Hatshepsut ~by Amelia

   The dew on the fully blossomed flowers was shimmering in the light. Hatshepsut strolled along the dirt path, feeling the same way she felt every day. Today was just normal. Like always, the sun god hadn't forgotten to raise the sun. The gardeners worked joyfully trimming here and there. As she passed, however, they bowed deeply with great respect. Hatshepsut was puzzled. Why did they bow? I am a girl; people only bow to pharaohs. 

 

   Hatshepsut opened her closed eyes; it was a still very dark. Just a dream, she realized.  She had been in her room the whole time. But, the dream seemed so real, she could not discount it.  She knew the dream was from the God of Pharaohs, Amen. This was his way of showing her something...but what? Hatshepsut laid her head on her pillow. She was still immensely tired so had no problem falling back to sleep. 

 

    Hatshepsut opened her eyes and sat up in her bed. The morning air was filled with the sounds of laughing children. She thought about her dream; what could it mean? I can not be thinking about my dreams! There are other more important things to be worried about, Hatshepsut thought. Today was not the day to be thinking about these type of things, for on this day Tuthmose II, her half brother and husband, would have a meeting with the generals of his army. What usually happened was they discussed which place they were going to raid. She was nervous. When they had these meetings, the next thing she knew Tuthmose would leave, attacking a country in hopes of expanding his empire. Hatshepsut wanted to know where they were going. She wanted to be included in the decisions.

      After the decisions had been made, Hatshepsut moped down the stairs to her friend Mutoket who was in the flower-filled garden. "Tuthmose is going off again," Hatshepsut said despondently.

    Mutoket muttered."Hatshepsut are you worried again?  I thought he wasn't important to you."

    "He isn't, but I am worried I won't be allowed to rule Egypt if he is killed," Hatshepsut admitted.  She thought of what would happen if she had the chance. 

    "Hatshepsut, don't waste your time on this thought. They're not going let you rule Egypt; you're a female," Mutoket reminded her.

    "You're right Mutoket; I shouldn't  even consider this thought."

     Out of nowhere Tuthmose came striding in, his horse and chariot following closely.  "I'm leaving now. I'll be back in eleven moons. My son is in charge until I get back, understand?"

    Hatshepsut nodded.  His son was by 7 months old.  How would he rule?  Who would listen?  Suddenly, Hatshepsut had an idea.  She did not knowing if she was joyful, angry, or sad. The dream was from Amun. Maybe it as an unfulfilled prophecy.   This is my chance, Hatshepsu thought.

    Then, Tuthmose turned around and galloped into the sandy desert.

 

 

    After the 20th moon, Tutmose had still not returned. Hatshepsut began to suspect what she would soon learn to be true.  She sat upon her silk sheeted bed. There was nothing to do, so there was plenty of time to question her dream. Why her?  Why was Amun giving her the dream? What could... 

    "Hatshepsut?" the woman's voice paused, "Tuthmose.... is dead."

    Hatshepsut sat stunned, still taking in the information. She jumped from her bed. She is lying. Tuthmose is not dead, Hatshepsut thought. Hatshepsut ran to the door. Prove it, she was about to say. But standing there was Mutoket, her best friend Mutoket, who never, ever lied to her.

    "Where is he?" Hatshepsut asked.

    "In the garden," Mutoket answered."You won't cry will you?"

    "No." Hatshepsut hurried down to the garden.  The torches lit the fountains turning the water into glistening drops of light. Crickets chirped. How could this night be so peaceful when things have changed so much? Hatshepsut wondered. She heard footsteps. Who could it be. Mutoket stepped onto the large path.

    "I'm sorry. I didn't startle you, did I?" she asked.

    "It's fine," Hatshepsut answered.  Where is he? Hatshepsut needed to know.  She needed to see his body before she'd believe the news. Then she heard voices from the patio.

    "How is Tuthmose III going to rule, he is but a child?" a man asked.

    "Maybe Hatsheput can rule Egypt in his place until he is old enough," the woman's voice wondered aloud.
    "A typical response from a woman, only a male can be pharaoh," the man said.
    "Well, who else could fill the slot?" asked the woman. 

