The tyres of the white Volvo crunched over the gravel as Hilda pulled into the near empty parking lot. ‘Here we are kids: Fånsborg City Sculpture Gardens. This should be so much fun.’
Hilda’s two children, twelve-year-old Stefan and nine-year-old Micaela groaned.
‘Can’t we go back to Horror World?’ said Stefan.
‘We’ve been there twice this vacation,’ Hilda replied. ‘That’s already too much stimulation. We’re going to have a nice relaxing time taking in the gardens. Who knows, you might even appreciate some of the art.’
‘Mum, art is boring,’ moaned Stefan.
‘Please kids. Just try to enjoy yourself. Micaela, you like art don’t you? Maybe you can instruct your brother how to enjoy it.’
‘I don’t want to go anywhere near Stefan. He made fun of my glasses before. Can’t we just go home instead?’
‘I agree with Micaela for once,’ said Stefan. ‘I’m nearly up to level six on my game and it’s easier to concentrate at home.’ He tapped his games console with vigour.
Hilda got out of the car and breathed in the fresh air. The park was high up on a hill overlooking the city. Thick green hedges enclosed the sculpture gardens itself. It was so peaceful in the late afternoon sunshine, just the sound of birds and a few people murmuring among themselves. The sculpture gardens were a world away from those twin grotesqueries of Horror World and Digital Reality World. But when she turned around to lock the car the kids were still inside. Her calmness leaked out of her just a little.
‘Come on kids, out of the car,’ she said.
‘No, I’m not going. You and Micaela go and I’ll just play my console here,’ said Stefan.
‘You will do nothing of the sort,’ replied his mother. ’That thing takes up far too much of your time. Please Stefan, the fresh air is good for you. Take the time to appreciate the sculptures.’
‘I said no!’
Hilda felt the blood rising in her cheeks. Conscious of people staring, she said more serenely, ‘I’ll buy you both some caramel fudge ice-creams at the end.’
‘I’m coming,’ said Micaela.
Stefan’s eyes flicked up at his mother, his grip on the controller loosening. He muttered something underneath his breath and said, ‘Alright, but I’m taking the games console with me.’
‘Sure thing,’ Hilda said, that little knotted ball in her stomach loosening a little. She took the kids into the Visitors Centre which seemed strangely quiet. ‘We close early today, Madam, due to cleaning of the exhibits. You are the last visitors for the day. Please be back in twenty minutes,’ said the attendant, glancing rather theatrically at her watch.
‘That’ll be fine,’ said Hilda, silently cursing herself for not paying enough attention to the opening times. As they made their way over to the entrance it did indeed seem that most of the visitors were on their way out. They stopped at a sign over the wrought-iron gate: ‘Oh, look kids – “The hedges of the gardens form a labyrinth that houses life-like sculptures of ancient deities and mythical creatures.” Doesn’t that sound like fun, kids?’
‘Sounds great,’ grumbled Stefan, eyes back on his games console.
Micaela chewed her gum and blew a big bubble. It popped.
They walked along the path through the hedges. After turning a corner they came to a circular clearing. At the back of the clearing stood a large stone sculpture of a muscular bearded figure holding a jagged object in his hand.
‘Can you read the description, Stefan?’ Hilda asked.
‘Oh mum, I’m battling with a monster to get to the sixth level. Get Micaela to read it.’
Hilda sighed and nodded to Micaela.
Micaela screwed up her nose. ‘What’s that first word?’
‘Zeus,’ Hilda replied.
‘Zeus. God of thunder. Wields the…what’s that word mummy?’
‘Aegis. See that thing strapped to its back? It’s a kind of shield.’
Micaela continued. ‘Wields the aegis. Uses a lightning bolt as a weapon. Zeus is said to be the strongest of all the gods.’
Stefan smirked.
‘Why the smirk?’ asked Hilda.
‘A lightning bolt – what a joke. Zeus wouldn’t last a minute in my game.’
‘Do you like it, Micaela?’ Asked her mother.
‘I suppose,’ she said, bursting another big bubble.
As they walked along the twisting path it seemed they had the entire sculpture gardens to themselves. They soon came to another clearing. There were two sculptures made of scrap metal, including parts of a windmill, an old washing machine and a vacuum cleaner. One of the sculptures was a woman taking aim with a bow and arrow. The other was a figure holding a wire globe on his back.
