S1.E2 The Ritual of Thoth - Scene 2

Ritual S1 - Episode 2 - Scene 2

Ancient History 101

Characters in this Scene

Emma Roberts as Debbie Sinclair

Leslie Jordan as Professor Selwyn Jones

Shaggy haired boy

Students

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Monday morning and it's the start of a new academic year at UCLA. Professor Selwyn Jones is delivering his first ancient history lecture for the semester. He appraises the theatre full of eager freshman and knows full well that there will be less than half of them here by the end of term. Either they drop out of college altogether, change courses, or simply cannot face another lecture on the pyramid of Cheops. Most of them would rather get stoned under the Moreton Bay fig trees. Ancient history is not for the faint-hearted muses the Professor, one needs to be passionate about it.

Professor Jones' particular passion is Ancient Egypt, so much so that he is the foremost authority on the topic in the States. He walks with crutches, his stunted and withered legs the result of child-hood polio. He would have dearly loved to be a field archaeologist, but due to his physicality he had to remain content with just observation.

A couple of late-comers shuffle into the theatre, the professor addresses them. "Good morning gentleman or should I say good afternoon." The old joke gets a few snickers from fresh ears. "Welcome to Ancient History 101, I am Professor Selwyn Jones." He scrawls the information across a blackboard in barely legible cursive. "You will find that we will move quite quickly through the course, so please try to keep up. I am available for consultation most times after class should anyone have any difficulties." He paces up and down the front row of the theatre, swinging his short legs through the crutches with amazing agility.

Debbie Sinclair is seated two seats up the theatre next to the aisle, she scrunches her knees in as the two shaggy haired late arrivals squeeze past her. Her heavy textbook drops on the floor with a loud thud, and she bends to pick it up. The boy next to her hisses, "Sshhh! Cut it out blondie, we can't hear what the midget is saying." Professor Jones suddenly pivots on his crutches and deftly swings one up in the air, cracking the boy across the head with it. "Ow! What the fuck, man!" he protests, wincing in pain as he gingerly rubs the spot.

"Rule number one! Do not address me as the midget, the munchkin, Tiny Tim, or ask me if I own a pot of gold. Believe me I have heard them all." A few people do get the giggles, and the professor continues, glaring around the room. "I suggest you get it out of your system now, because if you continue to do so, you will earn yourselves a big fat F! Am I understood?" When he gets only a few mumbles he bangs a crutch on the floor and roars, "Am I understood!!"

Met with a unified chorus of, Yes, Professor! he smiles angelically at the class. "Good, well we're all going to get along just fine then," the Southern drawl is evident in his voice now. "So, without further ado we'll begin with Ancient Egypt – lights please!" The professor raises one hand theatrically as an assistant switches off the overhead lights.

The projector whirrs as a series of slides flash up on the screen. Professor Jones begins his commentary as the first image, a temple scene with images of Egyptian Gods flickers into focus. "Behold, the Egyptian Pantheon. Know your deities everyone. Here we have Ra the sun god, Anubis the jackal-headed god of the underworld, Horus god of vengeance, Bast goddess of protection. Oh, and this one is interesting," the professor singles out a god with the head of a long-beaked bird, an Ibis. "This is Thoth, god of wisdom and the creator of writing. He was also responsible for magic, in fact, a cult grew up around Thoth."

Debbie starts to develop a headache which is not helped by the flickering images on the screen. She feels drowsy in the darkened room which starts to get warm from so many bodies. As the images click through, she thinks she sees a flash of black with yellow eyes. She blinks, trying to focus on the slideshow. Strange shadows dance across the walls of the lecture theatre, constantly morphing into inhuman shapes. She can also hear whispering, a low thrum that pricks at her senses. She shakes her head and tries to take a calming breath.

Professor Jones goes on, "In the Ritual of Thoth, human sacrifice was practised. Tributes or scapegoats were chosen, usually slaves, and they were made to run through the streets as they were chased and beaten."

"Why?" someone from up the back asks.

"Why what?"

"If they were going to be sacrificed anyway, why would they bother to chase them?"

"Well, this had the effect of producing adrenaline which we all know quickens the heartbeat. For the devotees of Thoth this heightened the life-force believed to be the magical property in the blood which they would then ingest." Eeews of distaste echo around the room.

Images flash up on the screen that loom larger than life for Debbie, the stylised faces, the knife held in the right hand. She finds her own pulse quickening and hears her own blood pressure roaring in her ears. Professor Jones' voice sounds echo-like and far away. As the images flicker, she sees the black face and yellow eyes of her dream-demon continuously now; as a Sphinx, a cat-headed god, and finally the picture transforms into a Rorschach-like image of the black-faced demon, the eyes growing larger like burning coals. With every click of a new frame the creature appears closer and closer, the blackened arms seem to reach out toward her. She stands up in the lecture theatre, her brow wet with perspiration. Her eyes roll back in her head, her body goes limp, and she tumbles from the stairs.

"Whoa – holy shit!" laughs the boy seated next to her. 

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