Chapter Text
It started on a quiet dawn as Cleo prepared for bed. She went through her before-sleep routine: washing her face, brushing her teeth, and making sure her homework from Mrs.O'Shriek's class is done. Once finished, she turned her attention to Hissette, her pet snake, who was coiled on the floor, playing with a pile of her glittering jewelry.
“Hissette, it’s time to sleep. You’ve been playing around all night,” Cleo sighed, scooping up the tiny snake.
Hissette, however, wasn’t ready to end her fun. She looked Cleo with wide, pleading eyes that rivaled any puppy’s charm.
Cleo groaned softly, already feeling her resolve crumbling. “Aww, alright. But just a little longer, okay?” she relented, placing Hissette back on the floor gently. “Enjoy your 'royally' extended playtime, sweetie snake.”
Hissette flicked her tongue happily and returned to playing with the shiny baubles as Cleo climbed into bed. She left her nightlight on, casting a soft glow over the room, and removed the Mummy Talisman from her pocket. Carefully, she placed it on the nightstand, under the warm light of the nightlight.
Unbeknownst to Cleo, the gleaming gold talisman caught Hissette’s attention. The bling-loving snake’s eyes glimmered with delight as she slithered toward the nightstand. With nimble movements, she climbed up, grabbed the talisman in her jaws, and slithered away.
Hissette made her way into Cleo’s treasure room, a glittering space filled with gold and jewels. She nestled the talisman amidst the other treasures, happily playing with her new, shiny prize. Meanwhile, Cleo slept peacefully, unaware that her most important possession had just gone missing.
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Evening arrived, and Cleo stirred awake, feeling refreshed from a restful day. She stretched her arms gracefully and let out a delicate yawn before calling out in her usual dramatic flair, “Good Evening Hissette!”
Turning toward Hissette’s tiny, jewel-encrusted bed, Cleo froze, her brows furrowing when she found it empty. “Hissette? Where are you sweetie snakes??” she asked, slipping out of bed. She scanned the room until her eyes landed on a familiar golden gleam in the treasure room.
“Aww, there you are!” she exclaimed, spotting Hissette nestled atop a pile of her treasures, fast asleep. Cleo started toward her pet, intending to scoop her up, but paused. “Awwwieee You look so comfy, I suppose you’ve earned your beauty sleep hmm” she said with a fond smile, leaving Hissette undisturbed.
With her pet accounted for, Cleo began her evening routine. She took a luxurious bath, enjoyed a light breakfast of fruits, and brushed her teeth before sitting down at her makeup table. Carefully, she applied her signature Eye of Horus eyeliner and gave herself a satisfied nod in the mirror.
Once ready, Cleo packed her bag for school, but as she was about to leave, she remembered something.. “Oh! My Mummy Talisman!” she said aloud, heading for the nightstand.
But the talisman wasn’t there. Her eyes widened as she scanned the area.
“Wait… where is it? I specifically placed it right here, under my nightlight!” Cleo mused, checking under the desk, around her bed, and even beneath her makeup mirror.
Her search turned up nothing, and a wave of frustration crossed her face.
“Ugh, of all nights for this to happen,” she groaned. Then, glancing at the clock, her irritation turned to panic.
“Oh, my Ra! Look at the time—I’m going to be late for Mrs. O’Shriek’s class!” Cleo exclaimed, her voice rising dramatically. She sighed, pinching her nose bridge.
“Well, no use sulking. I’ll just have to bring my organ jars with me tonight. No big deal,” she said with a resigned tone.
Grabbing her bag of preserved organ jars, Cleo hurried to the door. Before leaving, she cast one last glance at her room. “That talisman better be here when I return, or heads will roll. Literally,” she muttered under her breath, slamming the door shut as she rushed off to class.
The sound of the door slamming shut jolted Hissette awake. The tiny snake let out a sleepy yawn, stretching her slender body as she slowly regained her senses. Blinking groggily, she realized something was missing—the shiny Mummy Talisman she had fallen asleep hugging was nowhere to be found!
Hissette froze, her little heart racing as panic set in. She darted her head around, scanning the pile of treasures she had made her cozy nest in. But the talisman was nowhere in sight.
Just as she was about to panic further, a thought popped into her mind: (Cleo must have taken it!) Her panic subsided, replaced by the comforting assumption that her mummy had already retrieved the talisman and all was well.
With a soft, contented hiss, Hissette coiled back into the treasure pile, burrowing herself among the golden trinkets. The treasures glinted in the faint light, hiding the Mummy Talisman somewhere in their shimmering depths.
Unbeknownst to Hissette, the talisman had slipped from her grasp while she slept, now lost, buried in the sprawling golden chaos of Cleo’s treasure room. For now, though, the snake was blissfully unaware, drifting back into a peaceful slumber atop the mountain of shiny treasures.