“Well… we’re finally here,” Vivian said as they approached the grand museum. She lowered her sunglasses to eye the building with slight disdain.

    “Hey, I wanted to go here a lot sooner but you always had an excuse lined up not to go,” Sophie replied in that same sassy tone that Vivian had always both hated and loved about her girlfriend. They were a young couple that had been together for several months now and they still hadn’t had enough of each-other. Vivian, at least, was very certain that that wasn’t going to end anytime soon either. Well, that is, if Sophie didn’t drag her into museums too often!

    “You know I don’t really like museums…” Vivian muttered. Goodness, she did. They were always just so boring and sleep-inducing…

    “I’m sure you’ll like this one though. This one has a twist to it,” Sophie said. The museum of Lifelike Art had actually opened here several years back already. It was often praised for its many different artworks that seemed to change on a daily basis. Vivian didn’t really know the details about it but Sophie certainly seemed that she did.

    “You’ve mentioned this… but you still haven’t told me what the twist actually is,” Vivian groaned.

    “You’ll see,” Sophie teased. They walked past a rather elaborate fountain right outside the large front doors of the museum. There was so much to it, from the various stone fish carved into the sides to the golden arches around it. One particularly striking feature of the fountain was a marble statue of a woman holding a gourd from which water was pouring down. She was dressed in beautiful flowing garments that accentuated her figure above her hips and drooped down into the water. It looked so lifelike. Vivian had to admit that it was all very beautiful. Still though, spending an entire afternoon looking at what a bunch of old people considered art wasn’t exactly her idea of a fun date but Sophie insisted and how could Vivian say no to her…

    As they entered the museum, Vivian’s nose was greeted by that familiar museum smell. She had spent many boring hours inside of museums when she was a child because her parents would often drag her into one. In the center of the entrance hall stood a very tall skeleton of a tyrannosaurus rex, looking very menacingly at anyone entering.

    “Of course they have one of these. How stereotypical,” Vivian muttered.

    “Come on, Viv. Stop your complaining and give it a chance,” Sophie huffed, bopping her girlfriend on the head.

    The couple approached the front desk where Sophie proceeded to order two tickets. In the meantime, Vivian looked around the area some more. There were several other people entering and exiting. One thing she noticed was the fact that some of these people appeared to be going into a side room of sorts. From this distance, she couldn’t really tell what this side room was all about though. She figured it must just be the museum’s restaurant or something.

    Sophie bopped her on the head again to regain her attention. “Got our tickets,” she said.

    “Right, right,” Vivian sighed. “Let’s get it over with.”

    “Thank you, o queen Vivian, for giving it a chance,” Sophie teased, causing Vivian to blush and laugh nervously in response.

For the next two hours, the two girls walked through the museum. There was so much for them to see. Portraits, paintings, marble statues, glass statues and there was even a very cold gallery with ice sculptures. While Sophie was eagerly pointing out each and every artwork, Vivian was forcing back the urge to yawn. Museums were just so boring to her… That is until something caught her eye. As they entered yet another gallery, this time filled with marble nude statues, she noticed something about one of them.

    “Whoah, Soph, doesn’t this one kinda look like Rebecca?” she asked.

    “Hey, you’re right!” Sophie said with a grin. Rebecca was a coworker and a good friend of Sophie’s who would come over quite regularly. Vivian quite liked whenever she did because she was just a very funny person. It had been a few days since Vivian had last heard from her though.

    “Wait… is this where she’s been? Just modelling so some artist could make a statue of her? I thought she had gone on vacation,” Vivian asked.

    “Heh, well, you could be right about that,” Sophie proposed as she pointed at the art piece’s nametag. Sure enough, it said ‘Rebecca’.

    “What?! Wow, I didn’t know she was into modelling like this,” Vivian said.

    “Well, now you do know,” Sophie said before bursting out into laughter.

    Vivian was mostly just left confused. “What does that even mean? What are you trying to say?” she asked.

    “You’ll see, you’ll see,” Sophie said ominously.

    Vivian frowned. Why was her girlfriend being so mysterious about all this? What was going on with this museum?!

    After that, Vivian began paying closer attention to the artworks. Something that was especially striking about all of them was how lifelike they were, just like the girl on the fountain out front. Whoever the artists were, they were very skilled for they appeared to be capable of capturing emotions incredibly well. Most looked happy or excited but there were also some pieces displaying different emotions that looked incredibly realistic.

When they eventually found themselves back in the entrance hall, Sophie looked to Vivian with her arms crossed and a gaze that suggested she was expecting something.

