The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Yin-Feng had been sitting at the dusty wooden table. Her chin rested on a crooked knee, her foot propped on another chair. Books of myths, legend, and historical facts were scattered across the surface of the table, open pages turning in the light wind that swept across the desert plain.

A part of her was beginning to doubt she would even find the Temple here. She’d managed to convince the important political figureheads that she had a solid lead. She’d been so firm in her belief that it had won her the funding to make it a reality. But now the smudge of doubt was beginning to fall across her, smearing a trail of darkness over her heart as it overshadowed her. She’d promised them a reasonable turnaround time, and she imagined their patience, not to mention her budget, were both rapidly diminishing.

She’d chosen three likely sites where the Temple could be in the area depending on the interpretation of several different letters, journals, and hints she’d found in her years of research. Three long weeks had passed and by now the novelty of the dig had worn off on most of the camp. The dig had now become an eternal drudgery of unrewarding sweat and toil.

Dusk was nearly approaching and she found the heavy weariness that had settled over the camp was beginning to overwhelm her at last. Her hope had burned the brightest hope amongst all in the camp and now there seemed to be little left of the wick. She stared at the old parchment again that was firmly in her hand, that same fateful letter which had led her here. She twisted her lips in thought. For what had seemed the ten-thousandth time she re-read it, as if believing she might suddenly discover something new hidden within the ancient and faded brushes of ink.

Off in the distance, the rhythmic movement of a hydraulic lifter began to slow and end its toil, while the other two still pumped and whined, hard at work. Only a few scattered clangs now resounded around the area as shovels hit the rock face they’d been digging into all morning.

It took Yin-Feng a long moment to realize that the constant hum that she’d grown accustom to had quieted. Eager blue eyes turned towards the machine that was sputtering on its way to sleep. With a trembling hand she felt for the small pair of binoculars that hung in a loose fashion around her neck. The other sites were still working hard, but the third dig’s site had ceased and the workers there seemed quite excited. The chill that ran up her spine seemed to stop her heart before her own adrenaline caused it to leap into her throat.

She closed her eyes, took several meditative breaths, and eased herself into relaxation. She knew it was foolish to get her hopes up. They could have just reached a rock surface beneath where they had been digging, or perhaps found the remains of some dead animal that they assumed was important. She didn’t dare get her aspirations up that high.

She took a few more breaths to cleanse her mind of all worry. With concentrated effort, she stilled the childish desire that her dreams had finally come to fruition. She found that peace, and using it as strength, stood up and began walking towards the site.

She moved towards the ragged rocks that seemed to pool together in the middle of an otherwise barren landscape and noticed a figure in the distance moving towards her at a rapid run. Yin-Feng paused in her gait and reached into her pocket. With a smile on her lips she removed her sunglasses from her pocket, put them on, and adjusted her hat before continuing down the slope. A man covered in sand that clung to his sweat-soaked arms and chest met her halfway down the hill. He paused just long enough to brush the irritating grains off his body. He then grabbed the knees of his dirty jeans as he doubled over in an attempt to catch his breath.

After a few breaths, he gasped a single word. “Ruins.” His eyes were glazed with excitement, and he seemed to find a new energy as he looked at her. He was a man eager to share his discovery. He grabbed her hand and yanked her with him as he ran excitedly back down from where he had come. Feng found herself tugged hard, and she felt her legs propelling her along after the man. She was too busy fighting thoughts of fantasy and possibilities in her head that she didn’t dare get her hopes up for.

As they neared the camp, the run turned into a slow jog, then a careful walk as they neared the edge of the pit the men had been working on all day. The man pointed to a grouping of rocks where the diggers were toiling, breathing hard. “There.”

Yin-Feng was glad she had the mind to put her glasses on. Her mouth opened, her jaw worked, but she found no words. Her ears buzzed. She felt dizzy. She closed her eyes and took another calming breath.

Cut into the very fabric of the rock with careful precision stood the very symbol that was etched onto Yin-Feng’s parchment. Dimly, she was suddenly aware that the same parchment was still in her hand and that she’d brought it all the way here with her. “The Temple of the Rising Phoenix. Resting place of the Golden Monkey of Xiao, and place of healing for all,” she heard herself say, almost as if it were someone else speaking. The voice was distant, her mind too focused on the fulfillment of her dreams.

And in that dream, Yin-Feng found sudden clarity and strength. She pointed towards the symbol, and determination filled her voice. “Get some lights out here. Put teams one and two on break. Now. I want the entrance of this temple. We’re working around the clock as of now, people.” Her tone was forceful, laced with stewing excitement.

She glanced to two men who were seated nearby, and seemed to be resting from hard labor. She immediately recognized both of them. “You two,” she said, nodding towards Dylan and Tyler. “Head back to camp and get the rest of the research team. Bring Nadia up here as well—and some flashlights. We’re going to be ready. I want to be in there when we find the doors to this place.”

Dylan sneered at her, his posture indicating a ‘Do it yourself, bitch’ attitude, but Tyler stepped in front. “Sure, Professor. We’ll get right on it.” Dylan gave him a questioning look, but at Tyler’s hard nudge, Dylan thought it was better to concede than to make a scene.

Yin-Feng’s thoughts were too rushed to notice the men snickering to themselves as they climbed into one of the jeeps nearby, and headed back towards camp.

She constantly strode up and down near the edge of the pit where they were busy hauling sand away to a dump a few hundred yards away. She absently watched as the workers carefully moved the sand away from the rock face and another team built supports with cautious diligence to assure the sand above them would not spill over, filling what they had already uncovered.

