The Royal Box
WRITTEN IN THE ORDER: IRENE, KATE, SARAH, KATHRYN, MAYA
"No! Give it BACK!" Courtney kept a firm grip on the object, desperately trying to identify the masked intruder who was so intent on taking it from her. With a final heave, Courtney was flung backwards, but she kept falling down into the darkness. She screamed, but the sound was lost in the emptyness. Just as she began to contemplate her death, Courtney was suddenly in a bed - her bed.
"Courtney - are you alright?" A familiar figure stood in the doorway, shaking her head at Courtney's sheets, which she's kicked to the end of the bed. Courtney awake and scrambled out of bed. "I had that dream again." She mumbled, pulling on a pair of jeans over her boxer shorts.
"Where are you going?"
Courtney shook her head. "I don't known. But my dream has to mean something. I have to go and warn them about the robbery." She grabbed a pair of shoes and slammed the front door as she left.
"Warn who?" The remaining girl wondered to herself.
***
"But if you'd just listen to me..." The woman trailed off as the man she was talking to walked around the corner. Exasperated, she fell into a wooden chair, brown hair falling onto her face. She put her head in her hands, unsure of what to do. Maya Muthuswamy was 28, a beautiful, tall woman who had made McClay Museum her life. She gave in everything she had, an yet the people here still didn't take her seriously. Maya kicked at the table before her. She was the national authority on Incan history and she knew exactly what the strange object that had arrived by cargo boat had to be.
"The Royal Box of Chief Matush." Maya breathed a sigh. She had always been fascinated with The Box, and lately, dreams of it had plagued her.
"They must put it in a secure place," she muttered, pacing the lower floor of the Museum. "My dream has to mean something. No one can be permitted to take The Box away."
Maya's hands trembled, and she realised that she was shouting. What was wrong with her? She'd never been this stressed before.
"Maya?" A short, dark haired woman peered through the door. "Maya, Michael is talking to a very worked up lady in the foyer. He thinks that you may be interested in what she has to say."
"Thanks, Loan." Maya followed the shorter woman, and soon saw Michael standing, talking to an agitated girl with a visiting badge.
"Ah, Maya." Michael smiled, and Maya felt angry at how cheery he was. "Meet Courtney Smyth. She seems to share your belief that Chief Matush's box is going to be stolen."
***
A couple of hours later Maya sat with Courtney in her apartment. They were discussing the uncanny similarities between their reoccurring dreams when Courtney's roomate Irene entered.
"Are you okay, Courtney? You left in such a hurry this morning."
"I'm fine, Irene. This is Maya Muthuswamy. She works at the McClay Museum."
Each murmured that they were pleased to meet the other and then Courtney proceeded to explain the seemingly psychic link between herself and Miss Muthuswamy through their dreams.
"Oh, my goodness." exclaimed Irene "I'm sorry I didn't believe you before."
As Courtney was about to tell her it didn't matter, Christian (her other roomate) and his girlfriend Kat walked through the door.
"Are we having a party?" He asked to the three girls huddled on the living room floor.
"Looks like we arrived just in time." giggled Kat and slipped her hand into the back pocket of Christian's jeans.
Courtney made the necessary introductions and Irene filled the newcomers in on the link between Maya and Courtney. As Courtney began to tell them about her disturbing dreams, Christian's handsome face was full of concern.
"Why didn't you tell me about them?" He demanded.
"I didn't want to trouble you because you and Kat were hard to work developing your cure for cancer."
"Look, that doesn't matter compared to your friendship." smiled Kat and squeezed Courtney's had reassuringly.
In a growing tradition, the apartment door opened and Loan came in with a couple of Pizzas that Courtney had sent her to collect. The group sat down munching on Marguerita, Marina and Haiwaian wondering what they would do.
In a dark and dingy room across town, KatE Porter was wondering a different thing altogether - how was she going to steal Chief Matush's Royal Box...?
The pizzas all gone, Kat streached and leaned back against Christian. The group - Kat, Christian, Irene, Courtney, Maya and Loan - had all been introduced, but still had no idea what to do.
"Why don't we call Sarah?" suggested Kat. "She's always coming up with theories about things, she's doing psychology, and she did all those tests on me and Erick when we were dreaming the same thing when I was in highschool."