    Hatshepsut walked quickly along the path towards the voices. 

    In the firelight Hatshepsut could make out the faces of her father, Pharaoh Tuthmose I, and her mother, queen Ahmose. In the shadows beside them, she saw her dead husband, Tuthmose II.

    "Hatshepsut," her father addressed her. Hatshepsut simply glanced at him; then her eyes went back to her husband.  TuthmoseI went back to arguing with Ahmose. 

    "Why not Hatshepsut?  She has been a coleader for years," her mother said.

    "I told you, women can not be Pharaohs," then his father added, "we'll just have Tuthmose III be pharaoh." Her parents keeped arguing without noticing that Hatshepsut was still there. Then Hatshepsut had the strangest idea ever. This was something she never thought of. Hatshepsut and Mutoket left Hatshepsuts parents to argue in the dim torch light. Maybe there was a way she could be pharaoh. She would try for her mother and for herself.  

 

 

    Hatshepsut was on her morning walk along the Nile River when she had an idea. Her father had said that only a man could become a pharaoh, so she would dress as a man. This would convince her father and the public that she was the next ruler. Hatshepsut went up to the room where Tuthmose II slept and went to his closet full of men's garments. She took four of his garments and headdresses. Making sure no one was there, she gathered up all the items and headed back down to her room. Once she was there, she hid them under her bed just as  her servant Aumeeza knocked on the door. Aumeeza was an eleven year old servant, who had been with Hatshepsut since she was born.

    "Aumeeza, I'm glad your here,"Hatshepsut said,"I need you to fetch Mutoket for me." Without saying a word, Aumeeza left. She was back with Mutoket quickly. 

    "Not that I'm not happy to be here," Mutoket told Hatshepsut, "why do you needed me?"

    "Well, I'm planning on .... ," Hatshepsut started to answer when she noticed Aumeeza was still there."You may go," she told her. Aumeeza disappeared into the hall,the door closed behind her.

    "What were you going to say?" Mutoket asked. Mutoket looked exhausted. There were big purple and black bags under her eyes.  Life in ancient Egypt was difficult for people, unless they were royalty.

    "When I was on my walk, I had a plan," Hatshepsut paused, "If I were to wear the cloths of a pharaoh, I might be able to convince the people including my father that I am pharaoh."

    "That's a great plan," Mutoket said sourly. Hatshepsut sensed the bitterness in her voice. "Is that all you needed?"

    "No, I need you to tell me how much I resemble a man in these clothes," Hatshepsut took the clothes from under the bed.

    "Those are from Tuthmose," Mutoket had obviously recognized the clothing. Hatshepsut said nothing. She took a garment from the pile of silk and walked over to the extra room slipping her right sleeve off as she went. The soft cashmear fabric brushed against her legs as she took off her dress. She gathered up the traditional silk outfit of a Pharaoh and slipped it onto her body. The beautiful, intricate design of the fabric held many colors: red, green, blue, and gold all woven into shapes that pleased the gods. Then she took one of her gold chest plates that stretched over her slender sholders to her back. There were many gems placed perfectly to create a picture of two lizards. Gold shimmered off of the crown she took from Tuthmose's room. The crown also had gems; it was heavy and beautiful.

    She walked out of the room and Mutoket gasped.  She bowed and said, "You are a pharaoh."

    To make her people believe she was a man, Hatshepsut knew she would  have to work hard. First, she would wear a fake beard to look like all the male pharaohs. Luckily, she had taken some when she stole the assortment of clothing items from Tuthmose. Second, she would convince her cabinet that she was the all powerful daughter of Amum. This was somewhat true, she had received the dream from him; he obviously wanted this. Third, she needed a grand speech.  She had already made a speech and was going to present it in a few hours. Her speech told how women should be treated just like men. She had already passed all of her ideas to her father. He approved her plans with a little pleading from her mother.

    Hatshepsut stood in front of all the people of the royal court. A mixture of feelings went through her bloodstream. She felt excitement, fright, and nervous all at once. Hatshepsut started her speech.

