| The Tale of the Stone Maiden | |
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| Season 7 , Episode 4 | |
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| Air date | April 9, 2000 |
| Written by | Mark D. Perry |
| Directed by | Adam Weissman |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous The Tale of the Silver Sight: Part 3 |
Next The Tale of the Laser Maze |
The Tale of the Stone Maiden is the Fourth episode of the Seventh season of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, as well as the Eighty-Second episode in total.
Cast
Midnight Society Cast
- Elisha Cuthbert as Megan
- Daniel DeSanto as Tucker
- Kareem Blackwell as Quinn
- David Deveau as Andy
- Vanessa Lengies as Vange
Story Cast
- Jeff Saumier as Kevin Tyler
- Terra Vnesa (credited as as Terra Vanessa) as Julie Hart
- Maggie Castle as Sandra
- Ryan Best as Donald
- Martin Neufeld as Henry the Protector
- Kathleen Fee as Vivian White
- Lorne Brass asDr. John Tyler
- Linda Smith as Mrs. Diane Tyler
- Terence Bowman as Bob the Maintenance Man
Intro
That night, Quinn comes in with an armful of logs and adds them to the fire. He's frustrated, and he proposes a new rule. He states that from now on whoever comes in late, has to gather the firewood for a month. Andy says that she isn't even late yet. Vange annoyed and with attitude, says that in five seconds she'll have a month of hard labor. Then she begins impatiently counting down from five to one.
Megan finally comes in before Vange reaches one. She's carrying a heavy knapsack and is out of breath. Megan apologizes for being late, saying what she brought is heavier than she thought and it took her forever to arrive. Tucker nicely helps her carry the bag and tells her not to worry about being late. Tucker asks her what it is, Megan says she brought it for her story, and asks him to put it by the chair. Tucker agrees to put it by the chair for her, straining as he lifts it.
Megan sits down on the storyteller's chair and says her story is about artists, and the amazing things they create. She reveals a big chunk of marble stone was in her bag. Quinn isn't too impressed, saying its pretty low on the amazing scale. Megan says that it isn't, because to us it's just a chunk of marble. To an artist, there is a beautiful creation inside, just waiting to be released. She passes the stone to Andy and sits down, Andy agrees saying that it could turn out to be anything. Megan then explains that it's the same thing with a new piece of paper, or a new canvas. What it, is the vision of the artist that turns a piece of nothing into something special.
Megan then explains When an artist creates something, they put so much of themselves into their creation. That it's almost as if they are giving their creations life, and where there's, there's also emotion. Imagine if a statue could be happy or sad or lonely or even angry.
Megan throws in the campfire dust to make the fire more intense while she submits her story for the approval of The Midnight Society. She calls her story "The Tale of the Stone Maiden" and begins her story.
Story
Megan tells the story, it takes place inside a park. A beautiful statue of a girl pouring her lover some water, is approached by a team of construction workers. They carefully disconnect the boy statue away from the girl and wrap and carry it away.
Nearby in the park, a group of friends are playing a game of volleyball. The team is Donald and his girlfriend Sandra versus Kevin Tyler and his girlfriend Julie Hart. Kevin and Julie win the game and decide to treat their friend to some drinks.
But first, Julie being an artistic photographer takes many expressive and silly pictures of her boyfriend (while this is done, someone lurking in the bushes seems to be spying on them). Then she asks him if she's finally going to meet his parents tonight. Kevin, has been putting this off for some time now, and tries to talk his way out of it again. Julie is annoyed, because they've been dating for three months and she thinks the time has come. Tyler says that his parents are stern and serious and find artistic people to be different and strange. Julie is offended because she senses that Kevin believes that she just isn't good enough for him, and she's tired of feeling this way. Both of them get frustrated and decide that they need some time apart and break up. Kevin is so upset he runs off deep into the woodlands of the park.
When Kevin stops in the clearing in the woods, he notices the lone statue seems to actually be pouring out water from it's vase now. Kevin rubs water on himself to cool down, and takes a drink. He spits it out, the water tastes horrible. The whole time, the statue seems to be looking directly at him with a malicious smile and after drinking water, Kevin immediately regrets doing so and starts to feel ill. He hears a noise and calls out to who might be there (thinking it might be Julie). Then he clutches his stomach in agony, almost as if he's been poisoned. He's then screaming for the unseen person who is approaching him to back off and leave him alone, while he's limping around clutching his stomach.
