Art is Life

4:34 pm in the bustling city of New York, the sun was setting. The chill breeze blew through an open window of a messy apartment. Paint splattered everywhere; half-painted canvases and cups of watery paint are everywhere. Elijah was putting the finishing touches on his new creation. He dabbed a bit of black there and a bit of brown there. He stood back in amazement.

“Yes, she’s beautiful!”

His perception of the perfect woman. She was painted curvy but unproportional. Her skin like caramel and hair like an oak tree.

“Only if you were real.”

Countless times Elijah has been told that he cannot live in fantasy. His paintings were an escape for him. When he painted places and people, he felt like they were real. He wanted to interact with them.

Nightfall came, and the city lights came on. Elijah could hear all the cars and party people from the shower. He heard a noise that sounded closer and exited the shower in curiosity.

“Somebody there?”

Of course, no one answered. He wrapped the towel around his waist. He checked his art room, and to his surprise, his painting was gone. The canvas was there, but the outline of the woman he drew was gone.

“What the.. where… how?”

Elijah scratched his head. He didn’t know if he was having another episode or dreaming. He decided maybe he should take his pills; after all, it was supposed to help him. Dr. Jordan prescribed them after he had that episode on the train a year ago.

“Where are my pills?”

He decided to check the bedroom. In his bedroom, he saw a figure lying in his bed.

He quickly ran to turn on the light. He couldn’t believe his eyes; his painting was on his bed.

“Hi,” she said

Elijah stood frozen in shock.

“Aren’t you going to say hi? That’s very rude.”

Elijah quickly ran into the bathroom. He searched the cabinet for his pills.

“Where are these damn pills! I just had them.”

Elijah’s heart was beating out of his chest. Panic overwhelmed him; he began to breathe heavily.

“What are you looking for?”

Elijah jumped in surprise.

“No, you aren’t real!”

“I’m very real; you made me real.”

She walked over to him, and he avoided her every move to touch him.

“I need a name, you know, you haven’t named me.”

“Leave me alone.”

Elijah exited the bathroom and checked the kitchen.

“Okay, I think I had them after I made a sandwich earlier.”

“What about Jasmine or Rina?”

“Those are my ex-girlfriend's names.”

“What about Tasha? Oooh, I like Bella?”

“Found them!”

They were hidden in a drawer that he wasn’t sure how they got in.

Elijah opened the pill bottle and poured the tiny pills into his hand. He poured the majority back and held two. He dropped them into his mouth without hesitation and swallowed them without water. He closed his eyes.

“At least name me…”

The voice faded.

He opened his eyes and looked around the room.

“She’s gone”

Elijah checked the art room and saw her still on the canvas.

“Yup… I’m officially a person with no sanity. Completely crazy. Well I guess I should name you.”

Elijah picked up his paintbrush and wrote in the bottom right-hand corner ‘Willow.’

“That suits you.”

Elijah put the paint brush down and walked away.

“I love it,” a voice said faintly

Elijah froze in place. He turned around to look at the painting, and she hadn’t moved.

“I need to call Dr. Jordan.”