‘You sure, you can’t read this for us, Stefan?’ Hilda asked.
‘Alright Mum, if it makes you happy. The one with the bow is Artemis, goddess of the hunt. The other is Atlas – “An ancient deity who carries the Earth on his back and prevents the heavens from falling on it.” These metal sculptures are so lame. They wouldn’t last a minute against the level two monsters in my game.’ He spat on the sculpture of Artemis, adding, ‘These sculptures would probably crumble with rust before they could put up a fight.’ From somewhere distant came a rumble of thunder. The sculpture seemed to shake in the light breeze and a piece of rusted metal fell off it. Stefan sniggered.
They walked further into the leafy labyrinth. In another circular clearing was a bronze sculpture of a young woman with hands encircling a ball-like object.
The accompanying plaque read, ‘Chaos. The goddess of the elements.’
Stefan looked up from his game to say, ‘That’s a level one sculpture if ever I’ve seen one. Goddess of the elements – big whoop.’
‘Do you like it, Micaela?’ asked Hilda.
‘No, it’s a bit scary. Um…Mummy?’
‘Yes, dear?’
‘I really want to go to the toilet,’ Micaela said, with an edge to her voice.
‘Oh, for goodness sake, didn’t you go before we left? Can’t you hold it, Micaela?’ said Hilda.
She shook her head and hopped from foot to foot.
A frown passed like a storm cloud across Hilda’s face. ‘Come on you two. Let’s go back to the Visitors Centre to use the bathrooms.’
Seated on a bench in front of the Chaos sculpture, transfixed by his game, Stefan said, ‘I’m staying here, Mum. It’s a really tricky part of the game I’m up to. I’m nearly at level six, I can’t just stop now it’ll spoil it. I’ll wait here for you and Micaela to come back. I can hold my wee for longer than ten minutes, unlike some.’
‘Alright, but promise not to go anywhere or talk to any strangers.’
‘Strangers? Mum, I’m sure we’re the only people still left in here,’ Stefan said without taking his eyes off the game.
Micaela poked her tongue out at him as Hilda grabbed her by the hand and raced back through the labyrinth.
‘Now, that’s better. I hope they get lost getting back,’ he said to himself before donning his headphones and taking the game off pause. A shape-shifting Shunza monster jumped from behind a wall on the screen and he got off a few shots before it darted back again. The drawbridge was starting to open. He took a draught of Vitality potion and crouched, waiting for just the right moment.
Stefan’s timing was perfect. He made it onto the drawbridge just before it closed. ‘Yes! Level six!’ he said aloud and pumped his fist a few times. He took off his headphones and said, ‘Ok Mum, are you back yet? I’ll look at some of these stupid sculptures now.’ He looked around but there was nobody there. All he could hear was the soft hum of summer insects and the leaves of the hedges fluttering in the breeze.
Stefan mulled over going back to the Visitors Centre. But now, looking about him, he couldn’t be sure which of the three paths he had come from. The insects buzzed. His game beeped. A shadow passed over the clearing and Stefan looked up to see grey clouds wafting overhead. The leaves of the hedges rippled like ruffled velvet in the freshening breeze.
‘Mum, Micaela, are you there? Is there anyone around beside these stupid sculptures?’
‘Stupid sculptures?’
That was bizarre. It was a woman’s voice. I must be hearing things. He turned around in a circle but saw no one. He warily put his headphones on and started the game again.
‘Such a rude child!’
‘Mum?’ Stefan paused the game again. Is this some weird AI trick? Has somebody hacked my game? Maybe Joseph perhaps? He checked the list of players. Joseph wasn’t even online.
‘Child, I’m talking to you.’
It was definitely not coming from the game. Stefan ripped off his headphones. A cold shudder went down his spine. Leaves flew up all around him. The wind brought with it a thick mist that made it hard to see. Stefan’s eyes locked onto the bronze sculpture in front of him.
It was beginning to move.
* * *
Red and orange light flowed like molten lava along the creases and crevices of the Chaos sculpture. Its eyes opened and filled with a red glow. The limbs of the sculpture began to twitch and move. Mist poured from the round object in Chaos’ hands, filling the clearing with fog.
‘Did you really call us stupid, child?’
‘No, no, I didn’t,’ Stefan said, dropping his games console in fright.