    “Okay fine… I’ll admit it. That was actually a really fun experience,” Vivian muttered.

    “I knew you’d like it,” Sophie giggled, giving her lover a hug.

    “I can’t believe how lifelike the art looks here. They sure do the name of the museum justice. I wonder how they made these,” Vivian said.

    Sophie’s grin grew wider all of a sudden. Vivian was all too familiar with this devious grin. She’d often put it up right before they were going to do something exciting that she had planned.

    “You really wanna know?” Sophie asked.

    Vivian shivered for just a moment. “Y-yes?” she stammered.

    Sophie responded by grabbing Vivian’s wrist. “Follow me then,” she said as they walked up to the side door that Vivian had noticed before entering the museum. Now that they were closer, she could see that the door said ‘art studio’.

    “Wait, they make their art here at the museum?” Vivian asked.

    “Yes, they do. They switch out the artworks here so frequently that you can be guaranteed to have a different experience every time,” Sophie answered.

    “What? Damn, they must be efficient artists,” Vivian mused to herself as they entered the door. Once there, they encountered a desk with a young man sitting behind it and a waiting room with four other people. This was certainly not what Vivian was expecting from an art studio…

    Sophie just walked up to the desk. “Two volunteers, please” she said.

    “Ah, excellent! Please take a seat. The artist will be with you shortly,” the man said.

    Vivian was surprised by this exchange. “Wow, wow, wait! Volunteers?”

    “Yep,” Sophie chuckled.

    “You… you planned this!” Vivian gasped.

    “Of course I planned this. Why did you think I wanted to go here so bad?” Sophie said with a grin.

    “Ugh, I should really keep a closer eye on you sometimes,” Vivian said with narrowed eyes and her arms crossed. “To think you just wanted me to model with you.”

    “Oh, I think we’ll be doing more than just modelling,” Sophie said as she took a seat in the waiting area.

    Vivian frowned and looked between the man at the desk and her girlfriend. “Soph… what do you mean by that?”

    “Let’s wait for the artist and it’ll be made clear,” Sophie responded.

    This only further made Vivian wary of what was going to happen but it seemed that no-one was willing to let her know what was going to be happening. It was frustrating but then again… this was her girlfriend. She wouldn’t act so mysterious like this if she wasn’t sure that Vivian would enjoy the experience. All she could really do was trust that whatever was going to happen, it was going to be fun. At least, that’s what she hoped… 

The couple sat in the waiting room for a decent amount of time. In that time, the other four people were called in one by one. None of them ever returned but then, Vivian figured that making art out of models wasn’t exactly something you could do quickly. When it was finally their turn to be called upon, Vivian felt a sense of excitement build up inside of her. She so desperately wanted to know what was going to happen and now that she was finally going to learn of it, that feeling only increased. Next to her, Sophie had a permanent grin plastered all over her face as she hopped to her feet in excitement.

    The artist that had called upon them didn’t really look like an artist at all. She looked more like a scientist, complete with a lab coat and a pair of spectacles. She had a friendly smile on her face as she extended her hand. “Greetings. My name is Dorothy. Welcome,” she said.

    “I’m Sophie, and this is Vivian,” Sophie said, shaking Dorothy’s hand.

    “Nice to meet you,” Vivian said absentmindedly, following her girlfriend’s example. She was starting to become a lot more wary of this place than she already was.

    “Please, come in,” Dorothy said, allowing the two girls entrance into what must be the real art studio. However, this certainly didn’t look like a place where art was made! There were several large machines here and a distinct lack of art supplies. There were no paint brushes or buckets of paint. There were no blocks of marble nor were there chisels and other such tools. It was just the machines.

    Vivian raised an eyebrow. “Soph… what is happening?” she hissed. Sophie’s grin only grew wider and wider.

    “Please, take a seat,” Dorothy said as she closed the door and moved on over to a desk of her own.

    When the girls sat down, Vivian couldn’t take it anymore. “Will someone PLEASE explain to me now what is going on?!” she snapped.

    While Dorothy was taken by surprise, Sophie burst out into laughter. “I’m sorry for keeping it a secret, darling,” she said.

    “Ah… I see,” Dorothy said, finally realizing what was happening.

    Vivian folded her arms in annoyance. She’d better get an explanation, and fast!

    “Well, you see miss Vivian, this is where we make art out of people,” Dorothy said.

    “Like… models, right?” Vivian asked.

    “No. We do not have people model for us so we can make art. We have people BE the art,” Dorothy said.

    Instantly, Vivian’s annoyance turned into disbelief. “Wait… what?” she asked.