With vivid imagination she played out every possible scenario that could unfold itself, pacing the grounds with nervous anticipation. What if the Golden Monkey had been stolen from the site long ago? What would she do then? What if the Golden Monkey was there? She had a thousand artifacts she wanted to search for, and with such a find, she’d be most certain to get the financial backing for anything she wanted.

It took the roar of the incoming jeep before her thoughts refocused, and she realized how much time had passed and that the day was close to now ending.

Yin-Feng noticed two jeeps coming into view as they barreled down the dune, leaving spiraling tails of dust in their wake. She took a deep breath, again trying to clear her thoughts. She had to be able to think, act, and direct in soundness of mind—not with the anxiousness of a schoolgirl.

She walked the small distance from the pit to the few tents where the supplies were stored to greet them as they parked the jeeps. Nadia hopped out of Dylan and Tyler’s jeep with a wide grin and she looked quite pleased to see Yin-Feng again. The silver-haired British man who lately had been taking up much of Yin-Feng’s time stepped out of the other jeep with a smaller and much younger man.

“Jonathan,” she said, nodding to the older man. “It looks like you owe me dinner.” She tipped her sunglasses down to wink at him. “Greg,” she greeted, and pushed her glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. She gave the younger man a smile as well, and told both of them, “Go see for yourselves.” She gestured calmly towards the rock where the constant work was being done. Other vehicles had arrived already. The staff worked around the outskirts of the digging area, putting up large lights whose cords coiled and snaked through the sand to the large generator that would power them.

“There was a crate of flashlights, but most of the lenses seem to be cracked in the initial shipping,” Tyler informed Yin-Feng.

She spat something in Chinese. Everything had been going so well. A stray thought struck her, and for a moment she looked at both of them in suspicion. She let that thought slip away and shook her head. “What do we have, then?”

“Nothing,” Dylan muttered. He shrugged. “Unless you want to carry lanterns from the main camp in there,” he said, and then chuckled.

“Find me a torch and an oily rag, if you have to,” Yin-Feng instructed them. Her mouth turned down a fraction of an inch in disapproval. The determination in her voice suggested that someone had better come up with a solution soon. It was clear she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

“I know a vendor in town. He deals in bulk,” Tyler offered spontaneously. “Me and Dylan here will run in, grab the stuff and come back. You can just reimburse us after we get back.”

Yin-Feng pulled down her sunglasses at last to look at them with a curious, and suspicious expression. Her eyes roamed over the jeans and t-shirts the rugged men were wearing in the manner of a worried security guard and then shook her head. She made a useless gesture with her hand. “Fine. Go. I just want them.”

Dylan nodded, “You got it, boss lady.” Giving her a cheerful grin he half-saluted her before hopping into the jeep.

“We’ll be back before you need ‘em,” Tyler promised. He grabbed the roll bar and pulled himself into the seat next to his partner.

“You’d better,” Yin-Feng warned. She paused, “Thanks,” she added, sincerely. “You’ll have to forgive me, I’ve been looking forward to this moment for a long time.”

Tyler winked. “No problem, Professor.”

“Yin-Feng,” she corrected, with a smile.

“Right.” Tyler winked at her and then nudged his buddy. “Let’s go.”

The tires sent a spray of sand behind them as Dylan pushed the gas pedal down to the floor. The jeep quickly disappeared over the horizon in a cloud of hazy dust that seemed somehow to be stained with the blood of the sun as it began its daily death and finished sinking behind the endless rolling sea of dunes.

“They’re not so bad,” Nadia said to Yin-Feng, seeming to emerge out of nowhere all of a sudden. She’d not had anything to contribute to the conversation, but now with the two men gone found herself at ease again in the quiet company of the woman she felt such a close kinship to.

Feng turned to her and smiled. She nodded her agreement. “I know. They’ve had a history, though, of taking things that didn’t belong to them, among other things. I had to ensure that they knew I wouldn’t allow it. I think they’ll work out just fine. They are dedicated to their work. And it seems to this dig.”

Nadia felt the unease of the topic of conversation dwindle. Nervous, she found herself fidgeting, and blurting out, “So. Um. What—was it you wanted me for?”

Yin-Feng settled into a patch of shaded sand, under the rocks. “One must be prepared for all eventualities, Nadia,” she said. She patted the space beside her.

Almost too eagerly, Nadia took the invitation. She had longed for some ‘quality-time’ between her and Yin-Feng ever since their first encounter, but rarely even had the chance to say ‘Hello’ to her these past few weeks. “Like what?” Her attention was rapt on her idol.

“For one thing, I don’t know how sturdy the inside of the Temple is going to be. It’s stood here for over a millennium. There’s also probably a good chance of scorpions and snakes once we get inside the cooler area. I may need some immediate first aid. I thought you’d like to come along.” Yin-Feng put her sunglasses back on in a causal manner and leaned back. From behind the safety of her sunglasses she watched Nadia’s features against the scarlet-orange-purple sky.

Nadia found herself caught off guard. “Me?” She asked in disbelief. “Go in there? With you?” She was quite certain that Feng had the wrong person. Shaking her head, she began to fidget again. “No. I really don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Disappointed, a small frown crossed Feng’s lips. “Why?”

“I’ve never been inside of one of those things before, for one,” she offered. “And I’d only slow you up. I wouldn’t want to ruin your day for you.” Her eyes drifted away from Yin-Feng to her fingers that were nervously drawing nonsensical patterns in the sand.

Feng’s hand clasped over Nadia’s own, firmly. “You won’t,” she said in a firm voice. Her other hand lifted the girl’s chin, and Nadia’s eyes slowly moved back to Feng’s smiling face. “I would not have asked you along if I thought otherwise. You are coming. And that is that.”