"Who's Erick?" asked Christian, half suspiciously.
Kat smiled reassuringly and said: "Just an old friend."
Kat pulled out her mobile and called Sarah.
"Sarah, it's Kat, How are you?"
Within minutes, Kat had explained the situation, and Sarah had promised to be right over, with her long-time boyfriend, Will. Kat smiled as she hung up. Sarah and Will had been going out for practically forever. They'd lasted a long time. The discussion ebbed and flowed around the room, discussing and discounting possibilities. When Sarah and Will arrived, Kat introduced them to everyone. Sarah had met Christian many times, and had met Courtney and Irene at a couple of parties, but like the others, had never met Maya and Loan before. Once the introductions had been made, and the story of Maya and Courtney's seemingly psychic link explained, Sarah sat on the floor with Will. "Remember those tests you did on me and Erick in Year 12," said Kat. "We thought you would be interested in this too."
Sarah smiled at the girl she shared an apartment with and had known for more than 10 years.
"I am. What is this Royal Box, and where has it come from?"
"This is my field," said Maya, and explained briefly the origins of the strange Incan box.
"Hmm..." said Sarah, leaning back against Will's warm body. Courtney noticed that the body Sarah was leaning against was extremely attractive. "So it seems to me that we all agree that the box is going to be stolen. Now we just have to work out how to stop it."
Maya spoke, "Well, as it is, the Royal Box is under a lot of surveillance at the Museum, but tomorrow I'll put some more security guards around it But there's not much we can do right now since it's almost midnight."
The others were all sitting around looking tired. Sarah spoke up, "Well, I'd better do some of my tests so I can figure out what's going on with you two. Come on, let's go into the other bedroom. Maya, you come first."
So Sarah took Maya into a bedroom to do some psychological tests.
In the main room where everyone was, Kat and Christian were... busy, Loan was out on the balcony talking on her mobile, Irene was in the other room so that left Will and Courtney. Courtney sidled up to Will and batted her eyelids.
"So, Will, what's up?" Courtney said in a sexy voice.
"Um, not much really. So, um, it must be weird having those dreams, huh?" Will said uncomfortably. Courtney moved even closer to Will so she was practically on top of him.
"Yeah, but enough about me. Tell me about yourself. I want to know everything" Courtney breathed.
Will tried to remove himself from Courtney but in doing so made Courtney fall on top of him.
And just at that moment, Sarah came out of the bedroom. "Maya's under hypnosis -" Sarah started but cut herself off when she saw Courtney draped over Will. "WHAT THE - " Sarah screamed. "Oh my God, how could you?"
Will frantically tried to disentangle himself from Courtney, looking very guilty. The others were all looking on with interest. "That's it, I am never speaking to you again!" Sarah yelled.
Will's eyes widened. "Sarah - just let me explain!" Sarah couldn't say no to his puppy-dog eyes, and instead said "Go home, Will. I don't want to see you right now." She then turned to Courtney. Courtney backed away, suddenly afraid of Sarah. Sarah sighed and grabbed Courtney by the arm. "Come on, I'm not going to hurt you. I have to do some tests and compare you to Maya." Courtney was suspicious of Sarah's calm exterior, but followed her into the room.
***
It was early the next morning, and Maya was making her way to the Museum. She had experienced the dream again, only this time everything was red - blood red. Maya walked quickly into the building, still feeling a bit lightheaded after the hypnosis. She wondered briefly about the results of the tests, but something more important was on her mind - the knowledge that something bad was happening inside the museum. She typed the access code into the museum door and it slid open. Something was definately wrong. A chill brushed over Maya and she hurried up the stairs to where Chief Matush's Box was kept. Maya stopped short in the doorway, a fait gasp escaping her lips. The Box was still there, but a body lay deadly still in front of it.
***
Loan gave Maya another cup of tea and took her hand.
"Maya... there is nothing you could have done. Whatever or whoever took that man's eyes was great in strength... you couldn't have prevented it, just by dreaming it. Maya, you did everything you could. You called the police... you secured the area. Calm down."
Maya shook her head, exhausted already. She glanced across the room, where Courtney sat huddled in an old chair. She too had had the blood dream, and she too felt guilty. Loan sighed.
"He's not going to die anyway. He's just lost his sight."
