[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/240118/7cc6ea0c03bf2cd99056d87fdf5f7fdc.png[/img][/center]
Aurélie’s sundress fluttered as she quickly made her way back to her camera, lifting her prized possession into her hands. On the display, the eldest found her family, smiling, the pyramid of Giza in the background. Thierry held Cosette up, supported by Sabrina. Theo with a massive grin on his features next to his father, their mother’s long hair framing her face just right. Even Aurélie smiled as brightly as the natural sunlight that provided the perfect exposure for this picture. She couldn’t wait to have it printed. Maybe she could even let it be put on a canvas? She couldn’t remember the last time they had a true family photo. 

[color=steelblue]”What can I say? I love vegetables.”[/color] Her brother said to his father behind her, as the family chattered away, Cosy giggling something about growing. Despite the work her parents had to do, something in Aurélie said this trip would make them all closer. Just not in the way she had wanted it. 

As they walked back to their tents, Aurélie’s attention was torn from goimg through her photos by her father’s arm suddenly around her. Blinking slightly in surprise, she realised he was just thanking her for the ointment. Her heart did a weird thump in her chest as his familiar scent hit her nose. The acknowledgement felt nice, making the smile on her face shy as her eyes turned to the sand at their feet. [color=rosybrown]”In line at the pharmacy.”[/color] She answered to his rhetoric question. While she didn’t get any of her nature from Sabrina, she was glad her nurture brought her positive traits, such as the silent caring for another. Sabrina was the type of mother who, if she had the time, would ensure to get you what you needed before you even knew you needed it. Tissues when you start to sniffle. Tea with honey when you have an itch in your throat. 

Later, Theo bounced around the tent like he was Cosy’s age again, gathering his notes and supplies and shoving them into his backpack. The little sister herself was pulling on Aurélie’s hand, excited to go. Aurélie had changed out of her sundress and opted for something more… convenient. Jean shorts topped with an airy rosy brown tank top. Comfortable walking shoes. She tied a sweater around her waist in case there would be a cold draft. Her mother had told her it could vary, within the pyramid.  [color=rosybrown]”Alright, alright!”[/color] The older sister chuckled at her younger one, sliding her arms through the straps of her small backpack. She draped her camera around her neck. Dusty bricks weren’t her thing, and she wouldn’t enjoy overanalysing each crease, but at the very least she could take marvellous action shots of her parents and her siblings.[hr]

[color=steelblue]”Je jure, papa! Best behaviour.”[/color] Theo grinned, his eyes focused on the small brush in his hand. After twirling it between his fingers, he sat down on his behind and crossed his legs under him in a tailor’s sit. He came prepared, too. His free hand switched on his headlight. Carefully, he began to brush where his father pointed at. With a snort, he nodded at his father but kept his eyes on his work. Wouldn’t want to accidentally brush too hard and turn Bead into Dead or something. [color=steelblue]”It’s glamorous to [i]me[/i].”[/color] It was honestly like a dream come true. No more hearing it through his parents' tales, no more documentaries or daydreaming that it was his hand making the discovery. Nothing could break his day, that’s for sure. He always imagined that one day it would be his time, on the stage of yet another Louvre gala displaying yet another magnificent work of art recovered and restored, or an artefact that was lost be found. One day, it would be him. It will be. And it would be the greatest day of his life. 

He was excited to work on the Rosetta Stone notes, too. Even though the youth had already spent countless hours researching and watching YouTube and documentaries about the subject, he’d never be as good as a linguist as his mother. And so after his father left him to his careful and slow brushing, she was the one he called once he was done. He didn’t fully understand what was displayed in the light of his headlamp. [color=steelblue]”Maman? Pouvez-vous venir ici s'il vous plaît?” [/color]

There was a certain youthful curiosity on Aurélie’s face as her fingers ran over some etchings in the wall. Cosy’s flashlight made her manicured nails shimmer as their mother explained what the etchings meant. Too complicated for Cosy’s understanding, and Auri’s lack of previous interest made her not fully grasp it either, but when her eyes shifted from the wall to her mother, she could see pure wisdom in her eyes. She was in awe of her mother’s knowledge, and passion for these dusty bricks. She smiled widely at her mother as her hand dropped back to her side. [color=rosybrown]”You and papa really know a lot, huh?”[/color] 

The comment was more to herself than her mother. Maybe she just didn’t pay enough attention to them, like that. Theo’s voice filled the room, calling out for their mother, and Aurélie gave Sabrina a confirming nod that she’d look after Cosy. Her attention was split between her little sister, and watching her mother gracefully bend down by Theo and look at more etchings on the wall. She raised her camera.