    "As you all know, only men have been pharaoh for a very long time now,"Hatshepsut started. Her words came smoothly from her lips only because of the many days of practice. She went from the women's rights to her ending which explained what she would do if she were pharaoh.  Each word sounded as beautiful as the next. The sun god was bringing down the sun for the night when she was done. This will make me pharaoh for sure, she thought.  

     

                

    "How could they not like my speech?" Hatshepsut questioned her father. There was a look of complete despair on her face.

    "Hatshepsut your speech was about women becoming pharaoh's," Tuthmose I answered." You do realize that the law states that only a man can become a pharaoh?" he added.

    "Yeah, but...," Hatshepsut was cut off by her father.

    "But what Hatshepsut? The court would change their law?"

    "Father, don't you have the power to change that law?" Hatshepsut asked.

    "I do, but I don't want to change that law; I stand by it." Her father seemed sure. There was no changing his mind. She would just have to do this herself. Wait, Hatshepsut said to herself,  I still have the temple plans.  Hatshepsut ran to her room at almost lightening speed. On the elegant wooden table that sat in a corner were the palace designs. She grabbed them and raced down to the first floor. People watched her leave the palace, and some made a face. She burst into the room where the court members usually spent their free time. It was a dingy hot room with many chairs. They had silk and lace pillows on every chair.

    "Hatshepsut," the man named Tutoo addressed her curtly.

    "Hello," Hatshepsut greeted."I'm sorry, but I will not rest until I'm Pharaoh." Hatshepsut read the disappointment in Tutoo's face."I must show you my designs."

    "Please don't waste our time,"Tutoo responded. Hatshepsut laid out her many drawings of the palace.

    "I'm planning to build the temple in Deir el-Bahri," Hatshepsut informed them. "And i'll name it Djeser-Djeseru. Then she showed them some of her other plans for Egypt. She had many ideas, old plans, new plan. The court members seemed intrigued.

     "Hatshepsut give us a month and you will either be a pharaoh or not,"Tutoo said. Hatshepsut's heart soared. Now she had a chance.    

 

    It had been five months since she had talked to the court, three months after the decision date. The court members had told her that she would be the pharaoh and that they expected many of her ideas put into action. Her ceremony happened on a very sunny day.  Many people from all over Egypt had came to see her. Streamers were dancing in the air. They were many different colors: red, green, and the all important gold. It was a day she utterly enjoyed. After all, this was her life-long dream. As soon as all the ceremonial events where done, she went to the garden. Every single thing was like her dream. The plants were glimmering, and the flowers were in full bloom. it was a beautiful rainbow of color, and as she strolled by, a gardener bowed deeply with the same amount of respect as in her dream. Now she could live the rest of her days peacefully knowing she had completed her life-long dream.

    Hatshepsut died in 1482 B.C.. She had been pharaoh for twenty-two years. After her death, her stepson Tuthmose III tried to wipe her from history, but he didn't succeed. 

Ketu, the Tomb Raider -by Scott

My name is Ketu. I'm a proud Egyptian boy. My father is dying, I'm holding on to his cold chilly hand. Thoughts are running through my head. How will I survive? I'm sobbing as I watch my father struggle for breath; he is wheezing hard. He's looking paler and paler by the minute. I say to him, ''Hold on, Father. It will be okay.'' But, I know in my own head it won't be. He is in horrible pain; he wants to pass away. He can't stand it any longer.

Minutes later, he slowly passed away.

I wake from that terrible dream dripping in sweat. I've been having this exact dream for the past two months.

I wake up ready for school. I walk down stairs. "Do you want breakfast son?" my father asked.

"No, I'm not hungry." I continue walking, ignoring my father. I know he is mad at me for acting this way. It's not like I'm trying to be mean. I realize that we cannot afford more food. For this, I cannot forgive him. It was his fault we are poor; in life he made many unwise choices. He has kept us poor. I leave him and continue slowly walking down the path to school.

Finally, I meet up with my friend Sett. Sett is too short to be twelve years old. He has large brown eyes that follow me everywhere I go. He asked, "How you going?"

"Fine," I reply in a grumpy tone.

“You don't sound fine."

"Seriously, don't worry about me." We come up to the markets, I walk up to a fruit stand and casually snatch an apple.

