You are not sure you want to hang out for any more unwelcome surprises, but you know the statue is blocking the corridor behind you. You scuttle backwards towards the statue, figuring that at least your back will be protected while you face whatever is coming towards you. However, while you wait for the sensation of cool marble against your shoulders, you find yourself still moving backwards. You know you should have hit the statue by now, but you can't tear your eyes away from the shadow in front of you long enough to look over your shoulder. At the edge of the range of your torch's light, which you dropped on the ground as you were backing away, you finally freeze, just as whatever it is steps into view.
At first, all you can see is a large paw. Horrified that it is another werewolf, your knees give out and you land on your rear, your wings bent at an awkward angle. Slowly, a second paw moves forward and lands beside the first. You trace the outline upwards, and realize that the shadow is too tall to be a beast on four legs; rather, it must be on its hind paws. It leans forward as a bead of cold sweat runs down your cheek.
"Are you...human?" A quavering yet sweet voice asks. You look up and realize that the large tan paws belong to a woman, whose upper torso is undoubtedly human. Although the dim flickering light plays tricks on your eyes, you are certain there is something oddly familiar about her. You lean forward slowly and pick up the torch without getting up, raising it to get a better look. There is no doubt now, you have seen her face before. Actually, it looks just like the statue behind you. As the thought dawns upon you, you come to realize the ramifications. If you haven't bumped into the statue, and she looks just like it, even down to the curving horns poking out of her long hair, then she doesn't only have two paws...
"You are! Oh, what a relief! I haven't seen a normal person in days..." Her bubbly response trails off as you raise the torch and she catches a glimpse of your wings over your shoulder. "Oh no...no!" She gasps as fear becomes evident in her face and she tries to back away. However, she is so terrified that as she retreats her front paws become tangled with her rear paws, causing her to tumble over in an undignified manner. You blink in surprise. If you weren't so scared of this place, you would be amused at the thought of anything in here being scared of you. You begin to pity the pathetic sight of the woman-beast trying to work flailing arms and paws in an attempt to crawl away.
"Hey...are you okay?" You finally get to your feet and walk over cautiously, the half-woman freezing as you approach. You see tears in her eyes and decide for the moment she needs help more than you do, whatever she is. "Here, give me your hand." After a moment's hesitation, she reluctantly complies, and you pull her up until she is finally standing on all four paws. You realize that while she has the body of a lioness, her human torso extending up from its front shoulders, she is actually slightly shorter than you, although she could easily dwarf you if she could stand only on her hind legs. You surreptitiously peek over her shoulder and catch a glint of light reflected off two slitted eyes...her tail, or at least the snake attached where a tail should be. There's no doubt now, she's the statue.
"What...are you?" The woman-lion-snake with horns squeaks out. You slightly smile in spite of yourself, tickled at a creature more beast than human trying to identify you, who is at least more humanoid.
"Believe it or not, I'm human...stuff happened, and I grew a pair of wings." You awkwardly abbreviate your story, not sure how much to tell her. To your surprise, she takes it better than you would have hoped. In fact, she looks downright ecstatic.
"So you're the same as me! I'm human too!" She catches your skeptical look, and continues, "I got lost, made a stupid wish, and ended up like this! But I really am human!" You're not sure whether to believe her, but either way, she doesn't seem to be a threat to you. Anyway, you're sick of wandering around this place on your own, and there's no way you're asking the werewolf along.
"Wait, how did you end up a statue?" You absently wonder aloud.
"A statue?" she frowns. "I remember trying to get away from something weird, and then I saw something else...I can't remember what it was, but the next second it was gone, and a few minutes later you came up through the trapdoor." You furrow your brows. You know you were in the corridor more than a few minutes, and the statue did not move at all. In fact, there had been a fair layer of dust and cobwebs atop it.
"What day is it?" You ask curiously.
"I'm not sure, I think I've been in here a week, but I haven't found a working clock," she replies thoughtfully. "So I guess it is the middle of October?" Your eyes widen at that. Although you don't want to freak her out, you decide to tell her the truth.
"It's actually July...which probably means you've been frozen as a statue for at least 10 months, if not longer," you say slowly, watching as she sways a bit on her paws in shock. You reach out a hand to steady her as she grapples with the fact that she has lost months, if not years, trapped.
"Look, what's your name?" You ask, hoping to distract her.
"Promise...promise you won't laugh?" She sniffles through her tears. It is beyond you at this point how you could find anything about her name funny, but you nod anyway.
"Leona," she whispers blushing, and you can't prevent a slight snort of a giggle from escaping. "You promised you wouldn't laugh!" Leona pouts, punching you lightly in the arm.
"Leona," you grin, biting back your laughter. "Why don't we try to get out of here together?"