TRAPPED in Ancient Egypt

By Verona McColl and Robin Thomson

Trapped in Ancient Egypt when a sandstorm plunges twelve-year-old Aaron and his friend Manar back in time, vengeful gods mistake him for Ra's mortal son. Sharp-witted Manar draws on her Bedouin skills, knowledge of hieroglyphics, and history to help them survive. They befriend a young Tutankhamun, the same age y

• Language: English
• Publisher: VAMPress
• Release date: Apr 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9781738466641

Verona McColl

With a passion for travel, I left Australia and journeyed across America, wound my way around Europe and spent many years driving a truck across Africa. Egypt has always called to me, so I ended my travels there and set up a business that allowed me to explore the history of this remarkable country. Although I write fictional stories for young people, I weave my authentic experiences and historical knowledge into these tales with the hope I share some of this enjoyment with my readers.

Book preview

TRAPPED in Ancient Egypt

Book 2 Aaron Thanos Middle Grade Adventure Series

Verona McColl

VAMPress

Copyright © 2024 VAMPress

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious.

Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher, VAMPress.

ISBN - 978-1-7384666-4-1

Cover design and chapter illustrations by: Robin Thomson

Traditional Ancient Egyptian Gods and Goddesses by: Jeff Dahl

Hieroglyphic fonts (licensed) by: The Hungry Jpeg

We dedicate this book to all readers eager to travel to far-away lands, experience new cultures and battle wicked Gods and Goddesses in Ancient Egypt.

Pick up your sword, nock your bow,

and join us on this wild adventure.

With special mention to some of our young readers;

Brodie, Pippa, Zac, Tillie, Felix, Jack and Lachlan.

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

Acknowledgement

About The Author

Books By This Author

Contemporary list of Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic alphabet. Use to decipher the names of gods in featured chapters. www.veronamccoll.com

Use this guide to decipher the names of the gods and goddesses in featured chapters. Download your own name into hieroglyphics from my website: www.veronamccoll.com

A map of Egypt showing where Aaron and Manar lived in modern times and explore in ancient times. www.veronamccoll.comQR code for author website www.veronamccoll.com

Download cool free stuff like bookmarks, cards and translate your own name into hieroglyphics from my website:

www.veronamccoll.com

Pitcure showing several names translated into Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. www.veronamccoll.com

1

A BAD IDEA

Detailed drawing of two guards in front of Karnak Temple during the middle kingdom. Illustration by Robin Thomson. www.veronamccoll.com

‘This is such a bad idea,’ I said. ‘Two kids breaking into a forbidden Egyptian Temple can’t end well.’

Manar shrugged her shoulders.

‘Yes, you said that already, but haven’t come up with a better idea. We need to speak to the Timekeeper[1], Aaron. He’s our best chance of finding a way home. Maybe our only chance.’

‘I know, but those two guards look scary, and their spears are sharp. Long, shiny, and sharp.’ I stared at their weapons, remembering the spear thrown at us the last time we tried to escape. That seems like a lifetime ago, not weeks. But everything felt like a lifetime ago since we accidentally travelled back in time, drifted[2].

‘Then pick up a bunch of these dried sticks,’ said Manar. ‘If we bundle them up on our heads, the guards will think we’re just common workers.’

‘Genius,’ I said. I had to admit, Manar’s Bedouin[3] skills had saved us so many times since being trapped in this ancient kingdom.

2

THE DOOR TO HELL

Drawing of Aaron and Manar carrying sticks on their heads to look like common workers. Illustration by Robin Thomson. www.veronamccoll.com

With bundles of sticks on our heads, Manar and I walked alongside the Nile River[4] towards Karnak Temple[5]. No one took any notice of us.

It felt weird. I hadn’t been back to the temple since I first arrived in Egypt[6] a month ago. Everything had gone downhill since then.

My mum getting sick, having to stay with my dad on his archaeology[7] dig in Egypt and then the sandstorm. That mega mess flung us back three thousand years in time.

I still felt guilty Manar had got caught up in that with me. She was only trying to warn me of the storm.

