Genre: Horror

Plot: An archaeologist accidentally unleashes an ancient curse during an excavation

Words to use: dig, uncover, fossil, riches, cave, ruins, discovery, trace, medallion, talisman, tomb, black, dredge, annihilation, death

The dust swirled around the captain, his mustache filled with sand. He took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow with his handkerchief he kept in his shirt pocket in case of emergencies. The cave was close-by, he could feel it in his bones. Captain James spent his life after his service to uncover ruins of ancient civilizations. It was his passion. It wasn’t about the possibility of riches nor notoriety, but for the sheer pleasure of discovery. 

The cliffs surrounding the site jutted out straight on two sides. Deep crevasses carved through time and constant pressure from the wind passing up and down. He was on the hunt for a tomb this time, set deep within the massive walls in front of him. He had all the clues from various maps, and his gut told him it was there. All they had to do is dig beneath the towering monolith. What could go wrong?

The group of men that accompanied him on his travels were devoted to the old Captain. He treated them like family. A family he never had time for during his youth. A consummate bachelor, he chose a solitary life amongst friends and his work. He never found the time and now he felt like an old fossil himself, one he finds in the mirror every morning. He listened to them sing their working songs, the metal picks and shovels taking up piles of dirt and sand in deep buckets loaded onto the shoulders of a few hired men. He realized that this may take a while to find the entrance to this particular tomb. 

The work stopped for the pitch black of night that surrounded them. “It is unbelievably dark out here,” his second in command said, the fire burned brightly, keeping them warm from the intense cold of the desert landscape. “I hope we find the entrance tomorrow early. I don’t know why have had no trace of it yet.”

“Yes, I hope so too,” Captain James said, a confident smile lurked beneath a stream of pipe smoke came from his mouth as his spoke. 

“I know, but it still would have been nice. This is rather hard work,” he said, leaning against a large boulder. He hugged himself to keep warm. “I think I am going to turn in and get an early start. Good night Captain.”

“Good night, Hakim,” Captain James said while the man got up from his spot in front of the fire and headed toward the tents nearby. His tent was situated along the edge of camp. 

It wasn’t long before Captain James went to his own tent, the small cot was a welcoming sight to his tired, old body. He wasn’t sure how long he would be able to be out in the field. The thought of being home, all comfortable in front of the hearth, with no adventures made him sick to his stomach. He would have welcomed death before that terrible fate. Domesticity. Such an evil word.

He had very little comforts in his little tent. It was simple and gave him only what he needed. A desk with maps and log books. He had a small talisman he took with him everywhere. Protecting him, he thought. It never let him down. He covered himself beneath layers of blankets, guarding him from the cold, and fell into a deep sleep until he heard the sound of yelling coming from the dig sight. He hurried into his clothes and rushed out of the tent. 

“What is going on,” he thought as he ran, still buttoning his shirt.

“We have found something, Captain,” one of the workers said. Hakim was shaking in excitement, “Look how beautiful that is,” he said, his voice low and straining to keep his composure. 

The dirt had given away its secrets. “We have found the cavern Captain,” a worker yelled. The Captain came running through the packed dirt that led to a small river that ran between the rocks. He held his rimmed hat on his head. The wind started to rip through the small valley. The sky deepened in color, the clouds gathered thickly above the mountains. The Captain paid no attention.

The dredge was no longer necessary, the water had disappeared through the cracks on the ground unexpectedly. Some of the workers gasped and awed as it flowed away from an entry-way. What they now saw was a round, gold medallion set deeply with a round rock entry. The captain took out his notebook. On one of the pages he found the design of medallion. He discovered this clue in an old library, the books ancient and moldy. His excitement grew, he licked his lips in anticipation. “Dig here,” he commanded. With each strike, the sound of emptiness and echos traveled beneath their sandaled feet. 

“Get the pick axe,” the Captain yelled to Hakim who scrambled over the mounds of dirt and rock. Within minutes, he had found his way back with others, their hands filled with pick-axes and distributed them amongst some other workers and got to work. Within the hour, a great cavern opened up. 

“Get a lantern so we can see,” the captain said, and one was passed to him promptly. A stair way into a darkness appeared in the bright lantern light, leading down farther in the cavern. 

Hakim went down in the hole the dug, his feet finding their balance while he sat upon a rope. He waited while the Captain followed. On the Captains direction, two more workers followed, creating a team of explorers who made their way slowly down through the darkness. Walls were filled with carved images of creatures and humans. “This must be their legends,” the captain declared, holding his lantern up to a carving of an alligator. “Fascinating,” he declared. Hakim and the other men uttered sounds of agreement. 

Farther and farther they walked down the stairs, passageways appearing intermittently, but at the Captain’s direction they continued downward. “I am looking for something very specific.” They found the last step and jumped down on the end of their journey, a vast cavern deep underground. 

“I wonder how far down we are,” Captain James said to Hakim. 

“It is quite far down, we cannot see the light anymore,” he replied.

The walls of the chamber were filled with more images, depicting more scenes. The captain looked at each inch of the walls, apparently looking for something in particular. He grew impatient, “Where is it?” 

“What are you looking for, Captain James?” Hakim said, the others stood with their lanterns at their sides.

“I am looking for a special carving of an ox. A powerful beast. I have it drawn in my notebook,” he said, holding up the notebook in the ambient light that mixed with the darkness of the cavern room. 

Hakim pressured the men to help search for the elusive ox image. They shone their lanterns on the walls, each taking their own space to make a thorough inspection, feverishly looking at each image then at each other. Captain James sat on the last step, pipe alight, smoking and waiting.

He jumped up when a triumphant shout came from a distant corner, “I have found it.”

Hidden behind a rock, upon the wall face, an ox was etched. Captain James held his lantern up at the small design. “Annihilation, upon entry. All who walk, Prepare,” Captain James read the surrounding words, written in a dead language. He knew what he was looking for. “This is it.” He ran his hand around the lines of the ox, feeling the bumps and crevices. With a swift pressure, his finger pressed firmed, the small entry giving way into the wall. The lanterns flickered and the stiff breeze escaped. The thick air mixed with sand along with it, causing the group of men to cough violently, and holding their chest. Captain James pushed the wall back. The darkness opened up to the vast cave of gold and gems beyond number. Upon a plinth in the middle, a carved dragon made of emerald stood, a single beam of light fixed on its position. They gasped in wonder. They heard a loud thud behind them, causing the men to turn around while the captains gaze was transfixed, inching closer to the great emerald image. A body laid on the floor near the stairway. An escape was made. An unstoppable force for evil – a curse was released and it made its way into the world.