Eva shuffles into the lecture hall on the first day of school, her shoulders slumped and head down, her face hidden by her long black hair. She silently sits in the back left corner, pulls a notebook and pen from her bag, and glances around at the other students, smiling and chatting about their summer vacations. Nobody pays attention to her or even notices her presence, but that’s exactly what she prefers.
The professor arrives, black robe billowing behind him as he strides into the hall. The class quiets and takes their seats as he surveys the new faces.
“Good morning, and welcome to Warminster College of Magic,” he begins. “I am Professor Aldous Bexley, your instructor for Spellcraft 324.”
A young man in the front row raises his hand. Professor Bexley frowns.
“You have a question?” he asks.
“Yes, Professor, I do,” the student replies, turning around and pointing directly at Eva. “What can you tell me about her?”
Professor Bexley turns and gazes at the corner of the room. The entire class follows. Eva’s face reddens as she slumps even lower in her seat.
“The statue?” the professor asks.
Eva turns around to find a life-size marble nude of a young woman behind her. Her jaw drops. It’s exquisitely crafted and quite beautiful.
How did I not notice this earlier? she wonders.
“Yes, the statue,” the young man responds. “We’ve heard stories from students in your previous class.”
“Stories, eh?” The professor shrugs. “Well, there’s not much of a story to tell. I created that statue last year as a demonstration of petrification magic. I’d quite forgotten about it, to be honest, until you pointed it out.”
“It?” the student asks. “Don’t you mean her?”
“No, I don’t,” Professor Bexley replies. “It’s a statue, not a person.”
The young man raises an eyebrow. “But she used to be—”
“Used to be, yes,” the professor interrupts, “but no longer. The transformation is permanent. It’s just an object, like your chair or my desk. Or the textbook you all should be reading. Speaking of which, please open your books to chapter one on the early history of magic.”
Eva tries to focus during the lecture, but her mind wanders back to the statue behind her.
Why had the woman volunteered for the professor’s demonstration? Eva wonders. What did it feel like to petrify? What was it like to be merely an object? She trembles with excitement. Do I want to find out?
“Excuse me, young lady,” the professor says, standing beside her desk.
Eva snaps back to reality. “Umm, yes, Professor?”
“If I’m not mistaken, you’re in my earlier class. I believe you have somewhere else to be right now.”
Eva glances around at the unfamiliar faces staring back at her. A few students snicker.
“Oh,” she replies. “Yes, you’re right. I’m so sorry.”
Eva stuffs her supplies in her backpack and slinks out of the lecture hall, stealing one final glance back at the statue.
The following day, Eva shows up thirty minutes early to examine the statue more closely. The young woman had been gorgeous, as though she was destined to become a statue for all eternity. Eva circles the work of art a few times before stopping behind it. The muscles in the statue’s back are visible beneath its stone flesh.
Eva reaches out a tentative hand to touch the small of its back. The statue is cool and, unsurprisingly, as hard as rock. Eva traces the arch of its back downward, tentatively sliding her palm over the curve of its shapely posterior. She walks around to the front, lightly touching the statue’s left hip and then brushing her fingers over its marble womanhood, leaning in to examine the stony folds of its labia.
Then Eva places both palms on its abdomen before sliding them upward to cup the statue’s breasts, running her fingers over the rocky nubs of its nipples.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” says someone beside her.
Eva jumps, quickly steps back, and turns to find a male classmate admiring the statue.
“Umm, yes,” Eva replies as she recovers from the sudden interruption. “It’s exquisite.”
“I’m Alex, by the way,” he says with a smile.
“Eva,” she responds, with a slight smile of her own.
“Good to meet you, Eva.”
Eva nods and turns her attention back to the statue. Alex reaches out and places his palm on its stone hip. Then he slides his hand upward until he’s copping a feel of its right breast. His eyes open wide.
“Her nipple!” he exclaims. “There are tiny bumps on the areola! Can you feel them?”
Eva reaches out and circles the statue’s left nipple with her finger.
“Oh, wow!” she remarks. “That’s incredible!”
The two students continue basking in the unique details of the marble flesh, sliding their hands down to feel the stony stubble on the statue’s crotch. Their fingers touch, eliciting a giggle from both of them.
“Ahem,” says a male voice behind them.
Eva and Alex cringe and yank their hands away, stuffing them in their pockets before turning around slowly. The professor stands with his arms crossed and a bemused smile across his face.
“I see you two are intrigued by the statue,” he remarks.
“Umm, yes, Professor,” Eva replies, staring at the floor. “It’s beautiful.”
“Exquisite work, Professor Bexley,” Alex adds.
“I suppose,” the professor remarks, giving the statue a cursory glance. “I barely notice it anymore. Another piece of furniture for the lecture hall, though less useful than desks and chairs.” He shrugs. “Examine it if you must, but please also try to pay attention in class. This is a required course, you know?”
“Yes, Professor,” they reply in unison. “We understand.”
“Good.”