"Why do we always steal?" Sett questioned. Sett probably feels bad being around my influence. He wants to be friends, but I wonder if he feels uncomfortable breaking the rules.

"Because I have barely any food at our house, certainly not enough to survive on anyway."

Sett nods. I don’t have to explain this to him, his life is the same. But he said what he always said to me, “Ketu, remember there are many ways to be rich.”


Sett and I arrive at school go our separate ways. School is the same as always since I started when I was 10 years old. Our teacher instructs us about the proper way to write. We copy and recopy passages until they are perfect. I am expected to try my hardest because my father paid his entire fortune for me to go to school. One day, though, I will be a famous scribe for the Pharaoh.

Later that evening I met up with Sett and we started to talk. Sett had a very solemn look on his face. "Hey Ketu, have you heard the news?"

"No, what news?" I asked.

"Well, King Tutkhamun has just died."

I froze as the news sunk in. I wondered how can this happen; he was only 18 and he always has body guards with him. He rides the fastest horses and is protected by the finest chariots. He eats well and has plenty to drink. "How did this happen?" I questioned still very puzzled.

"No one knows; it's still one big shock."

"Be careful, Ketu! Who knows what could be lurking around the corner. I will see you tommorow," Sett said, "Remember be careful!" he exclaimed. Sett was always worried about Ketu. He soon cut off to a different path to get himself home.

I couldn’t stop thinking about King Tut’s death. I was wondering, Was there a secret assassin? Could someone have killed out pharaoh?, Did he commit suicide? I continued walking extremely cautiously. I heard something in the bushes; I froze solid afraid to move. Then the noise grew louder and seemed to come closer. A shadow was starting to form. I thought, I should run, but what if he chases me? Is it the assassin? If I keep silent, he might go away. So I crouched down and kept quiet. No matter, it jumped from the bushes. I jumped and almost screamed. Then I realized it a cat.

Later that night I lay in bed awake; I was still curious about how our pharaoh died. Questions raced through my head over and over again. Then out of the blue a vision popped up into my head: Tuthankhmun's burial chamber! Everyone knew that the pharaohs were buried with more gold and food than pheasants had their entire lives. Everyone knew that the pharaohs took these things to their graves to help them in their next life. But, he hasn't done anything to help me or my father. He's just taxed us, taking more and more leaving us with less and less. I knew that I should not be thinking of stealing from our pharaoh, the son of Ra, but the thought would not leave me. I planned for many months and created a detailed plan of how I would steal from him. Soon his tomb would be ready and so would I.

My plan was set. The night before my departure, I slept very little. The next morning I got up before the sun had risen. I received only two and a half hours of sleep the night before. I was very nervous about what I was going to do. I didn't know if I should continue or not. I spent almost ten minutes arguing with myself. But when I saw our empty pantry and storage pots, I knew I had to do it. It wasn't an option. I stormed out of the house heading for the Valley of the Kings, rushing away before I changed my mind.

After almost four hours of walking under the boiling hot sun, I had arrived at the valley of the kings. The first thing I had to do was make my way through all these mazes. It took me about half an hour just to find an entrance. Once I found it, I had to use absolutely all my strength to open the door. I saw a long narrow tunnel that seems to go on to nowhere. I started to walk slowly and steadily. I was being extra careful not to set off any booby traps, I'd heard about them from my father. He knew many stories about tomb robbers of the past. Then the tunnel became smaller until I was crawling on my knees. I was scared, Am I going to make it? Will I make it out? I suddenly was faced with a dead end, and my heart sunk. I stayed there, just staring at the wall. Then I screamed out, ''I must not give up. I must not give up,'' slamming my fist against the wall. Then I felt a little grove in the wall, I put my hand in there and pushed to the left. The wall shifted and I knew that I had arrived at Tutankhamun's tomb.

A beautiful picture appeared in front of my eyes. What I saw was clothing enough to last a few months. There was so much food, delicious food fit only for a pharaoh. There was also elaborate jewelery, statues representing servants that would care for him in the next life, and beautiful pictures of scenes of daily life painted on the wall. In the center of the huge room was a box made out of wood with beautiful paintings on it. I knew Tutankhamun would be in there.

