Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #17 August 2015 | Page 51
With a click the stones loosened and we laid
the mask down and gently pulled the face off. Inside
something spherical was wrapped in old linen, which
was all that separated us from being face to face with
this ‘god’. With a pair of tweezers in one hand and
surgical scissors in the other, I slowly cut away the
browning textile. My assistant turned the lights back
on before taking his place at my shoulder. I gently
peeled away layers of linen eventually revealing an
actual head!
“Is it mummified?” my assistant asked.
“I’m not sure!” I answered shocked.
not. Just two more layers and Mentz and I would be
making history together, his research leading up to
this very moment as I peeled away the final layer of
wrappings and stared face to face with Dr Richard
Mentz himself! I stepped back in horror to see that
there were no signs of cutting, hacking or gore on his
neck; as if it was never attached to anything at all.
We stood with our mouths open whilst the
horror before us continued as Mentz’s eyes opened.
My assistant broke the silence and let out a scream of
pure terror before running from the lab. I stayed still
locked in a stare with my old colleague. His mouth
moved with great excitement and urgency. He was
mouthing the same thing over and over again.
“Tijaboo now walks among us.”
My hands shook but I could not stop, I dared
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