On the second floor, we followed Mrs. Dean into a dark room. Painted black walls and small lights shined from the vaulted ceiling. Each light shimmered over glass box displays and along the walls. The boxes contained different artifacts; statues, amulets, jewels, masks, and pots. Three sarcophagus coffins stood at the center of the room, surrounded by the displays. The museum shielded them in tall glass displays too for protection. Stone tablets, scrolls, and paintings hung across the walls under the spotlights. 

Mrs. Dean faced us. “All the artifacts you see before you are from the palace of the Pharoah, named Sahir.”

“I never heard of her,” said a boy behind me.

“There are many forgotten Egyptian kingdoms lost in the sands before the birth of Christ,” Mrs. Dean explained. “Sahir preferred to keep her kingdom isolated so her rivals wouldn’t attack her.”

Mrs. Hickey crossed her arms and turned toward us. “Remember, notebooks out.”

Kevin opened his notebook and glared at the blank page. “Can I use my phone instead? I can barely see in here.”

Mrs.Hickey glared at him. “Did the ancient Egyptians used cellphones to write their notes?”

Kevin shrugged.

I could totally see my notebook fine, thanks to my night vision ability. All werewolves could see through the dark, even in their human forms. “How did the expedition found Sahir’s temple?”

Mrs. Dean smiled at me. “Good question. A satellite prototype that can uncover hidden monuments on the Earth discovered the palace. The expedition was lead by Dr. Morris who heard about the discovery. It took the team weeks to dig into the palace, and they found many relics to collect. We were very pleased he sent the findings here for the world to see.”

Only people living in Moondale could see them.

“Now let's head to the main attraction here," said the tour guide. "Please touch nothing.”

She strolled up toward the two sarcophagi next to a black ebony rock sarcophagus. “The golden sarcophagus belonged to Sahir and her daughter, Nathifa," Mrs. Dean explained. "Sahir was a runaway slave who was adopted by two pharaohs. After they passed, Sahir took their place and moved her kingdom to a hidden region near Egypt. She met a Roman foreigner who became the father of Princess Nathifa. We don’t know his name, but he passed after Nathifa was born. Probably because of a disease.”

I pointed her pen at the black sarcophagus. It has a strange wolf shaped face below the top. “Who’s in there?”

Mrs.Dean checked the display. “Oh, this one is very special. The expedition found it deep within the tomb, not in Sahir’s burial chamber. Dr.Morris discovered the burial chamber was built to hold mummies, who were convicted for crimes against the Pharaoh. This sarcophagus contains Nex, who was Princess Nathifa's bodyguard. They began a secret relationship, though it was forbidden for the guards to make love to the heir. When Sahir found out, she confronted the couple to end their relationship. Nex turned violent and attacked the Pharaoh."

Mrs.Dean stared at the second golden sarcophagus. “Poor Nathifa stepped in to stop the fight, but Nex struck her to death. In fury, Sahir sentenced him to be buried alive where he would be forgotten. After his sentence, Sahir took her own life by jumping into a river of crocodiles. She couldn’t live without her daughter.”

Wow! How depressing.

I used to enjoy reading books about forbidden love between two cheesy characters. Those books never had a sad ending so readers would believe love solves everything. But in reality, love doesn’t always triumph.

Mrs.Dean sniffed. “Well, let’s observe the other relics. They should have happy stories.”

Kevin raised his hand up. “Excuse me, Mrs.Dean." He pointed his finger at the wolf face on the black sarcophagus. "Why is there a wolf face there?"

The tour guide pushed her lips into an O. “Oh! That is Nex's symbol to warn people who he was."

“Who was he?"

The tour guide bit her lips. "It is only a myth. But back then, Sahir's people believed Nex was a monster." She pointed her finger at the engraved image. "That symbol isn't a wolf. It is a jackal. A werejackal."

"Whoa! Really?" I asked.

Mrs.Dean giggled. "It is only a myth. But some Egyptians did believe man-like creatures walked among them to hunt them. When Nex attacked Sahir, he transformed into a ferocious beast. Because of his bloodlust, he murdered his secret lover. It took many guards to bring down Nex before they could mummify him. I believed Nex went so mad, he behaved like an animal."

I gulped. Somehow those words shot goosebumps across my spine. 

"Cool!" One of the students cheered. "Did they open the sarcophagus to see the creature?"

The tour guide shook her head. “The scientist did perform a medical scan on the sarcophagus, and the results are normal. It is just an ordinary mummified corpse. No monster. Shall we move on?”

While the class followed the tour guide toward the left wall, I stepped closely toward the black sarcophagus. The hairs behind my neck stood up, and coldness drifted through my skin. Why was I being drawn to the coffin while my nerves chilled through me?

“Hey!” Kevin approached me. “Are you okay?”

I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yes…..”

I glanced back at the sarcophagus. “Do you believe there are Egyptian werewolves in Egypt?"

Kevin wiggled his glasses. “It is possible. There are probably different subspecies out there for a long time. That is why there are so many legends about them."

I nodded with a little grin. "Good to know."