There was enough food in here to last me and my father for months. Plus all these clothes, I could change my clothes for once instead of wearing only these stinky old rags. Or, I could sell them. We would be rich. This thought kept running through my head. I walked up carefully to a pile of rare jewelery. The jewells shimmed in the light. I picked up a handful of jewelry. I said mockingly to King Tut, “You won’t miss this in the next life, will you?” Right there I had a thought. How would I like it if someone stole from my father. What if it was my father who was in that tomb? And then a more troubling thought came to me, How would it make my dad feel if he knew I was stealing? This thought clouded all the jewels and food that was within my reach. I knew what I had to do. I didn't have to be rich in money to make me happy, being rich in knowledge would be enough for me.

I walked away from the beautiful tomb. I walked away from what could have made my father and me rich. But as I walked away from my dreams, I knew it was my only option. It was the right thing to do. I left the tomb feeling that I had accomplished something great. I may be going home empty handed, but my heart and my conscience were full.

I arrived home feeling great. I yelled out to my dad. There was no reply, only an awkward silence. "Dad are you there?" Still, there was no reply. I walked in to the dining room. What I saw shocked me. My dad lay on the couch. I ran up to him as fast as I could. I knew he was in a bad condition. "Dad I will get you to doctor," I told him. "No son this is it for me," he paused for just a second, "Son, you know I've always wanted you to be happy, that's all I've wanted is you to be happy." This just the way I pictured it in my dream, but know I am not dreaming. He was wheezing hard. I started to cry and then and there he slowly passed away.

by ~ Scott

Cleopatra ~by Alex CG

~ Rome ~

After many long weeks at sea surviving the rough waves and limited food, we finally arrived at Rome. We were welcomed with wide arms and a buffet in our honor. After dinner, I went up to my room and waited for the sun to set behind the horizon. As I peered out of the window, I saw a shadow zoom past. I crept down the stairs and out the door, only to find that familiar shadow peeking back at me.


As I peered across the empty field, a handsome figure watched. When our eyes met and locked, I knew that I had found my true love. For a moment I was afraid to move because I didn't want to ruin the trance that held us both still. I took a deep breath and begged my feet to move forward. Slowly, I crept toward him. In a flash, he disappeared behind a corner. "Stop!" I screamed, but he was already gone. For the rest of the night, I thought about my love.


The next day Ceaser invited me and my father to watch him in court. The way he argued the case was inspiring. When it was the other man's turn to speak, I looked up wearily, only to see the man from the field staring back at me with loving eyes. The only way I recognized him was his light brown, mesmorizing eyes. He was presented as Mark Antony.


Fury raged inside me. I had seen this man before walking the streets. But I'd never looked into his eyes, or heard his embracing voice. I studied the man for whom Antony was presenting. He had cropped black hair. He was rather scrawny and had a tired look on his face. I felt a singe of pity for the man. If Ceaser won, he would lose his land. He would lose everything. As I was trying to organize my thoughts, I was distracted by a distant clatter. Curiosity took over my body. I quietly got up, using the excuse that I had to go to the bathroom, to avoid tipping off the guards.


I snuck around the hallway, trying to locate the noise. Then I heard an ear-riping screech of terror. I stumbled over my feet as I dashed for the door. It seemed to be coming from the kitchen. As I flung open the door, I saw a small orange kitten being trapped by a large chef with a rusty, old butcher knife. "What are you doing?" I screamed in astonishment.
The man moved his mouth in a way as if he were about to yell at me, but quickly changed his expression when he saw who was talking. He seemed to be in pain. He answered with a tired and miserable voice, "This is my cat. I can't afford to keep him anymore, and my boss won't let me keep feeding him food from the kitchen. I would like more than anything to let this kitten live his long happy life."
"I'll buy him from you!" I screamed, my voice still singed with shock. Because we were in Rome, he obviously didn't understand the importance of cats. For in Egypt, they represented the goddess Bastet. She was the protector of women and kids.
We both just stood there for a while. Then he looked up and said, "You do not have to pay me if you give Aro a good home."


