Curse of the mummy's tomb

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at me. "You don't believe in curses, do you? You know — the ancient Egyptian kind."
I didn't know how to reply, so I shook my head.
"Good," Uncle Ben replied, grinning. "Because one of my workers claims we've violated an ancient
decree by entering this new tunnel, and that we've activated some curse."
"We're not scared," Sari said, giving him a playful shove toward the entrance. "Get going, Dad."
And seconds later, we were stepping into the small, square opening cut into the stone. Stooping low, I
followed them through a narrow tunnel that seemed to slope gradually down.
Uncle Ben led the way, lighting the ground with a bright halogen flashlight. The pyramid floor was soft
and sandy. The air was cool and damp.
"The walls are granite," Uncle Ben said, stopping to rub a hand along the low ceiling. "All of the tunnels
were made of limestone."
The temperature dropped suddenly. The air felt even wetter. I suddenly realized why Uncle Ben had
made us wear our sweatshirts.
"If you're scared, we can go back," Sari said.
"I'm fine," I replied quickly.
The tunnel ended abruptly. A pale yellow wall rose up in front of us. Ben's flashlight darted over a
small, dark hole in the floor.
"Down we go," Ben said, groaning as he dropped to his knees. He turned back to me. "Afraid there are
no stairs down to the new tunnel. My workers installed a rope ladder. Just take your time on it, take it
slowly, one rung at a time, and you'll be fine."
"No problem," I said. But my voice cracked.
"Don't look down," Sari advised. "It might make you dizzy, and you'll fall."
"Thanks for the encouragement," I told her. I pushed my way past her. "I'll go down first," I said. I was
already tired of her acting so superior. I decided to show her who was brave and who wasn't.
"No. Let me go first," Uncle Ben said, raising a hand to stop me. "Then I'll shine the light up at the
ladder and help you down."
With another groan, he maneuvered himself into the hole. He was so big, he nearly didn't fit.
Slowly, he began to lower himself down the rope ladder.
Sari and I leaned over the hole and peered down, watching him descend. The rope ladder wasn't very
steady. It swung back and forth under his weight as he slowly, carefully, made his way down.
"It's a long way down," I said softly.
Sari didn't reply. In the shadowy light, I could see her worried expression. She was chewing on her
lower lip as her dad reached the tunnel floor.
She was nervous, too.
That cheered me up a lot.
"Okay, I'm down. You're next, Gabe," Uncle Ben called up to me.
I turned and swung my feet onto the rope ladder. I grinned at Sari. "See ya."
I lowered my hands to the sides of the rope ladder — and as I slid them down, I cried out.
"Ow!"
The rope wasn't smooth. It was coarse. It cut my hands.
The sharp stab of pain made me lift my hands.
And before I even realized what was happening, I started to fall.
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