    “That’s right,” Sophie added. “Remember how you saw Rebecca back in the museum?”

    “Don’t tell me… that actually was Rebecca?!” Vivian cried out.

    “Yep, it sure was,” Sophie laughed.

    “But… how… that statue was clearly made of marble!” Vivian shouted.

    Dorothy smiled. “That is true. All of our artwork is genuine. They are not people painted to look like statues. They are genuine statues made out of the various materials we have at our disposal,” she explained.

    “... how is that even possible…” Vivian asked.

    “These machines here allow us to do this. Our founder has spent years researching and perfecting them. He had a vision where he could turn people into beautiful pieces of art and this is what he invented,” Dorothy said.

    “That’s… what… and do they turn back?” Vivian asked. She couldn’t believe that this was actually possible.

    “Oh, of course they do. Most of our artwork is only ever there for several hours up to a full day,” Dorothy said.

    “Are they… are they aware in there?” Vivian asked.

    “All artwork is fully conscious and aware, yes. Most speak of a sense of bliss as they are admired. They have told us that it feels as if they are fulfilling their purpose. After all, an artwork’s purpose is to be seen and admired,” Dorothy said, chuckling to herself.

    Vivian looked to her girlfriend again, who was still just smiling broadly. “You… you knew all this… and you wanted to turn us into statues here?” she asked. She was beginning to sound more curious than mad now.

    “Well, yes,” Sophie replied. “I’ve been wanting to do this ever since Rebecca told me about this place. She’s been coming here every so often to be admired, going for a different option every time and telling me how wonderful of an experience it’s been. I knew then that it would be perfect for you.”

    “Rebecca Peters? Oh, yes, she’s one of our best artworks. We very much enjoy working with her because she’s simply such a willing piece of art,” Dorothy nodded.

    “I can’t believe this…” Vivian said. This museum was actually turning people into actual art. Like, ACTUAL actual art. And Sophie now wanted her to be a piece of art as well. There’d be so many strangers just… looking at her body and there would be nothing she could do about it for she’d just be a piece of art. An unmoving statue of stone, or even just a painted drawing on canvas. The feeling of excitement that she’d been feeling in her stomach… only increased as she thought about this but she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

    “So? What do you think?” Sophie asked, looking rather hopeful.

    “How… long does it last?” Vivian asked. She couldn’t believe what she was asking. She wasn’t actually going to do this, right?

    “Well, we have several options at our disposal for that,” Dorothy answered, showing the two girls a document. “The duration ranges from one hour up to a full year.”

    This actually surprised Sophie as well. “A year? Damn, that’s long. Does anyone ever go for that option?”

    “It’s exceedingly rare but we have had some, yes. You’ve seen the fountain out front, right?” Dorothy said.

    “... the lady with the gourd?” Vivian asked.

    “Yes, her. She’s actually been standing there like that for close to five years now,” Dorothy explained.

    “What?!” Sophie and Vivian both asked in unison.

    “At first she only stood there for a week. When the week was over and she was turned back into a human, she only stayed away for several days, probably preparing herself, before returning here. This time, she asked to be made a part of the fountain again for a full year. Naturally, we obliged, eager to be working with such a willing subject. When we eventually turned her back again, she wasted no time and asked for another year. At this point, we actually gave her an offer. We asked if she wanted to stand there indefinitely, so long as we checked up on her regularly to make sure she was still fine. The eagerness in her voice when she said yes to that was wonderful,” Dorothy explained.

    Vivian and Sophie looked at each-other in disbelief. To think that a woman had willingly turned herself into a permanent statue. Well, she could still be turned back at any moment but it didn’t appear that she wanted that any time soon…

    “Are you… sure she’s fine?” Vivian asked.

    “We are still regularly performing tests on her mental state as we do with all of our subjects. There have been no cases of anyone’s mental state altering severely. Most simply view this as a hobby or a fun outing no different from a trip to the beach. Even the fountain is still very much mentally sound in there. She appears to view herself as a statue yet she knows that she is still human in there. She knows that there is always a way out,” Dorothy explained.

    “What about erosion? Like, she’s just out there, unprotected. Does she ever get cracked or something? And what about pigeons doing what pigeons do to statues…” Sophie said, unleashing a barrage of questions.

    “We take good care of her. All our artworks receive a protective layer that prevents damage. On top of that, we clean the fountain regularly and we often give her special care. She’s our prized possession as a museum after all,” Dorothy said.

    Possession. It was a word that made Vivian feel things. This woman who had willingly turned herself into a statue was now seen as just a statue. Just a piece of art. An object. A possession, owned by the museum. No longer was she a human. She was now just a fountain. The fact that Dorothy wasn’t even mentioning her name made that all the more apparent.

