Page 146 of Burn Bag

“No, we really do,” Scottie said, snagging a beer that the bartender set down. “Continue.”

He was completely flustered and on the verge of losing it, but he pulled himself together and continued. “Alright, so this camel led meacross the desert. It was dark as night and I could barely feel anything but the cold desert air.

I refrained from laughing at his wording. He would beat the shit out of me.

“I was about to give up on ever getting out of the desert at all when I saw the peak in the distance. It was like a beacon, guiding me to civilization.”

“The pyramid?” Scottie asked.

FNG nodded as if lost in a trance. “I swear to God, if that’s what the Egyptians saw when they crossed the desert, it would have been a beautiful thing. I nearly wept.”

My eyes met Scottie’s, and I curled my lips between my teeth, biting down hard.

“The camel carried me there over the next few hours, and as the dawn broke, something insane happened.”

“What?” I asked, a little more interested in the story now.

“Like a mirage, this whole ancient city appeared out of nowhere, as if guiding me to where I needed to go. I didn’t understand it, but something inside me told me to go there. That I would find treasure inside.”

“Isn’t this the storyline ofThe Mummy?” Scottie asked.

“No,” FNG snapped.

“No, I think he’s right. That movie scared the shit out of me.”

“It’s not, okay?” FNG argued. “It’s similar, but it’s not the same. So, anyway, I approached the city and heard these ancient voices calling to me. In that moment, I did feel like I was in the movie. Everything inside me begged me to leave, but it was like this tug inside my chest, refusing to let me go.

“I followed that tug until I appeared in front of this giant stone carving. It had to be three stories tall and scary as all shit. And in front was this door that was just standing open. That thumping in my chest grew stronger the closer I got to it. As I pushed the door open, a gust of wind blew out, nearly knocking me over.”

Okay, now I was wrapped up in the story, desperate to know what happened. FNG’s eyes were glazed over as he retold the story as if hewas still there. I had chills on my arms as I pictured him walking through the door.

“It was so dark, but at the end of this tunnel was a single flickering torch. I didn’t understand it. There wasn’t another soul around, yet the flame burned bright. So, I took it from the sconce on the wall and continued into the darkness. An overwhelming feeling of urgency rushed through me and I started running, desperate to find out what was calling me.

“I could hear a rhythmic thumping, almost like a drum. It was calling me, pleading with me to reach it. My feet were moving so fast that I felt like I was on a roller coaster. I could taste the sand in my throat and feel it coating my eyes as I wound my way deeper into the tunnel. But I pushed on, knowing whatever was calling to me couldn’t be explained.

“Sand filled my shoes, weighing down every step. The sweat coating my skin burned me, but that thumping was so loud that it was practically in my head. I ran and ran until suddenly, the ground fell out and I was falling into the darkness. My torch slipped from my fingers, and just when I thought for sure I was about to die?—”

“Hey, babe. Ready to go home?” Honey asked, running her hands down his body and gripping his cock.

“Uh…” FNG swallowed hard, stumbling off his stool as he followed her out the door.

“What about the story?” Scottie shouted after him.

I shook my head in disbelief. “Every fucking time.”

35

DAPHNE

Week Three…

The fire crackledthrough the night as I camped out under the stars. I had forgotten how amazing it was to be in complete darkness with only the light from the twinkling sky. It really was so beautiful.

Yet, even in all this beauty, I couldn’t bring myself to be truly happy. My heart was back with Bradley, in his bed with him wrapped around me.

“It’s insanity,” I whispered to no one.

How could I be surrounded by all this wonder and still not be happy? Yes, the dig was amazing. It felt great to have my hands working the way they once used to, but it didn’t have the same meaning to me anymore. I wanted the best of both worlds, and until I did, I feared I would never truly be happy.

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