I crept back to the courtroom holding Aro, just in time to catch the final decision. Ceaser had won. As they were getting ready to leave, Aro leaped out of my hand and meowed. Antony turned to pet the kitten. When he saw me behind him, he smiled and said, "Hello." For a while we talked about Aro. But then he asked me if I wanted to take a tour around town with him tomorrow. I almost immediately said, "Yes."
We spent every day together from that moment on. After each day, we became closer. After a few years, we decided to get married. Everything was going perfectly until my father became very ill. We knew he was dying, but we did not know what to do. Then we heard a meow. When we turned around, Aro was standing on a map of Eygpt. It was a sign, so we decided to move to Egypt to be closer to my father.

~ Egypt ~
While we were in Egypt, we had many beautiful children and forgot about the problems in Rome. Our lives in Egypt were carefree until Ceaser found out that Antony had given much of the land once ruled by Alexander The Great to my family. Ceaser became so angry he declared war against Egypt. Antony knew this was his fault so he decided to lead the war against Rome defending Egypt. I felt it was my duty to go and fight alongside him, but the people couldn't risk losing their last pharaoh. I was forbidden to go.
Days later, the Egyptian army returned with less soldiers than they left with. They returned to recriut more soldiers and gather more supplies and food. They had lost the first battle, but the war still raged on. I begged Antony not to return. I begged, "Just let the soldiers go! Stay with me." But, he wouldn't listen. Days later they had lost yet another battle. Caesar had passed through our defenses. And Antony had retreated home. Caesar was chasing after him. Antony did not want Caesar threatening my life, so he returned to battle to keep Caesar from storming the pyramids. Knowing that Caesar would not stop until we were dead, I came up with a plan.

~ Cleopatra's Plan ~

I called my loyal servant Eva into my chambers, I told her everything. She knew that Egypt was at stake. I asked of her a favor. I told her to tell everyone I was dead. I told her it was the best thing for Egypt, but really I knew I was only thinking of my family. Within days, Eva had done her job. Messengers had spread the word throughout Egypt and almost everyone had heard of my fake death. As the rumors continued to spread, I went into hiding. I waited for Caesar to find out and return to Rome, I didn't expect Antony to find out first.

~ Anthony ~

Antony's heart was filled sorrow when he heard the news. He jumped on his horse and raced for home. He had to see Cleopatra's body to believe this news. It couldn't believe it. As he rode, the only person that he could think of was Cleopatra. I cannot survive without her! We must be together, he thought. He was determined to make that happen again. With a broken heart and thoughts filled with the love of his life, he plunged the knife into his stomach. He closed his eyes and fell to the floor.



He opened his eyes when he heard a meow and felt a tongue as rough as sandpaper move across his cheek. Aro was standing above him. he looked up and found Cleopatra; she was still alive. My heart lept with joy, as I took my final breaths. Cleopatra fell to her knees and drew my head into her lap. My eyes closed as she wept.





~ Cleopatra ~

Cleopatra knew she couldn't live without him. As his eyes closed and his heart stopped, so did mine. I took a deep breath and reviewed his last words over and over again. He said, "Do not weep over my present pain, rejoice in our past happiness. I loved you with all my heart." How could I rejoice when Antony was dead? How could I rejoice when Caesar was coming after me? How could I live without the love of my life? This thought was unbearable.



Again I called Eva into my room. '




I told her to go to Puho and retrieve an Asp. The Asp was the Egyptian cobra. One bite and I would be with Antony again. Every second I wasn't with Antony was tearing apart my heart. Then, Eva came silently through the door. I knew she was depressed, but she had to understand that I just couldn't live without him. She returned, carrying a basket. Inside I could hear the slither from the cobra, and it made my skin crawl. She set it down next to me. I carefully lifted the lid and the Asp flew out, but before it could touch me, Aro leaped in front of it and began hissing and clawing at its neck. I cried, "Aro! Get away from it!" He wouldn't listen. He was trying to save my life. The asp struck at him, sinking his fangs into my poor cat's neck. I screamed, "No!" It was too late. Everything I loved was dead now. Broken hearted, I looked into the eyes of the asp and silently begged for my release.

By ~ Alex C-G