Storm and Silence (FANFIC)

05. Back Again?

A month and four days later.

I was walking around Hyde Park for the fiftieth time this month. I'd met up with Patsy, Flora and Eve and apologized for everything, yet I still refused to tell them where I'd been. I couldn't let them know. Not yet.

I decided to head to King's Library, maybe read a book or two.. I'd lost track of the time, but dear ol' Ben told me. The clock rang out six times, so I knew that the library was to close in two hours or so. Perfect. It was enough time to read.

At the library, I found a book on Greek Mythology. I'd read many of these, but this one said that there was much more detail included in it.

As I skimmed through the stories, I came across one that caught my eye. The Story of Pygmalion and Galatea. Interested, I begun reading it.

Pygmalion was a talented Greek sculptor from Cyprus. After becoming disgusted by some local harlots, he lost all interest in women and avoided their company completely.

Hey. That kind of sounds like someone I know...

Pygmalion saw women as flawed creatures and vowed never to waste any moment of his life with them. He dedicated himself to his work and soon created Galatea, a beautiful stature of a woman out of ivory.

Oh right. Pygmalion sounded like me. Except I don't sculpt.

Ironically, the masterpiece of his life was this statue of a woman. Perhaps he sought to correct in marble the flaws he saw in women of flesh and blood.

Whatever the case, Pygmalion worked so long and with such inspiration on the statue of Galatea, that it became more beautiful than any woman that had ever lived or been carved in stone.

As he finished the statue's features, they became exquisitely lovely, and he found himself applying the strokes of hammer and chisel with increasing affection. When his chisel finally stopped ringing, there stood before him a woman of such perfection that Pygmalion, who had professed his disdain of all females, fell deeply in love.

And Galatea also sounds like someone I know too...

He would bring it gifts, caress it, kiss it and talk to it every day. He brought it gifts he thought women would enjoy, such as pretty seashells, beads, songbirds, baubles and flowers.

That isn't peculiar at all. Not in the slightest.

He would dress the statue in fine clothing, and put rings on her fingers, necklaces around her neck and even earrings. However, what irony that he who had scorned women should fall in love with a woman who could never love him in return!

A man falling in love with a statue? That is so absurd and unnatural! How could the statue of a woman that does not move, fall in love with a human? Intrigued though, I continued reading.

Such a passion could not go unnoticed by the goddess of love, Aphrodite. She took pity on the young man and, when Pygmalion went to her temple to sacrifice a bull, Aphrodite gave him a sign. As the offering burned on the temple, the flames shot up one, two, three times.

Pygmalion went home, wondering what to make of the manifestation he had seen. When he entered his studio, however, and saw the statue, all other thoughts were banished from his mind. He ran to his statue and embraced it.

Did she seem warm to his touch, or was it just residual heat form the sunset that had warmed the stone? He kissed her.

Did the statue's lips seem soft? He stood back and regarded her.

Did there appear the glow of life from within the marble form? Was he imagining it?

No. Aphrodite had given life to the statue, whose name was Galatea.

Wait what?! A goddess brought this statue to life? How is that possible?

But this whole thing... hasn't it happened before?

I smacked my forehead, closing the book in the process. Yes! That dream I had... A month ago! My oh my, how could I have forgotten?

That dream.. Mr. Ambrose had taken me away from a ball, whilst it was in session, told me that I had to do something important for him. We... What happened afterwards...? Ah yes! We had found ourselves in a lone island, he gave me a paper to read off of... And then...?

"He turned into a statue!" I cried, forgetting that I was in a library.

"Shhh." A man said, giving me a rude look.

"I apologize." I replied, lowering my voice.

Mr. Ambrose had been a statue! In my dreams!? Where was he now? He had left hadn't he? Gone away, and told me to not come back to the Empire House... How long has it been?

A month and four days, you dense sack of potatoes! The little voice in my head said.

I put the book back on the shelf and left the library, when I realized... Mr. Ambrose probably came back yesterday, and expected me to show up! What did this mean..?

It means you're going to have to go back home, change, and then make your way to the Empire House and apologise!

Well if that's the case, I might as well go now. And so I ran from the library all the way to my home, and dashed through the garden into the shed. I changed into Uncle Bufford's Sunday best, and ran through the garden again. I called a cab, and told the cabbie the address of where I needed to go. He was taken by surprise, yet did not wait around.

By the time we reached the Empire House, Great Paul rang out seven times. Am I late? Probably, yes. I thought, paying the cabbie. I fixed myself before entering the building.

The sun was setting, its orange red rays hitting everything in sight. The floor, walls, and some stragglers of the Empire House were bathed in that light, me in the midst. Nobody paid me much attention as I made my way to the top floor. I half ran up the stairs, half walked. When I reached the top floor, I felt like the first the day when I came here so long ago.

"Mr. Stone!" I gasped out, hands on my knees.

"Oh. Hello Mr. Linton. How do you do?" he asked, looking up at me.

"Well thank you." I finally caught my breath and stood up. "Has Mr. Ambrose come yet? From his... Er trip?"

"Um yes, I think he has."

"Okay, I thank you, Mr. Stone." I said bowing a bit.

"No problem.." I made my way to my office and unlocked the door with my keys. Thank goodness I still had them! I opened the door quietly yet the door betrayed me by creaking loudly. I cringed when it did. I slipped inside and slowly closed the door, wincing at every creak. When I finally shut the door, I let out a sigh of relief, closing my eyes and sliding against the door.

Plink!

My eyes shot open, and looked over at the table where the message lay. I stood up and walked over to the table. I gingerly picked up the message and unrolled it. Only two words were written.

Office. Now.

That's it. No signature, no Mr. Linton, none of that. Just two, simple words. I swallowed and put down the message. I made my way to his door amd took a deep breath before opening it. Here we go. Into the tiger's den. And what could possibly be available for supper?

A Lilly Linton souffle. How delectable.

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Oooooooh Lilly's gonna be in trooooouuuubbbbbbblllleeeeeee xD Wattpad you asshat, you deleted what I wrote!!!!!!! >:(

Anyways I hope you liked this chapter!!!!!!!!! :D

Please comment! Next chapter coming out today!

See you later!