TIme to Read: 2-3 minutes

Prompt: Write a short poem, story, or essay in ten minutes using these five words: snooze, black, pocket, dollar-store, Egypt. This may be the beginning of a story when I get the nudge to continue it. I know next to nothing about pyramids, antiquities, or Egypt, so I’ll need to do a little research in order to continue the story.

As always, a prompt challenge tickles my brain in so many ways. This was quick fun. I admit I looked up the Egyptian script after writing the story in which I just wrote “his name was written in Egyptian script”.

SNOOZE AND SUP BED AND BREAKFAST

Simon stepped off the plane in Cairo with a huge grin on his face. This was going to be a great summer. He had snagged a summer internship studying Egyptian pyramids. He was as excited as a six-year-old in the dollar store with ten bucks. He went toward baggage claim to collect his luggage and scientific toolbox. Standing there with a sign that read حرينومتساويين, and under that “Cairo Institute of Antiquities” was a swarthy man who stood about 4’6”. Simon walked up and bent his 6’3” body and said, I believe you are looking for me, I’m Simon. The diminutive man responded with a big white toothy smile and shining black eyes, “Salaam Ustaaz, My name is Asim.  I’m so glad you found me. I hope I spelled your name correctly.”

“That’s supposed to be my name?”

“Ustaaz, I didn’t know how to spell it, but I did my best. I will take you to your accommodations.”

Asim led Simon to an old jeep that was covered in a 10-year layer of Arabian desert dust thick enough to be armor.

“Where will I be staying for the summer?”

“Ah, Ustaaz, you have great accommodations at the Snooze and Sup Bed and Breakfast in the Dhjoser pyramid.”

“At the pyramid?”

“Yes Ustaaz, they have a lovely bed and breakfast at the third level.”

“You use the pyramids for hotels?”

“That and other things.”

“But the pyramids are sacred antiquities to be studied and protected.”

“You see, we have so many, and most are not very interesting, so our government decided to put them to use. It has helped our economy since the US bullied its way into the fossil fuel market. Only two kilometers away from your bed and breakfast is the Pick a Pocket Casino, also in a pyramid. It is rated very highly by Conde Nast.”

Sure enough. Asim pulled up in front of a small pyramid with a marquee reading Snooze and Sup, Bed and Breakfast. He helped Simon take his bags and equipment into the lobby. There in front of him was a dimly lit tunnel with ramps crisscrossing up to the third level and beyond.