The+Statue

=__The Statue __=

//﻿Standing alone beside the highway. // //Listening, learning, waiting until the next time. // //I have no place to go and no way to move. I stand still in a body not mine, but given to me by someone else. // //An evil someone. // //Years ago. // //The memory still fresh in my mind. // //The experiment. // //The flash. // //The pain. // //Then this. // //The unknown. // //The forgotten. //

She started coming when school had begun. Every day. Her checkered bag slung on her back. Books overflowing. She would sit on the carved bench beside me. Her tanned hand sliding gracefully over the white paper, creating beautiful images of nature, trees and peace. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I had a brilliant view from where I stood. Looking over her shoulder. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">She was unaware of me. Of my longing to say something. To compliment her art. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">A week in and she started bringing food. Brilliant food. Muffins with chocolate icing slowly melting in the hot sun. Fruit flavoured ice-creams in waffle cones. My mouth wanted to water as I breathed in the smell, but I was unable. My mouth stayed dry.

<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">One hot summer's day she walked towards the bench. Her shoes making footprints in the soft grass. Her golden hair blowing in the wind. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Her face was grim though. There was no sign of her usual, playful self. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I looked at her while she approached, wondering where her smile had gone. I scanned the area around her. And then I knew. Bullies. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I saw them crouching in the trees. Cruel smiles playing on their ugly faces. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">She stopped. They had formed a circle around her. Trapping her. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I felt the leader of the gang coming out from behind me. He leaned on my frozen arm. I longed to shake him off. But I couldn't. I was still as always. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">He started talking, taunting her while the others threw down her schoolbag. Her books scattered around the clearing. I was angry. I felt the anger boiling up inside me until I felt I could explode. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I watched their foul play with invisible eyes. Disgusted at their games. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">//Leave her alone//, I thought. //Leave her alone//. As if that would help. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I thought and wished while still more hatred bubbled against my insides desperate to get out. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">"Leave her alone!" I froze in shock. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">The bullies turned towards me. "Who said that", the leader croaked. A smirk on his face. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">"I did" My voice sounded raspy but yet somehow it had force behind it. Force that I didn't understand. In a sudden everything changed. I lunged towards the group, finally leaving my concrete platform but didn't become aware of it until later. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">All I needed was to chase them. Far away. So that they would never come back. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">The bullies ran. Their faces filled with fear. But that was not enough for me. They had to suffer like they had made everyone else suffer. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I leaped after them, my concrete legs stiff and sore. I couldn't find them. They had gone. But I knew they were still there. Hiding among the trees. Holding their breath. Scared. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">"And don't you dare bully anyone ever again", I yelled. My voice echoing. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I heard a whimper. Satisfied I felt the anger slowly leave me. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Suddenly I knew. I had to get back to my platform. I had to get back to the clearing. I didn't want to freeze here in the middle of the forest. <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I ran, my grey chest heaving. I got to the clearing. It was empty. As the last bit of anger left me, I jumped on to my platform. And then I was still. As fast as it had started, it had finished. I was left with only my thoughts and that tiny shred of possibility.

//<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Standing alone beside the highway. // //<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Listening, learning, waiting. // //<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I have no place to go and no way to move. // //<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">I stand alone, // //<span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">A statue. //


 * <span style="font-family: 'Lucida Sans Unicode','Lucida Grande',sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">By Carmen **