Her ghostly, whining voice continued, ‘How dare you mock me and my kind.’ With a screech of twisting metal, Chaos stepped forward on unsteady legs. Her eyes glowed like fire, smoked poured from her lips. Chaos turned the ball of mist in her hands and it spun and spun until it turned into orange flame. She flung a fire-ball at Stefan who only narrowly avoided being hit as he had bent down to try and pick up his games console. But before he could get it the giant metallic foot of Chaos shattered it into tiny pieces.
Stefan yelped and ran for one of the openings in the labyrinth and tore down the path as fast as he could. Behind him he heard Chaos’ shrieking voice and the dull thud of her bronze footsteps.
Stefan ran down the misty pathway. He came to a break in the hedge, took one look at the onrushing Chaos, then entered into another clearing.
He wished he hadn’t.
He’d come to the clearing with the two scrap metal sculptures, Artemis and Atlas, and both of them were slowly coming to life. Their metallic eyes glowed and their mouths snarled.
‘There’s the child that made fun of us,’ said Artemis.
‘Let’s teach it a lesson,’ roared Atlas, straining under the weight of the globe before taking some lumbering strides towards him.
Stefan backed up and began running down the pathway he had just come from. He stopped when he saw Chaos stepping out of the mist in front of him. Stefan turned and saw Atlas and Artemis coming from the other direction. In despair, he slumped to the ground and as he did an arrow from Artemis swooshed just over his head. There was a clang of metal followed by a curse from Chaos.
‘Why did you shoot me, Artemis, you foolish heap of scrap metal?’ screamed Chaos.
Artemis replied in a mocking tone, ‘Oh, listen to Chaos. You think you’re the gods’ gift to sculptors but you’re just a big bronze buffoon.’
Chaos screamed and a ball of flame went flying over Stefan’s head. More arrows zipped past from Artemis’ direction. The ground shook and Stefan looked up to see Atlas’ globe rolling down the pathway like a giant bowling ball. He pressed his body against the hedges and the globe rolled past within touching distance.
The sculptures cursed as they closed towards him. Stefan expected any second to cop an arrow from Artemis, a flame-ball from Chaos or to be flattened by Atlas’ globe. As the sculptures converged on the spot where Stefan was pressed up against the hedges, instead of tearing him apart, they began fighting each other.
The sculptures were punching and kicking just in front of him. There was flame, smoke, shouts and the clanging of metal. At one point Chaos stepped back and Stefan crawled on all fours through Chaos’ legs then regained his feet.
’Stop, you idiots,’ Chaos screamed to the sculptures. ‘We’re not meant to be fighting each other.’
‘Aren’t we?’ said Atlas.
‘No, you blithering rust-bucket. We’re after the child that is now running away.’
Stefan, his heart pumping double time in his chest, sprinted down the pathway, taking the first turn to his left. He poked his head out to see where the sculptures were only for an arrow from Artemis zip past his nose. He ran and ran, turning down any passage to put as much distance between himself and the sculptures as he could.
Coming to another clearing, he stopped and bent double trying to get air in his lungs. Stefan realised he’d barely done any physical activity since the new games console came out.
‘What brings you here child?’
Looming above him was the sculpture of Zeus, aegis strapped to his back, lightning bolt in his hand, with a thunderous look on his face. Stefan knelt down at Zeus’ feet.
‘Please Zeus can you help me? It says you are the most powerful of all the gods. The other sculptures have come to life and gone crazy and I’m sure they’re going to kill me,’ Stefan said, tears rolling down his face.
‘Why would they do that? The sculptures don’t normally come to life without a good reason. Usually, it’s only if they’ve been disrespected. You didn’t disrespect them, did you?’
‘Err…no,’ Stefan said.
‘That is most unlike them,’ said Zeus, tapping a stone finger against his cheek.
‘Please help me, Zeus,’ Stefan repeated.
‘I’m sorry young chap but I no longer take an interest in the affairs of mortals or gods.’
Zeus fell silent and all signs of life left him. He appeared to be just another lifeless lump of stone.
The mist intensified and Stefan instinctively ducked behind the sculpture of Zeus. He heard thumping bronze steps of a sculpture entering the clearing.
‘There you are Zeus,’ came the voice of Chaos. ‘What a useless bastard you are. Strongest of the gods! You’re overrated.’
