The caravan drove onward towards its destination. But first they would have to go through a storm of deceit and rage. The place was an old sand laden city, long forgotten. She looked out across the expanse of sand and wondered why it all looked so familiar, and in the back of her subconscious mind came the thought that she had dreamed of this before. The gritty wind as it swept through her bangs that had escaped from her bun in the back of her head. The layers of clothes that were not her own and the wide expanse of sand that seemed to stretch onward like an endless sea. When they finally came upon the site where legend seemed to resound she was wary of what was in front of her. The guide spoke in a hushed language to his attendants and then they dispersed to set up camp among the large stone pillars around them. She walked ahead through the winding corridors that were beginning to break down and then she found a quite curious door. It was ornate and well preserved for a falling down city, and it reached up far above her. She so wanted to find out what was behind this mysterious door, but she soon heard her guardians’ calling her name and so she receded. The next morning found them with no escorts; it was as if they’d all forgotten some duty that needed to be done and so they all left. As her guardians’ argued about what needed to be done, she walked a bit farther away, climbing up a slope of sand. The desert heat rippled around her as she stood on top of the hill. Suddenly in the distance she could hear shouts and as she looked at the rise ahead of her she saw something that made her go sliding down to the hill to the encampment. They were under attack! From who and from what they weren’t sure of but they knew they had to go somewhere safe. So she led them to the door she’d seen and with their help, as well as quickly made crowbar they were able to slide it open. It was a dark cavernous space but it was the only place they could go as they heard the approaching horse hoof beats and shouts. They ran inside and using the bar once again they shut the door behind them.”

Kendra woke up with a jolt. It was dark, still night or early morning. Soon though the faint outlines of her desk, bureau and nightstand began to come in view as her eyes adjusted to the darkness around her. The air was chilly with the cold that came from the faintly frosted windows; which although she couldn’t see them for they were covered by dark purple curtains, they were still there.

“Odd dream.” She sighed and figured she wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep and so she started to prepare herself for the last day of her high school schooling, graduation day. As the steam rose around and the water from her relaxing and awakening shower filled around her, her thoughts drifted back to the dream again. And then suddenly things seemed to click in place, she’d had had that dream before; so that was the cause of the strange sense of déjà vu.

As she stepped out of the shower and reached for her clothes she muttered, “This is going to be a long day.”

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

Graduation was long, but the ending sweet. With a loud cheer all their hats were thrown into the air. After a series of hugging and crying more on the girls and parents’ side than the boys, they started to disperse. With those who began to leave were Kendra and her family. They were going to a restaurant for dinner, a celebration.

It was a small gathering at the inn, where the dinner was held. It consisted solely of Kendra’s aunt and uncle and their son, Dominique who was 5 at the time, as well as Marcus a friend of both Kendra’s long gone family and her guardians’. (Her guardians weren’t really her aunt and uncle but they insisted on her calling them so.)

Dominique, with his curly brown top and sparkling blue eyes, loved Kendra as if she were his own big sister and was attached as one from the outside would think for siblings. And she loved him just as dearly and perhaps even more.

Marcus had been a friend of her parents, as well as her guardian’s for ages. He always had something interesting to talk about. From archaeology of the late to photosynthesis, yes, as random but very educational. It was wonderful to hear his voice; it was deep and low, on cold winter nights next to a fireplace of warm coals and little flames.

Kendra was thinking about all her found memories of them, when “aunt” Susan interrupted her thoughts.

“We got something for you, Kendra, something I believe you weren’t expecting.” She smiled as she saw Kendra give her a quizzical look.

That’s when ‘uncle’ Doug cut in, “It’s a trip.”

“A trip?” She’d wanted to go somewhere after graduation since she was 18, but she was going to pay her own way.

“We’ve been saving up for it; we’re coming with you. Just Doug and I.”

“We thought it would be safer that way.”

“Even if you’ve been there before…”

Marcus interrupted both of them by leaning forward and smiling, “You are going back to Egypt.”

“Just for a visit.” Susan said hastily, as if she was afraid that I’d disappear just as my parents nearly had, once.

“Egypt?” Kendra was bewildered, surprised and yet a strange feeling of excitement was stirring in her veins. Egypt, a long time ago it almost seemed before, had been home and now she would be returning. A homecoming. Perhaps that explained the odd dreams she had, maybe deep in her subconscious she knew she would return to Egypt and so her mind made a fantastical tale of it. And so soon a smile started to spread across her face, a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless.

“Dominique will be staying with Marcus; we’re going for a month.”

“A long time.” Dominique’s voice piped up, but it wasn’t his parents he was looking longingly at but Kendra, he would miss her.

“Yes, but I will be back. I promise.”

He got up and walked around the table to her and wrapped his arms around her neck and asked adoringly, “You’ll say hello to the big cat for me, right?”

She smiled, “Of course I will.” The big cat meaning the Sphinx. She hugged him tight to her, “Of course I will.”