The two dreamers nodded at Loan's words, somewhat comforted. Maya had believed the man to be dead at first glance, but had soon realised that he was simply unconscious... and missing his eyes, which were no where to be found. She shuddered.
"Loan... please understand that I appreciate your support, but I have to get out of here."
Loan watched Maya leave, followed closely by Courtney. She waited until they were gone, and then locked the door of Maya's office.
***
KatE cursed as she hung up the phone. Theo was meant to call as soon as he got back - that should have been early this morning. Obviously that taking of The Box had failed. He still refused to answer his phone.
It was all so well planned too!
KatE jumped as the phone rang.
"Theo?"
"No." The voice on the other end sounded tired. "No... Theo failed. He now lies in hospital and will never see again. The box is still in the possession of McClay Museum, under guard and the eyes of Ms Muthuswamy and Ms Smyth."
"Damn!" KatE shook her head. "I had always believed the curses to be false. Listen... you must not, under any circumstances, set sight on the contents of The Box of Chief Matush. I cannot afford to have you lost your sight. Just sit tight, and I will work out a way to obtain that box..."
***
During her lunch break, Sarah called Maya's office. She was greeted by Maya's voice on a machine.
"Um... Maya? It's Sarah here. Look... I have the results of the tests here, and I'd love to talk to you about them, if you have time. So when you get this message, give me a call, on..."
"Sarah?" A voice can down the line. "Sarah... it's me... Courtney. I really need to talk to you."
"What is it, Courtney?" Sarah asked, harshly. "I'm very busy at the moment."
"I... ah, just wanted to apologize for the other night. Will wasn't at fault, it was me."
"Look, Courtney, don't try and cover for Wil..."
"I'm not Sarah," pleaded Courtney. "Seriously, he wasn't interested."
It felt like great weight was lifted from Sarah shoulders and she sighed with relief.
"Thankyou for your honesty, Courtney." Replied Sarah just as her office door opened and Will walked in with a bunch of flowers. "I have to go. Bye!" Will placed the red roses on Sarah's desk.
"Sweetie, you have to believe me - nothing happened between Courtney and I."
Sarah rose from her seat and enveloped him in a warm hug.
"I know. Courtney told me the whole situation. I'm sorry I didn't give you time to explain."
"Thank goodness." Will tightened his grip around Sarah. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you." He slowly lowered his head to capture her lips in a kiss when a nurse opened the door and walked in.
"Oh, I'm sorry Miss Buckley. I didn't know you had a visitor."
"That's okay, Jenny. What's up?" Sarah asked as she and Will separated from the embrace.
"When I delivered the results from the hypnosis they weren't complete. Here is the rest." Jenny handed her a sheet of paper. Sarah scanned the contents and gasped in surprise.
"Will, do you have your car here?"
"Yes, why?" He questioned, concered.
"We need to get to Maya and Courtney as quick as possible. Let's go!"
As Will and Sarah went to Will's car, Kat pulled up in a shiny silver saab convertible. She jumped out.
"Sarah, have you heard? A guy at the museum got his eyes burned out!"
"What? You know those test I did? Maya and Courtney have almost identical DNA! How old are they?"
Kat thought. "Maya's 28, Courtney and Irene are 20."
"It's amazing! 8 years difference in their age and their DNA is almost identical. Their physical appearance is similar, but not as similar as you would expect for almost identical DNA. It's amazing. This is never... it's amazing. It's never happened before! I -" Sarah realised she was babbling, and shut up.
"Are you listening now? A guy at the museum had his eyes burned out in front of the box!"
"Oh... Oh! We have to go see them."
Kat shook her head.
"Ok. I'll lead the way. You guys follow. Let's go."
Kat got into her Saab and drove off, followed by Sarah and Will.
They drove to the Museum to find Maya and hopefully Courtney would be there too. As Will was driving, Sarah wondered why Courtney was in Maya's office if Maya wasn't there.
They arrived and went straight to Maya's office. But to their surprise it was locked. Kat peered through the frosted glass window and saw a small figure talking on the phone that looked suspiciously like Loan, Maya's personal assistant. Kat banged on the door, "Hey Loan, open up."
Loan spun around with a very guilty look on her face. She spoke a few more words on the phone then hung up and opened the door.
"Uh, what are you all doing here?" Loan said nervously, adjusting her glasses.
