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“I can’t wait till we get there,” blurted Donald twisting in his seat as the school bus sped down the highway. He and the rest of Mr.Bunckles class were on the way to the all important museum hunt.

“Donald, take a chill pill will yah! All were going to do is go scavenger hunting in a museum. It’s all that great at all. The prize is only an A for the last quarter,” said Pixie in an unenthusiastic tone.

“So you need the A since you’re failing. Why are you are so grumpy today?” commented Donald, glancing at his watch, but they still had ten minutes left to go.

“One, I’m failing as you said; and two museums are filled with old, beat- up things that have little cards with info which is useless. Oh, and I’m really bored!!” Pixie huffed as she clomped Donald over the head with her shoe.

“Ow, that hurt Pixie! We’re here! We’re here!” yelled Donald jumping up and down.

After the school bus had stopped outside the museum, Mr.Bunckles stood up and addressed the students “Ok, we’re finally here. A few things I’d like to point out: one, you must find all the things on the list to win, two, some things are harder to find than others, three, no sharing answers with any other group, and I will know if you do, four, NO switching partners and no wandering alone around the museum. You may, however, split and take different rooms that are adjacent to each other. The last thing is I’m adding something. Your group must find four interesting facts about the ancient civilization. I’ll give you a clue: you must look deep and hard. That’s all. Let the museum hunt begin!”

Pixie, by this time, was in a very bad mood, and the extra answers they had to find weren’t helping. As she exited the bus, Donald caught up to her and started to talk, but Pixie ignored him.

“Where shall we start? I think we should start in the world war rooms because those questions are at the bottom of the list and the ones at the bottom are sure to be the hardest,” said Donald, looking at the question sheet and looking for a map.

“You can go look in the world war rooms because they are connected and I’ll go look in the ancient’s room. I need some water, and there’s a vending machine out side of it, plus I’ve always had an interest in ancient Egypt.” commented Pixie, looking at the map she had taken at the entrance.

“Do you have a question sheet, Pixie, so that later we can transfer the answers to the final question sheet?” Donald asked who was looking amazed at Pixie. Pixie in his view was lazy and uninterested in anything that they had learned in class. This was the first time ever that Donald had seen Pixie interested in anything except what the cafeteria was serving for lunch.

“Actually, yes, I do. I took an extra sheet to show my parents that I'm not failing,” Pixie said as she and Donald started walking toward the stairs.

As they headed up the winding, marble staircase, Pixie started to think about the clue that Mr.Bunckles had given them. What did he mean by “you must look long and hard” if you wanted to find the answer? Pixie was deeply confused by the time she and Donald had reached the top of the stairs.

“See ya later then!” said Donald cheerfully as he went into a room to his left.
Pixie went to the water machine and bought two bottles. As she walked into the room featuring ancient Mesopotamia, she pulled out the question sheet and read the questions out loud. “Number one, what religious type did the ancient Mesopotamians have? Number two, what is the hundred and ninety-eighth law of Hammurabi’s Code? Number three, who made up the top social class? Bonus question, why is the statue of King Shamagen praying to the gods? ‘Where am I going to find all these answers?”

Pixie tucked the sheet in her back pocket and looked around for the artifacts. After five minutes of looking around the room she could only find the king praying. She stood there looking at the statue as though it had a secret that she could not find. Seeing an information card, Pixie read it:” Shamagen, king of Babylon, a city state, offers prays to the gods.” Like that’s going to help me. Thought Pixie. Then Pixie remembered the clue, so she gazed deeply at the detail in the beard.

All of a sudden something strange happened. It felt like time slowed down. Very slowly time stopped. Pixie looked around. Nothing was moving, not even the clock above the display. Time stopped for only a minute and then sped up. Like time had too much coffee and was bouncing around a large room. Pixie felt as if she were under a high power vacuum that had been turned on. Suddenly Pixie fell forward onto a dusty, dirt road and got dirt in her mouth. Struggling to her feet, Pixie looked around and was amazed at what she saw. There was a huge blue gate with pictures of animals carved into the blue stone in front of a dusty city wall. Then she concluded that she was not in Massachusetts anymore.

“WH…where am I and what just happened?” stammered Pixie as she took in her surrounding. The last thing she could remember was gazing at the statue of the praying king. Then her next memory was she was laying face down on the ground and eating dirt. Pixie did not know where she was, abut she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was get back to the museum. There was a sudden rumbling in the ground which made Pixie come out of her memory bank and look around her. Pixie then saw what was happening. A herd of oxen was stampeding toward her.

