From her school bag, Megan takes a hefty lump of marble. Who knows what shapes a sculptor might make of it? To any medium, an artist transfers memory and emotion. What if, say, a statue could enact such feelings? Submitted for the approval of the Midnight Society, she calls this story “The Tale of the Stone Maiden”.
In a small clearing of a sunlit forest, a stone plinth holds two statues. One, a young man, kneels before a young woman, who, in turn, stoops in reach for his shoulder. Two hard hatted workmen prise free the statue of the man, and carry it away...
In a nearby park, Kevin, Julie, Sandra and Donald play volleyball. By the river, on the tree-shaded green, Kevin comically poses for Julie’s camera. She puts the camera on a picnic table, sets the timer, and runs to pose with Kevin. From behind, between the trees, a watching face appears. Julie looks leads Kevin back to the picnic table. She worries that Kevin's parents disapprove of her. Kevin explains their unfamiliarity with arty types. Julie suggests she and Kevin take a break. Kevin resignedly wanders into the woods.
A path leads him to a clearing. On the edge of the trees opposite, he sees the statue of the stooped maiden. He approaches, peers at its weary expression, and sees the stone maiden to hold a stone urn, from which falls a small stream of water. He rubs some on his neck, cups some in his hands, drinks, and spits it out. From behind, he hears a rustle. Suddenly rather worried about what he’s just drunk, he grips his stomach, and staggers back. Someone approaches. Holding his stomach, he stumbles further into the woods.
From her bedroom, Julie calls Kevin’s house. Dr Tyler sternly explains Kevin not yet to be home. In her darkroom, Julie develops today’s photos. In the one of Kevin kissing her, she sees, in the trees behind, the grainy face of a stranger.
Back by the riverside park, Julie looks uncertainly around. Behind her, something stirs between the trees. From between the leaves, out pops Henry, the watcher. He knows where Kevin is. In a clearing, he points to a statue of a hunched young man. Julie sees its features to closely evoke Kevin. Bewildered, she turns to Henry. He leads her to a smaller clearing where stands the Stone Maiden - drinking from whose urn turned Kevin to stone. At the base of the plinth which holds the statue, they see an inscription - "The Stone Maiden, by Vivian White".
In town, they visit a broad, four-storey building. Upstairs, a windowed hall is strewn with table-mounted abstract sculptures, drapes, and a gallery of ceiling-hung records. From past a drape approaches Vivian. She explains turning people into stone to be in the statue's lore - it's based on a Greek legend, in which two young lovers, whose parents disapproved, drank a potion to turn themselves to stone. Vivian makes a phone call, and is furious to learn that half of the statue has been sold to a New York park, to balance the budget. However, she's bewildered to learn of the statue's waterworks.
At the council office, Vivian futilely states her case to a maintenance man. Just then, on the back of a van, the statue is driven away. Desperate, Julie commandeers one of several parked bicycles, and peddles after the van. As the van stops to let several kids cross the road, Julie rides in front of it. The bemused driver gets out, and his indignant boss catches up. While Julie pleads with the indignant maintenance man, Henry sneaks into the driver seat, and drives the van back to the yard.
Back in the forest clearing, Julie helps Henry refit the statue. Vivian and the maintenance man arrive. From the vase, Vivian sees the continuous stream of water. Kevin’s crossly bemused parents arrive. Just then, Henry eases the statue back into place. The trickle of water recedes. Followed by the others, Julie runs to the clearing where stands the statue of Kevin. However, he remains a statue. Julie addresses the statue, and apologises for suspending the relationship. She kisses the statue’s stone cheek. With a rippling, grinding sound, each facet of stonework slides fluidly into the texture of clothes, hair and skin, each of which flood with colour, until Kevin stands restored.
On closure, Megan hesitantly requests a hand in lugging home her piece of marble. Tucker is late, Vange claims not to be strong enough, and Quinn openly declines. Andy openly offers to help. Megan hands him the marble, and hurries off...
This episode provides examples of:
- Anomalous Art: A statue, when separated from its mate, pours from its vase a sourceless spring of water, which in turn channels the transformative properties of the legend on which they’re based.
- Art Initiates Life: The statues seem to channel the spirits of the legendary Ancient Greek lovers; when separated, the Stone Maiden’s vase manifests the transformative potion, which transforms Kevin into a replacement statue. When the statues are reunited, the stream from the vase recedes, and Kevin is restored.
- The Cuckoo Lander Was Right: Henry, with his eccentric custody of the woods, is quite insightful.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Kevin’s high-minded parents seem hostile to artistic, free-spirited Julie.
- Mad Artist: Subverted; Vivien is portrayed as somewhat eccentric, but in a friendly, creative way.
- Scenery Porn: Some lovely shots of the park and woods.
- Taken for Granite: In the Greek legend, two forbidden lovers drank a potion which turned them into stone. When the statues on which they’re based are parted, the Maiden’s vase manifests the legendary potion, which turns Kevin to stone.
