There was no answer to your mysterious hand tattoo so far. The only thing that had changed since you got it was the fact your portrait was sent off to the judges to be put up on display and judged. Which was hardly important to your hand, it was exiting though of course.

It was one of your late classes today, so you couldn't go into the museum. You'd wrapped your hand up in bandages to cover the mysterious mark, and gotten a few questions from your classmates. You just said a skin condition had flared up and left it at that, it seemed plausible enough no one really batted an eye. But when you got home you couldn't stop looking at the mark. You used that hand to do everything after all, you were constantly seeing. It was driving you nuts not knowing what it was, it could be a curse for all you knew.

But you needed to continue on as normal until you had answers, you had a life to live.

The night wasn't very interesting, you just finished up some class work and took a much needed shower before going to bed. The warmth of the night as the seasons changed made you switch over to your shorter summer pyjamas recently, and it was much more comfortable in the new weather. Thanks to that you'd fallen asleep rather quickly and easily, and had no clue that mark on your hand was softly growling while you were unconscious.

But the effects of it certainly made themselves clear.

It wasn't really a dream per se, there were no images or movements. But more like sounds, at first it sounded like violin almost and the part of your mind that was still conscious wondered if a ghost had picked up your violin and started playing it. But soon the sound morphed into a strange almost ethereal noise. It wasn't bad, nor scary. Actually rather relaxing, like an orchestra serenading you in the distance. It was so hard to describe, especially while you were fast asleep. But the noises seemed welcoming like a siren luring you in for a life of love under the sea. Mesmerising and pretty, you didn't want to wake up from the beautiful tune.

But the shrill ringing of your phone woke you.

Jolting awake, the beautiful melodies in your head vanishing as the world around you processed in your mind, you looked at the clock and saw it was 5am, way too early for you. Who would be calling you this early?

Picking up your phone you squinted at the bright screen, and when your eyes adjusted you were met with the caller ID 'Larry museum guy'.

"What?" You muttered, answering the phone "Larry it's 5am-"

"(Y/n), you need to get here now"

"Ahkmen?"

"I'm serious I think it has something to do with the tablet. Everyone else is frozen in place as usual but I'm still alive" He explained.

What? How did...

You opened the curtains, seeing the sun peaking up from the horizon. Sure enough the exhibits should be freezing in place by now, and yet Ahk was still alive? How?

"What the- how?" You muttered.

"I don't know but the museum opens in a few hours and we need to figure something out, Larry is already freaking out about the mummy not being in his sarcophagus at opening time" Ahk said.

"Ok, I'll be right over!"

You didn't even think, you just put some shoes and a jacket on and got right in your bike, zooming down the streets as the sun slowly began to rise and the early workers drove to work. Luckily the museum isn't super far away from where you lived, so you were there in a 30 minute ride. Slipping in via the side door, sure enough all the exhibits were frozen in place, back to being wax and plastic. But in his exhibit, Ahkmenrah and Larry stood over the tablet resting on his sarcophagus looking for an answer.

"How the fuck are you still alive?" You asked, walking right in as his guards were back to being stone.

They turned to face you, Larry giving you a funny look for your pyjamas and bed hair. Although he really shouldn't be talking because Ahk was in his mummy wraps too, he was the only one not in pyjamas.

"Don't give me that man, I just woke up" you sassed.

"Let me see your hand" Ahk said, grabbing it to look at your branding.

Nothing has changed, it was just as it was the night you got it.

"Did anything happen to you while I was asleep?" You asked.

"Nothing, I even got wrapped up again ready to die. But then... nothing happened. Usually Larry closes me up after I mummify because... you know, claustrophobia. But I just didn't, it's been almost an hour and I'm still not a mummy" Ahk explained.

"You didn't notice anything last night, nothing at all?" Larry asked.

"I mean... I had a dream, I think. There was music but that's all" you replied.

They didn't help much, even if it did seem very convenient. There were still no answers in a strange music dream thing.

