Life in Paintings

Chapter 32 - Pygmalion and Galatea

Chapter 32 – Pygmalion and Galatea

I open my eyes in the middle of a room with high ceilings, surrounded with cabinets with sculptures on them.

If I close my eyes I can still kind of feel the warmth of the wine I was drinking with Tanya earlier. I hope she'll be okay when she sees I'm gone. I hope she won't think she's going crazy. If anyone is crazy here, it's me.

I stop thinking about before, and focus on the now.

I'm not alone in this painting. A man is standing in front of the statue of a woman. He sounds like he's crying and mumbling something.

I should probably hide in a corner and not disturb him. So of course, I walk closer.

"You're just so perfect, no one is ever going to be as perfect as you. I'll never love, because no one will ever be you," he's mumbling to his statue, hugging it.

I'm about to say something like yo dude, chill, when a cherub looking creature floating on a cloud and looking slightly transparent appears. It has a bow and an arrow and shoots the arrow at the statue.

Something even weirder happens then. Her head starts to have color. She's turning into skin and not marble. Slowly, slowly, she's not a rigid block of rock anymore, and she moves herself, in the man embrace, her arm going around him.

They kiss.

"Galatea, my perfect creation," he says, looking at her with adoration and kisses her again, while the transformation has reached her legs now.

Whoa, what? Did that statue really just come to life because the dude cried enough? I think that might be a Greek story. I cannot for the life of me remember their names though. Isn't My Fair Lady based on something like that? Molding your perfect little wife.

They're still kissing and I have a lot of questions and opinions, so I clear my throat.

That effectively stops the kissing and the man glares at me.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm just here to ease her passing into a human. Think of me as a guide."

"We don't need any help, thank you. I can take care of her. She just needs me."

In another life, in another dream, I might have found this moment sweet. But I've seen too much messed up shit to just let things be.

"Yeah, dude, she's naked, so your freak ass is going to go find her some clothes, okay? Before I turn her back to a statue." I don't have that kind of power, but I'm assuming that's the only thing that will get him moving.

I'm right. He complies, rushing to find her something to wear.

I turn to look at the woman. I mean, she is beautiful, so I can sort of get why he liked her, but, this is just very strange, even for me.

"Hey? Are you okay? Can you speak?" I ask softly, trying not to spook her.

She's looking around, her eyes a little lost. Makes sense. She's got to be confused. It's like she was just born.

I haven't heard her say anything yet. Maybe she doesn't even know how to speak. Maybe she's like a baby right now.

She moves her mouth, like she's trying to stretch it and she lets out little sounds, before she mutters a small "yes, I can speak."

"Are you okay? Let's get out of her before he comes back," I got to grab her hand to help her out. I don't know how legs mobility either. She was a statue. I have no idea how she works.

She gently takes her arm out of my hand. "I have to stay here."

I frown. "Wait, do you want this?"

"How could I refuse him? He's given me life. He's given me everything. I wouldn't exist without him. I cannot refuse him."

Okay, so she knows him at least, she is aware of what happened. I guess that's... good?

I shake my head. This shouldn't be about him. "That's not what I asked. I asked you if you wanted this, not if you felt like you were obligated to accept him."

She looks a little distressed now. "He loves me so much... His love brought me to life. It's only fair to him to love him back."

"Do you even know what love is? You weren't alive five minutes ago."

She smiles. "I'll learn. He'll show me."

"I feel like I should think this is cute and okay, but it really isn't. I don't think I should leave you alone with a guy that obsessed so much about you that he made you come to life. It's not... healthy."

But then I think about Gustave painting himself over and over again to see me again. Is the situation similar? Am I wrong?

I think what slightly freaks me is the fact that he created her, so to me he's more a father than a lover. I think this is what I'm having an issue with.

Or maybe I'm just trying to pick a fight.

The man comes back now, with a pile of clothes in his head. "Galatea, my love, oh you're still here, I was so worried."

I go to stand in-between them, before he can touch her or come any closer.

"I don't think she should be staying with you. She should have her own place so she can figure who she is and what she actually wants, not what you want."

He throws the clothes on the ground, looking furious. "You want to send her off alone? So someone can take her from me? No one is taking her away from me. Ever"

He grabs a bust and starts swinging it my way. "Get away, witch, leave us alone."

Not the first time I'm called a witch and not the first time someone's swinging a weapon at me either.

I think I'm becoming a little too complacent about my life in danger.

If this curse ever stops, I'll probably need time to understand that I should not place myself in dangerous situations, and that I won't just come back fine if I'm injured.

But for now, there are no consequences, and this idiot is swinging a marble bust at me. So if I can do as much damage, I'll try.

I rush to go grab something that'll do a little damage too, so I can hit him, but before I even have time to reach the cabinets, the girl-statue pushes me hard and I hit my head hard against the corner of a cabinet, losing consciousness.

I guess she made her choice.