Still as a statue

The cool air washes over Maya’s flushed face as she enters the forest. She walks easily between the trees, her footsteps muffled by the mulch. She doesn’t need a path to know where she’s going. She’s been visiting this ruin since she was a child. The walls have crumbled away in parts but there is enough to offer protection from the world.

At the heart of the ruin, still in perfect condition is a statue. Maya makes a beeline for this statue. The woman is crouched down, with her face buried in her knees, and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs. No one knows who she was or how the statue ended up inside this ruined building, but she always brought comfort to Maya.

Since she was a child, Maya had been transfixed with this little ruined building and shared all her deepest thoughts and secrets with the woman. She imagined stories involving the mystery woman and invented games with her.

Now, she wasn’t sure how she ended up in this place, but she had felt a magnetic pull to be here despite an appointment that she is blowing off. Her anxiety spiked at the thought of the appointment, so maybe it wasn’t a magical pull that brought her here, but instead a way to avoid reality.

She pushes the missed appointment out of her head as she sits down next to the statue. Maya puts her arm around the statue’s shoulder and lets the cool marble sooth her frayed nerves. As her breathing slows to a normal rhythm, the cool marble warms up. Her consciousness slowly returns to her as she realises the marble is hotter than her hand. Maya lifts her head as she feels the marble move. From under her hand, the grey marble recedes. She pulled back and watches transfixed as the black-and-white woman becomes full colour.

Maya stares as the woman’s hair turns from hard, grey to flowing deep chestnut strands. The woman lifts her head further, parting her hair. Piercing blue eyes held Maya in place.

Maya’s breathing hitches as she watches the stone surface recedes further down her shoulders and back. Then, as the marble melts away past her waist, the woman uncurls her back and stretches her neck.

Rooted to the spot, Maya continues watching the woman shedding the stone. Maya looks around the ruined building, hoping to see something that would explain this. She closes her eyes and opens them again; the woman is still there.

She tries to move but can’t get her legs to obey her mind. She thinks about running for help, but what would she say? Please help me; there’s a woman who was encased in stone but is now flesh!

Deep breath! Maya commands herself. She counts to five - IN - and another five - OUT.

Looking back at the woman, Maya sees the scowl ease as she looks around. The woman’s eyes grow wider as she looks up to where the ceiling used to be, to the trees that had replaced it. The woman turns back to Maya and raises her hands in front of her.

Something deep inside Maya releases as she looks on. She holds up her hands also and smiles, in what she hopes is a reassuring gesture.

The woman opens her mouth, but no sound comes out.

“Hi,” Maya says.

The woman cooks her head. Then, clearing her throat, she says, “Hello,” in a low rasp.

* * *

“Annabel, are you listening!”

Annabel dragged her gaze away from the forest outside and fixed her bright blue eyes vaguely in her mother’s direction and forces her lips into a smile.

“Of course.”

“Good. We have a dress fitting today. Then later, Frederick and his parents will be dining with us.”

“Wonderful,” Annabel replied in monotone.

*

Annabel watched another girl having her measurements taken in the dress shop and saw the look of pure delight on her face. Looking back at the mirror, Annabel saw her deadpan expression, the flat line of her thin lips, the dullness of her blue eyes.

“What a lucky man, your fiancé, is,” the dressmaker bustled in, and Annabel’s eyebrows contracted into a scowl.

“The dress is perfect,” her mother crowed.

“Excellent! Shall we discuss the evening wear for the wedding night?” the dressmaker giggled.

Annabel felt her stomach drop, and her breathing quickened. Horror reflected out the mirror as she silently screamed at the thought.

***

“I’m Maya.”

The woman opens her mouth. She clears her throat and tries again. “I’m Annabel.”

“Nice to... uh... meet you. This is weird.”

“Yes, this is indeed strange.”

Annabel steps forward into a beam of sunlight, and Maya sucks in a breath as the white dress sparkles. Annabel looks down.

“Oh.”

Maya doesn’t know much about fashion, but she admires the beauty of the dress. Maya takes in the capped sleeves, the low waist, and the slight flare of the skirt with the tassels. The beads that reflect the sun cover every inch of the dress.

Annabel, following Maya’s gaze, looks down at herself and gathers the skirt in her hands. “My wedding dress.”

“Wow, it’s amazing,” Maya says.

“It was my mother’s choice.”

“Oh. Vintage is nice, though.”

Annabel frowns as she looks back at Maya. “Vintage?”

“Yeah, it’s vintage, isn’t it? I’m no expert, but it looks like it’s from the Twenties,” Maya explains, shrugging.

“Yes, the Twenties, but that makes it modern, not vintage.”

***

In the end, Annabel’s mother chose her delicates for the wedding night. Annabel couldn’t bring herself to offer an opinion on anything that would lead to the wedding night. She had known the details for some time. Her childhood friend, Daphne, had eloped a few years ago when her parents denied the match. They had returned married, and a few months later, she had told Annabel she was expecting a child.