Stefan heard the squeaking of more metal sculptures entering the clearing. It was the voice of Artemis that announced, ‘We’ve found the child. Time to teach it a lesson.’
‘Please, let me go. I just want to go back to my mummy.’ It was the terrified voice of Micaela.
Stefan bit his lip. ‘No, no, no,’ he whispered to himself.
‘Can we tear its limbs off?’ came the voice of Atlas.
‘Are you sure this is the right child?’ said Chaos.
‘They all look the same. What does it matter anyway,’ said Artemis. ‘I want to use the child for target practice.’
’I want to set the child up as a ten pin and test my bowling,’ Atlas chimed in.
‘I’ve got a better idea,’ said Chaos. ‘If we’re going to teach it a lesson, let’s turn the child into one of us. Make a sculpture of the child. A bronze, like me. I’m sure I can remember the old spells.’
‘No, a target.’
‘A ten pin,’
‘A sculpture.’
As the sculptures argued over the fate of Micaela, Stefan found it harder to keep still. He was not far from an opening in the labyrinth. He reckoned he could make a run for it. He heard Micaela whimpering and he put the thought of escaping out of his mind. Close up against the statue of Zeus, he listened intently.
It was Chaos who spoke next. ‘We’re agreed then? Good. Let’s turn the brat into a bronze sculpture. You two keep a good grip on the child’s arms and I’ll recite the ancient spell.’
‘STOP!’
‘Who was that?’ said Chaos.
Stefan came out from behind Zeus and stepped into the clearing. ‘It was me. I am the child you’re after. You can turn me into a sculpture, just let my sister go,’ he said in his biggest voice.
The sculptures giggled.
‘Alright then,’ said Chaos, ‘but I’ve got a different idea. Let’s tear this one’s limbs off instead.’
‘Yeah!’ chorused the other two.
Artemis and Atlas grabbed Stefan by the arms and Chaos held both his legs.
‘Alright, friends; on the count of three – ONE, TWO-’
Lightning flashed and a great crack of thunder rent the air. Immediately the sculptures released their grip on Stefan who landed flat on his back. He scrambled away to where Micaela was crouched down near the hedge.
The ground shook as Zeus leapt out and confronted the metal sculptures. Artemis loosed an arrow but Zeus skilfully deflected it with his aegis. Zeus followed it up with a bolt of lightning that sent Artemis sprawling.
A rumbling from the other side of the clearing was Atlas’ globe, rolling like a boulder down a mountain. Zeus deftly blocked it with his aegis then kicked it like a football back at Atlas, knocking him flat.
‘Treacherous Zeus, traitor to your fellow gods. How dare you take the part of mortals,’ Chaos hissed, sending a ball of flame at him. Zeus shot a bolt of lightning that exploded the fire-ball mid-air.
‘Chaos, put an end to this nonsense,’ Zeus thundered. ‘I am ruler of both gods and mortals. Don’t you think these children have suffered enough? Now, back to your places.’
Zeus lifted his lightning bolt above his head and thrust it into the ground. There was a great boom and a flash so bright that Stefan had to shield his eyes. When he opened them he saw that the mist was gone. The wind had become a gentle breeze and the sky was clear once more. None of the other sculptures were in the clearing apart from Zeus.
‘Thank you, Zeus. Why did you help me?’ Stefan asked.
The giant stone figure scratched its beard with one hand and said, ‘By swapping places with your sister you showed courage, loyalty and love of family. These qualities are most pleasing to me. Now I’m done with the affairs of gods and mortals. It’s time for me to retake my place as a sculpture, but promise me one thing before you leave.’
‘Anything. What is it?’ asked Stefan.
‘Think about what you might have done to make those sculptures come alive. And if you find you’ve disrespected them, an apology may be in order.’ Zeus’ lips curved into a smile and he gave the boy a wink. Before Stefan could reply, Zeus was back into his original position, just another sculpture in the gardens.
‘Oh, there you are kids,’ cried Hilda, running towards them. ‘I was so worried. I lost you in the mist and when that lightning bolt hit I was beside myself,’
The three of them hugged in the middle of the clearing.
‘Come on kids. Let’s go and get those caramel fudge ice-creams,’ said Hilda.
‘Hold on a sec, mum,’ said Stefan.
‘Why?’
‘I’ve got to say sorry to a few sculptures first.’
‘Huh?’
