Heart of Stone
1873, St Matthews church
prologue, concerning angels
it was once said that the weeping angels were the only creatures in the universe to kill you nicely, but in my many long years and after countless encounters with the angels I've found that whatever they are, 'nice' is not the case. The assassins are lonely and all these centuries alone, not even being able to see each other has left them bitter towards us. The stone has left them cold and the darkness has made made them cruel. They hate us for our ability to love and time has eroded any sense of honour they had once possessed.
Never trust a person who hides they're face; for they, like the angels, should never be trusted. Those who move when you look away are hiding their true motives, they will likely turn on you. They took her from me and no matter how hard I try I've failed to get her back, They took her from me, we had an agreement but they took her.
I've lost her
I've lost her
(found in the records room of St Mathews church in Devon after it was cleared in 1946)
Sunday 21.7.2013,The ruins of St Matthews church
April
I wonder if its like dying; the touch of an angel. When the full power of time itself grabs a hold of your arm and has complete control over you, does it hurt? So much power, so much energy; even now I still don't fully understand how it works, or even what it wants. But if it hurts me, I'll be okay with that. If all it can inflict is pain then I'll be ready. If it burns me of cut's me I'll be fine, I'm used to it, It's a familiar feeling like that of the rain on my body or a tear on my face, I think I can handle feeling death once again. But if it's something new, something I've not yet felt before or if t hurts Ross then I am very afraid.
I came to this place, we came to this place in search of sanctuary; a place to hide from the cold and the dark and the world and it's many people. A church seamed rather fitting. Surely the lord, our eternal farther would take us in, even if our real parents had turned us away and made us walk this long walk. Doesn't the bible say that god loves us all, even the outcasts, the misfits who are lost in the night with no torch or light. So we came to this place, St Matthews, or what's left of it at least. I've heard that this place once had so much wonder in it, A lone church standing solitary on the hilltop, I can almost picture the elegant stonework and truly stunning stained glass. I can see the crisp, clean and bright red carpet as it drew a line between the pews; all perfectly in line and to the chancel where a single statue of an angel could have once stood. Now it's like everything has just faded, a single rouge bomb tore this sanctuary apart during the Blitz and it has been left here for us to claim, unless it has already become the home of another. I stood beside Ross as I took in the fallen beauty of the once proud church.
Ross enters the church ahead of me, he's been doing this longer than me and he knows how to check the stability of a building; and how to spot signs of life. As I watch him prod and poke as the walls in awe of him a memory crawls into my minds eye, this is how he had found me all those months ago. It was my first night alone; no mum or dad and my friends no where to be seen, I was afraid and un-sleeping in an old warehouse when he entered through the front door like he owned the place. I wasn't afraid, well know more than I already was. Even then I felt safe at his presence; like I knew he would protect me and he wouldn't leave me. He took me with him that night and tonight, on this night I'm still here, with him protecting me; he has easily been the best part of what has happened in the last year, despite all the horrors I got to meet Ross.
After a moment he turns to me and smiles, with a single motion he raises and flicks his left hand, a signal for me to follow him.. This is one of the many thing he's taught me, the night makes us invisible but if we wish to stay unnoticed then we must be silent. Slowly, I creep towards him; making sure not to tread on any debris. I take a look at my surroundings, I can still see the art of this place in what remains of the church, The pillars have been delicately moulded to form patterns and spirals and atop one of them stands a lone statue; an angel, hiding her face. At last I make it to Ross and we are united again, he smiles and I can't help but smile back. After a moment I realise I've been staring at him for quite a while. It's his eyes, they shine so bright; enough to fill even this dulled place with colour. When I realise he's looking back I feel a sudden flow of heat on my cheeks which must be bright red. I turn away only to see...
A statue. It stands at the end of the isle like a bride waiting for her groom, she must have waiter a long time. Her wings are chipped at several places and her colour; She's grey, like most statues are but she seams too grey. She lacks any colour, any personality and it doesn't help that I can't see her face, which is covered like the one stood atop the pillar. Exactly like it. I turn my gaze back to the columns, still just as detailed but I see no angel. I look back only to find the statue just a dozen feet away. At first I think it's my eyes playing tricks on me but the angels arms have been lowered and I can see her face, her eyes so dark, a polar opposite to the shine of Ross'.
I look at him and he at me, we don't believe what we see but we both trust each other more than our selves. I begin to move my lips but he nods before I can speak; stay silent. How can he be calm, there's no real emotion on his face like his priority is me, he'll figure out how he feels about this nightmare when I'm safe. He smiles and it reassures me; but only for a second because when I turn again I find the statue of a bride only six feet from us. Her mouth is open and I can see her teeth, they are sharp like daggers and her eyes are filled with venom; this creature, whatever it is, is a weapon. From it's head to it's toes this beast is designed to kill and it's so close to us, so close. 'here comes the bride' all filled with malice and hate and well equipped to kill us. I can see it in her eyes, unforgiving, stone. I wonder if she will kill me, I wonder if it will feel like dying. I stare at this creature and it at me perhaps it will be the last thing I see before the darkness takes me forever.
But the angel only stares at me, It neither moves towards me in attack nor has it ran, in retreat. It doesn't move and for one moment, just one tiny moment I think I am safe, that the angel can't harm me . Then I blink.
Ross
I know what you are. I have been out with the stars for so long now, I've heard many stories. Before I met April, before I made her my priority I used to meet other travellers and hermits and we would swap stories by the light of the flame. I've heard it all, all the myths and the legends, all the little bits of magic which make our world so special. I used to hear tales of werewolves and weevils, of dragons and Daleks and many a time did I hear of the weeping angels. I know exactly what you are and exactly what you do, I even have some idea as to how you do it. But no amount of knowledge could ever hope to prepare me from actually seeing you, from having you so close to me and my kin.
Your arms are stretched towards me and yours finger tips, cracked and twisted, are just a few centimetres from my cheeks, and from April's lips. I know we can't both escape you, but I can see a way of us still being together.
'April' as I speak I want to look at her but I can't. 'this, this thing, this monster it's called a weeping angel'. I pause for just a second to breath, I'm so focused on keeping my eyes open my body is forgetting the simplest of actions. 'if she touches us, if she touches you, you will be sent back in time' I can't see her expression but I can hear her own breath above my own. It is irregular, a mix of panic and disbelief. 'There is no way we can both escape it, but maybe we can reason with it' There is another pause. I wait for her reply, I long to hear her voice to know she's still with me. When she replies she sounds unsure 'what do you mean, reason with it'? It is a fair question and one which I am unsure how to answer. 'maybe' I pause trying to find an adequate way to phrase my words 'maybe if we allow ourselves to be taken, maybe she'll send us to the same place' I don't know what else to say so I let silence fill the gap left by her voices absence. 'Ross, I don't know what to say. Think about all we're leaving behind.' This time I do know what to reply 'nothing' as long as you were with me I'd be losing nothing, You're the only thing I wouldn't want to lose'. I let my eyes drift left so in the corner of my eye and can see her.-Her smile so bright' good enough to destroy all that is dark in my head. She is crying, but they are tears of joy. 'so, what do you say?' I ask with such anticipation, as if I were proposing to her, perhaps one day I will. She nods slowly, with confidence, she agree that is is better to lose the world than each other.
Together we raise our arms, my left and her right. We hold hands, the warmth of her touch gives me strength. We offer ourselves to the angel and we turn to look at one another, she leans in towards me, she's about to kiss me, for a split second I feel excitement and joy. Then all I see is darkness.