[GL] Black Gold

Chapter 20

They stared at the painting for a long minute without saying anything. Camie wasn't going to be the one to break the silence. She really liked paintings but she didn't know how to explain what they were making her feel. The stranger didn't seem bothered by the silence anyway so she just kept to herself and waited.

"She is quite talented isn't she? She imitated the impressionists with no problem."

Camie quickly nodded:

"If someone told me that this was a Monet, I would believe it."

The stranger laughed:

"Right? I would pay to see this in a museum.

-Me too! I think it's in my top three paintings of all time. Who would have thought that I would find this in a public library, hidden on the fourth floor.

-Why do you think that is?"

Camie frowned. How would she know?

"I don't know.

-Why would someone hide this gorgeous painting where only a few people can see it? Is it an artistic choice? Or is it an attempt of the artist to hide their art?

-Why would they hide it?

-Exactly. Is it shyness? Or a total rejection of their own creation?"

Camie shrugged:

"Maybe it's nothing deep. Maybe the artist just sold their painting and it got hooked here."

The stranger smirked:

"Why would the rich Ember Hunt sell her painting? I don't think she is in need of money. It would be more logical for her to open a gallery in her name just to exhibit her work.

-Wait what?"

The stranger looked at Camie for the first time.

"Did you just say Ember Hunt? Ember Hunt."

The stranger pointed to the white rectangle next to the painting and Camie bent closer to read what was written.

"Ember?"

She thought her chin would fall off. She never saw Ember painting in her visions. How could she be so talented? Seeing Camie shocked made the stranger laugh:

"Is it that unbelievable that Ember painted this?

-No. I mean, yes. No. I... I didn't know that she could paint.

-Come with me."

Camie followed the stranger to the first floor at the end of a deserted corridor, hidden behind a lamp. The stranger grabbed the lamp and pulled it away to see the painting better.

"This was her too?

-Yes. What do you think?

-But... The style is totally different."

The stranger crossed her arms:

"She must have been looking for her own style. Here she imitated realist painters.

-I like this one even better than the first one."

Camie stared at the face on the painting. She had never seen such sorrows in someone's eyes before. The woman on the painting was staring straight at the spectator and Camie was scared that the painting would move any second. Her skin looked like it was real. Her eyes looked like she was about to cry. Her hair looked like it would be carried away by the first breeze. Camie wanted to reach out and comfort her.

"She gave life to her painting. I don't know how long she must have studied portraits to be able to achieve such a result. You must be really passionate if you are capable of creating something like this. This is my all time favorite painting but she never agreed to sell it to me.