Delusion (Revised and Original)

Delusion (Revised- 7/21/2020)

The red carpeted hall of a museum was lined with fine statues sculpted in modern clothes. Each one was beautiful and alluring, able to capture the attention of anyone walking through. Some people would walk through the hall while others would stop to appreciate a figure’s uniqueness. 

At one end of the hall stood a woman admiring the statue of a man that posed gallantly on its pedestal. Its body was chiseled from the finest marble and its physique was perfect. The woman looked up at the statue and was intrigued by its presence. Despite the stone facade and distant eyes, there was a sort of softness to the statue. 

As her eyes continued to focus on the stone figure, her body began to move on its own, pulling her towards him. She had forgotten about the world around her as others watched in horror as she stepped up on the pedestal and with both hands, pulled herself up using the figure’s clothing. With each grab, the sculpted clothing began to feel more and more like fabric. 

When she finally managed to stand next to the figure, she pressed herself against its body in order to keep from falling. She tilted her head back to see his face better which forced her body back slightly. To keep from losing her balance, she clung to him. A group had formed around the two and were murmuring to each other. 

Driven by a sort of curiosity, the woman cautiously let go of the figure with one hand and reached for his chin. She had been drawn to his jawline the whole time. When her hand touched his face, he felt warm. She ran her fingers along his jawline towards his ear, finally sliding the palm of her hand around the back of his neck. She could feel his hair along the nape of his neck. She wanted to know more. 

She shifted her weight and with her other hand let go of him and knocked against his chest to see if he was hollow, but his chest was firm. Slightly taken aback, she just stood there. Though he had seemed so real, she never thought the man could be alive. The woman just continued to stand there with one hand behind his neck and the other flat against his chest. She was unsure of what to do. 

As the seconds passed, she could feel him breathing. She placed her ear against the man's chest and heard the subtle thumbing of a beat. At first, it was rhythmic and enticing, but it soon became erratic. The man flinched.

She unwittingly let go and fell backwards, hitting the ground. No one had attempted to catch her, including the man on the pedestal. She laid there in pain waiting for the air to return to her lungs. When she finally looked up, the man was gone. 

Disenchanted by her own hidden desires, she sighed and laid back on the floor. The people had dispersed, disgusted by her actions. Her mind wandered as she stared aimlessly up at the ceiling. The piece of art she had admired and longed for had been more than she asked for. All she had left was the unshakeable feeling of regret.

.............

Delusion (Original- 4/11/2020)

A woman stood before the statue of a man admiring it. The statue posed gallantly on its pedestal. His body was chiseled from the finest marble and his physique was perfect. The woman looked up at him and was intrigued by his presence. Despite the statue's face of stone and distant eyes, there was a sort of softness to it.

As her eyes continued to focus on the man, her body moved on its own, pulling her towards the stone figure. She stepped up on the pedestal and used the statue to pull herself up with both hands. The sculpted clothes somehow felt like cotton. 

As she finally managed to stand next to the statue, she tilted her head back so that she could see his face. Barely balanced, she let go of the statue with one hand and reached out for his chin. Her heart beat frantically in her chest. When the palm of her hand touched his face, it felt warm. She ran her fingers along his jaw line towards his ear. She then placed the palm of her hand around the back of his neck to support herself as she released her other hand. With her free hand, she knocked against his chest to see if he was hollow, but it was solid.

She stood there with one hand around his neck and the other in a fist on his chest. She felt as though she could hear him breathe. She placed her ear against the man's chest and heard the subtle thumbing of a beat. It went from erratic to rhythmic. 

She unwittingly let go and fell backwards, hitting the ground. Her body ached from the pain of the impact. It took a second for the air to return to her lungs. When she had calmed herself from being startled and the fall, she looked up to see the statue gone. It had disappeared.

She sighed and laid back on the floor. She lost sight of the ceiling as she stared blankly up at it. She wasn't sure what had driven her to climb the statue, but she was sure that she regretted it. The piece of art she had admired was gone and its place was empty.