The temple wall towered over us. Taller than a two-story building, Karnak stretched up to the clear blue sky. The stone fortress, covered in hieroglyphics[8] etched into the rock-face, described war conquests, instructions for surviving the underworld[9], and blessings to the many Egyptian gods. I only knew that because, while staying on Dad’s dig, Manar’s father taught me to read the ancient language.

I’d only seen the crumbled, faded ruins before. This recently built temple, painted in bright, strong colours, looked like a wall of cool emoji. Vivid birds, bees, animals, and stick-figures covered the entire surface. And the row of ram-headed sphinx[10] looked much better with heads.

‘Look for an upside down letter C, Aaron. It’s the symbol for a house with an entrance,’ said Manar.

‘On it.’

‘I’ve only ever known it as a hole in the wall, not a door,’ said Manar. ‘When I was little, I used to crawl in and out of it when I got bored waiting for Dad. He used to be a tour guide before working with your dad. The only problem is, I’m not sure in what period they built it. Maybe it’s not here yet.’

‘Oh, that’s a minor oversight you forgot to mention,’ I said. ‘Though I can’t imagine them adding it later. This wall’s wider than a car.’

‘True.’

‘Hang on, what’s this? Is this a letter C? It’s attached to a basket.’

‘Yes! That’s it! You have your hand stuck in the sign for a house and that’s not a basket, Aaron. It’s the hieroglyphic symbol for a door.’

‘Ok, then let’s try opening it. The temple wall slants inwards, so I guess this small door opens inwards as well. We should try pushing on it together. It’s heavy, so it will need a hefty shove.’

‘Sure. On the count of three, okay?’

‘One, two, three, push!’ I said, throwing all my weight behind the stone inset. It fell inwards as we hoped and landed with a thud on the ground inside the temple.

‘Me first,’ said Manar, scrambling through the small opening. I quickly followed.

‘No way,’ I cried. Manar stood in front of me, her lips pressed together so tight her mouth had turned white. Tears filled her eyes. A tall, beefy guard had wrenched her left arm up behind her back. He held the blade of his spear to her throat.

‘We really are dead this time,’ I said.

3

CLEPSYDRAS aN Ancient Water Clock

Drawing of an Ancient Egyptian alabaster water clock known as a clepsydras. Illustration by Robin Thomson. www.veronamccoll.com

‘Where do you think he’s taking us?’ I whispered to Manar. The guard held his spear so close to our backs we had to almost run to avoid getting prodded.

‘Most likely to the Festival Hall[11] of Thutmose the Third[12], near the Chamber of Clepsydras[13].’

‘The what?’

‘A clepsydra is a water clock. The oldest system used to measure time. Ancient Egyptians calculated each hour with it. They drilled a small hole in the bottom of an alabaster[14] pot and filled the pot with water. It dripped, one drop at a time, into a shallow plate placed on a bed of fine sand. When the plate filled, it sank into the sand. The Timekeeper changed the plate and recorded that another hour had passed.

‘You know you take nerd to a whole new level, Manar. You’re like some super-genius twelve-year-old.’

‘Thanks, I think.’

‘Beside the water clock, what else is at the Festival Hall?’

‘Vizier Ay[15] and all the other priests, I assume. They live here in the temple.’

‘Ay! No way.’ The lump in my throat made it hard to breathe. ‘He has already tried to banish me from the palace. And he’s the reason I have this tattoo on my arm that still burns and itches. He hates me.’

‘And me. I have a tattoo as well, remember?’

‘Yeah, but your name means shining light, some kind of elite guide. Mine means son of Aten Ra, traitorous sun god.’

‘He may help us, Aaron.’

‘How? Why?’

‘Well, since he’d rather we weren’t here, and hates that we’re friends with the Pharaoh[16], Tutankhamun[17], he might help us return home. To our own time.’

‘I’m not convinced and not sure we can trust him. I think he’d rather send me to their underworld.’

Drawing of Aaron and Manar's arm tattoos (from Book 1, Spell 30). Illustration by Robin Thomson. www.veronamccoll.com

Aaron and Manar's hieroglyphic tattoos. Ancient Egyptians often dropped the vowels of a word, so Aaron became RN and Manar became MNR. The scribe added the circular disc of the Sun God to Aaron's name.