could only
imagine what germs were festering in the muffin, but I took it
anyway.
“I’ll give it to her,” I said. “Kate’s a workaholic.
I’m sure she is on some huge story. Did you try her cell?”
“Yeah, since the afternoon.”
That told me something right there. I had called her
a little while ago and she picked up right away. What was she up
to?
“Well, here’s the new one. Wanna take a look?” he
said.
I took the canvas from under his arm and leaned it
up against a wall. We studied it for a few minutes, and then
studied it some more. It was very abstract with thick brush strokes
and depressing shades of blacks and grays. I tried to imagine it in
full color, that there were oranges and blues and purples dancing
together, that maybe it was really amazing. Maybe I didn’t get it
because of my color blindness. It probably was much better than how
I saw it.
“Cool,” I said. “Is it the desert at sunset?”
Matt put his hand under his chin and was quiet for a
minute.
“I like to think my art meets the viewer half way.
It presents itself uniquely to each person. So that’s cool if you
see the desert at sunset.”
I smiled. We stood looking at it for a few more
minutes.
“Does it drive you crazy, Abby, not being able to
see colors anymore?” he asked. “I think that would be the worst
thing. Living in a black and white world.”
I shrugged. Matt rarely talked about my accident. In
fact, this was probably the only time. I don’t know if it was his
gentle demeanor or the way he said it as he stared at his painting,
but my stomach didn’t tense like it usually did when someone asked
about it. And I could imagine the idea of not seeing colors would
be horrible if you were an artist.
“It’s not the worst thing,” I said.
He smiled for a moment before grabbing his canvas,
putting it under his arm.
“Hey, wait,” I said as he headed toward the door.
“Did you have dinner? I could make you a sandwich or
something.”
Matt was okay.
CHAPTER 16
The house was dark when I woke up. I walked over to
Kate’s bedroom and saw that her bed was still made. The red alarm
clock on her table said it was 3:33.
Where was she?
As I reached for my cell, it hit. I sat on her bed
and fell back into the soft pillows and was soon drowning in the
lake again, with bubbles shooting upwards, the light disappearing
from above, and that horrible pull at my feet, dragging me down
into nothingness.
But then, like before, I was thrown out of the water
and again, I could breathe. It was night and I was walking through
a neighborhood in my pajamas and bare feet. There were tall pine
trees and houses around, the moon a half crescent. I could see the
stars and I could see my breath in front of me.
A light glowed in the far distance. I walked toward
it and I saw that it was a fire. It was hot, sudden and fierce, and
my heart was racing as sweat dripped down my face. The smell of
smoke filled the air as I stood with a small crowd that had
gathered in front of thick flames that were shooting up into the
black sky.
People talked around me. Nobody saw me. I stood next
to a man, the flames made his face glow. I could feel his emotions
the strongest out of everyone. He was happy and proud as he watched
the fire.
This was his fire.
I stood right next to him, but he didn’t see me. I
could hear him breathe, saw the smirk on his face. Waves of
happiness flooded his body as he stared up into his creation. “This
is mine, this is mine,” he said in his head, over and over again.
It’s so beautiful, he thought.
Sirens blared in the distance. The arsonist looked
in the direction of the fire trucks turning down the street. Three
huge engines pulled up to the house, firemen ran to the blaze.
Then I saw another car pull up behind the
trucks.
Kate.
She wasn’t alone. She was with Dr. Mortimer.
They got out of the car and Kate started talking to
people while Dr. Mortimer stared at the burning house. I shouted
and ran up
imagine what germs were festering in the muffin, but I took it
anyway.
“I’ll give it to her,” I said. “Kate’s a workaholic.
I’m sure she is on some huge story. Did you try her cell?”
“Yeah, since the afternoon.”
That told me something right there. I had called her
a little while ago and she picked up right away. What was she up
to?
“Well, here’s the new one. Wanna take a look?” he
said.
I took the canvas from under his arm and leaned it
up against a wall. We studied it for a few minutes, and then
studied it some more. It was very abstract with thick brush strokes
and depressing shades of blacks and grays. I tried to imagine it in
full color, that there were oranges and blues and purples dancing
together, that maybe it was really amazing. Maybe I didn’t get it
because of my color blindness. It probably was much better than how
I saw it.
“Cool,” I said. “Is it the desert at sunset?”
Matt put his hand under his chin and was quiet for a
minute.
“I like to think my art meets the viewer half way.
It presents itself uniquely to each person. So that’s cool if you
see the desert at sunset.”
I smiled. We stood looking at it for a few more
minutes.
“Does it drive you crazy, Abby, not being able to
see colors anymore?” he asked. “I think that would be the worst
thing. Living in a black and white world.”
I shrugged. Matt rarely talked about my accident. In
fact, this was probably the only time. I don’t know if it was his
gentle demeanor or the way he said it as he stared at his painting,
but my stomach didn’t tense like it usually did when someone asked
about it. And I could imagine the idea of not seeing colors would
be horrible if you were an artist.
“It’s not the worst thing,” I said.
He smiled for a moment before grabbing his canvas,
putting it under his arm.
“Hey, wait,” I said as he headed toward the door.
“Did you have dinner? I could make you a sandwich or
something.”
Matt was okay.
CHAPTER 16
The house was dark when I woke up. I walked over to
Kate’s bedroom and saw that her bed was still made. The red alarm
clock on her table said it was 3:33.
Where was she?
As I reached for my cell, it hit. I sat on her bed
and fell back into the soft pillows and was soon drowning in the
lake again, with bubbles shooting upwards, the light disappearing
from above, and that horrible pull at my feet, dragging me down
into nothingness.
But then, like before, I was thrown out of the water
and again, I could breathe. It was night and I was walking through
a neighborhood in my pajamas and bare feet. There were tall pine
trees and houses around, the moon a half crescent. I could see the
stars and I could see my breath in front of me.
A light glowed in the far distance. I walked toward
it and I saw that it was a fire. It was hot, sudden and fierce, and
my heart was racing as sweat dripped down my face. The smell of
smoke filled the air as I stood with a small crowd that had
gathered in front of thick flames that were shooting up into the
black sky.
People talked around me. Nobody saw me. I stood next
to a man, the flames made his face glow. I could feel his emotions
the strongest out of everyone. He was happy and proud as he watched
the fire.
This was his fire.
I stood right next to him, but he didn’t see me. I
could hear him breathe, saw the smirk on his face. Waves of
happiness flooded his body as he stared up into his creation. “This
is mine, this is mine,” he said in his head, over and over again.
It’s so beautiful, he thought.
Sirens blared in the distance. The arsonist looked
in the direction of the fire trucks turning down the street. Three
huge engines pulled up to the house, firemen ran to the blaze.
Then I saw another car pull up behind the
trucks.
Kate.
She wasn’t alone. She was with Dr. Mortimer.
They got out of the car and Kate started talking to
people while Dr. Mortimer stared at the burning house. I shouted
and ran up
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