Back at the park, Sandra is shocked to hear Julie say that she and Kevin just broke up. Sandra tells her that their made for each other, Julie says she thought so too, but Kevin doesn't think so. Donald mentions he's been missing for a half hour now and wonders where he might be; Julie goes to find him.
That night, Julie still hasn't heard from Kevin, concerned she phones his parents (introducing herself as just a friend). Julie tells his dad that Kevin left the park before she did, and wants to know if he's home yet. His father, Dr. John Tyler is very worried, saying he still isn't home yet and it's way past his curfew and he'll have to call her the next day when he comes home. Kevin's mother Diane is shown to be very worried as well.
That evening, Julie is developing her pictures in the darkroom. There she notices in one picture, a creepy stalker was watching them from the bushes, this creeps her out. The next morning before school, Julie is still observing the photograph of the stalker watching them and she's freaked out by it. Then Donald and Sandra meet up with her and informing her that neither of them have heard a peep from Kevin, saying it's like he just vanished. Then Julie is approached by Kevin's worried parents. They demand to know where he is, Mrs. Tyler is furious stating he hasn't been the same since he met her, and hopes that she had nothing to do with his disappearance. Mr Tyler calms her down and they leave to look for him. Then as they leave, she tells them she wants to find him as much as they do, and they both look at her upset and concerned and then leave. Then once again, the stalker is watching Julie from a nearby fence.
After school, Julie goes back to the park to search for him. Then suddenly, she's startled hearing a sound in the woods. She nervously watches as something rustles through them. Then when the stalker pops out they both startle each other and run off. Then the stalker starts chasing her into the woods, as she runs fearfully from him. The stalker then runs in front of her and asks to speak with her. He tries to calm her down, saying he won't hurt her and knows where Kevin is. Julie nervously follows him into the bushes, and comes to a halt to be shown a stone statue version of Kevin. The statue is of Kevin painfully clutching his stomach.
Julie looks at it in disbelief thinking it might be a joke and asks who he is. The Stalker identifies himself as The Protector, a man who tidies and recycles the woods in his spare time and follows and promotes his fours beliefs of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover". Julie isn't convinced the the statue is her boyfriend, but The protector tries to convince her it is him and he saw it happen to him. He shows her the girl statue, and explains he drank the water from the fountain and looked severely sick. He then tried to help, Kevin but he pushed him away. Julie then recognizes The Protector as the stalker from her photograph and thinks he's a crazy mad man playing some sick joke. He tries to convince her the statue did it and he has no reason to lie. Julie then checks the name plate, it's described as "The Stone Maiden" and it was sculpted by the artist Vivian White.
Julie and The Protector then go to visit Vivian White in her art studio. Julie introduces themselves and The Protector reveals his name to be Henry. Henry is amazed because Vivian also makes art from recyclable items. Julie tells her they came to speak to her about the Stone Maiden statue she made in the park, and how Henry claims it turned her boyfriend to stone. They are about to leave, when they think she won't believe them. However Vivian tells them that turning people to stone is exactly what it does.
Vivian explains to them, that she sculpted The Stone Maiden statue years ago. She made it when she had trouble finding true love, so she put her life and love into her artwork. She explains that the statue is based on a story from ancient Greece. The story was about two young lovers, who were being torn apart because their families didn't approve of their relationship. The girl found a magic potion that could turn them both into stone. Therefore, they decided that since their love was so strong, they decided to spend eternity together as statues, instead of spending the rest of their lives apart.
Vivian shows them a sketch of the statue, and Julie is puzzled asking why she didn't also sculpt the Maiden's lover. Vivian is confused stating that she did, wondering if they're talking about the same statue. Julie and Henry inform her that the Maiden is alone with no boy statue.
Vivian phones the city, and she is furious to find out that without her consent, the city sold half of statue to another park to balance their budget. Julie tries to calm her down, by telling her the water fountain in the statue still works. Vivian is stunned, claiming her statue doesn't have a water fountain. Henry backs up her up, saying it's hard to believe but it's true. The statue has water pouring out from it, and Kevin drank it, which turned him into stone. Vivian states that it does happen in the story, but the legend isn't true.