Annabel had heard all the details then, and ever since then, she cringed at the idea of marriage. She had been happy before she had formally come out, enjoying the balls from the fringes or sneaking out of bed to watch. But, even now, she hated the dancing, the men pressed up close, hands clutching at her. If she could have danced with her friends instead, she would have loved balls.

Mutely, Annabel let her mother conclude their business and usher her out of the shop and back home.

Back in her room, Annabel ran to the window seat and pulled the window open. She breathed in the fresh air and calmed herself.

Looking across the forest that bordered the house, she caught sight of the top of the chimney poking through the trees and thought wistfully of the cottage there. She had discovered the cottage with Daphne. It had been this discovery that had led to her eloping. But before Daphne had met Thomas, they had found the abandoned house one day when they’d been out exploring the forest. They had run away from their maids and wanted to see if a witch lived there.

They found no witch, but instead, they found a sanctuary away from their oppressive lives, where they could just exist and enjoy each other’s company.

***

“I mean the nineteen twenties,” Maya clarifies. When Annabel still looks confused, Maya continues, “Like a hundred years ago, not these twenties.”

“A hundr- What?!”

“Um, well, maybe not quite a hundred years ago since we’re only starting the twenty twenties, but close enough.”

“It’s nineteen twenty-seven.”

“The dress? That’s cool.”

“Yes, the dress. But also the year.”

“It’s twenty twenty-one.”

Annabel spins around and heads out of the remaining doorframe.

Maya follows her. She sees Annabel pushing through the branches and weaving through the trees. When Maya catches up, she sees Annabel standing at the forest’s edge, looking towards the town with her hand over her mouth.

“I don’t understand,” she whispers.

***

Annabel endured the days and weeks leading up to the wedding. She had met with Frederick several times. Every time, he had tried to take her hand or stand near her, and every time, she pulled away. Reluctantly she danced with him as expected.

The morning of her wedding day, she had put on her dress and stared at herself in the mirror. She felt the panic rising inside her, and she wanted to claw the dress off, which felt like steel, not silk.

Instead, she pushed away from her maid and dashed down the stairs and out of the house. She felt the material flowing out behind her as she sprinted towards the cottage.

Inside, she threw herself down on the floor and let out the sobs that she’d been holding back for weeks, months - years even. She pulled her knees in close and rested her head in her arms.

With each sob, she asked for an escape. With each inhale, she wished for freedom.

***

“That’s the town,” Maya says gently.

“The town was far away; we had to take the car to get there. The house was there. My house was there,” she said, pointing at the row of terrace houses that edged the forest. Her hand shakes as she lowers it.

“Yes, I remember now, there used to be a mansion here that belonged to some Lord. And it burned down in the thirties during the Great Depression.”

“What?”

“Oh!” Maya realises what she’d said and what Annabel had said. “You said that was your house?”

“Yes. My father was the Lord, and we lived in a house just there. What’s the Great Depression?”

“It was… um… it was when the stock exchange crashed, and everyone lost a lot of money. I heard that the bank had repossessed the house, and rumour has it that he burned it down to spite them, but I think officially it was ruled an accident.”

“It sounds like my father.”

“Your father?”

“Yes. I lived in the mansion. I was Lady Annabel, daughter of Lord and Lady Barlow. I was born in nineteen oh two.”

“I was born in nineteen ninety-two,” Maya responded.

The two girls look at each other, and twin grins spread across their faces. Annabel starts laughing first, and soon they were clutching each other in hysterics. Finally, unable to stand any longer, they collapse into a heap on the ground.

As Maya catches her breath, she gasps, “This is wild!”

***

“Everyone is looking for you, Annabel.”

Annabel looked up from the ground and saw Daphne standing in the doorway. “You found me.”

“Yes, I’m the only person who knows about this place. Your mother sent word for me when you disappeared. It is not that bad being married.”

“I cannot do it Daphne!”

“Please come back. We can still be friends, and we can have babies together, and they’ll be friends.”

“Please leave.”

Annabel dropped to her knees again as she watched her oldest friend leave.

Sometime later, the door opened again.

Thinking that Daphne had returned with her family, Annabel looked up, ready to tell them she wouldn’t go back.

Instead, she saw an older woman standing before.

“Hush child, you’re okay now. I’ve seen you visiting for a while now.”

“You live here?”

“Not exactly. I’ve lived here in the past, and I visit when someone is in need.”

Annabel frowned.

“What do you need?” the old woman asked.

“I-I don’t know.”

“What brought you here? What do you want most in the world?”

“Freedom,” Annabel said, this time not hesitating. “Freedom to be myself.”

“Then that is what you’ll have,” she said and then left.

Annabel stared at the door for a moment hoping that the woman would come back with a solution. But she didn’t. Annabel felt the tears welling up again and clutched her knees as she wept.

She was crying so hard that she didn’t notice the light engulf her. The despair consumed her, and she didn’t feel the marble encasing her body, preserving her for nearly one hundred years.

***

Maya had tried to give Annabel a quick history lesson, but they got stuck in World War II because she couldn’t believe that the world would enter another Great War so soon after the first. So Maya decided to stop the recap there and guided Annabel back to her house for some food.

