Chapter Three: The Restless Painter

Sunny

Yet another new doctor has entered the Tranquil Falls realm. To be honest, he didn't seem half bad. But that meant nothing until after eleven thirty tomorrow.

Unless it's one am right now... A small voice echoed in my head. Rolling my eyes, I turned my attention to the large digital clock that hung solemnly above my door.

12:32 am. The numbers practically seared themselves into my brain.

"Well there goes my sleep..." I directed my gaze back to my moonlit wall. I only had a small section left to paint. It would probably only take, oh, four hours to finish? Yes, that was actually close to a realistic number for it.

Slowly I dipped my medium sized paint brush into a pale yellow. I stroke the wall with my brush, gently guiding the paint to wear I wanted it. The paint was spreading nicely, and not running. The painting was actually beginning to show itself as well. A smile snuck its way onto my lips.

"The one who sits beside me." I whispered, admiring my work so far. The painting was a copy of Ninalee Irani's painting The one who sits beside me. She was one of the few painters I truly and honestly enjoyed admiring the works of. Irani mainly painted birds, flowers and foods. They were each quite beautiful. And now, one was going to be up on my wall. The wet paint gleamed in the pale moonlight that poured in through my open window.

The birds were perched happily on a tree branch together in this painting. The colors weren't fully blended in together in this piece, and gave it a special look. A sigh escaped from my lips, and my eyelids began to feel heavy.

12:32 am.

The numbers burned bright in my mind. Shaking my head, I gently set my brush down in warm water. I would finish these birds. It'd been two weeks since I had begun The one who sits beside me. I wanted to finish it.

This painting had something I didn't. Someone beside them. My family wasn't beside me. Well, my brother was, but that was it. They had given up years ago. My stuff I'd brought with me was probably all that was left. I knew that's how my parents would be. Only my brother actually cared. And now we were legal adults. We, or him, could arrange visits as he pleased.

I still don't expect him to visit more often. Two years ago he had moved to Bleakwater to live with our more supportive family members. Of course he did the whole transferring schools things, and is the oldest student at Bleakwater Highschool. He moved to be closer to me. And because our present family here wouldn't deny him a visit with me.

Yet I still feel alone. My own twin brother has begun to grow away from me. He acted like that wasn't the case, but I can tell that when he does visit.

Slowly, I laid on my back, my gaze drifted to the naked ceiling. As if I'd flipped a switch though, my breathing slowed, and my eyelids became heavy again. My head began to throb again. I had managed to control the shaking, but my brain was still protesting quite a bit. Stretching my arms above my head, I allowed my eyes to close, and sleep to overtake me.