by Mina Carter
“So you’ve only scratched the surface on this dig?” Ryan laughed at his pun.
Kate restrained from scolding him over his attempt at humor at a serious moment. “Right, we don’t know what other powers could come from this site. The witches probably do. I don’t know where the witches are right now, but I know they will be back. I wouldn’t even begin to guess how to stop them, other than to get control of that amulet so they can’t use the portal.”
“We learned one thing last night, though. That owl definitely scared them off.” Ryan said.
“And it was more effective than blasting them full of bullets.” Lexi added.
“I suppose we should start moving along. Abraham and I are going to find the sacrificial altar stone they plan to use with the amulet.”
“Lexi and I will roam around with you, so we all look like we are all together, and then spread out to check out the other digs around the hillside. Let’s all meet back at the truck at sundown.”
From the top of the grassy hill of Gobekli Tepe, they could see a patterned blanket of earth-toned colors spreading though the valley a thousand feet below. Hills on the horizon were visible in all directions. The main structure was in a circular shape of approximately sixty-five feet across with stone walls. Inside the circular room were immense T shaped stone pillars. The tallest one stood about sixteen feet in height. The pillars were arranged in circles that started from the center, and then more pillars created rings of concentric circles. There were other circular structures of similar construction in various states of excavation. There were dozens of holes or depressions carved into the surrounding rock floors that resembled plazas.
“Did any people live here?” Lexi asked.
“No, not that we know of. There is a village not too far from here though. It was the center for early agricultural development. It appears that this place was only used for religious purposes, however, not for burying the dead.”
Ryan noticed the view and thought of its strategic importance. “I can’t help but think about this location. It allows anyone up here to have a commanding view of this entire valley. Strategically it’s the ideal location for a fortified encampment.”
Abraham responded. “Good point Ryan, although there is no evidence of warfare or even a hint of military activity. Most of the uncovered artifacts found so far have been fragments of stone tools, and bones of wild animals that were likely from sacrificial offerings.”
Lexi looked around at the carvings on the pillars. “What is the deal with all of these creatures carved into the pillars? Just about every one of them are creepy, except for the birds. Spiders, snakes, scorpions, and ants—and what the hell is that? It looks like a wild dog or a wolf showing its teeth.”
“There is a definite theme here. They didn’t carve images of the animals that were used for food. It creates more questions and possibly clues to what this place was used for. Could they have been used to frighten people or spirits? Perhaps they were trying to overcome their own fears of these creatures. They could also represent evil spirits. We may never know.”
“Abraham, take a look at this set of small symbols on this rock.” Kate was looking at large flat surfaces of stone that had dozens of shapes carved into them. “Do you notice that these symbols resemble many of the shapes found from ice age cultures throughout Europe? Only these seem to be in an arrangement, and some of the symbols are repeated. A few of them have been modified slightly then repeated. This is a pictographic text. Amazing! We are talking about a major discovery if you are correct in your theory. If this is a written text, it predates any other known written language by almost eight thousand years!”
“This is incredible! Imagine what we could learn from this, and I am certain more will be uncovered. This is just the tip of the iceberg.” Abraham nearly danced with excitement.
“Okay, well we will let the two of you celebrate your new find. Ryan and I will look around the rest of the area. See you down by the parking area at sundown!”
Beyond the recently uncovered circular structures archaeologists had been systematically dividing up smaller areas into squares. These squares were only big enough to allow two or three people to fit inside, and each one was in a different stage of excavation. There were also a number of small holes in various places. These were left by workers who had probed for artifacts in several suspect locations.
At the top of the dome shaped hill there were various wooden sheds with corrugated metal roofs. They formed an L shaped wall on one side of the dig site. A barbwire fence surrounded the entire site.
Ryan and Lexi noticed a number of smaller excavations further out that would work well as observation points later that night. The smaller dig sites reminded him of foxholes that could be seen in a thousand old war movies. They could each take a side of the hill, watching from a concealed position. No matter what direction Ben or anyone else arrived from, they would be sure to see them.
