After that first meeting Damien grew braver. Working on information Teddy was able to give him and his own sneaky observations, he was able to make a plan for the night guards rounds. Between closing time and sunset they first went round and locked the gates on each exhibit hall. Since Ahkmanrah was already trapped and they didn't know that Damien could leave his photo, they never bothered with the Egyptian exhibit. Then once the museum was alive, they patrolled from the back rooms round to the entrance hall then back round to the back in wide circles. Between midnight and one in the morning they took a break. This was the time Damien would leave and explore.
At first it had been thrilling. Damien took off his boots and socks and padded barefoot along the halls. The marble always cold under his feet. The bare skin offering him silence. It reminded him of being a child and sneaking around his boarding school on adventures of mischief. He would skip down the halls and peer through the gates at the other exhibits, often moving on before they noticed him.
Ahkmanrah didn't like it. Damien could always make out muffled noises of general displeasure whenever he left. He assumed that it was the fact that Ahkmanrah was trapped and couldn't explore for himself, that made him so grumpy. So each time he returned an hour later, Damien made sure to sit next to the sarcophagus and explain in detail what he had seen. From the Hun exhibit a few corridors down on the second floor, to the Native American feature in the gallery on the first. There were the miniatures (The light rapping of knuckles sounded when Damien explained that the little Aztec's had tried to fire arrows at him but were stopped by the gate. Ahkmanrah must of found it amusing), and Rexy the dinosaur. Along with the giant stone head just down the hall that chewed gum all night.
It became a routine. The night starting with Damien talking to Ahkmanrah about different things. Stories or long ranting explanations on history and anthropology. Then when his wrist watch read twelve, (he set it every night to match the big ornate clock just outside the exhibit), he give Ahkmanrah a hushed goodbye before wandering the museum. Returning an hour later to resume his spot against the sarcophagus and narrate what had happened.
Three years passed this way. The only way to check the dates and passage of time was on the museum advertisements for different yearly events. The windows in the large building were few and often small. They offered views of grey roads and cars which looked very surreal when compared to the cars Damien remembered. The lack of trees and the constant night made it hard to judge the changing seasons. Although the first time Damien watched it snow, he stuck his fingers to the glass in a effort to feel the cold. (It had been entertaining trying to explain to a Egyptian pharaoh later what exactly snow was. Very entertaining, considering their limited method of communication).
Damien had been at the museum for three years yet he never aged. Every night he came alive the exact 23 year old he was when the photo was taken, clothes and everything. And every night he would pull up his falling suspenders and button up his shirt before tugging on his jacket and stepping out into the museum. The cool air a rush after the heat of his tent in the desert. Sometimes he would rummage through his belongings and read his stack of books. Books he had read many times before he died. Others he would turn on his portable gramophone, which had been a gift from his brother. Music drifting out of the photo and round the museum. It would get him in trouble with the three night guards but Damien never cared. He was safe in his tent.
Then on one particular evening Damien woke to noise. It was not Ahkmanrah's usual screaming and thumping, (which Damien guessed he was doing mostly out of boredom and to be dramatic now), but general cacophony. He stepped out of his photo with a frown. Ahkmanrah was knocking questioningly and he tapped back in answer. "I'm going to go and see what is happening", he announced. "I would say don't go anywhere, but you've got that covered". He snorted at the bad joke.
Ahkmanrah gave two very pointed thumps with his foot. The noise conveying a very sarcastic Ha Ha. Damien giggled unashamedly. Ahkmanrah was very used to his terrible humour by now. "I will be back in a little while", he added. "I'll go flat out". He grinned widely and knocked three times on the lid of the sarcophagus. "Knock on wood".
There was the sound of a hand brushing along the inside of the wood. Something Ahkmanrah did most evenings when Damien was going to leave. Damien's grin softened and he copied the gesture before standing up. The white marble hallway was empty when he peered round the corner. The two jackal headed guards barely glanced at him as he began walking round. The heels of his boots clicking. Somewhere Damien could hear screaming and yelling. It all sounded very interesting.
"Good evening Easter head", Damien greeted the giant stone head positioned in the hallway entrance over the main floor. The giant stone head from Easter island frowned at him.
"Mi mi", the head greeted. It had never gotten the hang of saying Damien, but Mi mi was better than dum dum. "New dum dum. He did not bring gum gum".
Damien grinned happily. New dum dum had to be referring to the new night guard. Cecil hand his buddies had retired. That was good news. "Sorry big guy", he patted the stone nose. "If I had any gum I would give it to you but you know I don't". The stone head pouted.
"What is all the noise?" Damien asked in confusion as the screaming increased. He peered over the walkway down to the first floor. A man in the deep blue night guard uniform ran past screaming. Atilla the hun and his soldiers following gleefully with their weapons raised. Damien watched as all of them disappeared round a corner.
"Stupid dum dum left the gates open", the head commented. Damien let out a snort of laughter. Then he paused. "All the gates?" He asked.
"Yes".
"Even the ones on the safari exhibit?"
"Yes".
"Oh", Damien breathed. He turned and glanced round the empty hall again. The night guard's screaming having faded. Damien peered over the railing to the first floor. Nothing. Not even Teddy was there. Damien guessed that the man had gone for a explore. He watched for a brief second as hooves sounded on the smooth floor. A zebra walked leisurely out into view. Damien grimaced. If the zebra were out then so were the lions.
"I'm going to head back now", he muttered. "Nice seeing you Easter head".
"Nice seeing you too mi mi", the head replied. Damien looked around again before slowly walking back the way he had came.
Unedited
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Night life || Ahkmenrah
Fanfiction"For what it's worth, I am glad you were the one to find me". "I think I was looking for you before I knew what to look for". Ahkmanrah x Male oc. Night at the museum.