Once his mother had come over Theo proudly showed off what he had revealed to the world while thumbing through his notes, confusion etched on his face. He thought he was smart, but dealing with [i]actual[/i] hieroglyphs instead of the one in his textbooks, Theo realised for the first time that not everything is as it seemed. His father had gone deeper into the pyramid, to a place where Theo wasn’t allowed. One day, though. [color=steelblue]”I think this part says ‘s grat’, but I don’t know what this here says and, I have no clue what it means.”[/color] With a sheepish smile, he looked up to his mother for help.

The shutter sound of Aurélie’s camera sounded warped like the bricks had an odd sense of acoustic to them, or lack thereof. As the display lit up her amused face, the side of her mouth curled up as she looked at the picture of her mother and Theo. God, Theo would love this one. He looks so professional, so concentrated on what Sabrina was telling him. As she raised her camera once more, Cosy appeared in the lens and hugged Sabrina, then ran off. 

Her nose scrunched together as she saw Cosette book it out of there. Obviously, she couldn’t let her run off by herself, and she wanted to give Theo and their mother their moment. Or whatever it was they were looking at. While approaching her mother, she flashed her a knowing smile concerning the rambunctious little one. [color=rosybrown]”Ne t'inquiète pas maman, I’ll go after her. You stay.”[/color] She squeezed her mother’s hand for a brief moment before turning, her pace brisk as she followed after the smallest de Villiers. 

The sunlight warmed her face as she came upon the steps, but her little sister was nowhere in sight. There was no way Cosette would’ve been so fast that Aurélie wouldn’t see her on the steps anymore. With confusion pulling her brows together, the eldest turned on her heels and walked back in. [color=rosybrown]”Cosy? Où es-tu?”[/color] An anxious feeling started bubbling in the pit of the responsible sister. Had she taken a side hallway? Was she hiding? She turned left, walked past some Egyptian men bowed over a sheet of paper and pressed on. [color=rosybrown]”Cosy! S'il vous plaît!”[/color] To those that were able to hear her voice, the young woman sounded more frantic by the moment, her breathing laboured as her mind started playing tricks on her. She was responsible for Cosette, and she was gone. Hastily she made her way back to the main hallway and went down a different path, only to come to a full stop by a dark corridor with orange cones and a rope. They might’ve as well put up a big LED arrow with ‘go here, curious little child’. 

Remembering Cosy’s upset voice at not being allowed to follow her father past the other rope, Aurélie lifted her leg and stepped over it. [color=rosybrown]”Cosette?”[/color] Within two steps, the hallway became too dark to see, and Auri fumbled to get her phone from her pocket. Turning on the flashlight, she illuminated the dark hall. Cosy had a flashlight, so it was still possible she had gone down this route. She knew she was descending, and there was something undoubtedly eerie about the steps. There was almost no sound, yet there seemed to be a persistent hum. Goosebumps were all over her bare arms, but Aurélie was too concerned with finding her sister to put on her sweater. 

The sound of her shoe hitting the stone was different as she noticed she had made her way to the bottom, a flashlight ahead shining on the walls. With a breath of relief, Aurélie choked out her sister's name, only to be interrupted by a loud rumble. With her eyes wide open, she hastily bridged a couple of steps toward her sister in order to keep her safe.

[color=steelblue]”Woah, what the?”[/color] The brush clattered from Theo’s hand as his head snapped toward his mother. Suddenly, a glow came from his freshly brought hieroglyphs, begging for his attention back as he scampered off the floor and back to his feet. The wall, it [i]changed[/i] and the young man’s eyes opened wide. Out of fear, or a sense of protectiveness, or both, Theo reached out and grabbed his mother’s hand. Did they need to run? He didn’t understand the newly formed sentence, but he barely had the time to see before everything turned silent and dark.

He still held his mother’s hand as it felt like his entire body went down the steepest rollercoaster of his life. The glowing was gone, and instead, it felt like the air itself had changed. A flashlight flickered slightly on the floor, but it wasn’t his headmounted one, but Cosy’s. When had she come back?

Aurélie fell to her knees, her hand grasping Cosy’s arm after it had felt like the weirdest sense of weightlessness entered her body for a moment. Like she was falling off the stairs she had surely already gone down. She turned her sister toward her, trying to stay calm. [color=rosybrown]”Cosy! Why did you go down there? I was looking for you.”[/color] She could barely see her sister’s face, and her hand slid down her arm to find her hand. Instead, she found a small object there instead. She raised Cosy’s hand up in hers, using the flashlight from her phone to illuminate what was in her hand. Some sort of statue. [color=rosybrown]”What is this?”[/color]