Brent's Painting
"Don't tell me you painted during the night?" I can literally see how shocked she was.
"I actually did." I scratched the back of my head.
Sai was surprised. "What? Really? So you saw Iseul?"
I gulped, still looking at Iseul's portrait. "I think so."
"Oh my God, I can't believe this is really happening. That's what you get for not following the rules. I bet you were scared as hell," she laughed.
"I was scared... but now I'm curious about her." Genuinely. I want to know more about what happened. Which is crazy!
She nodded her head and crossed her arms. We were both looking at the displayed piece.
"Iseul is just one of the anima perdutas here at Techne Island. But don't worry, my dad said they never harm people. In fact, they just wanted people to paint them. They were just... uncontrollable, so that's why people here adjusted and drew during the day." she explained.
"Aren't you scared of that? An island full of artists who never painted at night because some ghosts appear?" I asked.
"I got used to it, and citizens here are also well aware of that. There was no history of bad incidents regarding those so don't worry." she reassured.
"Did Iseul appeared too when Brent painted her?" I asked.
"Not at all."
Oh, so that means not everyone will see what they paint. Okay, I get it.
"You can actually read this painting's history. But it might take a while, I need to find it from Dad's journals." She walked towards a bookshelf and searched for Brent's journal.
"Wait, are you even allowed to go through your Dad's journals?" I was about to stop her.
"It was displayed here for a reason. If dad won't let people read this then he should've hidden these." she's still searching, not minding what I said.
"I should clean this section, it's really dusty," she removed some dust in the journal. "Here, I think Dad's notes for that portrait is here. I'll just entertain new costumers."
She excused herself when she heard the bell, it means new people entered the building.
"This wasn't part of the plan," I whispered.
I sat on a wooden chair and opened Howard Brent's journal. I can tell the pages are already old. The notes were written ten years ago.
There, I finally saw it.
---
Year 2010:
Iseul
I don't accept commissions, paintings and sculptures were my hobbies. But an old woman approached me one afternoon, begging that I should paint her daughter.
"Paint her at night and she will appear, I just want to see my beloved daughter again."
I remembered she was crying while saying that. Rumors about painting at night were true, that's why I don't grab paintbrushes nor pencils when the sky is dark. But she was begging me, and my conscience told me to just do it for her.
---
I closed the journal. My heart was beating so fast already. Should I even continue reading things from the past?
I looked back at Iseul's painting. My curiosity sparked again. I need to visit another gallery today, but she already has my interest. I sighed heavily and opened the journal again. Maybe I should continue my journey tomorrow.
---
"The lady gave me her daughter's photo. She looked beautiful, but she also looked sad. She had green eyes and a pale skin. Her hair had a big volume and it was curly. I painted her, and her mom was beside me the whole time, hoping that her daughter would appear."
I added every detail of the girl, but she never appeared. Her mom was disappointed, and apologized for wasting my time. But there was no time wasted because I created a beautiful painting... of a living disaster.
"Iseul, why won't you let your own mother see you for the last time?" her Mother said before leaving.
Iseul, that's the lady's name. She appeared in other places already, but never in front of her mother. May she rest in peace.
---
"Boo!"
"What the fudge!"
Sai laughed loudly after scaring me. I held my chest and breathed heavily.
"How was it? What happened?"
"Read it to yourself, I'm leaving." I returned the journal to her.
"Hey! Sorry for frightening you, come on," she said, trying to stop me.
"I need to go somewhere. Thank you for accompanying me, Sai."
"Alright! If you need something I'm just here. Take care, Yohan!" she said and waved her hand.
I walked towards the exit with my mind full of Iseul. I learned so much about her, but it feels like it's just superficial. She was not part of my plans and now look at me!
Ugh, what should I do?
"You're here to paint, Yohan. You're not here to discover Techne Island's history, nor search more about Iseul." I hissed. I was talking to myself while walking.
I found myself in front of an ice cream stall, this should calm me down. I ordered a vanilla ice cream and ate while walking. I sat at a bench in another park, but smaller compared to the one near my apartment.
I need a sign. If I visit another gallery, and Iseul's portrait is there again... I will search more about her. If not, then I'll just paint during the day and sleep at night!
I made a deal inside my head while eating an ice cream. I looked stupid while talking to myself. It's just my third day, and this place is making me crazy already.
I went to Jin's misulgwan. The owner's a Korean artist, and the art gallery is in a minimalist style. The building also has two floors, but the design was minimal. Simple, yet powerful.
There's no way Iseul will be here.
My mind became calm, and I started celebrating inside my head when I reached the end of the second floor. She's not here, I thought.
Not until I saw a sculpture of Iseul's head. It was painted and I immediately realized it was her.
"Argh what the hell am I going to do?"
That's the last straw!