Chapter Text
Bonnibel hadn't really planned for the week to go as badly as it seemed to be going. She was an archaeologist for crying out loud, not fit for adventure whatsoever. (Okay, maybe this was more cave exploring than a whip and fedora type day, but Bonnibel was annoyed to say the least).
Her entire crew had given up on her as soon as she told them to relocate the digging site, so her only friend was her tools and a stubborn brain. Maybe she should have stopped digging. Or at least asked for a new crew. But when she found herself digging straight into a prebuilt hallway, looking to be dated back to the Egyptian era, that hint of curiosity that Bonnibel had learned to hate sparked and she began to dig faster and harder, neglecting her personal hygiene and basic needs for food and water.
The hallway seemed to open up into more of a small room, two great doors facing her covered in dirt and grime.
Maybe I should report this back to the federal government? She thought to herself as she pulled out her glasses from her shirt pocket and perched them upon her nose, leaning in really close to inspect the look of the doors. Definitely the correct era, judging by the hieroglyphs carved into the two great stone doors. It does seem to be more their interests.
Despite her thought process, Bonnibel found herself pushing one of the doors open. From what she could tell, the room ahead was simply a stairway down. What Bonnibel found the most unnerving, however, was the stone sconces oddly still lit.
Perhaps one of her crew had already dug out another way in, or maybe this place was still civilised. The latter, although seemingly impossible, gave Bonnibel the most joy and urged her to continue her exploration downwards.
As she descended into the darkness, she felt the strangely familiar feeling that she was being watched. Perhaps it was just because her brain was on overload with all the possibilities of what could happen if she got a headline in one of the newspapers. Archaeologist Bonnibel Butler Finds Hidden Civilisation. The very thought made her heart flutter.
When she was truly shrouded in darkness, the pre-lit sconces forgotten about, the floor evened out from steps to tiles and Bonnibel found herself feeling far too vulnerable.
She allowed her eyes to adjust to the darkness before she continued forwards in the dark, however, and her shoes thudded against the cold stone beneath her.
This place is just a bunch of hallways so far. If I want to make headlines I'll need to find another branch or a group of collective rooms or- her brain just about shut itself off when she noticed that the hallway had opened itself up into what looked to be a considerable sized room with a large stone chair nestled at the back. With bated breath, Bonnibel strode confidently towards the smooth looking piece of furniture, running her fingers along the seat as she crouched to look at it more carefully.
“A throne?” She found herself wondering aloud. “But for who?” As she said it, all the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as if a cold breeze had entered the room. She shook it off instantly.
Gotta get back to the camp, grab a torch, possibly move the tents down here whilst I take another look round. Bonnibel fumbled back out of the numerous hallways and up the ladders to the original excavation site.
It was time for her to finally make headlines.