Nadia bit her lip. She didn’t dare argue. For the first time that she could remember, she was absolutely sure she had found a true friend.

Yin-Feng’s smile never left her face. She squeezed Nadia’s hand again, “Then it’s settled,” she said, closing the argument. Hidden behind the safety of dark glasses her eyes stared into Nadia’s own, finding a peaceful distraction from worries.

The dusty jeep began to slow as Tyler steered his way into the small village. Newer rickety huts made of wood, plaster, and straw contrasted with the much older buildings made from the smooth stone. Most of the buildings in the center of town served as a bazaar of sorts, each merchant eager to sell their goods to anyone that might walk past. Still lost in older days, there were very few modern luxuries to be found. The town instead relied on its ancient charm instead, with the comfort of simplicity to get it by.

As the jeep slowed to a stop at the end of the sand-covered ‘road’, the children of the bazaar flocked towards the vehicle, their tiny arms raised as they offered hand-made wares and food to the two new arrivals. With wide smiles of missing teeth each child tried to convince the men to buy their wares, the voices of the children intermixing into a single indistinguishable sound.

To Dylan, they were no more than objects in his way. They were nothing more important than tall grass in a field he might be plowing through and with his rough hands and strong arms, he pushed them to the side as he strode over to the other side of the jeep.

Tyler took a different approach. He looked at the excited children conglomerated around the jeep and spoke in slow, cautious English. “I need a flashlight,” he said, glancing around to all the children. “A lot of them.”

The mob of children didn’t seem to understand; instead their frail arms still emphatically shook the many beaded necklaces, the animal carvings, the figs and breads that they and their parents so diligently made. He held up one of the flashlights that he and Dylan had managed to break only a few hours earlier. “A flashlight,” he repeated. This time, in addition to showing them the flashlight, he pulled out a five-dollar bill from his wallet.

Apparently, money talked. A tall child in the front slid next to Tyler, even as the rest of the children seemed to be ‘shooed’ away by an unruly Dylan. “I get them. You give me money?” Wild dark brown eyes watched the green paper as if it were the most beautiful, and mystical thing that the boy had ever seen. “I take you.”

Tyler nodded. “You take me. I give you money,” he answered, making sure to slow his speech so that the kid could keep up with him.

“I thought you knew somebody,” Dylan muttered. “That’s what you said back at camp.”

Tyler just sighed. “Go get your ‘friend’, okay? Do whatever you have to do, to ‘convince’ him that he’s going to help us out. Can you handle that?”

Dylan eyed Tyler with a bit of hostility at the way he’d been treated. But, the thought of getting to work alone, and push that hostility out onto someone else in a way that would benefit him seemed a better idea. He nodded, “Right. I won’t be too long.”

Tyler headed off with the child, who was dancing, and saying over and over again, “Come! Come!”

“I’ll be back in a few hours. I have some other supplies to gather,” Tyler called to Dylan, before disappearing around a corner.

Dylan gave a smirk to himself. “That bastard,” he said, under his breath. He shoved his large, calloused hands into his pockets and began walking towards a group of buildings carved from stone. “Thinks he knows everything.” He grinned to himself. “Well, I’ll show him. I’ll show him real good.” He licked his lips at the dark thoughts that fluttered about in his brain.

It wasn’t hard to tell which of the stone huts was the one Dylan was looking for. A brand new white HumVee was parked in front of it, and it was the only hut that had a solid wooden door with a stained-glass window built into it. Dylan took a step back, and kicked hard at the door, shattering the locking mechanism and sending the door crashing to the floor off its hinges.

He stepped through the debris, and peered around the room. “Knock-Knock!” His eyes narrowed, and he slowly moved forward to the archway that led into the next room.

He felt the sudden sting at his neck a moment too late.

The stocky man that had been standing to the side of the entrance moved forward and pushed Dylan back through the archway even as Dylan’s fingertips felt at his neck. Dylan’s feet slipped on a shard of what had once been the door, and he fell backwards.

The look on Dylan’s face turned from one of confident hired muscle to one of twisted rage. He hated being shown up, especially by a fat man in glasses. He blinked away the forming tears as his eyes started to water. His neck throbbed, his head was starting to do the same and he reached for whatever it was that had prickled him. Fumbling fingertips pulled out a feather-tipped dart, and he could feel the small trickle of blood running down his skin from where it had pierced him.

“You, my friend, are an idiot,” the man informed him in a brisk voice. He kept the gun leveled on Dylan. “I watched you approach from the window. I didn’t need to be a psychologist to see that you had ill intentions in coming here. Smashing the door in only confirmed my suspicions. You could’ve at least knocked. That would have earned you at the very least partial doubt on my behalf.” The man settled into a comfortable chair at the back of the room, a pleased smile creasing his lips.

Dylan tried to get up, but found the room spinning. His legs didn’t work quite right. He felt exhausted, and his limbs didn’t seem to have any strength left in them. Again, the anger swept over his features as he made to lunge towards his target, but his body didn’t seem to know how to respond to what he wanted to do. Instead, he fell forwards on his face, the dizzy feelings engulfing his mind.

“A special brew of my own,” the man calmly told Dylan. “Originally, it was designed to stimulate certain chemicals in the human brain in order to reaffirm brainpower. The power of placebos, and what effect and to what degree the human mind could heal the body. The power, if you will, of belief.” The doctor smiled, coldly at Dylan as he leaned back in the wooden chair and wrapped his hand around the glass of brandy that had been sitting there.

Dylan felt sick. He watched the ceiling twist, and turn in front of him. He was too tired to move. It seemed all he had energy enough to do was blink. He managed a pitiful moan, as if realizing what had actually happened to him.