Maya opens the front door of the middle terrace house that she shared with two others. They were out at work – where Maya should be but had ignored along with her appointment.

Annabel squeaks as she peers around the doorway into the living room. Maya doubles back and sees it from her view: the TV with the various boxes for streaming and gaming, the modem, the laptop on the coffee table, cables were strewn around, and the remote controls everywhere.

Maya gently puts her hand on Annabel’s arm and tugs her up the stairs. Inside Maya’s room, she eases Annabel onto her bed.

“First thing’s first, we need to get you a change of clothes. My clothes won’t be a great fit,” she said, pointing out the height difference, and then at her own stomach, “But it’ll be better than that wedding dress.”

“Thank you,” Annabel whispers, still in a daze.

Maya hands her sweatpants and a t-shirt and, feeling the heat rising, some underwear. “I’ll go get some water and food while you change.”

Maya reaches the door when Annabel says, “Don’t go.”

Turning back, Maya sees Annabel staring down at the clothes with tears welling up. Maya sits down on the bed and hesitates before gently placing her hand on Annabel’s shoulder.

Annabel releases the tension and leans into Maya as the tears roll down. Maya put her arm around Annabel’s shoulder and whisperes, “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”

*

Later that night, Maya and Annabel sit in the living room waiting for Jack and Ava to come home. Jack arrives first and stopps in the doorway.

“Hey Maya, Mark’s staying the night.”

“Cool! Hi Mark. This is Annabel. Annabel, this is Jack and his boyfriend Mark,” Maya says and sees Annabel’s eye expand like dinner plates.

“Nice to meet you, Annabel.” Jack looks back at Maya and his eyebrow raised, and his lips twitch as he gives her a wink.

“How about we order pizza?” Maya offers.

“Sounds good!” Jack calls as they leave the room.

The door opens again, and Ava comes in. “Hi.”

“Hey. This is Annabel. Annabel, this is Ava; they have the third bedroom.”

“Ni-nice to meet you.”

Ava nods in response.

“I’m going to order pizza. Mark’s staying the night. You in?”

“Absolutely. I’ll be back down in ten.”

Maya turns to Annabel who is sitting stock-still, white knuckles prominent as she clutches the sofa cushion.

“Sorry. I should have warned you. I didn’t think about how much of a shock that would be.”

“Ava had… on her face,” Annabel tries to say, gesturing to her mouth and eyebrow.

“Ava uses they and their, and yeah, they have a few piercings.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Ava is non-binary,” Maya says, then realises that that didn’t clarify things for Annabel. “They don’t conform to either gender and refer to themselves using they or their not she and her as I would, for example.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“Things are very different to a hundred years ago; it’ll take time to adjust.”

“And Jack and Mark are…”

“A couple, yes.”

“Yes, we are very much a couple,” Jack says as he pulls Mark through the door and kisses him.

“Ava is on their way down.”

“Did you order pizza?” Ava’s voice calls from the hallway.

“Doing it now,” Maya says, pulling out her phone to order.

Annabel squeaks and pulls her legs up to her body.

“Did you see a spider?” Mark asks.

Annabel shakes her head, still staring at Maya’s phone.

“Oh,” Maya says, quickly finishing the order and tucking her phone away. “I need to tell you guys something.”

“You met someone?” Ava says, grinning.

“Well, yes, I met Annabel here. But it’s not what you think.”

“Oh honey, we weren’t implying anything sexual. We know you’re Ace. But you’ve met someone, which is nice.”

“Not like that either.”

Everyone frowns.

“What’s Ace?” Annabel whispers.

“I’m Ace, Asexual. It means I don’t feel sexual attraction for anyone. Actually, I don’t like sex in general.”

Annabel’s face flushes bright red.

“Chill! Nothing wrong with that. We don’t judge,” Mark says to Annabel.

“Listen, peeps. Before we analyse my dating preferences any further, I need to tell you something.”

“Okay…”

Maya tells her friends about Annabel and everything they had figured out since their first meeting. The pizza arrived during the first ‘Oh my god’, and once Annabel had squeaked again in puzzlement, and Jack showed her how to eat the pizza, she calmed down.

“So you’re from the past?”

“You were a statue?”

“This is so wild!”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know what we’re going to do. We’ll have to figure something out,” Maya replies.

“You’re welcome to stay here for as long as you need,” Ava says.

“Thank you.”

Later that night, as Maya and Annabel lay side-by-side in the queen-sized bed, Annabel says, “Explain as-asexual again?”

Maya holds out her hand to Annabel and explained what the Ace and Aro spectrums are, and the other LGBTQIA+ identities. The more she explains, the broader Annabel’s smile becomes.

“I remember having… feelings… for my friend Daphne. I think that was how I was supposed to feel about the man I was supposed to marry. I didn’t always feel like that for Daphne, but the more time we spent in each other’s company, the more I… felt that. I didn’t understand.”

“It’s okay; you have time now to figure it out.”

Just before falling asleep, Annabel wipes away a tear and sends up a thank you to whatever magic had gotten her here to freedom and acceptance.