"Well, we're looking for Maya and Courtney, have you seen them?" Sarah asked.
"Um, Maya's gone out to lunch with Michael, and Courtney... um I don't know where she is... she was here earlier, but..." Loan muttered.
Sarah frowned. Why was Loan being so evasive? she wondered.
Loan spoke up, "Look, I really have to go, I have some urgent business to attend to." Loan went out of the office, locked it behind her and hurried off.
Kat, Will and Sarah looked at each other. "What's her problem?" Kat said. "Hmmm.. I think she's hiding something," Will pondered.
"And why does she keep locking Maya's office? That's it, I'm following her," Kat said and snuck off behind Loan.
"Be careful," the other two whispered.
"Well, now what? Kat's covering Loan, Maya's gone out and Courtney's nowhere to be found." Will said to Sarah.
"How about we check out this Royal Box thing?" Sarah said, and the two walked off to find it.
***
Kat tiptoed behind Loan, who was hurrying to get somewhere, and every few minutes looked around furtively. Finally, Loan stopped at a pay phone. Kat dived behind a potplant but could no longer hear what was going on. She peeped out and saw Loan deep in conversation on the phone, clutching a thick old book and trying to read from it. As Loan fumbled, something dropped from Loan's bag onto the floor, and luckily Loan did not seem to notice.
***
Meanwhile, back in that dark room, Kate sat trying to figure out a way to steal the Royal Box. She thought that perhaps if no one actually looked in the box, it might be okay. While she was deep in thought, the phone rang.
"It's me," said the same tired voice on the other end of the phone.
***
Loan's conversation appeared to be getting more and more intense, as she began waving her arms as if this would help argue her point. Eventually, Loan slammed down the phone, checking that she was alone before walking quickly away. Seizing her chance, Kat ran up to the booth and picked up the piece of paper Loan had dropped. It was a phone number scribbled messily, but Kat wondered if it belonged to the person Loan was always conversing with. Kat tucked the paper into her pocket for later use and headed off down the street.
***
Kate was still sitting in her dark room, frustrated at the lack of information she had gained from the phone call. Kate mumbled something about the caller working straight for 3 nights in a row and still not finding a way to get the Box. "Lazy fool..." she murmered. "Should never have trusted the woman."
***
Maya was making her way over to her office, where Sarah had organised for them to meet with Courtney to discuss the implication of the DNA results. "Loan, what are you doing?" Maya snapped, as Loan sprung away from a filing cabinet. "Nothing. Sorry, I've lost my glasses..." Loan said defensively. Maya pointed to Loan's head. "Oh." She said, sheepishly, retrieving the glasses. "I haven't had much sleep lately. I think I'd better go home." Loan left just as Sarah entered. "Where's Courtney?" Maya asked. Sarah paused for a minute before confessing "Courtney has gone missing. She was supposed to meet Irene hours ago but never turned up." Maya thought for a moment, then stood up. "Come on, I think I know where she's gone."
***
Sarah and Maya arrived outside the museum just as Kat's saab pulled up. Kat leapt out of the car and raced to the two.
"Who had a phone?" Kat practically yelled the words.
Maya sighed, did an about face, and returned to the museum.
"There's a phone in my office, Kat."
"Wait!" Sarah cried. "What about Courtney?"
Maya shrugged. "She'll be back soon. She's just at her church, at an A.A. meeting."
***
In Maya's office, Kat held out the paper from Loan.
"This," she announced, "is from Maya's sneaky little assistant, Loan. I think it belongs to Loan's telephone buddy. Let's call it!"
There was slight opposition to Kat's proposal, and soon Sarah was punching numbers into the phone.
"It's ringing," she whispered.
The phone was abruptly picked up and a voice sounded down the line.
"Loan?"
Sarah started.
"Loan? Look, I've had enough of this, Loan. Get down here quickly and we'll deal with The Box face-to-face." Sarah slammed down the phone.
"Oh my gosh guys! You're right - Loan is up to something!"
"What?" asked Maya.
"Do you know what I think?" asked Kat. "I think that... hey, wait... if Loan is up to something she could be listening now. Let's go somewhere else."
***
KatE was beginning to worry. Loan had never behaved this badly before. Something was going wrong.
