The Eyes Have It

Chapter 2: Celeste

Again she looks concerned, dads asleep so she can't consult with him, she'll have to decide for herself "well... I mean, yeah I guess, but I'll be calling you, okay? To make sure you're alright"

I can't help but roll my eyes as I smile "yes, fine okay"

"I mean it's not like we wanted to spend any time with you while we're here"

I sigh and then giggle, I know she's only playing with me "mum, I see you and dad all the time at home, I probably won't see Rebecca again for a while, so if she invites me out I'm probably going to say yes. Maybe we could all go to the museum together, I just know that dad will love it" as an artist himself I know he'd love to take some photos.

"Alright, tomorrow's what? Tuesday? We'll all go on Wednesday, we'll have dinner, do some shopping and then go and see what all the fuss is about, how about that?" It sounds so good, it's been forever since we did anything like that together, my parents are always really busy with work.

"Yeah, sounds amazing" she gives me a hug before shooing me away to bed, once I've brushed my teeth and changed I get into bed to try and sleep, but it eludes me, all I can think about is the man who's not real. There was something different about him, and not in a Nicholas Sparks way, in a... real way. While I was drawing him I noticed his skin, when I was drawing Sacagawea I noticed she had a slight shimmer to her skin, a certain smoothness, then I realised it was because of the stuff she's made of. When I looked at Ahkmenrah I noticed his skin didn't look like the others', it looked, well, human.

All this made me curious and I got to thinking about how they're all made, I saw no controls, no wires, no switches, and Ahkmenrah seemed so real, but they're all dead, they spoke like humans, they acted like humans. Maybe they're just people in costumes, but then that would mean that they'd have identical wax figures out on display during the day, and then when night comes they'd have to drag them all away, so the actors could come out and play the parts, but that all seems like a lot of effort. They couldn't do that for the animals, or the miniatures, there aren't people small enough to play those parts, and there aren't animals alive to play the extinct animals.

Maybe the animals are animatronic, the people are actors, and the miniatures are... really tiny robots. But like I said that's a lot of effort, and if actors were the case then why not have them going all day? Why only at sundown? I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's ever asked these questions, and I'm sure that I won't be the last, I'm also sure that lots of other people have tried to stay behind after hours, but if I didn't try then I'd never know.

~

Mum and dad wake up early the next morning and leave for more work stuff, and of course something romantic. When I wake up later I start to get ready, picking out my favourite outfit to wear to the museum, I do my makeup and my hair and wait until it's time to leave. I manage to be gone before mum and dad get back, and arrive at the museum just as the sun is going down. A crowd is waiting outside for the doors to open again, I think they open in the morning, and then close a few hours before sundown to get everything ready. When they eventually open everyone pours in with excitement, none more excited than me.

The night guard who spoke to me yesterday catches my eyes and waves as he makes his way over to me "hey there, I meant to say thanks yesterday for drawing that picture for Dexter" he sees my blank expression, the only thing on my mind right now is the Pharaoh who's waiting for me "the uh, the little capuchin monkey"

"Oh right, sorry I didn't realise he had a name" Dexter is very cute for a monkey, it sounds mischievous which is the vibe I got from him.

"Yeah, he's a trouble maker" we laugh awkwardly before he offers me his name "I'm Larry by the way, nice to see you again, didn't think you'd be back so soon" is he trying to ask me something? "So I noticed you signed the drawing 'El' "