“Oh great. Just what I need,” was all Pixie could say before diving out of the way for she did not want to die.

When the oxen had gone past, Pixie got to her feet looking around for the person to whom these oxen belonged so she could give them a piece of her mind.

Suddenly a scream rang out, and Pixie spun around in time to see someone fall to the ground and not get up. About quarter a mile away there was a struggle occurring: so Pixie, who loved a good fight, went to investigate. As Pixie got closer, she could see that three heavyset men where walking menacingly toward a girl who was the one who had fallen and a boy who was standing over her. This isn’t right, thought Pixie, those men should know better, and if they don’t, they will learn.

Thinking this Pixie got really, really mad and sprinted toward the group, thinking of what she was going to do.

Seeing that a girl was running toward him, the boy yelled at her, “No, stay away! Run away before they get you!” Pixie ignored him because she was about to have some fun. To Pixie, who had taken years of marshal arts training, thought what she was about to do was a simple distract-and-run procedure.

At the boys yell, the men turned around and gazed astonishedly at the girl who was charging at them. Laughing, one snarled, “If you want to keep your life, you’ll go away and forget what you have seen.”

Pixie heard this threat, but did not care a single bit. As she slid to a stop, all the dust that she had kicked up, well she was running, sprayed into the men’s eyes, liked she had planed.

“Gawk, that little girl is going to get it,” said the second man rubbing his eyes vigorously trying to clear them of dust.

Pixie strolled around them giggling because with that much dirt, the men were going to have a fun time getting it all out.
“Is the girl ok? What happened and why did the men attack you?” Pixie asked the boy as she bent down to get a closer look at the girl.

“There will be time for questions later, but now we must get Tina back to the city quickly,” the boy said as he picked the girl who he had called Tina and glanced back at the men.

“We’d better hurry. Their vision will be improving soon, and I don’t like the odds of them against me,” Pixie commented looking back at the men to see if they were still blinded by the dirt. Pixie ran toward the blue gate with the boy right behind her.

While they were running Pixie glanced at the boy and the men, who were getting their vision back. One time when Pixie looked back she noticed the boy was lagging behind and the men were catching up, so Pixie ran to the boy and said hurriedly, “Hey, I’ll carry Tina until we get to the other side of the gate. Besides, the men are coming!”

The boy helped position Tina on Pixie’s back and then set off running. When Pixie glanced back the men where closer than was comfortable, so she yelled at the boy and they sped up. They were almost to the gate when they darted through the oxen to put more space between them and the men.

“Get through the gate and wait for me on the other side. I’ll deal with the men!” yelled the boy as Pixie sped past him and into the blue gate.
Halfway through the gate, Pixie turned around to see what the boy was doing, but regretted looking at once. To her horror, the boy had set the heard of oxen stampeding at the men. Pixie tried to turn away and shut out the screams of the men, who were getting trampled.

“What the HELL do you think you’re doing!” screamed Pixie when the boy turned around. At this outburst, the boy seemed surprised and did not respond.

“Huh, what do you think you’re doing by killing those men like that? What right do you have to murder them? Huh? Answer me!” Pixie screeched at the boy, who was still standing there dumbstruck.

“What are you staring at?” asked Pixie while she headed toward the boy to see if he was all right.

“WH…Who are you?” asked the boy puzzlingly.

“I am Pixie Benodo. Who are you, I might ask?” answered Pixie, stopping after the boy’s question.

The boy replied, “I am Fony Pavoar; you have met Tina. We were on our way home with the oxen from a day of grazing. When those robbers captured one of the baby oxen. We went to get it back, and they knocked Tina out. I was going to fight them, but then something spooked the rest, and they took off toward the gate. I wasn’t doing too well defending myself and Tina until you turned up,” he continued, “You are the strangest girl I have ever seen; for instance, you’re wearing pants, and those boots are the strangest pair I’ve ever seen. What are they? You’re not from this land, are you? I didn’t want to ask earlier because you might not have helped us if I did. I am really grateful for your help. I only wanted. . ”

“Be quiet,” Pixie snapped irritably, cutting off Fony’s explanation.

“Can we go somewhere where I can see what’s wrong with Tina because this blood on my hands is neither yours nor mine? I think the robbers cracked her skull when they hit her, so I need to clean and mend the gash, so she won’t die.”

It was hot outside and the flies were starting to swarm around Tina’s head.

