Jack Canyon and The Curse of The Spider Queen | CHAPTER ONE

Words: 848

Present day. . .

"John," a voice called through the radio, but there was too much static for it to be heard clearly. John Baxter was standing before a large and corroded stone wall with text. He was copying it down in his leather-bound journal and translating it.

"JOHN!" The voice came through clearer this time.

"What?" He replied angrily. He was so close to finished this.

"Clare and I are over at Site B," she told him. "We've found something you might want to see."

"Well, I'm currently busy translating-"

"You really should see this," she stated. "This could be a break through."

John sighed heavily before responding. "Fine," he said slamming his journal closed. "I'll be there in a moment, Marissa." He looked at the carved words on the wall. "I'll return to you soon." He ran his hand along the text before heading out of the chamber. He had been working at the newest area of the temple, which they designated: Site E.

Once he arrived at Site B, an abandoned portion of the expedition, John spotted Marissa with her twin sister, Clarissa. "Clare bear?"

"John, I'm sorry if we've pulled you away from something important. . ." Clarissa responded upon seeing him. "It's just that we've found this, well, we're not sure."

"It's a door," Marissa announced. "Or at least that's what I've translated it to say. Take a look."

John stopped for a moment before examining the door. "Why are you two here, anyway? We left Site B days ago."

"Well, we came upon a scroll at Site F and it lead us back here," Clarissa explained. "It mentioned paces, turns, and halls. Then finally, this." She pointed up at the door.

"I tried to translate it according to what we believed the language was," Marissa added. "Looking at it, it appears to be Incan, or some form of it, with a hint of Latin. Now, I'm not saying our initial assumption was incorrect, but for the life of me, I can't figure out what this says."

"Well, what do you have so far?" John asked when she paused.

As she spoke, she pointed at the text, so he could follow along. "The path is ahead. Laid behind the door way. Enter and be dead. The curse. . . I dunno."

"No," John corrected. "The path is ahead. Laid behind this gate. Enter and be dead. Go back before it is too late. The curse of the Spider Queen resides. Nowhere can you hide."

"Why must it all be in rhymes?" Clarissa asked.

"Poets usually wrote these things on scrolls for someone to carve into walls and doors," John admitted.

"What's the difference in a door way and a gate?" Marissa asked.

"A gate was generally a break in the wall," John explained. "Often times, it was a better way of keeping unwanted things out."

"Or in," Clarissa stated as she looked at the words "curse of the Spider Queen" again. "Maybe we shouldn't be here."

"Oh, come on," John shouted. "I've been doing this sort of thing for thirty years. There are no such things as curses."

Marissa and Clarissa just gave glanced between themselves.

"You two have been with me for the better part of those years, too," he added. "Now, come on. Let's open this gate."

"I don't see a release," Clarissa told him. She felt along the wall for one. "Nothing."

John examined the door's edges to see how it might have been sealed. Then finally he felt something. "Wow. This was well hidden."

"What?" Marissa asked curiously.

"This," John said as he pressed in a small stone that unlocked the door. He rose to his feet as the large gate slide open. He pushed his safari hat's brim up, sitting the hat high on his head. He gave a cocky grin as everything settled and they saw a sarcophagus in the middle of the room.

"Is that. . .?" Marissa asked as John stepped forward into the room.

He looked at the dust and cobweb-covered coffin. "The Spider Queen," he said.

The room began to shake violently and some of the stones in the walls fell down around the expedition team.

"It's collapsing!" Clarissa yelled out. "Let's go!" She and her twin sister darted out, but John didn't follow. She turned back and re-entered the room. Grabbing him by the arm, Clare dragged John along. "We need to go!"

The gate to the room began to seal again forcing them out. As they progressed down the corridor, all the doors they had opened were shutting.

"Shit!" John exclaimed. "Run! Now!" He urged the women to keep moving and keep picking up speed. They were back to Site A, but still not out of the temple which spanned several miles.

They spotted the exit, but the door was already half way down. Before they could reach it, the door lowered another two feet. When they arrived, Clarissa slid underneath it, but with little room for anyone else to exit.

John tossed her his journal. "Find Jack Canyon. Jack--" Then the door was closed completely.