    And a part of Vivian was actually starting to get into the idea.

    Next to her, Sophie was looking at her intently. She knew Vivian through and through. She must have also already known what would be going through her mind right at that moment. “So… are you down for this, Viv?”

    Vivian looked back. The answer was already written on her face. She wanted this. She really wanted this. Why, she couldn’t quite say. Was she looking forward to being admired? Was she perhaps getting excited at the prospect of being an unmoving statue? Or was it the fact that she’d be doing this together with her girlfriend that made this all much more special.

    “Yes… I am,” she finally said, unable to believe that the words had actually left her mouth. In just a moment, she’d be a statue with her lover willingly. This was unreal…

    Sophie gave Vivian a kiss on her cheek. “I knew you’d like this,” she whispered.

    Dorothy, meanwhile, clapped her hands together. “Excellent. Then all you two will need to do is look over this document and decide what options you’d like to go for. The document also states that we will guarantee your safety,” she said.

    “What if somehow something does actually crack? Or worse…” Vivian asked.

    “Despite our best efforts to prevent it, we’ve had cracks happen before. All this means is that we have to perform reparations on the artworks while they are still transformed. Rest assured, should it happen to you, you will not feel pain. In fact, I’ve heard reports that some people actually enjoy the treatment they receive during reparations,” Dorothy answered.

    “Whew… you guys really think of everything, huh?” Sophie said.

    “Of course. We are, after all, transforming people into items that cannot move of their own accord. Therefore, we take full responsibility and we believe it is our duty to do our job to the best of our capabilities,” Dorothy said.

    In the meantime, Vivian had begun reading the form. She could only feel her excitement building as she read it. First, there was the option of becoming a statue of marble, glass, ice, and crystal. There was even an option to join the fountain girl out front. There was also the option to become a portrait or to become part of a landscape painting.

    Secondly, there was the duration. The shortest possibility was an hour. Then there was a two hour option, a four hour option, a full day option, a full week option, a two week option, a month option and lastly, there was the full year option. There was a very small part in the back of Vivian’s mind that went a little wild as she read over that last one. It was the same part that actually got excited when she heard about the fountain girl. Of course, Vivian would never actually go for something that long but it was at least fun to fantasize about…

    Thirdly, there was the clothing option. You had the option to wear clothes provided by the museum, to go fully naked, or somewhere inbetween. It appeared that wearing your own clothes was not an option. Vivian figured that it must have been to maintain the museum’s aesthetics. Someone wearing skinny jeans or a sundress would certainly stand out from all of the others then.

    “Since it’s your first time, I recommend taking the one hour marble statue option. It does not last all that long so if you decide that it is not for you after all, you’ll be out again before you know it. Please keep in mind that the duration of your transformation details how long you are actually on display in the museum. The one hour option could still have you transformed for half an hour longer while we put you in the museum, or take you out again. Also, should you go for, say, the four hour option an hour before closing time, you can choose to delay your transformation until the next day or to transform now and stay at the museum overnight.

    “So… you’d be on display an hour today, stay a statue all night long, and you only get turned back three hours after opening time the following day?” Sophie asked.

    Dorothy nodded. “The marble statue is also perceived by most as the safest option to go for, fearing that glass, ice, and crystal will break too easily. Of course, this does not happen but I can understand where they’re coming from,” Dorothy said.

    “Then… I’d say we go for that, right Viv?” Sophie said.

    “Right… yes… let’s do that,” Vivian said.

    “Excellent. Then please fill that in and we can start discussing your poses,” Dorothy said. There was something bubbly about her. She must have really enjoyed turning people into artwork.

    Sophie filled in her document and then passed it on to Vivian. Each time she marked one of the options, she felt a wave of excitement course through her body. She really was going to be a marble statue for an hour, to be admired by the museum guests. It was almost too much for her. When she got to the clothing option, there was again a small part of her that dared her to go for the naked option but she decided against it. Sophie had already marked off the fully clothed option and she wasn’t going to be different from that. She then handed the document back to Dorothy, knowing that it was final now.

    “Great! Everything seems to be in order. Now, can you tell me a little bit about yourselves? Are you friends?” Dorothy asked.

    “We’re lovers,” Sophie said confidently.

    “Oh, wonderful! We don’t really get lesbian lovers all that often here. I think you’ll make a wonderful piece of art alright,” Dorothy said, getting even more fired up now. “Since I am the artist, I will be dictating what your poses will be in the end but you can of course let me know of any desires you have.”