“I think we’d better because everyone else is inside at this time of day, and I don’t think you’d want to be seen in those strange clothes. You wouldn’t be accepted well,” Fony said while looking at the sky.

Pixie adjusted Tina again. Then she followed Fony through the deserted streets. They wandered the alleys, gardens and streets, working their way to the western part of the city. They stopped outside a dusty brown mud-brick house that looked empty.

“Quickly get inside and go right through to the back. There will be a large woman. Tell her Tina is hurt, but you can fix it. Tell her what you need, and she’ll get it for you. Remember to go straight through the house. Don’t stop for anything or anyone,” Fony whispered while opening the door just wide enough for Pixie to carry Tina through,” I have to go do something, but I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry, I won’t give you away. You’re the only chance Tina has.”

Pixie, not understanding why she must run through the house; never the less she did not hesitate to obey Fony’s orders. Once inside the house, she took off running as fast as she could, darting people and obstacles that blocked her path. People kept calling to her, but she ignored them because Tina’s life was on the line and Pixie did not want her to die.

When Pixie finally reached the kitchen, she called out, “Can anyone help me? Tina is hurt and I can fix her, but I need help.” No one answered. Probably, thought Pixie looking around, I look so weird. Pixie was desperate by this time, so she called out again, “Come on! Someone please help me! If I don’t fix Tina’s head, she may die. Please, someone help me! Fony sent me here to get help.”

At this every one was startled. Then a big lady hurried forward.
“You should have said Fony had sent you earlier, girl. What happened to Tina and how can you help?” asked the lady taking Tina from Pixie.

“She got her head split open by some robbers, and I can sew her head together; but it needs to be done now!” Pixie fiercely said to the lady, “I need fire, clean clothes, water, a knife, and a clean work space.”

“You heard the lady. Get to work and be quick about it or Tina’s death will be your fault,” the lady snapped at the crowd of watching people.

The lady then told Pixie her name was Hepsaba, head of the kitchen. She quickly handed Pixie a sharp dagger and showed her to the fireplace. Once Pixie examined the fire, she pulled out her emergency sewing kit, opened it, and took out a needle and black thread. By the time Tina was positioned on the now clean table, Pixie had everything she needed.

Pixie started off by rinsing Tina’s hair so she could get all the dirt out. Then with the sharp dagger, Pixie chopped off the hair around the bleeding gash. Luckily the gash was not deep and was not bleeding too much, so it would not require that many stitches. Pixie took a cup of water and poured it in the gash, washing out all the dirt, small pebbles, and dust. Afterward Pixie put the needle into the fire until it was hot. Then carefully plunged it into a cup of water to cool it down and threaded it with the black thread and set to work. Tina was starting to stir as Pixie was about to start working was very bad at the moment.

“Hold her still, she can’t move we’ll I’m doing this or the thread might snap. If that happens then ill have to start all over with her awake. Hepsaba, come hold her head still and tell her what’s going on. Also explain that this will hurt, but she must not touch her head and that people will be holding her down so that she can not move. As long as you hold her head perfectly still, she may thrash around a little. You all over there! Yes, you come hold her arms and feet down so she can’t move. If she tells you to do something, under any secom stances you are to ignore her. You people over by the door, go into the next room and keep every one out until I finish and I mean everyone.” Pixie hollered at the groups standing around gawking at her.

“How do you know how to do all of this?” asked Hepsaba, tacking a firm hold on Tina’s head.

“My mom was a nurse and this one time I split my knee open. No one was home so I fixed it myself. All I did was look through her metical book and took it step by step. Believe me it was very painful and I got in lots of trouble, but my mom was very impressed.” rambled Pixie as she made sure everyone was in place. Pixie looked up at Hepsaba, who looked like she didn’t understand a thing Pixie had just said. I’m so stupid. Thought Pixie, Of course she won’t have a clue of what I’m saying. Nurses and metical books won’t be invented for another billion- years or so.

“Never mind, it’s after your time,” Pixie said at the befuddled look on Hepsaba face.

For the next half an hour Pixie worked in silence, ignoring all of the blood curtailing screams that issued from Tina’s mouth. In, out, pull, in, out, pull, in, out, pull. This was all that Pixie thought as her fingers obeyed. After what felt like a life time of stitching and screaming, Pixie was finished. Now the only thing less to do is to wrap the wound so she can’t pick at it. This thought ran though Pixies weary head, but she set to work none the less. She took the clean linen that Hepsaba handed to her, tore it into long stripes and wrapped it tightly around Tina’s head. After all the things pixie had to endure that day the only thing that caught up to her was an inhumanly exaction. With a swagger Pixie collapse on to the kitchen floor with no concern about any thing, but how tired she was.

