Sugary Muse

The sound of a paintbrush hitting the floor echoed throughout the whole studio. There is a large and towering unfinished painting hanging in the center of the studio, and in front of it sits a man on a bar stool. Anyone who saw the man's face would think he was impersonating a panda with how dark the circles under his eyes were.

He let out an exasperated sigh. His hands tugged at his hair on their own, as though by habit.

The man unconsciously glanced to his left side, where the calendar dangled. His eyes were caught up on the date that had been marked by a red marker. The date that has been marked will be tomorrow. To be precise, the last day for submitting artwork will only be until the next day in the afternoon. He swallowed dryly, looking again at the canvas in front of him.

It's 2:00 A.M. His eyes are sore, and his artwork is nowhere near finished.

The deadline was set for one month, and he's been working hard in the previous weeks to finish his entry. Yet he made little progress for the whole month. He clasped his hands tightly. An ugly feeling sparks up inside him, making it uncomfortable to breathe.

Unbeknownst to him, his co-artist, who is also his friend, is standing behind his door, observing him with a worried look on his face.

A small knock brought the man back to his senses. He shifted his head to the right and caught his friend's gaze. His companion approached him. They were silent for a while, both staring at the unfinished artwork. The man felt a light tap on his shoulders. It was his friend, who had a soft look on his face, as if telling him that it would be alright. The man could only muster a forced smile, his gaze fixed on his artwork.

Before leaving his studio, his friend left him a Hershey's chocolate bar next to his palette.

When the door closed, his gaze was drawn to the chocolate bar. He grabbed the Hershey's chocolate bar, unsure whether he had time for a short snack. He tore the wrapper and chewed. His eyes widen slightly as the chocolate melts delightfully in his mouth. He sensed something beneath the chocolate bar just as he was ready to bite again. He opened it, and a post-it note greeted him.

As he reads the note, he bites into the Hershey's chocolate bar. At that moment, he felt something inside him begin to flicker, and he reached for the paintbrush on the floor.

● ● ●

The sun's rays began to pass through the window. Making the studio glimmer in golden light. The calendar slightly swings. The ticking of the clock echoed in the room. On a bar stool sits a man with a somewhat worn-out look, yet there's a glow in his eyes as he stares at his finished artwork. Besides his palette, there was an empty chocolate wrap and a post-it note that wrote: There's a muse in sweetness.