Ryan liked the added benefit to being outside of the guarded perimeter of the actual site. As long as the guards didn’t wander too far outside of the main complex, they shouldn’t have to worry about them.
The group met back at the car to discuss their plan, and to wait for the sun to set. “Abraham, Kate, did you find any location that you think might be the final destination for the amulet?” Ryan asked.
Abraham proudly answered. “Yes, we believe we did. It’s located in the main circular structure right in between the two center pillars. There is a stone with a depression carved into it, where the amulet looks like it would fit. This is a type of altar used for a blood sacrifice that we typically find in almost all Mesopotamian temples. Of course, this place is older than anything we have ever seen, so we can’t be sure. The people that built this place may have had the same beliefs as the later Sumerians or Akkadians. In this case, we have to assume that it would be the most likely spot, based on what knowledge we have.”
Once darkness fell over the land, the security guards arrived. Ryan noticed there were only two guards, and they appeared to be armed with pistols. “I don’t think we’ll have any problems with those guys. I’m not so sure about Ben though. He is a very well trained and experienced agent. If anyone notices any sign of him approaching, I want you to get my attention with hand signals. We should have enough moonlight to see each other’s silhouettes. I have no idea what we can expect out of Ben. My guess is that since he was willing to put a gun to Lexi’s head to get the amulet, we have to expect that he will be extremely dangerous. Please do not confront him. I will have to surprise him, and I will be armed.”
Lexi thought about Ryan’s expected confrontation with Ben. “Ryan, what If he’s not alone? And what about those witches, or monsters, or whatever they were?”
“I’m counting on the witches to appear close to three a.m., just like they did when they attacked us before. I really think Ben would want to get here before that time. If someone or something else shows up instead of Ben, we have to treat that person as if he or she is just as dangerous as Ben.”
With their plan agreed upon, they slowly headed back up the side of the hill. When they were about a third of the way up, they split off and encircled the top. Each person found and settled into to one of the many small pits that had been dug out. The sky was clear and the glow from the full moon proved to be enough to easily see any movement. Lexi and Ryan were separated by a distance that was about the length of a soccer field.
Lexi offered a timid wave in Ryan’s direction once she found her spot. On the opposite side, she could see Abraham had found a place not far from her location. If Abraham saw anything he could wave to Lexi, and she could relay the message by waving to Ryan. She had to assume Kate was on the opposite side of the hill from her on Ryan’s other side. She clutched the little owl that hung around her neck and hoped Ryan was right about Ben coming early. The mere thought of having to face the monsters again made her skin tingle with goose bumps, and her stomach queasy.
The guards in the cen
tral complex were sitting next to a lantern. They listened to a radio that blared out typical Turkish pop music. She figured these men had spent so many quiet, uneventful nights on the hill that complacency had completely taken away their ability to be effective guards.
In the dim glow of the moonlight she noticed the silhouette of a lone figure a couple of hundred yards straight ahead. The figure moved swiftly, getting closer with each step. She waved for Ryan, who acknowledged her movements and drew his pistol. He crept up out of his little foxhole and held the pistol in front of him with both hands as he made a crouching walk to get closer to the intruder. Lexi saw him take cover behind a pile of large boulders about ten feet from the figure. As the person walked past the rocks she saw Ryan spring out like a predator ready to take down its quarry. “Stop!” Lexi heard him shout. She was relieved when the shadowy figure did indeed stop. She saw it standing there with its hands outstretched toward Ryan, who walked slowly closer. Ryan reached out and touched the stranger’s hand. Yes! He must have gotten the amulet back. Thank God!
She noticed that something didn’t seem quite right. Ryan appeared to be frozen in time with his arms down at his side. It looked as if he were one of Gobekli Tepe’s ancient monuments. The stranger moved in the direction of Lexi’s position. She hoped that she could remain unseen. Lexi crouched as low as she could while still being able to see ahead of her. Her heartbeat sped as the figure approached. It wasn’t the figure of Ben. It was someone or something else. Lexi could hear the rhythmic sound of deliberate footsteps treading over the gravelly surface. Her breath caught in her throat.