The other students begin trickling in. Professor Bexley turns and walks back to the front of the room to prepare for the day’s lesson. Eva claims her favorite seat in front of the statue, stealing more furtive glances at its marble body. Alex takes the desk beside her, ignoring the statue and stealing glances at Eva.
Over the semester, a strong emotion takes root within Eva. It’s difficult to identify at first, but it slowly crystallizes as she spends more time with the work of art.
Eva is jealous.
She knows it’s ridiculous and wishes she could forget about the whole thing, but the feeling grows stronger until she desperately wants to be the statue. Eva longs to be inanimate, another piece of furniture for the lecture hall, as Professor Bexley had said. This becomes an all-consuming obsession, to the exclusion of everything else. She doesn’t even notice Alex’s tentative advances.
When the last week of class arrives, Eva knows what she must do.
As Professor Bexley greets the class, Eva slips off her shoes and socks. When he drones on about proper wand grip, Eva unbuttons and removes her blouse. Alex’s eyes open wide.
“What are you doing?” he whispers in alarm.
As one of her classmates asks a question, Eva pulls off her skirt.
“I’m following my dream, Alex.”
When the professor rolls his eyes and answers the student’s question, Eva quietly discards her bra and panties. Alex realizes what she’s doing.
“Are you sure about this?” he asks, trying unsuccessfully not to ogle her nude body. “I mean, I’d love to watch and all, but—”
“I’m certain about it,” Eva replies. She leans over and gives him a naked bear hug, mashing her bare breasts against his chest. “See you around, Alex.”
As Eva disengages, Alex continues.
“But it’s permanent. Once you do this, there’s no go—”
Eva shuts him up with a kiss on the cheek and then pulls back, gazing into his eyes. “I know, Alex. I need to do this. I’ll see you around.”
Alex considers raising another objection, but the twinkle in Eva’s eyes makes it clear he’d be wasting his breath. Instead, he nods. “I understand. More than anyone else, I get why you want this.” He pauses a moment. “You’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met, Eva. I won’t forget you.”
Eva smiles. “Thanks, Alex. That means a lot.”
She starts to stand but then pauses as she surveys the room. The gravity of the moment finally hits her.
What am I doing? I’m the shy one! And now I’m naked in class? Everyone will see me! I don’t think I can do this.
Eva reaches for her panties on the floor, but Alex grabs her wrist.
“You can do this, Eva. It’s time to embrace your destiny.”
Eva considers this for a moment and then nods. “You’re right. I can do this.”
Professor Bexley finally notices the whispering in the far corner of the lecture hall and narrows his eyes.
“Is there a problem back there?” he asks.
Alex shakes his head. “No, Professor, no problem at all. Eva has a question for you, though.”
Professor Bexley raises an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”
Alex turns back to Eva. “You got this.”
Eva smiles. “See you around, Alex.”
She finally stands and walks naked toward the front of the class. The professor’s eyes open wide as the students’ jaws drop.
Eva is stunningly beautiful.
The shy young woman most of her classmates barely knew existed is the perfect embodiment of Aphrodite herself. Long raven locks brush her softly swaying breasts. Eva’s flat abdomen leads to a well-tended garden below which her womanhood peeks out demurely from between her shapely thighs. As she passes each row of desks, her fellow students are bewitched by the gentle jiggle of Eva’s plump posterior. How had they never noticed her earlier?
“I have a question, Professor,” Eva announces when she reaches the front of the lecture hall. “Could you turn me into a statue?” She points at the stone woman in the back corner. “Just like her.”
Professor Bexley raises an eyebrow. “Yes, I could, but why would you want that?”
Eva crosses her arms to try to hide her trembling. “I have my reasons. Will you petrify me or not?”
The professor shrugs. “Yes, I suppose I will if that’s what you truly want. It would be a worthwhile learning opportunity for your classmates.” He turns to a young man in the front row. “Go tell the groundskeeper we need a marble pedestal.”
The student nods and sprints out the door. Professor Bexley begins fielding questions about petrification spells, explaining the finer points of the incantations and proper use of the wand. When the groundskeeping crew arrives with a marble pedestal on a rolling cart, the professor is already referring to Eva as an object. She basks in her imminent anonymity.
Professor Bexley gestures for Eva to step onto the pedestal. She eagerly obliges.
“Do you have a pose in mind?” the professor asks, tapping his wand absently on his desk.
Eva nods. “Oh, yes!” Again, she points at the statue in the corner. “I want to look just like her.”
“Very well,” Professor Bexley replies. “Let me know when you’re ready.”
Eva crosses her right foot over her left. Next, she rotates her shoulders clockwise, allowing her right arm to hang near her hip. Then she arches her back slightly to put her chest on full display. Finally, Eva bends her left arm and lightly touches her jaw with her fingers. She winks at Alex before locking eyes with the statue.
“I’m ready, Professor,” Eva announces.
The professor nods, raises his wand, and directs it toward the nude woman.
“Immobilus totalus!” he exclaims.
Eva immediately can’t move as her body is locked into her chosen pose. She tries to speak but can’t. Eva’s slight smile hints at her giddiness as she eagerly awaits her destiny.
