Statues of Time

Chapter 3

This one was a bit more rushed than my other chapters 🤷‍♀️

A day had passed since Fred had fallen into the cement pit. After a few hours I let him out of the cement pit and let the cement dry around him. He looked like a half done statue of a man, I left him in my attic to dry as I went to walk around town to try to pass the time since Fred was going to be my chance at winning that competition.

As I was walking around town that's when I saw her again. Nora.

I felt so relieved but at the same time scared. What if it isn't her and I'm just seeing things. But she turned around and it was her, oh wow She looked so...

"Edith it's so good to see you again" She told me being right in front of me

"You weren't at school yesterday, why? They told me you had moved schools"I asked

"What? I just had a family emergency, who told you- did Charlie tell you that? Oh that kid."she said expressing how she didn't like Charlie, whoever that kid was

"Oh, well I'm so glad to see you again" I said "me too" She said in return whole heartedly

The way she smiles while talking, her soft voice, it was like all my hatred for this world's standards for just existing has vanished, she alone made me feel like I was the girl I was meant to be.

She then went ahead and asked me directly.

"Don't you have classes today?" "No, I don't our school issued a 3-day break before our competition"

Her interests immediately perked up the moment I had mentioned my competition "a competition? for sculpting? Are you participating?"

I had been bombarded with small questions, but the way she had delivered them gave me peace, my entire time in this town this may be, by far the most I've held a conversation with someone let alone someone who must be very naive for her age.

"Yes I am."

After a while we had been walking aimlessly around the town till we reached a grassy hill that was facing the bridge and the horizon. We had run away from people who chased after us and I ended up leading or should I say dragging her here. She looked in awe at the scenery, I wouldn't blame her much. It was currently mid-day nearing sunset and we managed to just reach the sun go down.

"You've been here before? "She asked not to keep her eyes off the horizon, the colors complementing her entire being.

"Yes. I have. "I answered admiring her

She never spoke, she just stood there, I was afraid I had scared her but she just looked back at me and smiled. That smile was what I had waited for, to see her look at me just as she is now. I never want to ruin this for her.

After sometime I walked her back to her house, and after parting ways I walked back to my flat in which I had to get back to work if I wanted to win that competition. I know if she saw me right now- no. I won't let her or anything get in the way of me doing this.

I had walked into my flat and changed clothes before climbing into the attic to see that the cement had fully dried now, good. I started gathering my tools and started carving. I had changed his facial structure to make sure it wasn't too conspicuous. I had spent hours on end working on this statue to perfection making sure that I wouldn't miss a single detail, all this hard work just to win some competition for the minority. As petty as it is, it's just how this world works. From the moment we are born we are immediately ranked by either strength, beauty, or skill alone.

The strongest of the weak. The weakest of the strong. And then there was the strongest overall. Power. Oppression. Blinded by their sole role in this world. Just to trample over those who have none. I wish to see them be humbled by their own actions. But in this world, you either get somewhere and stay or get nowhere at all.

Torn by the choice of succumbing to my sins or to continue my role in this world to make people realize that they are being trampled on by the strong.

I had taken a break after almost finishing my piece. I went ahead and admired my work, his face of desperation to be free and yet he willingly gave up on his own. Wanting to live and wanting to let go, he made his choice and here I am flaunting his being as if my own.

I sighed and had covered up my work again, as I was walking back down to my flat I had heard a subtle knock. I was surely anxious to see who it was considering I have evidence of someone being in my attic. I was contemplating whether to ask or to just open it.

I just went ahead and asked "Who's there?"

"It's me" It was Mr. Cooper, I immediately got my cap and tucked in my hair to make me seem like a boy again.

I opened the door just enough so that he couldn't see my entire flat, he just explained that the institution felt horrible for excluding me out of the competition so they chose me as one of the spectators of the event. It made my blood boil a bit, I didn't want his nor the school's pity so I just accepted and dismissed the matter immediately seeing as how late it was.

I waited till I saw him leave from my bedside window. As soon as I saw that he was out of sight, I immediately removed my cap and relaxed. I had just finished cleaning up my flat for the night so I can just rest and take it easy.

I was about to succumb to sleep, but immediately the moment I was falling asleep there were voices just outside my flat, a bunch of people talking with each other about...something.

"She lives here?...ye-" that was all I had managed to hear before managing to fall asleep.

(I might be another while before I release another chapter but who knows, Im busy with school and sports so yeah it might be another while)