Norman's Hieroglyph Nightmare/Sacrifices Must Be Made

As Norman slept silently, he suddenly, and calmly, began to toss and turn in calm fear.

His figure faded to a hieroglyphic figure of himself. On that hieroglyph, Norman's eye opened. He stood still, just like anyone would on a hieroglyph, but he looked down at himself. He was standing in a square, surrounded by Egyptian symbols. He looked back and saw Rathoug sitting on his throne a crook in his hand, thousands of soldiers behind him, spears and shields in their hands. Rathoug looked at his soldiers and pointed. Norman thought Rathoug was pointing at him and in fear, he saw the soldiers run in his direction under Rathoug's orders and tried to escape. Conveniently, he hid behind a bush and watched all the troops run through the hieroglyphs past everyone and towards the Hebrew Village.

There, the mouse women with their firstborn sons began to panic. They tried to stop them as a means of saving their sons, but one just fell over and landed hands first on the stairway. Two others on another part begged the troops to leave their baby mice alone, but gave in to having to witness it and started crying. In front of a slaves' quarter, one mouse woman tried to stop the troops from breaking in, but they shoved her out of the way, burst into the quarter and snatched the baby by the leg from the room, triggering its crying. Outside, another female adult mouse was cornered by two troops as she tried to protect her baby son, but one pulled her fur-hair hard as the other grabbed her arm and stole her baby.

Norman watched in horror as all this blasphemy was happening. Above, two soldiers chased a woman mouse, who tried to escape with her baby, but one grabbed her fur-hair hard and the other snatched her baby, making it cry. In a gap between two corners, there stood what looked like Mrs. Judson, and the young Arden and Scotty standing there, waiting until the coast was clear so they can escape and save their baby, Norman. They made their way out of the village, but Norman saw this and reached his arm out, as a way of calling out to them and crying, "Wait!"

But Mrs. Judson, Arden and Scotty continued to run, still cradling her baby safe, hiding behind a pillar until the troops were past them above, and when they truly passed, they continued to run. Norman still ran after them, hoping they would survive. The mother and her kids ran up a rock so the soldiers wouldn't see them, but Norman still followed them without hesitance. After going through the bushes, they reached the Nile. At the edge, Arden put the basket down near the water. Norman trudged through the bushes and watched curiously.

Mrs. Judson put the baby in the basket. The baby held her finger for a brief period of time before she sadly pulled away. Norman gasped in shock as Mrs. Judson put the lid of the basked on it to keep the baby safe, then she set the basket adrift on the river and it sailed away. Watching it, she prayed and she cried. Norman, who was still watching, shed a tear in his eye, but then, he remembered the troops. Norman ran from them as fast as he could. He managed to get a distance away from the spears, but he fell past the sun into something. The Nile, followed by the babies the troops stole from the village. Norman screamed as the scene turned to darkness and as he sank.

Suddenly, back in his room, Norman woke up with a gasp, breathing heavily. He rubbed his face, and looked upon the hieroglyphs he saw earlier, and a phantom of fear took over his face, then turned his eyes away to the door. He knew something was wrong.

Lighting a torch and holding it high in his hand, he made way for the hieroglyphic hallway, looking for what he saw in his dream. He looked to the left, and to the right, seeing nothing so far. It was still night outside. He moved on from hieroglyph to hieroglyph, until he saw a dark corridor to his right. Without hesitation, he went in. And there, he gasped in shock. An enormous hieroglyph that looked just like what he saw in his dream. To his horror, it was Rathoug! He was pointing at his soldiers! They held the first-born baby mice they stole from the mothers, threw them into the Nile, and they were then being eaten by crocodiles living in the river! Well, seeing this was just too much, even for Norman. He dropped his torch, but it still kept its light and fire, as he fell to his knees. His head rested on the wall as Norman began to cry.

Suddenly, an old hand rested on his wig. "The Hebrews grew too numerous." said a voice. It was Rathoug standing there. He was not looking very happy. In fact, he looked very sad and looked at him with a look that spoke of remorse and regret. "They might have risen against us." Norman looked up at him with tears streaming down his eyes. "Father, tell me you didn't do this!" he cried. was horrified by what he saw in both his dream and on the hieroglyph on the wall. Rathoug looked at him with kindly eyes but spoke with a voice of sorrow. "Norman, sometimes, for the greater good, sacrifices must be made." Norman got up on his feet and rubbed his hand on the carving of the face of one of the babies that were thrown into the Nile. "Sacrifices?" Norman gasped. He looked disgusted at Rathoug as he tried to keep any more tears held back. Rathoug, knowing Norman, and although he knew he was responsible, genuinely cared for his own family, even if things sort of went wrong. "Oh, my son..." he said tenderly, giving him a hug. "...they were only slaves."

Norman looked up above Rathoug's shoulder. He knew that all that he saw was wrong of Rathoug to do, but hearing Rathoug solemnly admit his guilt no matter how true it was, Norman slowly got himself out of the hug, greatly disturbed and shaking his head, he ran out of the hallway on the verge of tears. Was everything he knew to be true all a lie? Was he truly not a Prince of Egypt like Arden told him earlier? Was he truly a Hebrew like the slaves he encountered?