"That's it," KatE yelled. "If you want anything done, you always have to do it yourself!"
Cursing again, KatE walked into her private room and began applying her disguise.
***
Sarah, Kat and Maya sat in the bright restaurant, a steaming crab claypot before them.
"Okay," said Sarah, cracking a claw. "What's going on is definately wierd. Firstly, Loan is acting strangely. She definately can not be trusted. Next, there is the whole problem of the man who lost his eyes. And, there's Maya and Courtney's DNA, and Maya's Box. Not to mention the dreams. Now... I believe that these things are connected."
"Wait," said Maya. "What's wrong with my DNA?"
Sarah looked sheepish.
"Maya, you and Courtney have DNA which is almost identical. It's incrediable. I've never seen anything like it. It doesn't account for the dreams... I can't explain them... but it means that you are something very unusual. Maya, what can you tell me about your childhood?"
"Well... I was born in South America in the Andes Mountain and we, my parents and I lived their until I was about 6 when we came to Australian...
"WAIT!" Sarah Screamed. "You were born in South America?"
"Yes. Is that okay?"
"That's fine, but, Courtney was also born in the Andes Mountain in South America!"
"Oh, my goodness" Exclaimed everyone present.
"And Chief Matush's box was found in the Andes Mountain because that is where the Incan society originated!" Maya continued.
"If being born in that place somehow transformed your DNA into what it is and also allowed you to be connected to the box and each other it might explain the situation we're facing. You and Courtney could be protectors or guards to watch over the box's safety..." Sarah mumbled on and on but everyone had tuned out because the next pot of crab had arrived.
"We have to figure out a way to use your link to the box to, ensure its security. Let's go - we should get everyone together and share ideas!" Sarah moved to get up. Maya and Kat looked longingly at the pot of crabs and then followed her out of the restaurant.
***
Irene, Courtney, Christian, Kat, Maya, Michael, Sarah and Will sat in the kitchen of the McClay Museum wondering what to do. In the end they decided that the best option was to have a sleep-over in the room of the box so they could thwart any attempts to steal it.
Christian and Kat went to both Kat and Christian's apartments to collect clothes, sleeping bags and pillows for themselves, Sarah, Courtney and Irene. Will went home and so did Maya, leaving Sarah, Courtney and Irene to watch over the box. Michael went with Maya. Sarah, Courtney and Irene sat down to wait. As Christian and Kat left Loan slipped past the door. Seeing the others in the same room as the box made her nervous. When they showed no signs of leaving, Loan realised what they were up to, and hurried to the phone to call Kate. In a darkened room on the other side of two, a phone rang out.
***
Kate stepped off the bus, sure that no body would recognise her. The wig firmly in place, heavy make-up and padding made her look completely different. As she limped toward the museum, a young girl and a good-looking guy drove past her in a silver saab. Kate smiled and entered the museum.
***
As the phone rang out, Loan slammed down the phone in frustration. She'd have to go and see Kate. As Loan ran out of the museum, she ran into a middle aged woman with grey hair. With a muttered apology Loan ran out into the carpark and Kate smiled.
***
After a while, Michael, Maya, Will, Kat and Christian returned to the Museum with all their sleeping gear.
"Anything much happen while we were gone?" Maya asked.
"Not really. Oh, Irene's old mother, Mrs Ariel came to the Museum to visit Irene for some weird reason, she just poked her head in this room and asked for Irene. We didn't really see her but Irene followed her outside, and she hasn't returned. I think Irene was a bit tipsy actually," Sarah replied.
"Irene's mother? Why would she come to the museum so late at night?" Kat questioned.
"I don't know," Courtney said, "But Mrs Ariel said it was an emergency or something."
The others looked very puzzled and realised how strange it all was. Just then, they heard a piercing scream coming from Maya' office. They all rushed over there to find Mrs Ariel holding Irene with a gun pointed at her head.