    Vivian and Sophie looked at each-other. “I don’t… think we have anything in particular,” Vivian said.

    “We’re not exactly artistically inclined,” Sophie laughed.

    “Very well then,” Dorothy said, her smile growing wider. “Then I shall go and get you some clothes!”

    As she left the room, Sophie placed her hands on Vivian’s shoulders and gave her lover a kiss on the cheek. “I knew you’d like it,” she whispered.

    Vivian giggled nervously as she shifted in her seat. “I don’t… understand why this feels so appealing to me…” she said.

    Sophie tilted her head and frowned. “Come now, Viv. You’ve always enjoyed being admired. You even considered becoming a model at one point. On top of that, should I list all of the times you have asked me to tie you up in bed to the point where you can’t move at a-”

    “ALRIGHT! Alright, I get it,” Vivian snapped, getting very flustered now. Maybe Sophie had a point…

    Sophie laughed. “When I heard that this was possible, I figured it would be an incredible experience for you so I nagged you to come here.”

    “But… what about you? You don’t usually enjoy being in the spotlight…” Vivian asked.

    “That is true. I am doing this for you, darling,” Sophie said. “You’d better treat me to a fancy dinner next time.”

    Vivian started giggling. Sophie truly loved her and she loved Sophie just as much back if not more. “Alright… you’re on,” she said. “But what if I end up enjoying this and I wanna do it more often?”

    “Well, so long as you don’t join fountain girl over there, I can join you again but I can also let you go on your own. Wouldn’t you also enjoy it if I were to admire you as just another guest in the museum?” Sophie said.

    Vivian felt a warm feeling course through her at that point. She was actually getting wet from all this. “Yes… I would like that…” Vivian whispered.

    The two lovers shared a passionate kiss, just as Dorothy returned with two dresses that reminded Vivian of the 1950’s. They were the kind of vintage dresses that really accentuate your curves. They had floral patterns on them and both of them had a decorative rose on the shoulder. Dorothy had also brought with her two sets of stilettos. Vivian always loved wearing high heels but Sophie absolutely hated them. Sure enough, she was already groaning at the prospect. “You can change in the changing booth over there. You may leave your clothes and other belongings in this basket here,” she said.

    “Alright!” both girls said excitedly.

Vivian was the first to leave the changing booth in her new dress. It was a pretty yellow dress, but considering she was going to be made of marble soon, she figured that its colour won’t last for all that long.

    When Sophie left her changing booth, she was looking a little awkward in her dress and stilettos. She never really walked around on heels at all so she grabbed a hold of Vivian’s arm to keep her balance. She also seemed to have taken quite some time to put on her dress and it still looked a little ruffled.

    “I never wear this stuff…” Sophie muttered, blushing. She almost never blushed but when she did, Vivian thought it was the cutest thing ever.

    “I’ll help you,” Vivian giggled, straightening out her girlfriend’s blue dress.

    Dorothy clapped her hands together. “Seeing you two together, it really gets my creative juices flowing!” she said eagerly. “Please move over to the petrification area.”

    Sophie was leaning on Vivian some more as they both walked over to the indicated area next to one particular machine. There was a platform here on wheels which was likely going to be how they were going to be transported into the museum. It was at least a lot safer than a couple of people attempting to carry the two girls as heavy marble. In the meantime, Dorothy vanished to a sideroom again and this time, she returned with what looked to be a large boulder.

    “Whoah… you must be really strong,” Vivian gasped.

    “It’s not a real boulder,” Dorothy chuckled as she placed it on the platform and positioned it just right. “It’s made of wood and should be sturdy enough for you to sit on.” She then left the platform again and went over to a display on the machine where she started making some adjustments.

    Vivian and Sophie looked each other in the eyes again. “You excited?” Sophie asked softly.

    “Yes… yes I am,” Vivian said. She had been feeling butterflies fluttering around in her stomach ever since learning that people could actually transform into statues here. “What about you?”

    “Same,” Sophie said with a big grin. “I’m especially excited to be doing this with you.”

    Vivian blushed madly and gave her girlfriend another kiss. “I love you,” she whispered.

    “I love you too,” Sophie whispered back.

    “Alright!” Dorothy interrupted. “Now… Sophie, I want you to sit on the stone. Please put your knees together and your feet slightly apart, pointing inwards.”

    “Like… this?” Sophie asked as she took the indicated position.