The moonlight illuminated the light colored ground in front of her and when the figure moved closer, she could see the features of a face drenched in dark blue light. Closer it came until she recognized who had frozen Ryan into a helpless monolith.
“Marcie?” Lexi was completely flabbergasted. “What the hell are you doing here?” Just as Lexi finished shouting her question a large owl swooped through the ethereal moonlit night sky above Marcie. Lexi climbed out of her hiding spot and stood upright. Marcie stopped about ten feet away from her. “What the hell is going on? What did you do to Ryan?”
Marcie stopped and gave Lexi a condescending look and spoke with a tone to match it. “Get out of the way.” She held up the amulet for Lexi to see. “You’ve done your job by finding this, and bringing it to Shandor.”
“Shandor?” Lexi said incredulously, gaping at Marcie in disbelief. “Shandor is the man that Jakub mentioned. He would have to be dead by now!”
“Shandor come here!” Marcie commanded. Ben’s body possessed by the spirit of Shandor ran up the hill. He stopped where Ryan was standing and leaned close to him. From the distance, it was impossible for Lexi to tell what he was doing. He continued to run up the hill until he reached Marcie. “Meet Shandor. You can leave here safely as your reward for finding the amulet, but you must leave now or I will feed you to Lilitu.” Marcie looked up and pointed to the ghostly shadow of the great owl that was circling above them.”
“Fuck you, Marcie! I’ve got another idea.” Lexi pulled the pistol out that she had tucked into the waistband on the small of her back.
“How about you set the amulet down on the ground. Then you and Ben...or Shandor, or whoever it is can turn around and leave before I shoot both of you. By the way, who the hell is watching my cat?” Marcie continued to hold the amulet in front of her and began to utter strange words that Lexi could not understand. The pistol became red hot, and with a scream of pain Lexi involuntarily dropped it on the ground. She shouted to Ryan’s stone effigy, but there was no movement and no sound from him. Abraham came jogging over to Lexi and soon after, Kate arrived.
They saw Marcie standing before them holding the amulet. “What the hell is going on here? Who the fuck are you?” Kate asked.
Ben walked closer to where Lexi was standing.
Abraham and Kate both saw that Marcie held something that glimmered in the moonlight. Abraham shouted. “The amulet! She has the amulet!” He rushed headlong at Marcie as fast as his stout frame could move. “Get it!” Kate immediately bolted toward her as well. Marcie just smiled at them and mumbled in her strange language. As their hands touched Marcie’s arms, their bodies became as frozen as Ryan’s had.
Marcie spoke again. “Shandor, grab that girl and throw her and her friends down the hill. They have served their purpose.” He walked up to Lexi and leaned closer. He noticed the owl pendant hanging from her neck. Then he looked at her hand. He put his fingers on the small gold ring that Lexi received from her mother so many years ago. The expression on his face rapidly went from astonished to excited. He whispered to Lexi. “It’ll be okay. We’re going to help each other.”
Lexi asked him in an equally subdued voice. “Are you really Shandor? Or are you Ben?”
“I’m Shandor. Ben is inside here, but he is sleeping. Now I am going to hold you somewhat forcefully. We must convince Marcella to come closer.” Shandor grabbed both of Lexi’s arms and made a feigned attempt to drag her. He then called to Marcie. “Marcella! Come! We must feed this one to Lilitu!”
Marcella slowly walked toward them. She smiled with wicked pleasure as she stretched her arms outward. “Marcella, come and smell her. Smell her blood! She will be a fitting offering to Lilitu for tonight!” While he held her arm, Shandor pulled a folding knife from his pocket. The knife snapped open with a sudden flick of his wrist. He quickly trapped Lexi in his iron grip as he tilted her head back and placed the tip of the blade against the soft tissue under her jaw.
