Morocco, June 19th 1931 just a few miles south of Essaoria.
I, Charles Langford, my two daughters Emily and Allison with out dog Jack have set up camp near what we believe are Roman ruins.
We set out early and search the ruins all day. Emily finds a key early on with a strange stone set into it. Later we discover that the floors are covered in what looks like astrological signs and a strange cuniform script. Jack discovers a strangly heavy and smooth metal ball about the size of a baseball. Near the end of the day we discover a strange open area on the floor about 5'X 10'that is very smooth and totally different from the tiles around it.
We take careful rubbings on several parts of the tile floor then retire for the night. I stay up late to study the strange rubbings. The ruins appear to be Roman but the astrological signs and strange writing are most certainly not. The rubbings contain what looks to be a map of the solar system but oddly only the plannet Mars is marked.
Somewhere during my study I must have fallen asleep but I am awaken by the sound of jack rushing from the tent barking loudly.
I follow him out and notice he's headed for the dig site barking up a storm.
Something in the ruins has him very upset but we don't see what it is that's bothering him. I notice Emily is behind me and I can hear Allison getting out of the tent.
Suddenly we are face to face with a unbelievably horrid creature. It seems to be a large hound of some kind but with two heads and a spiked tale. Whats worse is that it's skeleton is exposed in some places by large rotting holes in it's hide. Despite this fact it is still quite animated and lively. The beast lets out an unholy howl that strikes fear in our hearts.
Emily and I move backwards shooting at the creature but we both miss. Jack seems to be frozen in place and I fear the creature will attack him and tear him apart.
Instead of attacking Jack the beast leaps right into the middle of our group and fortunately directly into Allison's sights. With one shot she drops the horrid creature.
It's only then that we start to notice the awful stench of the already decayed body. We examine it it bit unsure of what to make of it.
We are so intrigued by the creature we almost fail to notice a group of armed men have moved into out camp. They appear to be French soldiers.
Their leader Captain La Clede says his men where on patrol when they heard fighting. He is as supprised as we are at the strange creature and claims he has never heard of such a beast. I show him my papers concerning our escavation and after what seems a lengthy review he hands them back satisfied. He ask us about anything we might have found and unfortunately Emily pipes up about the key straight away.
Then captain decides he and his men should stay in our camp for the night just in case there are any more problems. I'm somewhat suspicious about his motives but I have no athority to stop him. After a brief chat I turn in for the night.
I decide to say awake for a while just in case the French soldiers are up to no good. I carefully peer out the front of the tent and notice the beast has been moved away from the camp. I also notice some of the soldiers searching the ruin. It would be most unfortunate if they were to find something important because chances are they would try to keep it to themselves. I'm in a bad position though as I don't wish to start trouble with the government after only a day in country.
After a while curiosity and the large ammount of cofee I have been drinking get the better of me and a venture from the tent to relive myself and check up on my new "guardians"
Before returning to the tent I check in with the captain. He tells me they have burried the beast. I remind him that if his men find anything in the ruins they should inform me in the morning. He assures me that his men are only securing the premiter but I still don't trust him compleatly.
I return to bed but I set Jack to guard the door of the tent in case the Frenchies try anything. Jack's a good guard dog. I'm sure the frogs won't get past him without him raising a ruckus.
In the morning I find the French Soldiers haveing breakfast. Captain La Clede informs me that he believes I should return to town and hire some guards before I return to escavate more. It's clear it's more of an order than a request we strike the camp after a quick breakfast.
With nothing left to do we get in our truck and head back to Essaoria to hire some more men for the dig. The French form up and follow us back. Perhaps I shouldn't distrust them so much but I can't help but wonder if they found more clues during their nightime searching of the ruins.
To be continued......
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