Chapter Ten

Stu went back to his room much against his will. As he climbed the stairs, he did not notice a shadow lingering behind him. Once he reached his room, he removed his glasses once again and tried to fall asleep. The floor creaked as the figure stepped closer to the bed. The figure hovered over Stu momentarily. Then she placed her cold hands on his back.
Stu felt a shiver go through his spine. He had felt like death had personally just patted him on the back. The pats the turned into a back rub that froze his spine. Afraid, he screamed. He turned to see the figure who had followed him. She cowered in the corner, whimpering in fear. She her skin was clammy and blue. Her hair was thin with a musty, brown hue. Her face was streaked with three black tears on each cheek.
“Oh, did I frighten you?” He asked with the utmost apology. She nodded her head curtly. “Oh then please forgive me!”
“You saw her didn't you?” She asked him so quietly he almost couldn't hear her.
He thought of who she could be referring to until he hit him; the bubble blowing creature. “Yes, I did.”
“I haven't seen her for so long!” the woman began. “If only I could touch her one more time but alas I am forbidden even though I brought her into this world.”
What is she talking about? Stu pondered this for a while. She sounded as if the creature was her daughter. How could that be? The creature and her looked nothing alike. Unexpectedly he remembered the bet he had made with Da Vinci. Was this woman the artist of the creature?
“Are you the artist? The one whom created that creature?”
The woman nodded her head. “Long ago I had the crazy notion that I could make art. I have many works but out of them all she was my favorite. I put her into much detail until one day she came to life. It was bliss until I was discovered by the elders of art. They found her repulsive and shun her, As for me, my dreams have been shattered.”
Stu looked at this woman and could see the that her heart had been broken in two. Her love for art had been wounded as well as her heart. How could someone do such a thing? It destroy someone's love for something made him sick. He hoped he would never do anything like that again in his life.
“Miss, I enjoy your art more than anyone here so far but I promise you I will get someone to believe that your piece is art.” He said promisingly.
The woman was over come up sudden joy. She fell to the ground, clasping her hands around his leg. She shed tears of sheer happiness. Her grip was frosty but Stu didn't care for inside he felt warm. He yawned and asked her if he could finally slumber. She agreed that he could and dashed away gratefully.

Marigold hadn't lift her lovely head for hours. Stu's two students sat with their mysterious smiles. The door opened again. Marigold lifted her head to glimpse at whom had come. She saw a bouquet of yellow roses pass her by. It was another of Stu's students. She had Asian skin and black hair pinned up in a bun. Her eyes were the color of almonds. She sat down between the other two. She leaned out and winked at Marigold. Did her eyes just glow yellow? Marigold asked herself.

It was the next day and Stu was ready to prove himself right. (In a good way.) He made his way downstairs to enjoy a nice meal but his hunger vanished instantly when he saw who was serving them. The broken hearted artist. She was now in a stiff maid dress which didn't suit her. Now this was a suffering artiste. Why must all art suffer? He asked himself. With is appetite lost, he removed himself from the kitchen.
He wandered around the house until he smelled the sweet fragrance of fresh flowers. He found a door that had been opened slightly that led to a garden. He breathed in the scented air: what a relief! He was lost in a sea of colorful blossoms. He heard the buzz of the hard-working bees collecting their honey. As he walked a little further he noticed a old, wooden shack. His curiosity egging him on, he entered the broken down shed. The door fell off: a minor detail but his curiosity built. He looked inside and his eyes beheld some of the most beautiful pieces of art he had ever seen! Strange awkward carvings, odd usual pictures! These must have been the other works of the shattered artist. But why where they in here? Of all places, why would such lovely pieces be in a run down shack?
There was a gruff cough from behind him: he had been discovered. He turn to discover the elder artists who were accompanied by two women dress in expensive, black clothes.
“Good sir,” Van Gogh coughed again. “This is the art experts, Mrs. Old and Fashion.”
“Good evening!” Mrs. Old greeted him. “Da Vinci can we please move into your humble abode it is quite strange here.”
“Yes, yes yes!” Da Vinci agreed. “We shall proceed in. Join us when ever you like sir!”
The elders lead the two women into the huge house. Stu turned to go back into the shed but he then noticed there was another figure. It was a child: not one of his students though. She stood there with her hands clasped behind her back. Her dressed was simple and black like the experts. She wore white, knee socks and black slippers. She had deep lavender eyes that could make you lost in her gaze.
Stu felt uncomfortable with the silence. “Hi!”
The girl looked surprised that he articulated anything to her but she returned it with a shy “Hello.”
“Are you an expert?” He asked her. She didn't answer but bent her head, using her foot to draw in the dust. “Are you?” She nodded.
Like an angel, his striped friend from last night appeared in the window. He smiled widely at her but she frightened the young expert. The creature jumped gracefully across the room to Stu, hiding behind him.
“Don't be frightened,” He told them both. “We're all friends here.”
The creature looked at him wonderingly then at the young expert. The creature then slowly made her way towards the young one. The two stared at each other for a moment. Creature put her hand up as if to show the expert. The child started at the creature then looked at her hand. Slowly, she raised her hand towards the other. Their hands inched forward as if they were capturing the moment.
“Child!” Mrs. Fashion busted into the room. She grabbed Child's hand away from creature's. Creature's face looked as if she were about to cry as well as Child's. “I told you not go near her!”
“But----but----” Child stammered, trying to hold back her tears.
“But what?” Mrs. Fashion gripped tightened on Child's hand. Child fell silent. “That's what I thought!”

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