Lady in Stone

three.

ATLAS NOBLE

     It was a miracle we got home. Jake kept getting lost and going around in circles, and Steven was panicking and trying not to tear up. Although he would never tell you that part. But we are alive.

I had to sneak into my bedroom through the window, knocking down some of the things on my desk. I cursed under my breath hoping my mom or my sister Morgan didn't hear the commotion. I checked the clock on my phone, and it was past two a.m. Olivia had called and texted me. I was so exhausted that I just flopped on the bed and went to sleep. It would be better to just text her at a more reasonable time.

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There was a loud crash that woke me up. I looked around my dark room, but I didn't see anyone. Was there an intruder downstairs? I quietly got off my bed and tip-toed to the door. I opened it and went downstairs to the landing. There was no sign of forced entry, and the windows and the front door were still intact. My dog, Muffin, was sound asleep by the back door leading to the backyard.

Was I just dreaming that there was a sound?

I walked back upstairs a little paranoid. I wasn't dreaming! There had to have been someone inside this house who had made that sound. I could hear my mom snoring as I passed her bedroom. 

I opened the door to my room to find a girl sitting on my bed. She was staring at me. "Hello." She said. I screamed but she put her finger to her lips, shushing me.

"Who are you?! And why are you in my room?" I whisper-yelled at her. She did look familiar, oddly enough. But I have never seen a person who looked like her. She had the longest blonde hair I'd ever seen and the most gorgeous blue eyes. She wore the prettiest pale white dress that looked like a waterfall flowing down. Wait a minute-

"My name is Adelia Rose, and you've awoken me." She said. She pushed a strand of hair over her shoulder. She seemed unbothered like she didn't care that she was breaking and entering.

"Are you the statue from the stage?" I asked her. It sounded dumb just saying it out loud, but she looked just like it. Maybe she was part of the cult and wanted to kill him for finding out about their secret meeting place.

"Yeah, want another kiss?" She said teasingly, puckering up her lips.

"How did you even- Uh, how are you walking?" I asked. Was that place cursed? I was freaking out. I couldn't help thinking of multiple scenarios for what was going to happen, most of them ended with me dead.

"I was once human. I got cursed by the moon god." She said. She laid down on the bed, putting her hand behind her head.

"You sound crazy right now," I said. My phone beeped on my nightstand, Adelia picked it up and looked through my texts. 

What is going on? 

"Get off my phone and give me a better explanation." I practically demanded. I was so exhausted that my mind could very well be playing tricks on me.

"Your girlfriend is so possessive. She's messaged you about a billion times." She said. She threw me the phone and I caught it before it hit the ground. Her hair was falling off the bed, and I pulled it hard.

"Ow! What is your problem?" She yelped. She tried to grab her hair from my hands, but I pulled it harder.

"Give me less vague answers," I said, letting go of her hair.

"Fine, fine. So I was human a long, long time ago. I was kinda dating this moon god. I kissed this guy one night and the moon god cursed me to live as a statue forever until someone kissed me." She said. A breeze wafted into my room from the open window. She shivered and I could hear her teeth chatter. I closed the window, so this is where she must have gotten in.

"So, now you just back to life or something?" I asked her. She nodded.

"Pretty much. But I have to get someone to fall in love with me to break the curse." She said making a face like she was scared of how I would react.

"Ok. But why are you here?" I asked. 

Why were things getting more diluted and crazy?

My phone beeped again. I couldn't focus on anything. My mind was blaring like a million alarm bells were going off and I couldn't think straight.

"If I don't get someone to fall in love with me when the summer ends, then we are gone." She said. The color drained from my face.

I felt like I was going to puke or pass out. Or both at the same time.