[ demon verse 001? ]: they made a statue of us and put it on a mountain top
Arthur, by the time he was seventeen, had been in Wales for a good portion of his life. It was a near daily habit for him to find the stone path that led to "demon statue" in the woods and sit at its feet, back leaning against the legs, reading, doing homework or sometimes just thinking out loud while the sounds of the forest continued around him.
It was something he had started doing at the young age of six and had continued through his father's disappearance, his mother's death, and coming Sylvia's tutelage (along with her more or less adopting him).
He would even come when it was raining and make sure that no one else had found the statue and possibly vandalized it (not really willing to believe the "tales" Sylvia had told him about it had been an actual demon sealed away in stone form several centuries ago).
Both Sylvia and his mother, Allison, had scolded him many times for being around the statue -- although the one time his father had caught him there (still six and going on seven), he had actually put Arthur on his shoulders to get a better look at the face that was far above his own height at that age.
Arthur had never been able to explain what it was but, while he had felt wary of the statue at first, once he got over that, he found he was almost drawn to it (whether by curiosity or some how taking comfort in its presence in the otherwise intimidating forest).
And today, having just finished breakfast and about to make the trek to the main road to where Sylvia was waiting with the car to take him to school, Arthur was brushing leaves off of the stone form, making comments on how he was becoming a better cook than Sylvia and he still managed to burn the pancakes.
At least until the older woman's shrill voice could be heard from where she was yelling, "Arthur! Get your ass away from that statue and into this car or I will give you so many extra chores when you get home you won't be able to see straight!"
The young man made a face, wincing slightly, mumbling as he turned and walked away, "Jesus Christ - she makes me wish I had stone ears." And, as he did almost every time he left, he would give the statue one final look over his shoulder before he continued on his way.
It was something he had started doing at the young age of six and had continued through his father's disappearance, his mother's death, and coming Sylvia's tutelage (along with her more or less adopting him).
He would even come when it was raining and make sure that no one else had found the statue and possibly vandalized it (not really willing to believe the "tales" Sylvia had told him about it had been an actual demon sealed away in stone form several centuries ago).
Both Sylvia and his mother, Allison, had scolded him many times for being around the statue -- although the one time his father had caught him there (still six and going on seven), he had actually put Arthur on his shoulders to get a better look at the face that was far above his own height at that age.
Arthur had never been able to explain what it was but, while he had felt wary of the statue at first, once he got over that, he found he was almost drawn to it (whether by curiosity or some how taking comfort in its presence in the otherwise intimidating forest).
And today, having just finished breakfast and about to make the trek to the main road to where Sylvia was waiting with the car to take him to school, Arthur was brushing leaves off of the stone form, making comments on how he was becoming a better cook than Sylvia and he still managed to burn the pancakes.
At least until the older woman's shrill voice could be heard from where she was yelling, "Arthur! Get your ass away from that statue and into this car or I will give you so many extra chores when you get home you won't be able to see straight!"
The young man made a face, wincing slightly, mumbling as he turned and walked away, "Jesus Christ - she makes me wish I had stone ears." And, as he did almost every time he left, he would give the statue one final look over his shoulder before he continued on his way.