    “Yes, yes, perfect! Now, Vivian, I want for you to stand next to her to the right. My right. Then, please place your right knee on the rock while standing on your left foot. Yes, yes, yes, that’s right,” Dorothy continued. Vivian and Sophie followed up the instructions they were given quite eagerly. By the end, they were looking lovingly into each-other’s eyes. Sophie had her right hand on Vivian’s cheek while Vivian had her arms wrapped around Sophie’s neck, leaning on her shoulders. Their faces were very close to each-other as if they were about to kiss but Dorothy wanted for both of their faces to be visible.

    “Alright! This is perfect!” Dorothy called out excitedly. “Now hold still. I’m going to be activating the machine in just a moment. Are you ready?”

    “I’m ready,” Sophie said resolutely, resigning herself to petrification.

    “So am I!” Vivian said, following her girlfriend’s example. The time was finally approaching. There was no backing out now!

    “Very well! Enjoy yourselves. Activating in three… two… one… go!” Dorothy called out as she pressed a button.

    The machine quickly hummed to life and instantly, Vivian could feel her body stiffen up. She felt that she was still human, and that she could still move around if she wanted to but it became harder and harder to do so. To the point where it was so much easier to simply stay put. Sophie looked to be going through much the same ordeal. It felt so alien. It felt so right.

    Then it happened. It all happened so fast. Vivian was able to see that Sophie’s dark skin and black hair were slowly becoming lighter in colour as Vivian felt her own soft features hardening. Her feet, her abdomen, her hands and even her face. It was beginning to become impossible to move her body at all. She even felt her breathing stop entirely. It panicked Vivian and she wanted to move around to try and gasp for air but her body simply disobeyed. It wasn’t necessary though as she soon realized that she no longer needed air. Statues don’t need to breathe after all. Soon, Vivian saw that Sophie had completely turned into white marble and she guessed that Vivian herself was as well.

    And that was it.

    No longer were Vivian and Sophie living, breathing humans. Now they were statues. Works of art to be admired in a museum. It felt so intriguing. Vivian felt so powerless. Of course, she truly was. No longer could she do anything. No longer could she even say anything. She was now fully in the hands of Dorothy and the museum. If she wanted, Dorothy could just as easily discard her and leave her as a statue forever… 

    … and for some reason, Vivian loved it all so much.

    Her body felt so different. No longer was she feeling her own gentle breathing. Now she was completely solid and stiff. She even felt that her body no longer ended where it used to. Her knee that was leaning on the fake rock now felt like they were fused together. Her arms that had wrapped around Sophie’s neck no longer felt separate from Sophie’s shoulder. She could actually feel Sophie. That meant that Sophie, too, must be able to feel Vivian. It made Vivian wonder if she could actually somehow talk to Sophie? Well, when she focused on her physical connection to her girlfriend, she was actually able to feel something. It felt a little bit like a mix of slight panic and incredible excitement. It must be what Sophie was feeling. This meant that they could actually communicate! Just not through words…

    In response, Vivian tried her best to send feelings of comfort to her lover. Sure enough, Sophie responded with a feeling of gratitude. This was certainly the strangest way of communication that Vivian had ever felt.

    “Excellent. The petrification seems to have been successful. Applying the protective coat now. Shouldn’t take too long,” Vivian heard Dorothy say. Since her eyes were locked on Sophie’s, she was unable to really see anything else that was going on. She could certainly hear it though as she heard the machine humming to life again. This time, it sprayed something all over her body on all sides. Of course, they did the same thing to Sophie and even the rock. Strangely, Vivian could not feel any sort of temperature. She was unable to determine whether this layer was cold or warm. It just felt wet.

    “Alright. Now I’ll only have to print out a name tag for you,” Dorothy said. Vivian then heard her typing. As their name tag was being printed, Dorothy also called over someone to come in.

    “Afternoon, Dorothy,” a male voice said.

    “Hey there, William. Had a nice break?” Dorothy said.

    “Oh yeah. My wife made me tuna sandwiches again! That always hits the spot,” The man called William said, chuckling.

    “Ah, her famous tuna sandwiches,” Dorothy replied. “Is she going to come here again anytime soon?”

    “Yep! She and I have been planning a month-long display in two weeks actually,” William admitted.

    Dorothy gasped. “A whole month! Oh my, you’re putting a lot of pressure on me. I gotta get you two perfect!”

    “I’m sure you can do it, Dorothy. You’ve never done us wrong before,” William said.

    During this smalltalk, both Dorothy and this man called William were completely ignoring Vivian and Sophie. It was as if they weren’t even there. Well, technically they weren’t. They were just a part of the scenery here now. Nothing more.

    “Speaking of which. Looks like you did a great job again here too,” William continued, finally drawing attention back to the two girls.

