymore.............. but Mrs Rubinstein informs me that my home is there.......it only disappeared for a short while so i could be shown the right way...................and my dog?

as i stand on the hill and look across the town i thought i knew, everything seem's to have changed within days of my life now..............i once asked myself "Am I a normal guy?" well now i know that I'm not................

Normal guy,ha...I don't know what I'am anymore.God,human,alien....I could be all of them,or none of them at all.I don't think I care anymore,I just want this dream...if that is what this is to stop.
Well,enough of this self pity,I have to continue on.Dream or not I have too continue on.I was told to do several things,I wonder when and how I will know what to do.Oh well,I think I will look for the staff of Ra,I felt great power the last time I held it.
As I walk off to search for the staff,I picture the last place I saw it..............

thats it, when i last saw the staff of Ra, Mrs Rubinstein was holding it in the chamber...........but when i left she wasnt..........oh god give me strength.........ooooohhhh which god, am a god, leader i dont know anymore.........i think the best thing to do is try to find my house and get some rest, before i do anything else now......(and a wash, that chamber really was dirty)

as i walk along the road i start to recognize the houses and people around me........there's john and jenny friends of mine that live across the road from me......they must have been out with there dog........dog.......#...........i've got a dog, sky how could i have forgotten her..........theres my house i see it now...still moving though like everything around me......not fast or making me dizzy but its as though its carming, relaxing........i can smell fresh cut grass.....clive must be cutting his front lawn, always out there, every Monday without fault he is.........no wait a minute ......... i thought it was thursday.................

I run into the house picking up the paper from the front lawn as I go.....I fire up the kettle and quickly unravel the paper.....Wow it is thursday... I've lost 4 days of my LIFE!! What the hell.....This is getting stranger by the minute....Something in the paper catches my eye....

"Egypt takes Arms" is the headlines...

A chill runs down my spine....I read further..

Egyptian forces are gearing up for an offensive due to the threat of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons from surrounding countries.

Egyptian defence minister says "We are not going to sit around any longer..this threat has been stirring all too long..We want these countries to lay down there weapons of mass destruction or we will forcibly remove them along with our allies Britain, America and the Commonwealth.."

Holy crap I though to myself.....This could start world war III here......Something then twigged.....It could mean the end of the world.....Mrs. Rubenstein forsaw this.....But I am just one man..How can I stop a WORLD WAR?????

All the clues are leading to Egypt at this point.Guess that is as good a place as any to start.I settle down in my seat on the plane,and start to drift off into sleep.As I start to dream,the staff of Ra enters my mind.It starts to talk to me....It tells me to go to the deepest part of the biggest pyramid,and that is where I will find it.The staff also shows visions of a terrible war,a war that devastates the earth.Then it shows me a vision of peace and beauty.I'm standing on a mountain top,holding the staff,looking down on meadows and valley's......Standing with me is a small child,the child looks up at me,smiles and say's "we did it"
With a jolt I wake to see my plane landing in Egypt.........

it hots here, everywhere i look i see soldiers with guns walking around, i havent even left the airport yet.......walking through the terminal i notice people are rushing about as though they're in a hurry to get somewhere....nothing changes everything stays the same no matter where you are

i pass through passport-control with ease, as though they were eaxpecting me, the woman checking my passport looks me in the face and says.......good morning sir we have been expecting you, i hope you enjoy your stay with us in Egypt! does she know who i am, Mrs Rubinstein did say that there was many of us all over this planet......what am i saying.....planet, this is the only home i can really remember, but i think i have alot to get used to........things moving for a start, even here away from my home land that ive known, things are a changing...................

I walk outside the terminal and take a good look around...4 men head toward me.....

Excuse me sir but may I take your bags......I relieves me of my luggage and I follow them to their van...I feel at ease with these people, like I have known them all my life....

The car starts up and one of them turns to me..

Vect Knoric'k, Calicokino Palimok, you did the right thing coming to Egypt,brother.War is right around the corner.There have been a few small battles already.The fear,tension and hatered has reached its boiling point.
We are here to take to the biggest pyramid,to find your staff.
As we drive off I look at the man that spoke to me.You called me brother,why?Because I'am he answered.I'am Lankril Palimok,we were created at the same time,by the same host.We share the same mother.We are from....what oh no put your heads down,we are being shot at.I scream in pain as bullet rips through my leg,the car is being riddled with bullets.Lankril yells at me"get to the pyramid...please...your our only hope.
Flying from the car,I land head first,dazed I lay in a ditch........

[Edited on 05/5/03 by nyeff]

the car explodes infront of me, flames shoot up into the air like rockets being fired.........I've got to get out of here fast, but the pain in my leg........i cant seem to get up....... "Lankril where are you", i shout, i cant see you, someone grabs at me pulling me away from the burning car, "move as quick as you can", came the voice. Someone else was grabbing at me now and pulling me up, " we must be quick before someone see's us helping him" came the same voice again. the pain in my leg was really begining to hurt more now with them pulling me about, the next thing i feeling is being lifted into some sort of a van, lorry, i dont know my vision is going, bluring infront of me ........its no good i cant hold on any longer......

as i start to black-out i hear a familiar voice.............

[Edited on 16-5-2003 by blackwidow666]

Battered and bleeding I wake up at the base of a pryamid.I fell a tug on my leg,looking down Lankril has just finished patching up my leg.That was close he said.We are in the middle of a war zone.And you are still mortal.
Huh I said,of couse I'm mortal.What are you talking about.Later Lankril responds,we must get inside the pryamid.Standing weakly I stagger towards the pryamid.How do we get in,I can't walk for much longer.Don't worry Lankril smiles,it is here.Lankril waves his hands in front of a massive stone block,it shimmers,flashes and disappears.The way is clear,brother..............

as we make are way through the maze of passages, my eyes start to see better, as though im used to seeing in the dark. Lankril holds on to me to help me along, the pain in my leg is nearly gone now, theres no burning feeling either, thats strange really?

as we turn another passageway, i see a light shining at the end of the tunnel, its getting brighter and bigger as we get closer. then we're here, the room is like a tomb, gold everywhere, the walls, ceillings even the floor looks like gold, but as i bend to take a closer look, i see its sand and the reflection is coming of the ceilling and walls.

Lankril helps me over to an alter, which is at the side of the tomb. "rest here, i will be back soon" Lankril says.

as i sit back, I look down at my leg, no pain anymore, its gone, god thats good, i wonder if theres a bullet in there, or if it went straight through my leg, Lankril will take a look when he gets back......there doesnt seem to be any blood coming out now, its as though its heeling, really fast...........

I rest my head back on the wall and close my eyes.....it only seems yesturday that i thought i was a normal guy just going to work, not having a care in the world? apart from her? I wonder whats she's doing now, with her new life, husband home etc etc? I dont think I will forget the last thing she said to me "A true friend is somone who reaches for your hand and touches your heart", those words will probably haunt me for years to come........thats if the planet had years to come though? should I contact her, or should I stay silent, she wouldnt believe me anyway.........but I have to try and find someone.............before this war gets out of hand.

just then Lankril comes back in and i open my eyes............



[Edited on 21-5-2003 by blackwidow666]