The Heart Of Ahkmenrah | Rami Malek

9. Night as a Normal Man p.2

Word count: 2228

Ahkmenrah was standing by the security exit shuffling in his shoes, obviously not used to anything but sandals.
"Phew, okay let's go" Elizabeth held onto his arm and opened the door.

They stepped outside and were embraced by the crisp air of the New York night.
Elizabeth sighed and took a breath before looking at Ahkmenrah, he was smiling down at her.

"When I was last outside Nick was around 6 or 7, before that it had been 4,000 years before I had a breath of fresh air quite like that" he spoke, Elizabeth bounced in front of him.
"So do it!" she grinned, he laughed slightly confused.
"Take a really deep breath! I'll do it with you"
He looked at her and then joined in with an exaggerated inhale and exhale.
"The air is lovely" he smiled.
She giggled and then remembered to give him a jacket from her backpack. She pulled it over his shoulders and then linked her arm with his, beginning to walk.

A thought popped into her head.
"Ahk.... When you come alive at night do all of your organs work? Like.. Everything?" Elizabeth asked watching him.

"Well I-" he started.
Elizabeth realized that once more her question could be easily misunderstood so she quickly added
"I'm just asking because if you can inhale, the oxygen must go somewhere, so I'm guessing when you wake up you have organs again? No longer mummified?

Their eyes met before Ahkmenrah held up his hand, revealing his wrist.
"Blood begins to pump through my veins and air enters my lungs once more when I awaken. I've had thousands of years in the dark to think about it but I haven't really. When I died my organs were removed from my body so I don't know how I have them again."
Elizabeth was running this through her head, still bewildered that this man who seemed so full of life was technically dead.
Ahkmenrah watched her eyes watch his wrist as they walked. He gently grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest, halting them from moving.

"It is supposedly most important, but I awake with a beating heart again" he spoke softly.
Elizabeth was flushed with the contact but held her hand on the chest, feeling the the delicate pulses.
"This is just.... incredible"

She slowly retracted her hand and they began to walk again.
"You know, you're practically a miracle, or a medical marvel" Elizabeth exclaimed

"I've never seen or heard of anything like what your tablet is capable of" she continued.
She glanced at him and then at the street they were on.
"We will be there soon"
She momentarily looked at the ground before tilting her head at him, Elizabeth was incredibly happy that she had met him, this experience changed her life every night.

"You know... I must say I'm quite happy the tablet does what it does, I'm happy I get to hang out with you, you're wonderful" Elizabeth spoke to him, what she said couldn't be more true, she was a busy person who only had one friend that she normally hung out with and she was overjoyed by Ahkmenrahs company.
Their eyes met again and she felt him slightly tighten his hand around hers.
"It is completely my pleasure, I can't say it hasn't become boring only talking to your uncle and the huns.." he trailed off.
"I'm quite happy I got to meet you as well Elizabeth"

Elizabeth lightly bit her lip as she smiled, looking up at the street sign them across the road.
"There it is!"

They quickly crossed the street and were welcomed with the neon sign of a coffee cup.
Elizabeth peered in the windows and saw that there were only 3 extra people in the restaurant, a young couple and a girl who looked about 25 writing on a computer.

She heard the bells on the door jingle and saw Ahkmenrah holding it open for her, even when he's the one out of place, he's a gentleman. Elizabeth grinned and walked in.
"Thank you very much, I hope you like it here"