Virgin Mary

Silvery-White Sanctuary
The winter night's cold wind sliced like a blade across the town's cobblestone streets. Anna, clutching her feverish infant, sought refuge in an abandoned old church. The pews were cold, with only a few faint crescent-shaped candlelights adorning the altar.
She looked up at the statue of the Virgin Mary, which had weathered centuries of wind and frost.
It was a holy image carved from a single block of pure white marble. Under the flickering candlelight, the Virgin's drapery showed interwoven shades of grey, distinct in layers. She bowed her head slightly, hands clasped across her chest, her face bearing an otherworldly kindness and generosity. Though merely a stone carving, its fluid lines and soft sheen, under the real night photography-like light and shadow, seemed to emit a faint glow, infusing the cold church with a touch of warmth.
Anna knelt before the statue, tears blurring her eyes, and prayed softly.
After an unknown period, the night wind seemed to cease. Anna drowsily opened her eyes, rubbing her tired eyelids. In the semi-conscious glimmer, she was surprised to find that the Virgin's white skirt, originally as hard as solidified fat, now seemed to have transformed into a light, soft white veil, rippling like ink wash in an invisible breeze.
An ineffable sacred fragrance permeated the air. The statue's face seemed to become vibrant and captivating, no longer that of a lofty deity, but more like a mother compassionate towards human suffering. She leaned slightly forward, her almost perfect, maternal silhouette subtly revealed beneath the white veil, generous and embracing.
A faint glow emanated from between the Virgin's clasped hands, gently caressing the child in Anna's arms.
In the morning, the first golden cathedral light pierced the stained glass, falling upon the altar. Anna awoke with a start, finding her child breathing steadily in her arms, forehead cool, and smiling at her with sparkling big eyes.
With a mix of surprise and joy, she looked at the Virgin's statue—it still stood there silently, its pure white, solemn, unyielding marble form distinctly colored in the morning light. The anomaly of yesterday seemed like a mere dream, but the Virgin's compassionate and generous smile was forever etched in Anna's heart.