Morgan stood silently in the center of the lush huge round room of Italian art decorated in tiles of teal and gold Arabic influence. There she stood next to a statue seeming to haunch down to be eye to eye with her. Leaning forward She peered into the eyes of her hypnotist and gasped suddenly covering her mouth with her small hand. The sight filled Morgan's eyes as she looked at the statue the frozen man cast in stone. It didn't look to be human but she was more interested in this statue than all the statues in the whole museum. For hours it seemed she examined every curve and line of the creature almost waiting for him to move and talk. She felt her mother tugged her arm when the tour guide carried off with the others but Morgan stood still. It was as tall as her father was but meaner looking almost he as if he was laughing to himself about a secret. Morgan extended her small painted finger to touch it but was quickly swatted away by her mother.

“Morgan we have to move on. Look, see, it is one of the gargoyles from one of the cathedrals down the road.” The creature had sharp features and was extremely muscular. The stone look to be smooth and if it was in the rain, like glass. She didn't say anything to her mother but instead Morgan turned away from statue to follow her mom on the rest of the tour of one of Italy’s finest museums. She glanced back just for a second to see him still hunched over in a dangerous protective pose. Passing through several highly decorated rooms filled of art and wonders of Italy and Sicily she saw her sisters Natalie and Sofia. Her father who was staring at a immense picture of the last supper, the girls dashing from picture to picture until they saw Morgan and their mom. Natalie was a little than Morgan who was eight and Sofia was the oldest of all of them, twelve. It was Sofia's job watching Morgan but after awhile she gave the job to Natalie who was just as interested in the exhibits as her older sister. Only Morgan stood by one piece and remained there making it easier to find her. But that wasn't the reason why she stood there. Natalie was the first one to Morgan, her dark brown waves trailing behind her along with Sofia who looked to be mad.

“Morgan! There you are silly girl.” Natalie was all smiles and giggles as Sofia poured out her anger onto small Morgan who was only thinking about the statue in the mosaic room.

“You could have gotten both Natalie and me in so much trouble if mom couldn't find you.” She to crossed her tan arms and walked back next her father who was asking questions. Morgan kept to her mothers side and held her hand most of the tour as they past through art and more statues. During that time she didn't say a word but wondered about the gargoyle in the rooms behind them. Morgan looked back and only saw people, normal people, her sisters with her father and the tour guide who gave everyone time to go to the bathroom before continuing the rest of the tour. Her mother could see the wonder in her daughter’s eyes.

“ Are you enjoying the museum Morgan?” Morgan nodded but didn't say anything. Her mother turned her around to tie the bow back to the white dress she was wearing. The bow was green, the same color of her eyes along with her sisters. It was another hour before they were back at the hotel. The girls got changed into bedclothes and sat on the bed as their mother and father walked in about to go out for dinner.

“ Are you girls going to be all right?” Their father looked at them as the girls nodded, Morgan still not talking.

“We’ll be fine dad, we know the rules: don't open the door, go to be at nine and call if anything goes wrong. We have left over pizza we should be fine.” Sofia seemed all grown up there making sure her sisters were okay and that her father could trust her.

“ Okay then, you heard her you two, Sofia is in charged. Do what she says okay?”

“Gotcha dad.” Natalie bounced and climbed to the other side of the bed to grab the remote.”

“ And you Morgan? Are you going to be all right?” She nodded again.

“Morgan are you okay, you haven't said anything since the museum trip. Im a bit worried are you sure you sure you’ll be okay with your sisters for a night.” Her mom now sat next to her in a black satin dress draping down to the floor where her red toenails peeped out. Morgan looked at the color and back at her mom.

“I'll be fine” Morgan looked at mom and kissed her cheek goodbye. Her mother smile brightly revealing soft white teeth which Morgan wished she had and kissed her forehead.

“ Night girls” and they left the room. Natalie looked at Sofia who looked at Morgan who looked at the ground. Natalie flipped through channels as Sofia told her to stop at the programs she liked. After about fifteen minutes they wondered what Morgan was doing by the window.

“Morgan? What’s wrong? Seriously you can tell us.” Natalie asked rubbing Morgan's shoulders. Morgan turned around and said soft and slowly.

“ The gargoyle talked to me today. He told me to be quiet until I was all to myself. Opps. I wasn't supposed to tell that. Oh no, he won’t come.” Sofia lowered the television and sat closer to her sister how was now speaking nonsense. Sofia looked at Morgan and then at Natalie who was now in engrossed in the story. Morgan crawled under the covers and hide as if for no one to find her. Natalie walked to the glass door, unlocked it and glanced out into the city. Turning back she shrugged at Sofia that she didn't see anyone.

“Morgan, what did the gargoyle tell you.” Natalie tried to pry the tan covers away from her face but Morgan wouldn't let go. She held on to the cloth like a mouse in the talons of a hawk

“I can’t tell you or he wont come. Stop pulling the cover Nate!” Natalie let go of the covers and look chuckled to herself.

“ What ups with her?” She leaned over the sillotte of Morgan's head and began to say,

“ A gargoyle is coming to visit our sweet little sister Morgan isn't he? Maybe he’ll go to the wrong room and find another person to play with.” Sofia laughed at Natalie's stories as the body underneath the sheets twisted and fought to block out the sound of her sisters taunting.

“ Morgan, what did he say? Did he say that he’d come if you didn't say a word about him? Is that why you said nothing all day, was it because you were going to say something about him? We won’t tell you can trust us. Hey if you saw him would you invite us to see him?” Sofia laughed at that one. She placed head on Natalie's shoulder and began her share of the mocking.

“Would you? I'll personally love to meet a real gargoyle since there isn't any?”

“ That was mean Sophie.”


“She needed to hear the truth. She can’t believe in everything she hears and sees. Morgan you were probably day dreaming.” Morgan popped out from beneath the covers so fast that she scared Natalie back and made Sofia fall of the bed.

“ I wasn't dreaming! I saw him, I saw him!” Sofia was maddening red when she climbed back on to the full size bed pushing Natalie out of her way. Her braid fell out of the elastic band and lay on her shoulders, stringy wet dirty blonde hair.

“Did you see him actually move his mouth? Did you?” She said as she bent over to grab the black ponytail holder lying limp on the foot of the bed. She handed it to Natalie who was already starting to braid Sofia's hair as Morgan tried to come out with a good answer.

“ No, but I heard him talk. It was like he was whispering in my ear.” Natalie stopped braiding and looked over Sofia's shoulder with an odd look.

“ That’s creepy, anyone could have done that. Thank god you’re all right.” She had just finished braiding when Sofia saw that it was fifteen minutes till ten.

“ Lets sleep okay. If mom and dad come in and see us talking we’ll be in more trouble for letting dreamer here walk off.” Natalie moaned about going to sleep but finally gave in to Sofia's threat telling dad that she took a stone from the gift shop. Her eyes bulged as she remembered the round bluish stone that was in her purse. Finally she crawled beside Morgan who was already asleep and snoring followed by Sofia climbing in. They murmured their prayers and turned off the lights.

“Goodnight”