Henry has a theory that, the statue doesn't like to be lonely, and since her lover is gone, she has chosen Kevin to replace him. Then Henry predicts that if they return the boy statue, The girl statue won't be lonely anymore and will turn Kevin back to normal.
Henry, Julie and Vivian rush down to the park's head office to demand the boy statue back. The Maintenance Man Bob is very rude and unconvincing. Bob refuses to listen to Vivian who explains that her contract states that she donated a full statue, not a half statue and it can't be split up and sold without her consent and approval. Bob still doesn't listen to them and is about to send it away in a truck. Then Henry steals the truck and drives it back to the clearing, with Julie following him on a bike.
Vivian and Bob follow them to the clearing as Henry is placing the statue back in place. Bob is mad demanding it be given back, while Vivian observes the water coming out and is simply astonished. Henry warns her to not drink it, and Bob threatens that he'll just take it away again. Vivian shows Bob the full contract and states that it must stay or she'll sue. Then Tyler's parents show up, demanding to know what's going on where their son is. Julie explains that they think something happened to Tyler, after drinking water from the statues Fountain, which horrifies them thinking he was poisoned. Then Henry clicks the statue back into place and the fountain stops. Henry rejoices, stating that the statue got her boyfriend back and the spell is broken.
Then they all run over to where Kevin is, but he's still a statue. Julie panics complaining that it didn't work, and it must have been a legend after all. Therefore, straight from her heart she confesses her love to him. Julie apologizes, saying she was wrong. She says she doesn't care what his parents think of her, or of them being together. She states that they might be different, but they belong together. Then she tells him she loves him, kissing him on the cheek, and asks him to come back to her.
Then from love's true kiss, the statue of Kevin Tyler instantly transforms back to normal. Kevin's parents are so shocked his mother faints, and Henry and Vivian hug in rejoice, Bob is just stunned. Julie is thrilled stating that he's back, Kevin state that their back together now and they hug.
Soon, the matter of keeping the statue together is resolved and remains in one piece. Kevin and Julie are happily together, winning his parents approval and respect. Vivian claims that they'll never really know what made all it happen. Julie claims it's because if two people are really made for each other, then nothing should ever keep them apart. Then it's revealed that Henry and Vivian have found each other and their passion for recycling and art. Kevin then asks when he'll meet her parents and she says not yet.
Ending
As her story ends, Megan says that The Stone Maiden and her boyfriend got back together. The way they were always meant to be; just like Julie and Kevin. Her friends are very impressed and Quinn says it was a good story and Vange says it was amazing and Andy says it was nice. Quinn then mocks her saying that now she has to lug the heavy stone all the way back home.
Megan says she was hoping one of them would help her. Hearing this, her friends all makes excuses and bail. Tucker says he's already running late and takes off, Quinn quickly puts out the fire Vange says she would is she was stronger, but she isn't and leaves. Quinn rudely tells her: "Yeah right!" and leaves. Megan is getting upset and looks to Andy, Andy nicely says that she's he'll help her. Megan gratefully thanks him, then hand him the stone saying: bye and runs off. Andy cries out that he said he would help, not do it himself. Then he's gets annoyed and calls out that from now one anyone who leaves early, has to collect the firewood for a month and leaves.
- Julie's apartment building is the same one from "The Tale of Apartment 214".
- One of two episodes featuring Martin Neufeld. He also appeared in "The Tale of Prisoners Past".
- Martin Neufeld, who portrayed The Protector/Henry, previously appeared in the original series of the show. He first appeared in the episode "The Tale of Prisoners Past" as One-Eyed Jack.
- This was Kathleen Fee's third and final appearance in the entire show. She portrayed Vivian White in this episode. She first appeared in the original series episode "The Tale of the Night Shift" as Nurse Hantin, co-starring with Elisha Cuthbert who portrayed The Young Girl. Then she made her second appearance, in the episode "The Tale of the Gruesome Gourmets" as Dotty.
- Linda Smith, who portrayed Mrs. Diane Tyler, first made an appearance in the original series of the show many years before. She first appeared in "The Tale of the Twisted Claw" as Mrs. Freeman.
- Terence Bowman, who portrayed Bob/The Maintenance Man, previously appeared in the show before. He first appeared in the original series episode "The Tale of Train Magic" as The Gambler.
