The Cowboy and the Mermaid

The Cowboy and the Mermaid

The dark haired stranger clears his throat and that breaks up the flirt fest going on between the young couple.
"I'm Rafe Sinclair and this is my wife Autumn. Are you by any chance Dwight and Lorelei?"
Lorelei is bouncing with excitement as she recognizes Rafe's name and face from the back cover of his book. They introduce themselves and Rafe explains after getting Dwight's email this morning they made arrangements for their children and came right away. Rafe is intrigued with the potential historical knowledge that can be gained from the books and relics in the tomb. He also wants to ensure that the tomb is safe for any wandering citizens that might get into it because of curiosity.
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Lorelei invites them inside and they sit down and get to know one another. Rafe asks for a few clarifying details of their time in the tomb. He tells them they were very lucky to survive. They both agree. Rafe wants to know would they do it again. Dwight reaches out and holds Lorelei's hand, they look at each other and laugh, both exclaiming "In a heartbeat!" Rafe and Autumn smile at each other knowing that exhilarating feeling that comes with adventuring with someone you love.
"I think we need to learn a bit more to be safe though. That mummy was terrifying."
"I will give you some tips and suggestions over dinner. Where is a good place to eat? Traveling always gives me an appetite!" Rafe grins at them.
Dwight and Lorelei favor the diner as the better place to eat even though the bistro is more exclusive. Rafe and Autumn are charmed by the diner and enjoy the food and the company. They learn about the wedding plans for the next day and invite themselves to the ceremony.
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After dinner they travel to the island. Dwight and Lorelei uncover the well in case Rafe and Autumn need to enter that way. They plan to explore the island first to see if they can find another entrance. Dwight offers his home for them to stay in since he will be at Lorelei's.
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Lorelei and Dwight swim back home and talk about the amazing surprise of having Rafe and Autumn come by. Dwight gapes in amazement. "They are the nicest people. I would never have imagined vampires like that because of all the stories written about vampires."
Lorelei nods in agreement. "I am so happy they are going to make that island safe and help us understand the history of the people. I'm really happy they will be at the wedding!"
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Rafe and Autumn walk around the entire rocky enclosure. "This looks like it could have been part of the opening that collapsed over time." Rafe moves the rock easily with his vampire strength and reveals an opening small enough for them to crawl through.
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Rafe looks at the dive well and the stair leading down. "This must be where they originally entered the tomb. They were so close to an exit if it had just not been blocked."
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Rafe and Autumn's first priority is to make things safe and they disarm the traps on both levels.
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Autumn takes pictures and starts cataloging the books and scrolls and relics they find. Rafe is studying the Egyptian reliefs and hieroglyphics on the columned torch and other relics and hopes to eventually solve the mystery of how the ancient Egyptians and the islanders are related.
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The statue with offerings of gold and food is definitely not of Egyptian origin. Rafe is puzzled and intrigued by this mystery. "I think we should go through the books carefully and take them back for study. We can return them later after we have made copies and seen to their preservation. If we can figure out this mystery, Lorelei's discovery will have a place in the history books. I know Lorelei does not like technology but she has no objection to Dwight using it so we can teach him via the internet the language and history as we learn it and he can teach her with print outs.
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Rafe must still make the tomb safe from the hostile mummies and he senses several of them in the tomb. He triggers the first mummy and very quickly defeats him. The next mummy is very aggressive but once again he emerges victorious. The final mummy is very tricky, but Rafe is faster and very soon has him dissolved to dust as he contemplates buying flowers for Autumn. He searches carefully but does not sense any further hostile presence in the tomb.
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He finds Autumn taking pictures and feeling vigorous and victorious he hurries to her enclosing her in his arms. They enjoy the use of the nearby bed and do not worry about critters that might be sharing it. They take a short nap after.
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Morning arrives and it is Dwight and Lorelei's wedding day. They enjoy some romantic kisses before breakfast and while Lorelei cleans up after breakfast Dwight sits down to watch TV. Lorelei sits next to him and starts fussing about the TV and how bad it is. Dwight tells her he is watching the cooking channel to learn how to cook more interesting meals and improve the taste. Lorelei watches for a few minutes and then goes upstairs to get ready for the wedding. "No peeking!" she tells him. (I'm not sure if Lorelei was convinced that the TV could be a learning tool, but I absolutely loved the face she made!)
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