"Irene!" Courtney cried. "What's your mother doing?!" Mrs Ariel cupped her hand over Irene's mouth and snarled "I'm not her mother. I'm here to get the Box. If you don't bring it to me, the girl dies." Irene was completely white and Mrs Ariel tightened her grip. Maya looked at the others. "I'd better do what she says". She mumbled, heading out of the office. Courtney followed her out, asking "are you really going to give it up so easily?" Maya shook her head. "We have to find a replacement Box and hide the real one. Lets hope Mrs. Ariel has never seen the real Box before." Courtney ran off to find a suitable Box, and Maya found some cloth to cover it with. The fake Box was remarkably like the real one in size, except it was bright red. "Don't worry," Maya assured Courtney "We'll cover the Box and tell the woman that it can't even be looked at with the lid on." Courtney was unsure, but they had no other options, so they went and gave the Box to Mrs. Ariel, who squealed with delight and ran out of the room, pushing Irene away. Maya quickly explained what they'd done, and everyone agreed that it was best to leave the museum as quickly as possible, with the real Box.
***
On the train back the her haunt, KatE carefully unwrapped The Royal Box of Chief Matush. She turned it in her hands, marvelling at the work on it.
"Red," she muttered. "I never expected red from those black and white diagrams."
KatE shrugged the problem away with an evil grin, and decided to try her prize out. She took the cloth the Box had been wrapped in and wound it around her head, until she could no longer see. She then opened the Box and held it ou. After a time, KatE shut the Box and unwrapped her head. She looked around the carriage expectantly, but no-one was writing around with their eyes missing. Horrified, KatE began to expect the worse. She opened the Box and peered into it herself.
"Tricked!" she screamed, throwing the fake Box across the carriage.
***
In KatE's room, the phone rang once more. Loan fumbled to find the correct key and burst into KatE's house, grabbing the phone.
"Who is this?" KatE's voice demanded harshly.
"Loan," Loan replied. "KatE, listen, they're all camping out at the Museum, and..."
"I know that!" KatE screamed down the phone. "They've stolen my Box! Meet me at Bucklean Street. We have work to do."
Loan hung up, and, bewildered, left KatE's house.
***
Christian, Kat, Will, Sarah, Maya, Michael, Irene and Courtney arrived at Kat and Sarah's apartment with the Royal Box. There had been much debate over where to go, but it had been decided that KatE and Loan were least likely to know the whereabouts of Kat and Sarah's house. The argument now turned to what to do about the Box.
"Destroy it," Will said casually.
"No!" Maya and Courtney screamed.
"I agree." Sarah said. "If we destroy it, it might be damaging to Courtney and Maya because of their link with the box."
"Well, what to do we do?" asked Kat.
***
In the darkest corner of an Indian Restaurtant on Bucklean Street, Loan tried to comfort KatE as she writhed in fury of the group's deception.
"How could they do that those..." Kate breathed and mumbled something unprintable.
"We'll get it back, we just have to figure out where they have taken it."
"Okay." KatE took a deep breath. "They won't be any place obvious. Loan, you have a better chance at figuring this out than I because you know everyone."
"Well, they wouldn't be at Maya and Michael's apartment, or at Courtney, Irene and Christian's. That leaves Kathryn and Sarah's apartment. We could check that out?"
"Let's go." They quickly exited the restaurant and sped towards South Yarra.
***
As the argued, the door burst open and Loan and Kate stood in the doorway.
"Give me the box," snarled Kate.
"Never!" cried Maya, and Kat hid the box in Sarah's bed.
Kate brandished a gun.
"Give me the box now!"
"Kate, what are you doing with that gun Kate?" asked Loan. "This wasn't part of our deal!"
Without qualm, Kate turned and shot Loan in the forehead.
"Give me the box."
As Loan's blood seeped onto Kat and Sarah's carpet, Will pushed Sarah behind him. Michael and Christian had done the same to Maya and Kat. Kate pointed the gun at Courtney.
"Give me the box!"
BANG! Kate shot Courtney. Maya screamed and a high pitched whistle came from the box.
Everyone stared as the box opened and a bot of lightning like material shot forward and engulfed Kate.
With a scream, Kate was vaporised. All that was left of her was the gun and a silver key.
Maya collapsed into Michael's arms. "Michael, Michael!" she cried and he held her and kissed her until she contained herself. Will was doing the same to Sarah. Irene was looking at the box and she still had her eyes. Maya picked up the box.
"I guess we should get this back to the museum."
***
The opening of the Incan exhibitian went off without a hitch and Maya was interviewed on TV and became very well known. The others remained friends and all attended Sarah and Will's wedding next May, which Maya and the Sephora Quartet played at.
THE END