#niloein

               The body, called ‘The Ice Warrior’ in media outlets but currently labeled as Specimen 33218 in the lab, was laid out on top of the table. It had been discovered within the past month, uncovered in a peat bog which once had a glacial river that passed near it. The body had been moved to a museum, and put in its cold storage room where

                Its skin was a stark white, thin and leathery. Much of its long hair had detached when the body was moved, leaving it with a curly mass that framed its neck. “I think the specimen is male, look at its tail,” spoke Vie, using a very careful finger to point out a few desperate strands which clung to the top of its tail.

                “Hmm, I think so too but I still want to do a few more tests, it could have been abnormal,” replied Iedy, “like Specimen 23222 was.”

                The mouth had at some point been shoved open, a great yawning chasm where the dried tongue still remained. All of its teeth were still, amazingly, in place, yellow tinged but still sharp. “It seems like we either have royalty or a very well off soldier,” Vie suggested.

                “Oh good, so we can get arrested for defiling a royal’s corpse after this!” Iedy frowned. He very carefully pushed the mummy onto its side. “Oh gods… owch.”

                “What?” Vie walked around the table and covered her mouth. The mummy’s back was covered in huge broken wounds that had long since sealed up.

                “I’m thinking our guy here got on the wrong side of the ground. Maybe broke his back. Tossed into the bog afterwards as a funerary rite?” Iedy suggested while gently laying the body onto its back again. He peered at its yawning face, giving the corpse a sympathetic frown. “I feel sorry for you, buddy.” Iedy reached over to gently adjust the body and jumped a little when its eyelids opened. “Fuck!”

                “Calm down, its eyes just opened that’s all. It happens once in awhile because of the oxygen difference,” Vie explained with a chuckle. “Just close its eyes if it freaks you out. But do it carefully okay?”

                 “Yes mom,” Iedy snorted, gently pushing the leathery eyelids back down over its black marble eyes. “Do you think we could go get food?”

                “Hmm, I don’t see why not,” Vie said. “We can take a break for an hour and come back. We don’t need to turn in any findings until tomorrow.”

                Iedy smiled, rubbing his grumbly stomach. “Yesss,” he went over to the storage room’s door and pushed it open, holding it open for Vie to walk out. He peered back at the body, with its bone white flesh and dark hair and twisted frozen position. “Man, I feel really bad about this guy though. His death probably wasn’t fun.”

                “Well he’s dead, he can’t really complain about it can he?”