Night life || Ahkmenrah

Five

It was two nights after Damien's meeting with Teddy Roosevelt that the three night guards made an appearance in the Egyptian exhibit. It was well past the middle of the night and nearly sunrise by the time they showed. Damien was in his usual position on top of the stone lid over the sarcophagus, legs swinging as he lounged. His head tilted back as he talked.

Him and Ahkmanrah had made a sort of code of communication. One tap for yes, two for no. A three tap beat for a question and a series of small taps, like the wriggling of knuckles against the wood, to show if Ahkmanrah was laughing. It worked quite well but the dialogue was still hugely one sided. Damien wished that he had his books on morse code from the war. But the war happened after he had discovered the tomb, and he had died in battle before really learning that method of communication.

So, to waste away the nights, and entertain the captive pharaoh, Damien talked. And talked, and talked. He would talk until his throat was scratchy, Ahkmanrah silent beneath him as he listened. He told him memories of his life, misadventures in university, the discoveries and feelings he'd had unearthing the tomb. Damien would recall stories from the books he had read when alive; trying to remember the plots and if he couldn't, making them up as he went along until the story had barely any resemblance to the original book. Ahkmanrah would respond with an answer to a question, or with the three taps for a question of his own. Damien would then try and guess what the question was then answer it. It was a process which took time but Damien was quite happy to be patient.

He was in the middle of a largely butchered retelling of the Gimms fairytale, the goose girl, when  the sound of voices echoed up the corridor. Damien hastily sat up, his voice drifting off. There were footsteps coming closer. "There's someone coming", he hissed to sarcophagus. Ahkmanrah tapped loudly on the lid but Damien was already rolling onto his feet and sprinting across the room and back into his photo. He sat down at his desk and tried to look busy. The position of his chair leaving the exhibit within his eyesight. A minute later the three security guards walked in.

Cecil, the taller man with white hair, entered first. The two others following behind at a slower pace. The dark skinned man hindered slightly by his cane. Cecil strode straight into the room. He glanced down at Ahkmanrah's coffin with a scoff. Ahkmanrah was screaming and banging on the lid again. He must be so confused. Damien wanted to go and calm him down, whisper soothing stories.

"He's so fucking loud", the shortest guard, Gus?, complained. "Oi shut up!"

"He's not going to understand you Gus", the dark skinned man sighed.

"Let him shout", Cecil laughed. He scoffed down at the sarcophagus. "It's not like he's getting free any time soon. And the screaming keeps the whole cursed pharaoh legend going". He shrugged and turned his attention to the tablet on the wall. "Isn't all that gold beautiful?" He sighed. "When I leave I'm taking that thing with me. Favourite piece in the whole museum".

"Still got a few years to go yet", the dark skinned man said. Cecil chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"What you looking at?" Gus snapped. He had noticed Damien watching them from his photo. Damien didn't answer. He merely lifted his head up so that he was staring down his nose at the small old man.

"This is the new exhibit I heard Mr McPhee talking about Gus, Reginald", Cecil grinned. He clapped his hand together and stepped closer to picture frame. "Welcome to the museum of New York mr"- His voice trailed off as he squinted at the plaque on the wall.

"Jean. Damien Jean", Damien stated clearly.

Cecil grinned widely at him. Damien didn't like it. "Present to meet you Mr Jean. We are the night guards here. Let me introduce my colleagues Gus and Reginald". Reginald nodded while Gus merely grunted.

"We guard you but there are rules you have to follow. Rule number one is stay inside the museum. Rule number two is stay within your exhibit. You wouldn't like what we would do if we caught you making trouble", Cecil warned. He gestured to the picture frame around Damien's photo with a snort. "Although that shouldn't be hard for you". Behind him the other two guards chuckled.

Damien kept his face still. They didn't know that he could leave his portrait. The thought made him feel rather relieved. His eyes drifted downwards to where the keys hung on Cecil's belt. They were all on a metal ring which was clipped to his clothes. That would be a problem. There were many keys. Damien would have a problem with finding the key to Ahkmanrah's case.

"The most important rule is not to leave the museum", Cecil continued. "If you are outside when dawn breaks then you disappear into dust. Not even the pharaoh's tablet can bring you back then. It was good to meet you Mr Jean", he called as they left. "See you tomorrow night!"

As soon as they had left and their footsteps had faded out of earshot, Damien broke composure and shivered. Cecil gave him the creeps. There was something off about his smile. It was too fake. All shiny white teeth and cold eyes.

Damien pulled a face and stood up. He ran a hand through his blonde hair with a sigh. Ahkmanrah was still screaming in the background. Damien hopped out of his photo a jogged over. "Hey it's me", he greeted, tapping twice to get the message through. "They're gone". Ahkmanrah stopped. A now familiar three beat sounded from inside.

Damien smiled as he sat down next to the case. He explained the short conversation between him and Cecil. The mentioned Rules, and the warning about the sun. "They don't know that I can leave my portrait", Damien announced excitedly. "I can go out and explore the museum without them knowing".

A muffled voice sounded from the sarcophagus. Damien waited then two taps sounded. No. Was Ahkmanrah telling him not too?

"I'll be careful", he added. "And I'll come back and tell you everything. There's got to be other exhibits. I need to see if they can help".

Two more taps then a muffled thump as if he had kicked the wood. Damien frowned, then smiled as he realised what Ahkmanrah was trying to convey. "Are you worried?" He asked. "I'll be fine. As quick as a dormouse". He promised. A invisible, unknown feeling made him stop. The sun was almost about to rise. It just be apart of the Tablet's magic as he could always feel it like a warning. Ahkmanrah must too, as he was silent in his sarcophagus.

"Don't worry", Damien muttered reassuringly. "We'll talk more next night".

A soft scraping sounded. Like the back of a bandaged hand being brushed along the wood. Damien gently reached out and preformed the same motion on the lid. His knuckles bumping across the carved and golden surface. "Good morning", he whispered with a grin. Then he rose and walked back to his photo. Leaning against the desk with a smile as the sun rose.

Unedited