The Angel Statue Stole My Soul

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this piece is based on actual myth and legend from my hometown in the UK.

the picture used is of the statue in question and is a screenshot from this video; https://youtu.be/ERs2UEaiRAs

enjoy.

listen to the narration by Darren Marlar here: https://youtu.be/jQfe5GcHWLo

I live in a  relatively boring town in England; I'm sure everyone says that about  their town but nothing interesting ever happens here

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I live in a relatively boring town in England; I'm sure everyone says that about their town but nothing interesting ever happens here. However we do have many myths and legends; just like any town.

Some are "official" and have roots in real life events - the priory and convent for example have tunnels that connect them where, a few years back, excavations found many many small skeletons. They were baby skeletons and while some were not fully formed, the vast majority were. It was theorised that the nuns and especially the monks were not so pious afterall. One of my favourite legends is that the four horsemen of the Apocalypse will ride through this town when the end of all times comes - all I can say is I hope I get to see them ride because, what a sight that would be!

Some other myths and urban legends are not so easy to track down the origins of but are passed around by word of mouth and everyone in my town knows about them. One of the most well known is of the Angel statue in the graveyard behind Northumberland Avenue. You can laugh and make Dr Who jokes about not blinking, but... where do you think they got the idea from?

I was originally told this legend when I was only seven or eight and then it was brought up again when I was ten.
We had moved a few years previous into a house that backed onto the largest cemetery in my town; I was asked a lot about if anything "weird" happened in that house. I didn't understand what they meant and had to ask my mum who had lived in this town her whole life; year after year she would say "when you're older." That happened to be when I was ten and wanted to know why other kids at school thought those houses were haunted and if I had ever seen a ghost.

"There's a haunted angel statue in the cemetery behind us. Every year at midnight on Halloween she moves and then 60 seconds later resumes her original position."

I laughed and said I wanted to watch her move or I wouldn't believe it - even at ten years old I was a little madam; some things don't change. My mum got worried and looked at me deadly serious.

"You can't... anyone who watches her move is cursed to be called to the cemetery and become a statue themselves... most people who try fall asleep seconds before the clock hits midnight, as if there's something trying to protect anyone stupid enough to give it a go."

I remember huffing and crossing my arms in defiance. I would stay up and I would watch her stay still because as much as I loved our town's stories, this is one I couldn't believe.

---

Many years have passed since and it was only recently I thought of the story again. I was walking through the cemetery on a cliché bright sunny day; as much as anywhere remotely religious makes me feel uneasy, this cemetery has always brought me peace. I wasn't walking any particular route and also wasn't taking any notice of where I was going; I almost walked into the caretaker of the church and it's grounds who was stood right in front of the angel statue.

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