Undone

 The day was electric, the sound of living hummed through the thick city air. Cars whizzed past the busy sidewalk. Inside it was calm. The museum was silent aside from the occasional tour guide. They spewed facts to eager people who hung onto their every word. Everything seemed so still yet so full of life, especially the girl made of stone.

Her hair flowed into her long Greek dress as seamless as the ocean. Her face tilted upwards as if she was looking at the clouds through the skylight above her. The sunlight shimmered off of her body as if she was made of diamonds. She was created in ancient times, but the artist's name had been long lost through the centuries.

As the evening grew closer more and more people retired to the streets. After all the taxis had been hailed and the valets had no more cars to deliver, the museum closed and the doors locked. That's when everything changed. The museum was dark except for the forbidden moonlight streaming in from the bare glass. When the full moon reached its peak at midnight, she started to come undone.

First it was her hair that started to blow from the fan beside her perch. Before long her whole body had turned from stone to flesh. Finally, she was able to open her eyes. As she took in her surroundings she realized that she did not know where she was, or who she was. She lowered her bare foot and stepped off her pedestal for the first time. The ground was cold beneath her feet and she shivered. All these new sensations filled her, but did not scare her. Her curiosity was far too strong for fear. She tiptoed through the museum, making her way to the front doors. She tried to open them, but they were locked. After fiddling with the locks for a few minutes, the doors swung open with a slight push.

The streets were empty aside from a few cars. The lights swarmed her eyes and she felt as though she could not breathe. As she wandered and wandered from one place to the next, her feet started to hurt, and she felt a sensation that made her body heavy. That's when she saw her first person. He was male, about a full foot taller than her, with the greenest eyes she could have ever imagined. The heaviness replaced itself with curiosity, along with a feeling that made her chest tickle.

She followed him for quite some time until he disappeared inside a building. Before she got to the door though, the heaviness feeling overwhelmed her and she collapsed. Her new world began to conflate and for the first time, she didn't like this new sensation. She wondered if leaving the museum was a mistake.

She woke surprised as she saw many people standing over her. She was not outside anymore; instead the cold jagged steps that she collapsed on were replaced with something soft. The warm glow of the room lit up the faces of the six people around her, and she found herself staring into the same pair of green eyes.

"Don't try to stand up dear; you banged your head quite hard. My name is Meredith but everyone here calls me Aunt M" said an older woman of about sixty. Her grey hair swarmed around her face and her face sagged with age and concern. She had deep smile lines from years of living. Whispers were exchanged by the girls at the back of the room, all looked to be teenagers.

Then the green eyed boy said in a mellifluous voice, "You're at Aunt Meredith's Home for Girls. My name is Hunter, I'm a volunteer here." His voice was as smooth as velvet and as deep as thunder. The combination of both made her cheeks pink, "Is there anyone we can call for you?" he added leaning forward.

She looked at him with confusion and stood up too quickly. Her head started to rush and her knees felt like they were made of the soft surface she was lying on. She started to fall, but he steadied her. She could feel his muscles through his brown leather jacket and she inhaled the scent of him. He was like nothing she had ever experienced.

"Easy now, sit back down and we can find you some proper clothes. Then you need to rest " he said looking deep into her eyes which made the both feel vulnerable. After an exchange of anecdoches everyone left the room, leaving her alone again. The clothes brought by Auntie M were nothing like her old ones; a short skirt that only went down to her mid-thigh and a shirt that showed her stomach when she lifted her arms.

The house seemed silent but she decided to leave the room and explore. This place looked nothing like the museum. It was full of bright colors and different smells that were vibrant and alive. She stumbled into a room where the greened eyed boy Hunter was. He was sitting up in bed reading. She needed to see more of this new world. She craved spontaneity and adventure

"Is everything ok? What's going on?" He said when he noticed her in the doorway. She took his hand without a word and guided him out of bed all the way to the door. He looked into her eyes and saw the pleading in her face that, without talking, asked for more. He nodded his head, grabbed his jacket from the closet beside them and opened the door.

She walked out first, inhaling a breath of the city air. He followed her out, took her hand and guided her through the city. They watched street performers and rode a Ferris wheel. As they stopped at a vehicle selling pickles on a stick, she felt a hideous pain in her arm. A stiffness that was so shattering she saw black dots at the corners of her vision. She looked down and saw that part of her forearm had turned back to stone. She was surprised, yet not shocked that this would happen. She knew she could not stay forever; she had already been given the greatest gift anyone could give. It was living, even for a short while.

As the days went on they did more and more exciting things together. They went out every day from dusk until dawn seeing everything the city had to offer. She did not talk, but he did. She learnt all about his life and of all the amazing plans he had for the future. Also of his altschmerz; how he was tired of his flaws and anxieties. He even started to talk about a future for the two of them. Her favorite thing they did together was dancing, the way the music carried her was magical. That is when they shared their first kiss.

As time continued though, her skin turned more and more to stone every time the moonlight hit her. She covered it with clothes quite well, but it was getting more noticeable with her limited movement. She began to walk different, less graceful, and more ragged.

One day she finally decided to plan their day instead. They both toured the streets until she finally spotted the museum. They started at the first floor and made their way to the fifth as it was getting dark. She never knew how many things her old home had within its walls. As the museum became empty, they hid in the storage room where they hid from the night guard that was locking up. It wasn't long after the museum was silent that they stumbled out of the dark closet that smelled of mold and lemon cleaning product.

"Come with me," she said and he looked at her in amazement. She had never uttered a word, but she thought now was the right time. Her voice was melodic, while all to filled wit dread. She took him by the hand and led him to her pedestal. There was tape all around it and a sign saying Artifact Stolen.

"Don't go there, it says do not pass!" he said paranoid that someone would see them, but they both knew that no one was there. As she stood on her perch she started to taking off her clothes stripping down to her underwear. "What are you doing?"

"Trust me," she said willing herself to be strong. He took a few slow breaths but felt as if something caught in his throat. She took the dress she was wearing when she first came to life out of her backpack and put it on. She undid her hair from her bun and let it fall. He looked at her confused, but scared. He knew what was happening, but couldn't believe it. He had seen the statue a thousand times, but never realized the resemblance until now.

"You can't just decide to leave, you haven't even lived!" Tears started to trickle down his face as his heart beat out of his chest. She looked down at him and stroked his face, wiping away the tears.

They shared an opias look and she finally spoke, "I have lived; you gave me a lifetime in a matter of weeks."

"But I love you," he pleaded, his deep voice cracking. She bent down and planted a final kiss on his lips.

"I love you too," she said allowing a tear to finally fall, "Please don't forget me." The light from the moon came directly in line of the skylight and she adjusted into her pose.

As she turned to stone he whispered "Never." Then he cried, dear god he cried, for the girl he longed for; the girl who never existed.

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