Elisa was bored. Old paintings were impressive, masterful and fascinating, but hall after hall was simply too much. She followed the group, trying to will herself to pay attention. Still, when she noticed Kate beckoning from the doorway of the adjacent room, she followed without hesitation. The guide's voice carried over. She could listen while checking what Kate had found.
Lining the smaller room were statues, slightly to moderately larger than life. Most depicted angels. Sitting, standing, mid-flight, all staring with their empty marble eyes. Each was bathed in the warm light of spotlights carefully angled to illuminate every detail. Kate was standing next to one, a muscular male angel, sitting with spread wings and a sword on his knees.
"Come on, kiss it!" Kate whispered. "It's just like tossing a coin into that fountain!"
"You're not supposed to touch them," said Elisa, laughing but keeping her voice low so it wouldn't carry back to the main room. "Look!"
Kate snorted at the sign repeated on the pedestal of each statue, a sign with a hand and a fat black cross over it. "Coward! Fine, I'll go first."
She stood on tiptoes and pecked a kiss on the statue's marble lips. "Now you, Liz!"
They looked at each other, both grinning. This was stupid. Childish, and so inappropriate. In a rush of recklessness Elisa stepped closer, closing her eyes as she breathed on the smooth, cool surface and pressed her lips against the statue's perfect cupid's bow.
Wave of electricity washed through her. The moment stretched out, prolonging out of shape and then snapping back into reality. When she pulled back, the statue's eyes were focused on her, open and alert, irises flush with a full spectrum of colors.
All around them, the statues were stirring.
***
Elisa huddled against the damp concrete wall, sobbing and coughing. The air was thick with dust and debris from the collapsed houses. Wailing and loud bangs filled the night, sirens blaring both closer and further away, out of sync with each other.
