Museum Discoveries

Chapter 10

"Crystal, you coming?" Nicky asked me that night. 

I looked up at him and made up my mind. Nodding, I stood up and waited at his side. Larry came out of his room and followed us out the door. When we got to the museum, the first thing I did was sit on the chairs and wait for Ahkmenrah to make an appearance. 

When he finally did, I stood up and crossed the floor until I was by his side. He looked down at me and gave me a bright smile. 

"Hello, Crystal." 

I gave him a small smile, then let it fade. 

"Is everything okay?" he asked me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Looking up at him, I said, "Can I talk to you? Alone?" 

"Of course," Ahkmenrah took my hand and pulled me away to the back of the lobby. We were out of hearing range of everyone else, so he turned to me and nodded. "What do you want to talk about?" 

I shifted uncomfortably. "Kahmunrah saw me last night," I started.

Ahkmenrah tensed. "What did he say?" 

"He said that you were unhappy... and that the only reason you let me go, was so that I could be with Nicky," I told him. 

Ahkmenrah looked at me. "And what did you say to that?" 

I shrugged. "It made me wonder..." The way Ahk was staring at me, made me highly uncomfortable. Heck, the situation made me uncomfortable. "I started to think maybe he was right..." 

"Crystal, you're joking, right?" Ahk said, staring at me. 

I shrugged again. "I don't know... was that the only reason you gave me up? Because you know you can never have me?" 

Ahkmenrah shook his head, anger on his face. "The only reason I let you go is so that you could be happy."

I frowned. "But Kahmunrah said-"

"Kahmunrah is a liar," Ahk stated. "Crystal, you know that. He's been trying to kill you, why in the world would you believe him?" 

I looked away. "I don't know..." 

Ahkmenrah stepped forward. "Honestly, Crystal. I don't get it." 

"He said he's known you for years, so he would know when you're unhappy." 

"My brother doesn't know anything about me. He only pretends to," Ahkmenrah said. "Crystal, would I ever lie to you?" 

I didn't answer. 

Ahk tried again. "Crystal, would I ever lie to you?" 

"I don't know... maybe." 

Ahk was silent. I lifted my gaze to see his face. "Unbelievable," he finally said. 

"Ahk..." I said, stepping towards him. 

But he took a step back. "No, Crystal. You don't believe me. You honestly believe that my brother is right? You know I would never lie to you... and yet... maybe you don't," Ahkmenrah shook his head. "I was wrong. I should never have led you on." 

Tears came to my eyes. "Ahk, please, don't say that." 

He shook his head. "I'm done, Crystal. I don't want to be around someone who thinks I would ever lie to them." 

"I'm just trying to figure this out!" I called out to him.

"Whatever. I don't want to see you again," Ahk told me, before walking away from me and leaving me alone. 

I stood there for a moment, tears streaming down my face. I turned and began walking for the doors, wanting to leave. 

"Crystal?" Nicky's voice rang out. 

I turned away from him, trying to avoid him. 

"Crystal, wait, what's wrong?" Nicky asked me. 

"Leave me alone!" I cried out. 

"What happened?" he asked. 

"Nothing! Let me go!" I cried out again. 

"Dad!" Nicky said, motioning for him to come over. 

"What's wrong?" Larry asked. 

Nicky held my arms, not letting me go. "Don't let her leave." 

Larry took me in his arms, holding me still. "Nicky, what's going on?" 

"Just don't let her leave!" he called over his shoulder as he disappeared around the corner. 

Nicky's POV

I ran to Ahk's exhibit, hoping he would be there. I stopped at the doorway and looked in. Ahk was about halfway in, his back facing me. 

"What did you do?" I asked him, stepping inside the room.

Ahk frowned, confused. "What are you talking about, Nicky?" 

"What did you do to Crystal?" I repeated, my anger bubbling inside me.

Ahkmenrah looked away. "I told her what needed to be said." 

My eyes widened a bit. "And what did you say to her? Because right now, she's being held by my dad, crying her eyes out." 

Ahk met my gaze. "She thinks that I let her go because I couldn't have her for myself. At least, that's what my brother told her," He shook his head. "She believes my brother more than me." 

I stepped forward. "You know that's not true." 

Ahk snapped his head up to look at me. "Isn't it? Crystal told me that she feels like I gave her up. She told me that she felt I was unhappy, because I can't be with her." 

"And do you believe her?" I asked him, wanting to figure this out.

"I don't know what I believe anymore," Ahk frowned, turning away from me. 

"Ahk, you know Crystal loves you," I told him, putting confidence and truth into my voice. 

He only shook his head. "It doesn't seem that way." 

This fueled my anger. "Crystal is crying, Ahk. All because of what you said to her. And I don't know what you said to her, but she won't talk to me. She won't talk to anyone." 

Ahk spun around. "And what do you expect me to do about it, Nicky?" 

"I expect you to fix the mess you made," I told him. "You don't really believe she will just stop crying and believe that everything's fine, do you?" 

"This is her fault, not mine," Ahk said.

I knew I wasn't going to win this argument. "Fine," I said. "Do what you want. But just know, she looks heartbroken... and it's all because of you." 

Ahkmenrah's POV

Once Nicky left, I sat on my sarcophagus, frustrated. I didn't know what to do. Crystal was crying, Nicky was furious, and my brother was a deceiver. All I did was tell Crystal that my brother was lying to her, and she begins crying. 

I removed my crown and placed it next to me. My life was a lot simpler before I became Pharaoh. Sometimes, I really wished I could go back to when I was still alive and ruler of Egypt. I wished I had never met Crystal. Things wouldn't be so complicated.

"I wish I hadn't met her..." I whispered angrily to no one. 

Suddenly, my tablet began to glow, and everything went black.