Broken Veil (on hold till late fall)

Unintentional

I looked down at the broken drawing under my feet. Even if that was my talent, I had respect for hard work, especially in that area.

"What is it?" I asked. I was somewhat bold, considering I had just destroyed whatever it had been. Now the drawing was a bunch of footsteps and some lumpy piles.

"It was a... Well, it was inspired by you. Do remember the tree that you drew once?"

"I've drawn a lot of trees, Teryn." My sarcastic voice hid my guilt. The drawing was inspired by me...

"The one with the face?"

"Oh yeah. That one." That had been a great drawing - I had managed to etch the features of an Aerix into a drawn tree's bark. It was a wise, old tree, who knew the ways of the world and, even more, the fairness of it.

"I was doing that drawing."

"That exact drawing?"

"Yes." Teryn almost looked ashamed.

"No, don't - okay, look. Art is about expression. That particular picture, for instance, was one I drew when I don't understand the world around me. I knew that there was someone, something out there that knew it all. And so I just drew what came to mind."

"Okay," Teryn said. He didn't seem to understand what I was getting at.

"So, try drawing something original. Something that really touches you, personally."

His expression was still clouded, but he thanked me anyway.

"No problem, Teryn."

And I just walked away.

My emotions were mixed. Of course I felt bad for yelling at him, and being rude, and stomping all over his drawing that he drew after me... But at the same time...

I yelled at him.

I stood up for myself.

He copied me, and I stomped all over it.

...was that supposed to feel good?

I wandered after that. My fingers were itching to do something - to draw, to write, to twist themselves around each other. There was a little cave, ten foot by ten foot, and rounded on the corners. I liked this cave particularly. I came upon it, and sighed, relieved. Nobody ever bothered me here; it was a place of serenity. I dragged my foot in the dirt all the way to where I sat down and began to draw.

It was a mindless picture. I wanted to express, to pour my emotions into a full picture, but when I drew a pair of eyes, they scorned me, when I drew a slinking cat, it only crawled away from me. I tried to redraw my tree drawing, but his wisdom bit into my soul, wooden teeth ground.

For the first time ever, drawing wasnt working.

I scowled at the dirt, mussing it up with my fingertips. I just wanted to draw! Was that so much to ask? I walked around the room and kicked the dirt, scattering a branch of my tree. I scattered more of it, kicking and stomping like a child throwing a tantrum.

A little whistle slipped into my mind, but I shouted right after it. "I just. Want. To. Draw!" I yelled, and my voice cracked at the end. I collapsed in the middle of the room, legs folded beneath me, and noticed Mabri.

"Hi," I said, my voice weak and breathless.

Mabri smiled, amused at my tantrum. She watched me for a while. Then her eyes drifted, and she took in a breath. She looked all around me, at the ruined art.

Her voice was loud, seeming to echo in the small cavern. "It's beautiful."

My gaze followed hers, and I saw the ruined art in the light of her comment. Instead of shattered drawings, I began to see an abstract art. I wasn't usually fond of those - they looked stupid and unintentional, like a small child had gotten ahold of some paint and decided to play.

This abstract really had been unintentional, I reasoned with myself. That was the reason I liked it, added with, most likely, the fact that I was somewhat partial to my own art rather than that of a two year old.

"I guess it is, isn't it?"

"It reminds me of something I want you to try, soon," she said. "Remind me, I'll have it ready for you tonight."

"Okay..." I dragged out the a in the word, not sure what she was getting at.

She nodded absentmindedly. "Oh!" She said, snapping out of her trance. "I originally came to bring you back to the Class. Everyone else heard my whistle, though you must've been too caught in your own world."

"Must have," I agreed, reminded of the little whistle from earlier. Oops. I had ignored her call.

"We're having a 'Part Two' lesson of gifts."

"Alright." I stood up and headed out of the door after Mabri with one last glance at my abstract art.

It really was beautiful, swirling and twisting and piling on top and around old pictures, framing some pieces and covering others.

It really was beautiful.

Happy Thursday :)

-Allysonita