Turned To Stone

Chapter 25 - Evan

"I-I'm human?"

It seemed almost too good to be true. He remembered a huge flash of light, and being knocked backwards. Then he was slowly waking up and his head hurt like he'd been hit in the back of the head with a rock and everything was confusing and he felt different and he didn't know what was going on and Zoe was staring oh no why was she staring was he broken or something what was happening and now- "wait Connor!"

Zoe nodded, chewing her lip. "I don't know how, but you are!" She dug in her pocket to get her phone out. "Hold on, I'll show you."

She turned her phone around, the camera on, and Evan stared.

"I'm b-blond?"

Zoe laughed a little. "Yeah!" She shook her head, looking over his face. "You're really cute. I don't know how this happened, but... congratulations?"

Evan smiled a little, then suddenly he realized something and sat up sharply. "Connor!"

"What about him?" Zoe asked, frowning.

"He-he- I'm the reason-he- he's upset."

She looked confused. "Why would he be upset?"

Evan wrung his t-shirt in his fingers, then froze and looked down. It felt so different now. He couldn't decide if it was a good different or a bad different though because it was definitely different and he didn't love change but this should be a good thing right? He was a human now, he wasn't a freak anymore- and that was why Connor was upset, that was why he ran. Evan wasn't like him anymore, Evan couldn't be his friend without getting hurt-

"Ev? Evan. Hey, can you hear me? Look at me."

Evan turned to look at Zoe, horrified. "Connor-"

She shook her head. "He's gone, Evan."

Evan swallowed nervously, then began to sign. It was easier and he needed to get this out because it was so important.

'He ran because me being human means he's locked out of society again. I'm not immune to his stare anymore.'

Zoe sighed, shoving her hair back. "You're right... but what are we supposed to do?"

'Go after him!'

"Evan, if Connor doesn't want to be seen he won't be seen. He's run away before, we never find him until he decides he wants to come back... honestly I'm not sure why he used to come back, but something tells me he's not going to be coming back this time."

'We can't just leave him out there! He's just a high schooler like us!' Evan was horrified. Zoe was treating this so casually, even with how many issues she and Connor had previously, they had been getting better in the past day or so.

"He's a high schooler whose stare literally paralyzes people and turns them to stone." Zoe got up, offering Evan a hand. He was surprised at how easily she pulled him to his feet, but he wasn't a rock anymore so it would make sense that he was lighter. 

"Evan, I know you like Connor, I know he's your friend, but... he's gone and he's not going to want us to find him so it's really just best if we leave it."

Evan pulled his hand away from hers, frowning.

'He doesn't deserve that.'

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~~Epilogue~~

~20 Years Later~

"Doctor Hansen, you've been on so many shows and done so many interviews, but you've never told anyone the real reason for your devotion to this field." The interviewer smiled winningly, leaning in farther and watching Evan. "Would you be willing to tell us why you're so interested in the field of Gorgon Petrification?"

Evan took a deep breath and began to sign. The interpreter sat up and got to work.

'The situation that I grew up with was very unique... I was not born human, my mother was an accomplished witch and she managed to create the first case of a fully living stone creature. I was a gargoyle, and grew up very apart from others because of it.'

he hated recounting his personal experiences on live TV, but it was important to explain this backstory. He'd dedicated years to getting a PhD in mythology, specifically gorgons. It was very hard to get a PhD in that when there was so little information, but Evan had pioneered quite a bit of research.

'My senior year I changed schools and met a boy who changed my life. The only gorgon I've ever met in person. He was as shunned as I was, actually moreso, and I think I was his first friend since his abilities had begun to work.

'I was his friend, when no one else was. Then there was an incident, and the outcome was me becoming human. We're still not sure how it happened, mixing magic and science can be very complicated and Connor never told me what he had done.

'He disappeared, and I haven't seen him since. I believe he may have thought that his chance for friendship was gone, I don't know. I've made my life mission to find him and to prove that wrong, with the modified petrification remedies I've created.'

The interviewer nodded, obviously not getting it. The world still hated gorgons, no matter how much Evan advocated for their treatment to be better. He sighed and braced himself for more questions and misunderstandings.

Connor deserved to be remembered as a person, not a monster. And Evan was going to make sure that happened, no matter what.