“What came about, however, was a drug that essentially ‘numbed’ a certain portion of the brain. Higher thinking, logical thinking; these areas of the brain produced minimal activity under the influence of this drug.” The doctor laughed and took a sip of his brandy. “The result was a blood-induced drug that would, in effect, act as what one of my nurses affectionately called it ... ‘hypno-juice’.”

Dylan moaned again. He could feel himself slipping away. And there was nothing he could do about it, now.

The doctor leaned forward in his chair. “So, my friend. What is your name?”

Dylan found it hard to see. His eyes were unfocused, but his mouth seemed to work despite the haze of his mind. “Dylan,” he spoke, almost inaudibly.

The doctor nodded. “Dylan? What were you planning to do to me?”

Dylan’s lips quivered, but his mind was already gone. “Get ... your hypno-juice,” he answered. “Use it.”

This peaked the doctor’s curiosity. “On whom?”

Dylan was silent for a long moment, as if his brain was trying to catch up with the quick questioning of the doctor. “The ... bitch. Steal the monkey.”

The doctor watched the inert body before him with considerable interest. He’d expected a thug interested in stealing his own money. Or he thought one of his ‘friends’ might have hired someone to pay him a visit. This, now... This was interesting. “Steal what monkey?”

“... Xiao,” came the answer from far, far away. “Gold.”

The doctor blinked. He set down his brandy with a trembling hand and got up. He walked around Dylan and moved to the small library of books on the other side of the room. Quickly, his pudgy fingers pulled out the book he was looking for. He found the reference in a matter of seconds.

“The Golden Monkey of Xiao?” The doctor asked. “You are going to get it?”

“Yesss.”

The doctor smiled. “You are going to get it. And bring it, to me.”

Dylan paused again. “... Bring it to you,” he echoed in robotic fashion.

“Yes,” the doctor confirmed. “You are going to bring the Golden Monkey of Xiao to me.”

With the tear-streaks from watery and unblinking eyes covering his face Dylan echoed his programmer again. “Bring Golden Monkey to you,” he said, more firm this time.

“And who is this bitch?”

Tired already from the long conversation, mind exhausted from the effort, Dylan still answered. “Yin ... Feng. Going to ... make her think curse ... is real. Put her in her ... place.”

The doctor gave a frown at that, “I’d hate to do that to someone,” he muttered to himself, as his eyes scanned over exactly what the curse was supposed to have been in his book. “But, on the other hand, ... if I turned in that Golden Monkey ... I’d have fame. And fortune. And this would no longer be just a hobby.”

He turned his attention back to Dylan. “You were going to use my ‘hypno-juice’ to make her think the curse was real?” He guessed.

Dylan replied, his voice weaker. “Yes.”

“Good. When you awake, you will forget everything we have talked about. You will think you have successfully attacked me, and scared me into giving you what you want. But, when you find the Golden Monkey, you will bring it back to me. You will give it to me. Then, Dylan, you will forget all about it.”

Nothing more than a mindless drone, Dylan echoed his orders again. " ... Forget everything. Bring back to you. Monkey. Forget all about it.”

The doctor smiled, “Yes. Very good.” He set the book down on the table, and moved to take another drink from his glass of warmed brandy. “Now, Dylan, since you’ve been such a wonderful subject, you can —”

He was cut off, by the sound of a trigger cocking back.

The doctor turned his head to find himself staring down the end of a gun barrel. Tyler stepped forward, his hand steady and unwavering, “Hello, Doc.” The cold grin Tyler gave the man was not the least bit friendly.

Caught off-guard, the doctor looked for his gun in desperation. And saw it—lying on the table he’d just walked away from. He’d set it down when he had gotten the reference book. He wondered if he could make a dash for it.

“Trying to subvert my partner, Doc? Not very nice. Not very nice at all.” Tyler moved the gun up, to point at the doctor’s head. “Don’t move.”

There was still a shred of confidence left in the stocky man, still high from his triumph over Dylan and the revelation of him getting the Golden Monkey. For a single second, that confidence surged in him. He chose that moment to make a mad dash for his gun to put Tyler to the same fate as Dylan.

The sound of gunfire echoed off of the walls of stone, followed by a pain-laden and ear piercing scream as the doctor collapsed, clutching at his bloodied knee.

Tyler’s tone was sardonic. “My father was a champion marksmen. Finished fourth in the biathlon tournament at the ‘88 Olympics.” He pulled the trigger again. “I learned a lot from my father.”

The doctor only screamed in pain, rocking back and forth as he clutched at his knee. Tyler moved in a casual manner over to the table, and picked up the air gun. “Where is the rest of the ammunition?” He asked.

“Fuck you!” Came the pained retort. The doctor spit in Tyler’s direction.

The gun lowered again towards the doctor. “Let me explain something to you, Doc. You see... you just tried to turn my best friend against me. You hurt him. I really don’t like that. See, he used to protect me. Only fair I return the favor, now. I really don’t want to kill you. But, it’s not a very large house. And I can search it pretty quickly. Trying to save us both some grief.” He allowed himself a casual smile. “Honor among thieves, and all that, you know.”

Again, the hollow point of the gun pointed at the doctor’s head. “One more time,” Tyler said quietly, his voice full of controlled anger. “Where is the rest of the shit?”

The doctor thought better of his instinctive reply, and instead said, “Top dresser drawer. Now get the fuck out.”

Tyler ignored him, and pulled open the drawer. Inside, he found what he was looking for—a small black plastic case with a bottle of fluid, and several feathered air-darts within.