Lexi’s heart pounded so hard and loud she was certain anyone within a hundred feet could easily hear it. “You bastard! You lied!” Lexi struggled with all her might, but couldn’t free herself from his grip. Ben’s muscular body was no match for her, and the blade against her neck made it impossible to move. Her body gave up any resistance and she suddenly went limp. Oh my God! This is really it. This is it. They are going to kill me. She waited for the knife to slice into her.
Shandor made a tiny hole in her skin, barely pressing on the tip of the blade. He only went deep enough for a small drop of blood to appear. “Here Marcella. Smell it. Taste it.” Marcella leaned her face closer to Lexi’s neck and saw the drop of blood. She extended the tip of her tongue out, sensually licking the droplet from Lexi’s skin. Just as she had closed her mouth to savor Lexi’s blood, Shandor let go of Lexi’s head and held the owl pendant up to Marcie’s face. She screamed in terror. “It is forbidden for me to taste the blood of those that bear the likeness of Lilitu!” Shandor quickly grabbed Lexi’s hand that bore the little gold ring and pressed it against Marcella’s forehead.
Marcella dropped to her knees as if someone had knocked her feet out from under her. She clenched her eyes shut and held her head in her hands. Then she calmly looked at them.
“I—I remember! I remember my name. I am Annah, the daughter of Belash. I am a servant at the temple of Inana.” She looked bewildered and sat silently.
Ryan and the others were released from the spell that Marcella had cast as soon as Annah’s memories flooded through her. They rushed to Lexi’s aid. When they arrived Shandor took the amulet and handed it to Ryan. “I mean you no harm.”
Annah spoke from the body of Marcie. “You have an owl on your neck. It is the same one I cast away when the witches were about to kill me. It was given to me by my love to protect me from evil demons. I removed it so that I could call on Lilitu to come and take my spirit. I said the spell that would allow her to use me as her servant until the time came for me to exact my revenge on those witches. Lilitu came and swept me away. That is the last thing I remember.” She noticed the ring on Lexi’s hand. “The ring. That is the ring of betrothal to my shepherd boy, An-Shandor!” She looked at her body and jumped up. “This is not my body! What has happened to me?”
Shandor knelt down by her and looked in her eyes. “Look inside me Annah. It is me. An-Shandor. I saw the demon Lilitu take your spirit before the witche
s killed your body. The priests and soldiers arrived right after your body died. The witches were taken out to the desert where they were chained down, allowing the sun to burn them. The vultures would pick away their flesh, and all of the unclean wild beasts would feed on their corpses. When I told the priests what had happened they took me back to the temple and helped me. We found out the witches had great magic that allowed them to live on as spirits in the desert, until the time of the next alignment. We knew they were planning to wait until that time to restore the doorway to the time of darkness.”
“How? How did you get here?” Annah asked.
The priests trained me to be a magician in the old magic. Finally when I was ready the priests found a way to send my spirit forth. I traveled through time so that I could possess a body. It had to be forward to a time before the alignment would occur. My spirit would only be called into the body of someone who practiced the old magic to conjure spirits. That is how I came to be in the body of the old Roma magician. My tasks were to find the witches’ amulet and to find your spirit. I hoped at the time of alignment I would be able to free you from the bonds of Lilitu, and destroy the witches.”
Annah wept. “My memory is just as if it were minutes ago that I saw my parents’ dead bodies and you were barely alive.”
“Listen to me. The witches are close. The alignment they have been waiting for is upon us tonight. I have learned much of the magic that we will need to stop them. I need you to be strong because we are all in danger. I plan to open the portal myself before they come. We will cast them through it into the Dark Age, and then we will seal the door.”
“What will become of us?”
“That...I cannot know.”
Chapter Twenty
THE GROUP GATHERED at the central sacrificial altar stone. Shandor knew the alignment would occur from midnight until dawn, but the witches would arrive within an hour—at their most powerful hour. Lexi asked Shandor about Jakub. “Shandor, so tell me about Jakub. Did you work with him to help him, like he said you did?”