The next thing Pixie saw was a mud brick wall with the early morning rays streaking it with pinks and reds. Pixie sat up with a jolt, for she did not know where she was or how she had gotten there. All of it came back to her and Pixie felt sick to her stomach.

“Here have some water,” said Tina, handing a cup to Pixie. Pixie grabbed it and gulped it down greedily.

“Can I please have more water I am really thirsty,” Pixie tiredly said.

“Yes, of course!” exclaimed Tina as she hurried to fill the cup again. As she handed the cup back to pixie, she said “I would just like to say thank you for saving my life. I am truly sorry if I caused any trouble. Hepsaba told me what happened after I calmed down. How did you come to find me, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Suddenly Pixie did not fell well, not well at all. Pixie stood up and ran to the window to regurgitate her bowels on the other side. Pixie felt much better after that, but now she had a putrid taste in her mouth. She washed out her mouth with another cup of water.

“No I don’t mind you asking and I didn’t find you first, Fony did. He was protecting you from some bandits, I hope he comes soon. All I did was kick dirt into there eyes and stitch up your head. Don’t worry the bandits won’t harm you ever again because there dead. I have some questions that I need answered,” said Pixie as she walked around the room.

“That’s impossible, how could Fony save me? You lie, you lie big!” Tina yelled standing up suddenly and glaring at Pixie.

“Fony did save you and that’s the truth, plus why would I lie to you. Why is it impossible to believe Fony saved you?” Pixie said calmly not wanting to start an argument. Tina collapsed in to a fit of crying and started murmuring. Pixie could only hear a few words though the crying.

“Impossible Fony’s dead… she must be lying… she wares his favorite boots… why would he save me?” At the mention of her shoes, pixie looked down at her brand new Reebok’s. They weren’t of her feet instead there was a pair really nice sheep skin, knee high boots, which were almost as comfortable as her sneakers.

“So your saying that I meat a dead boy and the dead boy took my new Reebok’s. I can’t believe it; some dead boy took my new Reebok’s and gave me his old sheep skin. This just sucks a**, I mean really sucks a**!” shouted pixie, unbelieving that she had taken orders from a dead boy.

“Ok! This has been the weirdest day I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. Anyway who is this guy Fony and why would anybody take orders from someone who was sent by him?” asked pixie as she knelt down next to Tina trying to make her stop crying.

“Fony was the son of king of Mari. Prince Fony to every one when his parents or the guards were around, but when he was alone in the cities it was just Fony. You see why people took orders from you; people never disobey orders sent by the royal family. You must go to the ziggurat and talk to the king. You were chosen by Fony and you have seen his ghost,” Tina said as she wiped her tears away, grabbed Pixie’s hand and started to pull Pixie out the door.

“Hold on, just wait a minute!” yelled Pixie struggling to get free of Tina’s strong grasp on her hand, “wont people be scared of me because I’m dressed differently?”

“No they won’t silly. No one will question you, they will be to busy looking at the princes or rather your boots. You were sent by the prince and no one questions messenger except the royal family.” giggled Tina as she started to pull Pixie out the door again.

Pixie and Tina had to walk though the whole dusty city to get to the ziggurat. To Pixies astonishment no one bothered them or even stared at them as they passed. Some people glanced at her for a brief second and then quickly turned away to mummer between themselves. Pixie looked up at the sun to see what time it was, but there was a big, squarish building blocking it from view.

“Were almost there and didn’t you say you had some questions?” Tina cheerfully said who was strolling though the street like she didn’t have a care in the world.

“Oh ya, that’s right, hold on a second,” Pixie said as she fished for the questions in her pocket, “here we go, answer if you can and if you can’t it’s not a big deal. Question one, what type of religious system do you have?”

“That ones easy, we are all polytheistic. Which means we believe in many gods.” answered Tina walking backwards so that she could talk to Pixie.

“Question number two, what is the one hundredth and ninety-sixth law in Habbarabis code?”

“Hmm...Let me think. That’s the one that goes like if a man puts a mans eye out than he has his eye put out or some thing like that.”

“Number three, who makes up the top social class?”