    “I’m quite proud. We don’t get a lot of lesbian lovers here so yeah. It’s a great opportunity,” Dorothy said.

    “How long?” William asked.

    “Just an hour for these two,” Dorothy answered.

    “Ah, what a shame. They deserve to be admired for a lot longer than that!” William said.

    Dorothy laughed. “Oh, I agree,” she said.

    Great panic came from Sophie at that point and Vivian, too, kind of felt that. But then… she also felt a hint of excitement at the prospect of being a statue like this for longer.

    “But rules are rules. No exceptions,” Dorothy continued, relieving both girls again.

    “Of course,” William agreed.

    “Ah! Their name tag is ready,” Dorothy said as she rummaged around and Vivian could feel the platform they were standing on moving slightly. It felt kind of scary honestly, considering there was absolutely no way for her to balance herself. She just had to hope that she would stay standing and, if not, that Dorothy and William would stabilize her and Sophie.

    “Alright, that should be it then!” Dorothy said.

    “Great! Then I’ll bring them back in an hour. See you then!” William said. Mere moments later, Vivian felt the platform go into motion fully. If the earlier slight movements were scary already, this was starting to be a little bit terrifying! Naturally, Sophie felt it too. They just had to tell themselves that it was going to be alright. This museum had been doing this for years now so of course they were not about to mess up here.

    Vivian couldn’t quite see where they were going. She was just able to make out that they were going through some hallway, and she could hear William whistling to himself. This again sent another reminder into Vivian that she and Sophie weren’t people anymore at this point, or else William might have started a conversation with them.

    After what felt like 10 minutes of walking, Vivian’s eyes were met with bright light and a murmuring of people that suddenly went into a chorus of ‘ooohs’. They had entered the actual museum! Vivian wanted so badly to look over. To see her audience and revel in their staring but she couldn’t. She was stuck. Of course, she had a much better view, namely Sophie’s face, but it was still a little frustrating!

    A few moments later, Vivian heard a loud click somewhere under the platform. “There you go. Enjoy your stay,” she heard William say. 

    And that was it. This was where they’re going to be for the next hour. Vivian could hear several museum guests coming to admire this newest addition to the museum. They talked among themselves about her and Sophie. There was a rush of excitement that coursed through the combined bodies of Sophie and Vivian as they listened to the museum guests.

    “They are so beautiful together!” “How adorably cute.” “You can practically feel the love these two feel for each-other.” “We should ask for a similar pose next time.”

    The compliments, the comments and even the fact that they were apparently inspiring others, it was almost too much to handle.

    There was nothing that Sophie and Vivian could do about it. They couldn’t hide. They couldn’t thank the audience. They couldn’t even blush or wink. They just stood there completely petrified. Still. Silent. They were stuck in a seemingly endless spiral of pure bliss as well as frustration.

    And they both loved it. Vivian could definitely understand why people like Rebecca and the fountain girl would do this so much more often. Already, Vivian resigned herself to do this more often as well.

    “Heheh, I knew you two would go for it!”

    It was a voice that rang familiar to both Sophie and Vivian. Though they couldn’t look over to see who it was, it was obvious that this was their friend Rebecca. It appeared that she had been turned back while they were busy being petrified.

    “I saw you two admiring me earlier. Isn’t it wonderful I get to return the favour now?” Rebecca said. Of course, the girls could not reply. It was a one-sided conversation. Had Sophie known that Rebecca would be turned back today? Was this still a part of the surprise for her?

    “You know these girls, miss?” somebody else asked.

    “They’re my friends, yeah,” Rebecca replied.

    “Ah, how wonderful. They make for a beautiful display,” the other guest said.

    “They do, don’t they?” Rebecca said.

    Vivian didn’t blame her, of course, for starting a conversation with someone who could actually reply. Vivian soon lost track of it as she was beginning to get overwhelmed by her senses, her feelings and her thoughts. Not only her own, but those of Sophie as well! She was only shaken out of it when Rebecca appeared to address them again. 

    “Well, see you around!” she said and with that, their friend just… walked off to go admire the other artworks. Vivian and Sophie were just one of hundreds of artworks after all.

    And just like that, another rush of excitement coursed through their bodies. Vivian had no idea that it could feel this good to be an immovable piece of art. A decoration piece on display. The property of a museum. Even Sophie appeared to experience similar emotions, though they were definitely not as strong as Vivian’s own.

    There they stood, simply reveling in the emotions that rushed through them like waterfalls. And what made it all so much better was that they were doing this together. Neither of them were alone. Though they could not move or talk, they could still feel each-other. The amount of love they felt for each-other was so grand that nothing could shatter it and it was on display for all to see.