“Fix Dylan,” he said, his voice cool. “Then, we’ll leave.”

The doctor snarled at Tyler, “You fix him.”

Tyler shook his head, “You’re about as daft as Dylan, Doc.” The hard underside of Tyler’s work boot landed on the doctor’s bullet-shattered knee.

“Okay!” The boot lifted, and the doctor spat through the bloodied lip he’d bit down in the intense shot of pain he’d been doled.

“Dylan. Listen to me. Listen to my voice. You fell asleep. You will remember nothing. You will obey nothing. You will follow your plans with your friends. You are Dylan. You fell asleep.”

Dylan’s mouth yawned, as if it were indeed tired. “... Obey nothing,” he said through the yawn. “Just fell asleep.”

Tyler smiled. “Thanks.” And raised the air gun to the doctor, firing one of the darts into the doctor’s legs. He winked, watching the doctor’s face of fear. “Don’t worry, Doc. We’re just going to make sure you forget. And don’t tell anybody about us.”

It had been a little more than a full cycle of the sun when they had found the entrance to the temple.

Yin-Feng stood at the edge of the deep pit, breathless. Her palms were sweating. The path she had been walking her entire life was now at last revealed to her, and she was nearing the last mile. Her knee sunk into the sand as she bent down, making a final check of all the necessary gear in her backpack.

Jonathan and Greg stood next to Feng, silent in their reverence for the sacred moment. “Well, my friends,” Jonathan flashed a smile to Feng and then nodded to Greg. “What are we waiting for?”

Yin-Feng chuckled trying not to let on as to how nervous she was, and glanced to Nadia. “Ready?”

Nadia nodded, relieved to see that she wasn’t the only one who looked utterly terrified to be entering into the vast pit of darkness that lay before them. “I—guess so,” she managed. She focused on Yin-Feng for strength, knowing in her heart that Yin-Feng’s nerves were stronger than hers. The butterflies in her stomach were having a civil war, it seemed, and she felt nauseous.

Nadia’s hands twisted the end of her loose white t-shirt. It was better than biting her nails, and she looked to Yin-Feng for direction. She was a nervous wreck. But, she also had complete confidence in her friend. She knew that Yin-Feng wouldn’t lead her someplace without thinking that Nadia was ready. And that helped to ease the tensions that knotted her stomach.

Yin-Feng nodded, gesturing to those gathered. “Alright, then.” She took a deep breath, speaking with caution in her voice. She didn’t want to get their hopes up, even though hers were already causing her heart to race. “We’re going to start out as a single team, but I want plans in case we need to split up. I will be the head of the first team, Jonathan will head up the second.” She slipped her hands into her pockets to hide her own tensions.

“Each team will consist of a few men to provide light, and to provide some muscle in case other digging may be needed.” She pulled off the sunglasses from her face, and looked at them all for a moment. As she did the first day she’d met them, she looked in each of their eyes. “This is not a race. These ruins have been here for more than a thousand years. They aren’t going anywhere. Let’s show some caution, and respect, people. Don’t let your excitement of the discovery end up ruining the find of the century.”

She glanced at Dylan, Tyler, and a few of the other men who were standing by, ready to go in with the group. “Nadia will be with me. If something happens, keep in touch with your walkie-talkies. She’s bringing down medical supplies with her.”

She brushed her long pants off as she stood up out of the sand, “Keep in mind it’s going to be cool, and damp there. Expect the unexpected, bugs, spiders, snakes, and scorpions lurking beneath objects, and crawling about. Keep your head, and you’ll do just find. Remember, we don’t have to find and catalog everything in there tonight. Beijing is pleased with our progress, and has advanced a few more dollars our way—enough for a few more weeks. So take it easy.”

Grabbing the rope that would guide her down to the bottom of the pit she asked, “Any questions?”

There were a few grins in answer, but no questions. Yin-Feng was glad to see her own excitement reflected back at her in most of their eyes. With a glad heart, she jumped off the edge of the pit and made her way down to the dark opening.

The men watched her make her way down and then Jonathan grabbed the rope and descended. Greg followed next. And, with a few promptings from the diggers, Nadia managed a shaky grin and slower than the rest, started to make her way to join everyone else at the bottom.

Dylan and Tyler looked at the other men who’d been picked to tag along. Dylan asked, “So, you guys are going with the old fart, right?”

A man with dark hair gave Dylan a sardonic smirk. “Not if we can help it. I’d follow that sweet ass of that woman anywhere. And we got dibs.”

The man’s partner grabbed the rope, ready to descend next. “Sorry, boys. You’ll have to follow the Brit and his little faggot buddy.”

Tyler shook his head, “How about we make it worth your while?” He asked, voice holding a sort of intrigue to it that the men couldn’t quite pass up.

The one holding onto the rope paused just before jumping off of the edge. “Like what?”

Feng’s voice came from below, and every man could sense the impatience in it. “We are waiting.”

Dylan folded his arms. Larger than the other two men, he knew how to use his physical prowess to his advantage. He smiled, just a little, showing his teeth just as he and Tyler had done so many times before.

“Two hundred a head,” Tyler mused. “That, or you might not go at all. My buddy here was rather counting on getting to follow ‘that sweet ass’, you see. He gets disappointed real easily.”

The dark-haired man frowned, then glanced at his partner. The one on the rope nodded. “Deal,” he said. He looked at Dylan, then Tyler with vague suspicion in his features.

Tyler shrugged, pulling out the money from a small billfold on the inside of his jacket. Handing each of them their money, the rest of the men met up with the group that was already getting ready to explore the inner temple.

Nadia noticed that as she approached the dark entryway, the air inside was stale. Old. She wrinkled her small nose, and heard a soft feminine laugh behind her.