My dream is about to come true!
“Petra eterna!” Professor Bexley cries, pointing his wand squarely at Eva’s bare chest.
Eva shudders as a sudden heaviness grows in her bosom and spreads through her torso and limbs. Her transformation begins immediately as her feet become stone and fuse to the marble pedestal. The calcifying wave ascends her calves.
It’s happening! I’m actually turning to stone!
The professor gestures at the petrifying woman. “Because I cast the spell with sufficient power and focus, the change now coursing through her body is self-sustaining and irreversible. Even if I wanted to stop it, I’d be powerless to do so.”
The stone climbs Eva’s thighs. She moans in ecstasy as her womanhood hardens into solid marble.
Ooooh, wow! I wouldn’t mind doing that again.
The wave flows up Eva’s abdomen, steadily petrifying her where she stands. A female classmate raises her hand.
“Is turning to stone, umm, pleasurable?” she asks.
Professor Bexley smiles. “I believe it is, though we have no scientific method of proving it since the resulting statues cannot tell us.”
The marble reaches Eva’s bare chest, transforming her inside and out. As her pert breasts harden into dense stone, her heart beats once more before petrifying. Eva draws a shallow final breath before her lungs calcify.
I’m almost there. And then I’ll be like her.
“My colleagues in philosophy often wonder if statues like this are still conscious after turning to stone,” the professor continues matter-of-factly. “I find such existential navel-gazing irrelevant.” He waves his hand dismissively. “They’re just statues.”
The stony wave pauses at Eva’s neck and spills down her arms, fusing them in place forever. The marble then resumes its climb up her neck and over her chin, mouth, and nose. Professor Bexley’s voice fades to silence as Eva’s ears become stone. Her view of the statue she has idolized for months dims to darkness as her eyes become marble orbs. The transformation crests her head and cascades down Eva’s tangled mane of black hair, calcifying each strand. And with that, it is finished.
I’m a statue! A work of art to be revered and worshipped for eternity.
Eva’s thoughts grow sluggish as her brain hardens into solid stone. She basks in her marble body and rejoices in realizing her fervent dream.
Finally! I’m… just like… her. I’ll be… perfect… forev—
Her consciousness melts away, leaving inanimate stone behind.
“And that concludes our demonstration,” the professor announces. “I hope this has been enlightening. The final exam will take place on Friday and cover everything I’ve taught you this semester.” He flashes a smile. “I’ll be adding a bonus question on petrification magic, so I hope you were paying attention just now. Class dismissed.”
Professor Bexley excuses himself and leaves the lecture hall, explaining that he has a faculty meeting to attend. Some students crowd around the new statue, sliding their hands all over its bare flesh while agreeing that Eva was crazy to do what she did. Alex hangs back until the others lose interest and leave the room.
Then, he steps forward and places his right palm on the statue’s abdomen. It’s still warm, though gradually cooling to room temperature. Alex slides his hand around to the small of its back and steps onto the pedestal facing it, placing his left hand on its cheek. With a glance at the door to make sure he’s alone, Alex leans in and kisses the statue on the lips. Pulling back, he shakes his head.
“Damn, I had all semester to do that, but I didn’t make my move.” He pauses a moment, gazing into the statue’s blank eyes. “I’m happy for you, Eva. You’ve realized your dream. Very few people can say that. I’ll, umm, see you around.”
Alex steps off the pedestal, takes one final look at the statue of his friend, and heads to his next class.
When the students arrive for their final on Friday morning, the original marble nude is nowhere to be seen. The statue of Eva now stands in its place, a near-perfect mimic of its predecessor’s pose. Alex, of course, sits right in front of it, stealing glances whenever he can. As the class sweats through a two-hour exam, the rest of the students pay no attention to the newly minted work of nude art in the back corner of the lecture hall. And why should they? It is merely an object, part of the furnishings, and nothing more. Eva’s wish has come true.
That evening, at home in his study, Professor Bexley flips through the exam booklets, wielding his red pen like a powerful wand. He remains focused on his grading long into the night, paying no heed to the original marble nude now standing in the corner behind him, tiny cracks crisscrossing its stone flesh and an umbrella hanging from the crook of its left arm. Its blank eyes stare at the bookcase across the room, the shelves filled with heavy tomes of spellcraft and other magic.
Like the oak desk, glass globe, and other assorted furniture in the unkempt study, the statue slowly gathers dust.
Copyright 2024 Olivia Quinn
Image by 27745037 from Pixabay
Story notes
I hadn’t planned to write a sequel to “Petra Eterna” until an avid reader asked about it. We kicked some ideas around until a story took shape. This follow-up is four times longer than the original, filling in some blanks about what happened while introducing a new protagonist to follow in her unnamed predecessor’s footsteps.
I’m unsure if Warminster College of Magic will be featured in more stories. Perhaps, if someone asks nicely, we’ll delve more deeply into this unconventional school.
Article Tags: Fantasy · Female · Nudity · Statue · Stone · Volunteer