    This was bliss.

Vivian and Sophie had completely lost track of time by the time they could feel their platform shifting again. They had been so lost in the experience, in themselves, that they would have jolted up if they could.

    “Time’s up. I hope you enjoyed it,” came the familiar voice of William, the man that had put them here in the first place.

    The girls could hear several people in the gallery exclaim disappointments. They must have been drawing a lot of attention in their pose from them if this was their reaction!

    The lit up gallery soon made way for the slightly darker hall as they were driven behind the scenes again on their way back to Dorothy’s art studio. Once again, all William really did was whistle rather than try and strike up a conversation.

    When they finally came to a stand-still again, they could hear Dorothy speak again.

    “Ah, thank you, William!” she said.

    “No problem,” William replied. “I’m gonna get the other three and then I’m off for the day.”

    “Excellent. See you soon,” Dorothy said. Vivian and Sophie could hear a pair of footsteps leave the room where the whistling picked up again. It occurred to Vivian that they had never actually been able to see this William. Furthermore, William never actually saw them as people. For all William knew, she and Sophie had always been art pieces. Then, Dorothy approached the petrified girls.

    “I was watching you through our camera systems. You two did wonderful back there. You make for wonderful museum assets,” she said.

    Vivian couldn’t be happier to hear that. To think that she started this day bummed out that they were going to a museum. This had been such a complete shift in her mental state. Sophie definitely felt it too, though she appeared quite happy to be turned back again. Vivian didn’t blame her. Throughout the entire experience, the most frustrating part was that she was unable to kiss her girlfriend.

    “Alright, I will be turning you back shortly. You’ll probably feel a little funky as you unpetrify. First timers often tell me they feel lighter than air when they turn back. You might also feel a little sluggish but that will all pass,” Dorothy said as she began tapping away on the machine again.

    “Turning you back in three… two… one… go!” Dorothy said out loud.

    Just as before, the process felt like it went by pretty fast. The first thing Vivian noticed was that the colour returned to Sophie’s face. Her hair was no longer one solid piece and instead became individual strands again. Vivian could feel her breathing slowly picking up again as well, and she saw that the same thing happened with Sophie.

    As the marble made way for skin again, Vivian soon found the ability to move returning. It was slow at first. She didn’t even really feel like moving yet, even though she couldn’t. It was as if she was taking a nap and wanted just five more minutes. However, her energy soon returned to her.

    Vivian blinked and began shifting slightly, as did Sophie mere inches away from her face. For a moment, the two girls simply looked at each-other in surprise at what they had just experienced.

    And then they almost dove into one of the most passionate kisses that they had ever shared with one another. They hugged each-other almost a little too tight but they didn’t care. This had been one of the best experiences they’ve ever gone through. Vivian even felt a tear of joy roll down her cheek.

    Dorothy chuckled and scraped her throat, demanding the attention of both of them. “I trust, then, that this has been an enjoyable experience?” she asked.

    Both girls nodded. “It… really… has… been,” Vivian said slowly. She realized that these were the first words that she had spoken in over an hour. Her voice still felt a little weak but as Dorothy had said, it was probably something that would pass in time.

    Dorothy clapped her hands together. “Excellent!” she said.

    “Rebecca… wasn’t lying when… she described this,” Sophie said.

    “This was amazing… we should definitely do this again,” Vivian said eagerly.

    Sophie nodded. “Yes… I agree!” she said excitedly. To think that even Sophie was down for that now. This truly had been a day of change.

    “Hmmm… if you are interested…” Dorothy spoke up.

    “Huh?” both girls asked simultaneously.

    “Occasionally, we hold art exhibits with certain themes. These exhibits usually last a week. We are always looking for volunteers to make that a possibility and next month’s themed exhibit happens to be ‘Passion’,” Dorothy said.

    Vivian and Sophie looked at each-other. A full week of this wonderful feeling? Of displaying the passion that they felt for each-other for all the world to see?

    They smiled broadly at each-other. “Where do we sign up?” Vivian asked.

    Dorothy grinned. “I shall get the papers! In the meantime, your clothes are over there right where you left them,” she said. With that, she ran off like a little girl in a toy store.

    “I… can’t believe we just agreed to that,” Sophie said.

    “Me neither… but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Vivian replied.

    Sophie giggled as she groggily tried standing up again. She managed to steady herself but with a lot more effort than usual. It really made Vivian wonder what it would be like after a whole week of being a statue like this. Regardless, they would experience it together, here at the museum of lifelike art.