Yin-Feng gave her a grin, “It gets worse,” she told Nadia. She walked over to the younger, thinner redhead and hugged her impulsively. “Don’t be nervous. Just stay by my side, and everything will be just fine. Okay?”

Nadia nodded. She smiled back to Feng, as the feelings of doubt started to wash away from her. “Okay,” she agreed, her voice quiet and awed. She found herself wishing that she had half the power of persuasion and personality that Feng had instead of worrying about what was to come in that dark, unseen tunnel ahead.

Soft lips kissed Nadia’s forehead. “For good luck.” Feng smiled to her, then without saying another word, looked straight up the rope.

Nadia felt that sudden warmth in her cheeks again, and sighed in bliss. Maybe, after this is all over, we can go on a vacation together. Just her and me. Friends, on a cruise. Pick up some guys. She can show me how to be as strong as she is. Nadia felt a sudden rush of exhilaration at that thought, remembering her fantasy and thinking of how exciting it would be if only it could some day be real. To be as beautiful as Feng. As loved. As adored. She closed her eyes, as if to play it over in her mind all over again.

The slight nudge at her shoulder woke her. “Let’s go,” Yin-Feng said, heading into the dark recesses of the Temple.

The first chamber was large and vast. The floor filled with sand, and the walls plain and unadorned except for the tattered fragments of rope and rotting strips of cloth that had probably once held up immaculate tapestries.

Yin-Feng made a small gesture to one of the men, “Set up one of the lights here.”

The man nodded, pulling a small retractable tripod from the heavy satchel and expanded it. The light had it’s own power source, a set of small batteries at the bottom of the tripod, and it gave off a powerful light that chased away the darkness into the corridors beyond.

Feng smiled, as she took a heavy breath of the stale air. “Three different passages.” She glanced to Jonathan, “I’ll take the center route. You try the left-hand way. Keep your radios on. Alert me if you find anything.”

Jonathan gave her a small nod, “As you wish, Ma’am.” He flashed her a grin, then headed off into the left-hand corridor. The flashlights bounced against the walls, tiny circles of light dancing ahead of them as the small group disappeared.

Feng looked to the others with her, “Well.” She smiled to Nadia, who in turn took a step closer to Yin-Feng, and gave Dylan and Tyler a faint look of half-amusement. “Sticking with me? Very well. Keep up, and don’t touch anything. Understand?”

They both nodded, and she gestured towards Dylan, who was carrying a satchel similar to the other mans, heavy, and filled with lights and other gear. “Lay one down every hundred feet or so. Unless I tell you otherwise. We probably aren’t going to get too far tonight.”

Yin-Feng closed her eyes, and said a silent prayer for herself, then moved forwards taking slow, careful steps. She turned on her flashlight. Nadia did likewise as soon as Feng did, taking her cue from her idol.

Dylan nudged Tyler as the two men walked behind the women. The look in Tyler’s face was all Dylan needed to confirm that they were thinking the same thing. Tottering as close as she could to Feng, both men were humored by the puppyish fashion that Nadia clung to Yin-Feng with.

The bright circles of light flashed against plain walls, and sand-covered floors. Occasionally, a broken shard of pottery, or wood would be seen sticking out of the sand.

“It’s never how you picture it,” Yin-Feng said to herself. But, in the empty corridor, her voice echoed and carried.

“It’s a dump, if you ask me,” Dylan said. He chuckled, lightly, “Seems like tomb raiders got here before we did.”

Feng scowled at the thought, pausing in her stride, “We’ve come this far. We’ll find something.” Her eyes narrowed. “Got it?” She had no desire for the sinking feeling in her gut to be hastened by brutish thinking.

“Yeah,” Dylan said, bending down to the ground, and starting to set up one of the lights. “Got it.” He shrugged, indifferent to her tone and her attitude.

Yin-Feng’s eyes stayed narrowed, as she glanced at the walls. Her fingertip touched the cold stone lightly as she moved along, her pace slow. The faint sound of footsteps in her ear were the only reminders that Nadia was close to her, and that Dylan and Tyler were a few steps behind.

“What’s wrong?” Nadia asked. It had taken her awhile, but now she had found the strength to summon up enough courage to ask. She knew Feng wouldn’t rebuke her for the stupid question.

Yin-Feng sighed, her features relaxed. “All the stories that are told about the Temple are of it being ornately adorned. It was a respected, and sacred place for my people to go to, in Ancient times, and learn many hidden arts. It was a place of glory, a place of beauty. Our friend back there may very well be right. It could have been plundered, long ago.”

From the back, Dylan could be heard gloating. “Damn right, I’m right.”

Tyler chuckled, “Dylan. You’re never right,” he joked, poking fun at his friend. “That’s why I’ve got to stick with you.”

Ahead of them, Yin-Feng smiled at the levity of the men, and glanced back to Nadia as they made their way forward into another large chamber that opened from the corridor they had been traversing.

Like the rest of the Temple, this room too seemed dull and dreary. The drab colors seemed to continue to dampen the mood of the group.

“Still, plunderers only took what would be valuable. Things like books, manuscripts, and scrolls they would not find of much value then. These are things that I still would expect to find.” She shook her head in dismay. “Perhaps the Temple was moved a third time. Or perhaps it was destroyed by the Mongols at a later date.”

Nadia’s heart wrenched at seeing her friend in such a poor mood on what was supposed to be the day of Feng’ life. Nadia wrapped her hand around Yin-Feng’s shoulder and gave it an assuring squeeze. She and smiled at Feng. “You told me everything would be okay,” she stated. “Now I’m telling you.” The confidence in her eyes shone through, reflecting everything Nadia saw in Yin-Feng back to the other woman.