"I have no idea what to do, if you're alive then... where are you meant to hide? I mean the museum opens in a few hours. We can close the sarcophagus and just present you're there, it's not like guests are reaching in and opening it to see the mummy. But what are we going to do with you?" Larry asked.

"I mean... he can come with me. If the tablet allows it, since you know... leaving the museum without it usually means freezing and dying back into whatever you stated as" You suggested.

"We can't exactly take the tablet with us, people will absolutely know it's gone" Ahk added.

"Let's... test. See how far you can step outside the museum first"

It was really all you had going for you. Clearly something was up with the tablet, triggered by you. So you needed to figure it out before anything bad happened. Down at the side door where no one was around, you stepped outside Ahk following and having to shield his eyes from the rising sun. He hadn't seen in in years and it was a lot brighter then he remembered.

"Last time we were able to go wherever, because we had the tablet with us. And Jed and Octavius strayed away with the RC car all the way down to the park. So that's pretty far" Larry explained.

"If the tablet is up on the second story... I'd say if he can make it past the end of the street then it's safe to say he can wander as far as he likes" you estimated.

Taking the alleyways to not be spotted in the slightly suspicious pharaoh gear, you and Larry followed Ahk closely in case something happened, but the father get got from the tablet, nothing happened.

"I feel fine... not dying or anything" he muttered.

"This is so weird, whatever happened clearly your presence has some kind of effect on him. Maybe it's you keeping him alive with the power of the tablet?" Larry suggested.

Glancing down at your hand and the symbol on it, you couldn't help but feel that he was onto something.

"Maybe... well if he's fine being away from the tablet then I can hide him at my place. I just rode my bike here though so... give us a ride?" You asked Larry.

"Sure, let's figure something out. We can discuss all the possibilities and details with the others tonight" he replied.

With only an hour left until the museum opened, you wrapped Ahk up in a coat to cover his ancient clothes, fed the museum cat some breakfast and gave him some see you later pets. You also took a photo of the tablet to study just in case, and organised what time to be back later that night. If anything happened, Larry would be a call away and drop everything to help.

Ahk had seen cars before, but never been in one. So he was a little apprehensive about it, since it went so fast and car crashes were a thing that happened. Turns out all he had to be worried about was motion sickness, which you half expected for his first time in a car. The whole ride back to your apartment he had his head down in his hands trying not to throw up.

Poor Pharaoh, not used to modern day.

He was glad to get out, and be on still ground again. You took your bike off the back of Larry's car and thanked him for the ride, promising to call if something happened. And then you dragged the slightly woozy pharaoh up the stairs and into your apartment.

"I have nausea medicine, although I'm not sure how medicine works on a dead guy that's alive because of magic..." you offered, letting him in.

"It's worth a shot. Rah I hate cars..." he muttered, leaning on the wall.

"Hang on, let me get some" you replied.

As you dug around the medicine cabinet, he looked around your apartment. He'd never seen the inside of one before. It wasn't big, but definitely not tiny. You had a TV and couch, some bookshelves, a desk covered in half finished art work and a rack of art supplies, a kitchenette that was a bit of a a mess with paint pallets you'd been meaning to clean and the walls were decorated with both your art and posters of your favourite shows and bands.

"Here, try this" you said, handing him a pill and glass of water.

He looked at it confused, back in his day medication was mainly plants and syrups.

"Swallow it whole with the water" you explained.

"Ah... right"

He had a lot to learn. He may know a lot of stuff from books and Larry, but experiencing it was completely different from knowing it. It took him a few tries to get it down without the fear of choking on it, but he managed.

"I'm not sure if it'll work, since you kinda don't have a stomach. But I mean if you can eat then the tablet must do something about that" you said.

He didn't know a lot about the tablet, but he always wondered how he was able to eat, breathe and have other bodily functions without the organs for it. They were off in jars somewhere.

"Alright... I suppose we have a whole day to kill until we can go back to the museum and talk to the others. Let's... you know what. How about you just look around and ask as many questions as you like. Bet this is all pretty new for you" you suggested.

"I haven't seen the sun in 54 years. It's definitely new for me" he replied.

You wondered how this day would go, you hoped it was well.