“I thought out of every one you would know that, but you are forgin so let’s see. There’s the royal family, priests, the merchants and I think that’s all. Plus we are finally here. I hope you don’t get sick on your way up,” commented Tina stepping onto the first step leading up to the entrance of the ziggurat. Pixie looked up and gulped; she estimated the ziggurat to be at least five and half hundred feet high. For Tina five and half hundred feet stair clime wasn’t a big deal, but for Pixie it was a different story. By the time they had gotten half way up the ziggurat, pixie had to stop every few steps to catch her breath.

“Come on hurry up, were almost there!’ encouraged Tina as pixie sat down to rest again. All pixie could do was moan and start climbing again. Right, left, down, Right, left, down, Right, left, down, this was all that pixie could think of. Pixie was hungry, tired and a bit noxious by the time she reached the top.

“Halt,” said a guard on Tina’s right and the girl stopped.

“The ziggurat is closed” said the second guard on Tina’s left.

“We must see the king at once,” said Tina in a firm voice.

“No one is aloud to see the king at this time,” said the first guard
.
“And why not? I was told the ziggurat was open to everyone at anytime,” scowled Tina placing her hands on her hips.

“That’s true, but the king dose not want to be disturbed at this time so please come balk later,” said the second guard. Pixie, who was getting her breath balk, was very pissed off at the moment and the guard’s weren’t helping.

“Let me though right now! I must see the king. Prince Fony sent me and if you don’t believe me look at the boots. I ran into Fony’s spirit and he gave me his boots. So move aside now!” yelled pixie in both faces. The guards looked at pixie then at the boots and balk at Pixie.

“She dose have the boots of prince Fony so you can go though to see the king,” said the first guard, who was still socked. Pixie walked in fallowed by Tina, but at a distance.

“Pixie you finally came and you fixed Tina!” came a cheerful voice from pixies left. Fony or the spirit of Fony came out of the darkness saying, “How are you, Pixie and how is Tina? I would talk to Tina, but you’re the only one who can see me. What are these strange boots called? They are as comfortable as my old one, but these are red.”

“I’m fine and so is Tina except for a few bumps and stitches. The shoes are called sneakers and here is one for you. How did you die and why me?” Pixie said like Donald and not some royal dead spirit.

“The first one isn’t so easy, but the second one I can answer. I chose you because you were strong and willing to help, not necessarily me, but it worked out fine,” Fony smiled as he explained.

“Pixie, who are you talking to?” questioned Tina peering around Pixie to see who was there, “We had better find the king and then you can talk to him.”

“He’s in the chapel praying. I can’t go into that part with out you, Pixie. I also need you to take a message to him for me,” Fony said as the walked though the hall trying to find the chapel.

“Since you don’t remember how you died, then what was the last thing you remember?” asked Pixie, who was now curious how Fony could not know how he had died.

“The last thing I remember was my father asking me who I wanted to married and I had said Tina because we had been great friends throughout our lives. Then he said that he was happy that I had chosen well and he told me go to bed because it was late. I went to my room and fell asleep and that’s all I remember,” stated Fony quietly trying to remember. They had reached the chapel by this point and Tina went inside to announce her.

“Fony, you haven’t told me what the message is so what am I suppose to tell the king?” asked Pixie turning to Fony, but Fony had disappeared.

“May I present a traveler here with news and she who bears the mark of Prince Fony, Pixie,” came Tina’s voice from inside the room. At this Pixie walked in and bowed; just because the king was royalty and she didn’t want to get anyone in trouble. When Pixie came up from her bow she saw Fony standing behind his father and looking mournful.

“Why have you come here stranger who called Pixie?” bellowed the king.

“I have come to bring you a message from Prince Fony’s spirit,” Pixie bellowed balk at the king.

“We already know that so what is the message that my dead son has sent with you?” the king bellowed balk at Pixie.

“Look in the boots,” whispered Fony. Pixie reached down in the right boot and pulled out a piece of paper and read it out loud so that every body could hear it.

“Dear Farther,
I’m really grateful that you will let me marry Tina. At first you didn’t approve of this matching, but over time you came to see my reasoning’s. I am afraid if anyone who disapproved would try and hurt one of us so I’m keeping a record of things. If this message is ever found that means I am dead and please take care of Tina for me as a last wish. For when we meat in the after life I will still love her. You and mother have my eternal love.
Sincerely your son, Fony.”

A stunned silence went throughout the room like a very contagious pelage. Suddenly the king fell to the floor and started to pray, “Oh gods of the earth and sky. Help me to find out what happened to my son and please this girl who came with this message.”
“Yes, I finally got the answer to the bonus question,” said Pixie, “Now how do I get home.”