Yin-Feng smiled back, and nodded as the hand slipped from her shoulder. “You’re right. I’m right. We’ll find something.” Her own confidence surged again as she looked at the reflection in Nadia’s eyes.

The expanse that opened up before them was vast. Yin-Feng guided the bright light of the flashlight towards the sandstone walls, searching every inch of it up and down. The intensity with which she searched seemed to spark something in Nadia, and she began searching the other half of the chamber.

The beam from her flashlight found an old statue of a warrior that seemed to be half-dragon and half-man that stood a little bit taller than Dylan. Its arms were broken off and in the sand, jutting out of it as if it were a man buried beneath and grasping for the earth above.

“At least we finally have some proof I’m in the right place,” Yin-Feng muttered to herself. She began to head over to the statue.

After a moment, it was Nadia’s voice that broke the silence. “Um. Yin-Feng?” Nadia pointed at a section of the wall. “What’s that?”

Yin-Feng whirled around, and shone her light where Nadia’s own circular beam was pointed. She snapped her fingers, “Get the rest of the lights out. I want this room lit up. We’ve found it.”

Both Tyler and Dylan put the remaining three tripod lights up, but it was enough to give the room a light that flourished and was strong enough to see the faint etchings of paint in those walls.

Yin-Feng took a step closer. Not just decorative, either. There were words.

“Yin —,” Nadia began to ask, but she bit her lip as Yin-Feng held up her hand in a quick silence gesture.

As old as it was, a lot of the markings had dulled and faded. Yin-Feng was attempting to put the puzzle back together in her mind.

“Earth to Yin-Feng,” Dylan called, stepping towards her. “Yo. What did you find?”

She licked her lips. She was too centered to allow the rude disturbance to affect her. “The Golden Monkey.”

Nadia’s eyes widened as she turned to stare at Yin-Feng, understanding the implication of the discovery. A discovery that she’d made. Sort of.

Dylan and Tyler exchanged glances. “Where is it?” Tyler asked, his voice low.

Yin-Feng turned a quick eye to the men. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out. It says the Golden Monkey is with beauty.” She frowned, “The question is, what did these people call beauty?” She slowly sat down into the sand. “And where would it be in a place like this?”

Nadia slid down beside her, turning her flashlight off. The bright lights from the tripods gave her no need for it. She gave Yin-Feng a small, quick hug. “If anyone can figure it out, you can.” She gave Feng another small smile. “I have faith in you.”

Dylan rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

Tyler gave Dylan a grin, and made a ‘fairy’ gesture with his hand, masking it so the girls couldn’t see as he headed over towards the dragon-man statue. It had piqued his curiosity, and he might as well get a good look at it. He winked at Dylan, rubbing his index and forefinger together, suggesting that if it was worth something, there would be some extra money to be made here as well.

“Probably what happened was the place got raided for the Golden Monkey,” Yin-Feng now guessed. “And when they couldn’t find it, they destroyed everything in it.”

Tyler stepped up to the statue, and tried to imitate the fearsome grin of teeth it was flashing at him. Dylan snickered at Tyler’s antics as he secured the last tripod to its position and closed up the satchel.

Both Nadia and Yin-Feng turned to look at Tyler. “Cute,” Nadia said, wrinkling her nose. “Can’t you ever be serious?” She grabbed a handful of sand, and tossed it uselessly towards Tyler.

Tyler grinned, and put his arm around the armless statue. “C’mon, Nadia. Take my picture. The two most handsome men on the planet.” He winked at her. “Heck, he’s almost as beautiful as you, Nadia.”

Nadia blinked, once. She snapped her fingers. “Feng?” She asked, nudging the other woman. She remembered something she had come across while putting away some of Feng’s papers back at the camp. Bits of Chinese legends transcribed and translated, with notes handwritten in the margins.

“Feng?” She asked, nudging the other woman. “Is this a statue of Lotus Dragon?”

Yin-Feng eyes snapped up in surprise. She grasped Nadia by the shoulders, and startled the young woman as a smile of understanding lit up her face. “The Chan-Sung legend! The Dragon who walked the Earth and lived under the guise of a ravishing Princess! The folk tale originates form this area... only local priests would understand the riddle!”

She leapt to her feet and strode forth. With every step, she grew more convinced. Nadia was right on her heels, sharing in the excitement.

Tyler blinked. “What? This statue?” He frowned. “Where would it be?” Tyler’s fingertips pressed the statue’s eyes, obviously expecting some stone to start rolling and reveal an entrance or some similar reaction. Nothing happened.

Yin-Feng shook her head at his efforts, and Nadia stifled a chuckle.

Dylan suggested, “Behind it, maybe?”

Yin-Feng nodded. “Or in it. Nadia.” She hugged the woman, “Thank you. Now, let’s see what we can do.”

The walkie-talkie on Feng’s belt hissed, “Jonathan here. Feng? We’ve got a small problem here. One of our diggers got his leg trapped by a stone. We got him out, but it looks like he’s going to need some medical attention. We think it’s broken.”

Nadia sighed, and stomped her foot in frustration. “Dammit!”

Yin-Feng allowed herself a small smile. “Nadia will be right over.” She gave Nadia another hug, “Don’t worry. You’ll get to see it. And I’m giving you part of the credit. You helped me. Tremendously. Thank you.”

Nadia almost seemed to blossom under the praise of her idol, and nodded. “Alright.” After all, it was her duty to help the injured. She dashed off down the blackness, taking her flashlight and a spare walkie-talkie with her to find the other team.

