Philip and the Mummy

By John Paulits

Can a homemade mummy rise from the dead? Philip and Emery’s pal Leon thinks so. He buries a tiny mummy in his backyard. When they attend a birthday party held in the Egyptian room of the museum, and a real, live, walking, talking mummy shows up and a valuable scarab goes missing, Philip and Emery have to figure out a way to get Leon out of

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gypsy Shadow Publishing
• Release date: Mar 11, 2020
• ISBN: 9781619504905

Book preview

Contents

Copyright Page

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

Chapter 6

Chapter 9

Chapter11

About the Author

Philip and the Mummy

by

John Paulits

All rights reserved

Copyright © February 26, 2018

Cover Art Copyright © 2018, Charlotte Holley

Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

Lockhart, TX

www.gypsyshadow.com

Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination, or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

No part of this book may be reproduced or shared by any electronic or mechanical means, including but not limited to printing, file sharing, and email, without prior written permission from Gypsy Shadow Publishing, LLC.

ISBN: 978-1-61950-490-5

Published in the United States of America

First eBook Edition: March 26, 2018

Dedication

For: Becky Lee, Daughter Supreme

Chapter One

Warmer days had finally arrived, and Philip lay on the cool ground in the igloo-shaped empty space beneath Mrs. Discher’s bushes, his and Emery’s unofficial clubhouse, waiting for Emery. The bushes had turned green enough to hide him and Emery from view to anyone passing by on the sidewalk. Enough grass survived in the splotchy sunlight coming through the leaves to keep their pants from getting covered with dirt. Emery had been away with his family for a week visiting a sick relative who lived far away. No school, no fourth grade, for a week while everybody else slaved away. Talk about your good luck.

The new, dark green leaves on the bushes rustled softly in the breeze. Philip smiled as he recalled Emery’s complaints about having to travel in the car with his cousin Leon. Leon the loser. Leon the unlucky. Leon the disaster magnet. With Leon in the picture, maybe Emery wasn’t so lucky after all.

The bushes shook as Emery crawled through the small entry passage the boys had made by pulling off a few branches here and there.

Well, Emery said, I’m back.

What kept you? You said one o’clock. I’ve been waiting. How was the trip?

Ugh! I had to sleep in the same room with Leon every night.

What about the sick person?

Uncle Harvey?

I don’t know. Was Uncle Harvey sick?

Of course, he’s sick. That’s why we went to see him.

So how was Uncle Harvey?

Sick.

Philip glared at his friend. Is he getting better?

"I suppose. Maybe not. I don’t know. Ha! Leon knocked over the table with Uncle Harvey’s medicine on it. You should’ve heard everybody scream. I thought Uncle Harvey was going to go pfft right there. People crawled around looking for spilled pills, and Aunt Marie had to mop up some green, syrupy medicine from the floor, then rush to the drug store to get some more. Leon stood flapping his arms blabbering, I didn’t know, I didn’t know. You know how he is."

So why are you late?

Not my fault. Leon. As soon as we got home I had to go to his house and help him bury his mummy.

You what!

I had to help him bury his mummy.

In the ground? You had to help?

Of course, in the ground.

In the cemetery!

The cemetery? Of course not. In the backyard.

What! And you had to help? Philip nearly shouted.

Shhh. Somebody’ll hear you.

Never mind hearing me. What was wrong with his mommy?

Emery shrugged. Nothing, I guess.

You buried his mommy and you weren’t sure if there was something wrong? His mommy had to be sick, at least.

No, his mummy was dead.

Dead! Didn’t she just go on the trip with you?

Who?

Who! Leon’s mommy!

His mother?

Yes. His mother; his mommy

Sure, she went on the trip.

And when you got home you had to bury her?

Bury who?

His mother!

Bury his mother?

Yes, his mother!

No, she made us lunch while we buried his mummy.

Philip got to his knees. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Emery shrugged and spread his arms.

Emery, start over. Who got buried?

Nobody.

"What do you mean nobody? You said you buried Leon’s mommy."

"No, I didn’t. I didn’t say that. I said we buried his mummy, not his mommy. How could you think we buried his mother? Get your ears checked."

Get your mouth checked.

You really think we dug a gigantic hole in the backyard, put Leon’s mother into it, and then covered her up with dirt?

That’s what you said.

I did not! You’re crazy.

So Leon’s mother is okay? I thought, like, she died on the trip.

Sure, she’s okay. She made us lunch, didn’t she? We buried the mummy Leon made. His mother’s fine. She didn’t die on the trip. When I left Leon’s house, though, she was dying.

Dying! You just said she made you lunch and she was okay. What’s wrong with her?

Nothing.

So why’s she dying?