Welcome to Shadow Wood

Original Fiction / Fanfiction / Poetry and Prose

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Prologue

Red soared onto the canvas with a sharp splatter, dots of rushing color over the whiteness like a sudden gush of blood.

"She paints?"

"That's right. She paints and nothing else."

A sudden blue dashed about with the red, curving and moving in a soft dance to the soft soprano voice that filled the room with song of unknown words.

"Nothing else?"

"We have to rip her away from them to eat."

A broad black line arched against its red and blue counterparts as the almost too wide brush slid across the canvas.

"That's not healthy."

"I never said she was."

Flowing blonde locks spilled suddenly across the way, spiraling this way and that within the bold black, red, and blue.

"Well, I guess it's implied. She is here, after all."

"Exactly."

The singing stopped abruptly. The paintbrush clattered to the ground, splattering yellow paint across the already paint covered floor. The floor in itself seemed a masterpiece. Blank eyes took in the newly finished painting. Slowly, the eyes slid downwards to look at a color speckled white shirt and jeans down to pale, bare feet. It was finished.

"Emily?"

The patter of feet, then a hand pressed upon the white clothed shoulder.

"Emily, it's beautiful. She looks so happy…You have such a gift."

She slowly turned my head up to look at the woman. She didn't understand. None of them did. There was no beauty. No gift. Why didn't they understand? It wasn't finished yet. She hadn't painted Everything.

Her feet made a soft sound across the floor as she moved to the next canvas, the next try, the next attempt at perfection in the blending of line, shape, and color. Never did she end her senseless strokes upon canvas unless made to. They seemed to understand that and left her be. After all, why made her stop the painting she loved so much?

Taylor frowned at the twelve-year-old girl. It was true that Emily was like this all days, but Taylor wished…It did not matter what her wish was, for she knew the girl would never grant it. Emily's paintings were her first and only love. Taylor sighed, watching Emily pick up another paintbrush. Emily was a very small girl with dark brown hair cut haphazardly over her head in locks far too short to have anything done with them. She would have it no other way. Her eyes were a deep light blue with an almost unearthly brightness. They seemed to glow with intelligence, but the child never spoke. The only sound her voice made was her song.

With a sigh, the guardian left the painting room. The girl continued to paint, her soft song filtering through the door into the hallways of the huge estate she lived in. No one had figured out where she had learned her song, or the language it was written of. Emily was five years old when Taylor found her on the streets, her ears cut at the top for some reason and bleeding. The girl had only sat still wherever Taylor set her until one day when the woman brought her a pad of paper and water paints, desperate for anything from the little girl. Immediately, Emily had lifted the brush and started her obsession. After watercolor came other kinds; Emily naturally excelled at them all. Taylor found that she hadn't the room for Emily's paintings, but nor did she have the heart to just throw them away. So, she tried to sell them. The girl's paintings were slowly found and sold. Little by little, they grew more popular. Her surreal styles and beautiful nature were entrancing to art collectors and bought up quickly. Taylor used the money to fund Emily's need.

"EVERYTHING!"

Taylor stopped dead in her tracks before the door. It was lunch time and she had come to collect Emily once more, but the word stopped her. Emily had spoken. Shaking herself from her stupor, Taylor stepped inside to see her ward staring at a door. Her painting, actually. It was a door and nothing more. And written on the door in gold lettering was the word 'Everything'.

"Emily?" Taylor asked softly, stepping up behind her. Emily didn't move.

"Everything," she whispered. Then she reached out and put her hand over the brassy doorknob she had painted. Taylor stared as the girl's hand actually closed around it, as if it were real. She quickly pulled Emily away from it, touching the knob herself. It must have been a trick of the light…all she felt was canvas under her fingers.

"Everything!" Emily cried once more, shoving Taylor upon the ground. The woman grunted softly as she hit the ground. Emily grabbed the doorknob and turned it, stunning the woman. The girl's body shook with a strong emotion as she slowly pulled the door open, once more as if it were real. Emily let the doorknob fall from her grasp as she stared into what no one saw but her. A sudden gust of wind blew back her short locks barely long enough to reach her brows from her face. Her voice was a mere whimper now. "Everything…"

"Emily!" Taylor cried, getting up, but she wasn't fast enough. Without another look, Emily walked through the door and it slammed shut behind her. Taylor grabbed at the knob, feeling sobs erupt from inside of her as all she was met with was paint upon canvas.

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