The Eyes Have It

Chapter 2: Celeste

***

"Hey Ahk, everything okay in here?" Larry Daley says as he pops his head into the exhibit, he always walks around each exhibit to make sure everything is okay after closing.

The distracted Egyptian turns around to see his friend the night guard "hm?" Larry gives him a look and so Ahkmenrah shakes his head as if to clear it "yes, I apologise my mind has been stolen away"

Larry steps into the room, the Jackal guards watching him as they watch everyone "stolen away huh? Takes a lot to do that to a Pharaoh doesn't it? Except ya know... when they do it with a hook... and put it, put it in one of those little, jar thingies"

Ahkmenrah smiles at Larry's attempt at humour, he's always enjoyed the jesting guards company, it was him after all who let him out of his confinement when no-one else dared to "it was stolen by a girl" Larry makes an 'ah' sound "she didn't seem to look at me like I was a... thing" people come and go through the museum, and all of them look at him like he's just another thing on display, using the same recycled speeches, telling them about his life, and though it is a job that he enjoys, it can get a little episodic sometimes, like the same day on loop only with different faces.

"Well technically you're not a 'thing', you're not wax like the others" Ahkmenrah is in fact the only human exhibit, everyone else is manmade, Ahkmenrah is a human corpse rejuvenated to life every time the tablet glows.

"They don't know that" Ahkmenrah is only half listening to Larry, his thoughts are with Celeste "she said she'd come back tomorrow"

Larry grins as he pats his friend on the shoulder "I'm sure she will buddy" he moves towards the exit and gives the Jackal guards a wave "oh, hey, did you get her name?"

"Celeste, her name is Celeste"

Larry grins again, pointing to the Pharaoh "you old dog you"

***

I managed to get back to the hotel before mum got too worried, right now she's looking through my sketchbook "so was it everything you hoped it would be?"

"Ugh mum, it was so much more! There were extinct animals walking around, robots of famous dead people, I mean really it was amazing, like magic"

She smiles as she reaches the last drawing "is this the one on the phone?"

She shows me what she's looking at and I can't help but smile "yeah, his name is Ahkmenrah, fourth king of the fourth king, ruler of the land of his fathers, at least that's what he told me" it is a bit of a mouthful.

Mum laughs "try saying that ten times fast" it would seem she agrees with me "he looks intense" ugh, boy was he "and he's so handsome" I nod vigorously as that stupid smile from earlier returns to my face "too bad he isn't real" and there's the rain on my parade.

"Yeah well... anyway how did you guys like Central Park?" If I let her keep talking about Ahkmenrah she'll only see how much I fancy him, and then she'll never let me hear the end of it.

With a smirk she grabs dads camera and hands it to me so I can look at the photos he took "it was good, your dad took some amazing photos, and I got some fabulous design ideas" it's good that she got inspired today, I'd feel bad if I dragged her all the way here, only for her to leave with nothing new for the company. At least this way we both get something out of being here, I get to draw sexy robot Pharaohs, dad gets to take new photos, and mum gets new design ideas for their company.

"Cool, I'm glad you guys had a good time" I look through the photos on the camera while I try and think of an excuse to go to the museum again tomorrow, and do a little overnight investigating "oh hey, I forgot to tell you that Rebecca invited me out again tomorrow, to this show that she's auditioning for, and then she asked if I'd like to stay at her house overnight" I think that's a pretty good lie if I do say so myself.