Yin-Feng looked back to the statue. “Let’s try moving it, first? Gentlemen, care to assist me?”

Dylan moved over to the statue as well, and all three dug their boots into the sand, pushing with all their might. The statue seemed to quiver. Legs and arms straining, the three put all their strength into it. The statue began to lift on its edge, the combined effort and lust for glory in each of them giving them added fuel for success and strength. In another second, the statue had toppled over, crashing to the floor.

It’s head snapped in a fierce cracking sound, and rolled into the distance. Behind where the statue stood and sitting on a shelf, a golden monkey sat. Its arms were in front of it, as if it were begging for food.

Roughly hewn, the gold gleamed in the light. The red gemstone eyes of the monkey flashed and flickered at them.

Yin-Feng found herself out of breath as she stared at it. Her ears were buzzing, and she could only hear her heart pounding.

The sting at her neck brought her out of the reverie.

Her hands snapped back to grab the feather-tipped dart, and pull it from her neck. In a mixed expression of anger and confusion she looked at the two men who were grinning madly at her.

“You’re going down, bitch,” Dylan said, rubbing his throat. “We’re going to make you pay for what you did to us.”

She found her thoughts getting hazy. Whatever it was, she knew she’d been poisoned, or drugged by the dart. Her only chance was to take these two out, and get to Nadia before whatever it was took effect.

She sunk into the horse stance, one that would give her good, solid balance. Her eyes were watering, and she tried to blink away the blurred visions of Dylan and Tyler standing in front of her.

Realizing that they weren’t going to come to her, she slowly moved towards them. Her feet slipped, but her mental prowess was strong. Her breathing allowed her more control of her body than most people could attain.

“Hell, I don’t think I lasted this long. Maybe we should shoot her again?” Dylan asked.

Tyler shook his head, “No. Don’t want to overdose her. We’ll wait, and see. It’s affecting her.”

She lunged at Tyler, using a quick thrust to try and take him down. But her inebriated mind misjudged the distance, and she flew past him. He slapped her on the ass as she passed him, and stumbling, fell facedown into a pile of sand.

Her mind was whirling. Her arms and legs were getting heavier. She tried to push herself back up to her feet with all her strength, but the effort was useless.

Tired and heavy arms gave out under her. She was dimly aware through the foggy haze of the lights and the fogged images in front of her that she wasn’t quite dead. She just felt like she was.

Tyler put his finger to his lips, looking at Dylan and shook his head to indicate Dylan shouldn’t say a word. Tyler had planned this out to the letter. Dylan nodded.

“Hello, Yin-Feng.” He knelt down beside her. “I know you can hear me. Can’t you? Tell me you can hear me.”

Her lips parted, and in a relaxed exhale, the words came. “I can hear you,” she spoke in a quiet murmur.

“Good,” Tyler continued. “Yin-Feng. You are the daughter of a Shaolin Priest. The Shaolin’s believe in magic. Yin-Feng, your father believed in magic. Your father wouldn’t have lied to you, would he, Yin-Feng?”

There was a long moment’s pause as the effort to think of the answer seemed to crease across Yin-Feng’s otherwise serene features. “No. Father didn’t lie,” she agreed.

“Then, Yin-Feng,” Tyler pointed out, “Magic must be real. Say it. Magic is real.”

The dots of Tyler’s logic began to connect in the haze of her mind. “Magic is real,” Yin-Feng agreed, her voice was uncertain as if the last shred of her will still resisted.

“Magic is real,” Tyler reiterated. “Very real.”

Yin-Feng let out a soft sigh. “It is real,” she agreed again.

Tyler nodded, “Good. Your father believed in magic. So do you. It is real.”

Yin-Feng’s tongue slipped out of her mouth, as if tired from all the talking. “Magic is real,” she slurred. " ... Father said so.”

Tyler paused to glance at Dylan, who was grinning from ear to ear. Obviously his partner liked where this was headed. Tyler couldn’t have asked for a better success rate himself. “And if magic is real, Yin-Feng, then the Curse is also real. The Curse of the Golden Monkey of Xiao is real.”

Yin-Feng’s brow furrowed ever so slightly. “Curse ...,” she spoke, voice barely audible, “Is real. Curse of ... monkey. Is real.”

Tyler nodded. “Yes, Yin-Feng. The Curse of the Golden Monkey is real. And you moved it from its resting place. The curse is magic. And magic is real. And it will overcome you. You will become the monster of your darkest fears.”

Yin-Feng’s features twisted more, as if her inner being knew this was wrong. But she no longer had the ability to fight the insistence of the words being burned into her head. “I ... will become monster. Darkest fears,” she echoed. “It is real.”

Tyler nodded, and signaled to Dylan to get on with rest of their plan. Dylan dragged her towards the statue, resting her just under the crook of where the statue lay and used the satchel and his feet to wipe out the drag marks. Then Dylan grabbed the Golden Monkey, and tucked it under Yin-Feng’s arms.

“Repeat what you have heard ten times.” Tyler’s voice was insistent in her ears as he lifted himself up. “It will burn into your mind more and more each time you hear yourself say it. Then, you will fall asleep. Your last memory will be of the statue falling on you.”

He pointed to Dylan, and began to head back down the corridor to finish their plans. It was time to grab Nadia and call for help.

Dylan snickered. “God, you are so fucked.” He kicked her limp body with his boot, and followed Tyler out.

As lights and laughter disappeared down the corridor, Yin-Feng was left alone in the blurred lights. The only sound in the chamber was the soft whisper of her lips, which her mind forced her to move upon the command it had been given. “So ... fucked. God. So ... fucked. God... so fucked ...”