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—𝘏𝘦𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺𝘮𝘺𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 _______________ ౨ৎ
THE AFTERNOON sun slanted through the high windows of the ceramics studio, casting a warm glow on the dusty shelves and half-formed clay figures. The quiet was abruptly pierced by the sound of the heavy door swinging open.
"Bree, would you do me a favor?" Jenna called out, her footsteps echoing across the tiled floor.
Brooklyn looked up from her pottery wheel, her heart skipping a beat. The studio had been her sanctuary of solitude, a place to lose herself in the rhythmic dance of clay and water. "Um- yeah sure, what do you need?" she replied, trying to mask the irritation in her voice.
Jenna, the perky new student, ambled over with a vase that looked more like a squashed octopus than a work of art. She set it down gently on the drying rack, the clay still pliable under her fingertips. "Would you mind turning the lights? I want to see how it turned out. I mean, I can't really see anything in this gloomy light, just some shadows," she said with a hopeful smile.
Brooklyn nodded and wiped her hands clean before standing up.
"Light it for me, would you?" Jenna said, handing over the unlit candle.
Brooklyn took it and made her way to the counter, flipping the switches to bathe the room in darkness. The only illumination now came from the candle in her hand and the occasional beam of sunlight that managed to pierce through the dusty panes. The studio was transformed, the shadows dancing and stretching like ghosts around the room.
"What do you see?" Jenna asked, her voice soft and expectant.
Brooklyn held the candle closer to the vase, the flame casting an eerie glow on its lumpy surface. She took a deep breath, trying to formulate an encouraging response. "Well, it's... unique," she said, her voice wavering slightly.
Jenna stepped forward, her eyes welling up with tears. "You know, I used to swim a lot," she began, her voice quavering, "There was this lake we used to go to. It wasn't deep, but I loved to glide along the bottom and turn around and look up. And sunlight would break into a million pieces like beads, and as you got closer, the light would dance.And it's sort of what i was going for.But I can't see""
Brooklyn felt the weight of Jenna's words, the depth of the pain behind her attempt to create a piece that could capture a moment of pure joy. She looked again at the lumpy vase, seeing beyond its imperfections to the memory it was trying to hold. "It's beautiful," she said sincerely, "It's like being underwater and seeing the light break through the surface. The way the candle's light hits it, it's like it's bringing the water to life."
Jenna's eyes searched Brooklyn's, looking for a hint of genuine admiration. "Is that you, Brooklyn?" she whispered, her voice trembling, "Please answer"
