The Painting

Chapter 3

"Ugh, they're hugging and all, and that guy can't even say hi to me," I muttered to myself.

"How much of the book have you read?" Canis asked. He was the chosen one, to be my bench mate.

"Not much-just a few chapters. This is the first book I've ever picked up, and the first one I'm actually trying to read on my own. It'll probably take me until graduation to finish it."

"Bro, your hair will turn grey before you finish that. Give me back my book."

"What??? are you possessive over a book?"

"Yes, it's one of my favourite! For god's sake, if I see a scratch on it, you'll be the headline in the morning newspaper."

"In that case just tell me what is the story of Achilles and Patroclus"

"Hear me out. I'll probably miss out on parts of the story if I try to tell you. That's why I want you to read it yourself. Try reading it today in the library; it'll set the mood. I'll sit with you and keep you company. You look like you really want to know the story."

"Got it," I said, agreeing. Since the afternoon was free, I decided to check out the room they call a library-a place I'd never set foot in before. All this for a book?

Here's the summary of what I understood, Achilles was a half-god, the son of a mortal king and a goddess. His mother dipped him into the River Styx, which granted immortality, but held him by the heel, leaving that spot vulnerable. So, Achilles was immortal everywhere except his heel.

During The Trojan War, the war against the gods, Achilles was known as the ultimate warrior but stepped back in the middle of a war. His best friend Patroclus then convinced him to let him wear his Armor, hoping the Trojans would think Achilles had returned and retreat in fear.

However, Apollo, the god of the sun, helped the Trojan prince Hector find and kill Patroclus. Achilles then vowed revenge. He hunted Hector back to Troy. Killing everyone along the way, At the city walls, Hector tried to reason with him, but Achilles stabbed him in the throat, killing him. Achilles' rage and brutality had reached a certain point that it destroyed him completely, and his mother knew this would be his downfall.

In the end, Paris shot Achilles with an arrow guided by Apollo, hitting his only weak spot-his heel. Achilles died instantly, still undefeated in battle. People believed Patroclus was Achilles heel, his weakness his immortality, how can someone love to a point that it kills them?

"Will you ever love someone to a point that it will kill you?" I asked Canis

"I don't know man, love and all is beyond me" He replied, stretching as he got off his chair. It was already night, and we had been kicked out of the library for spending too much time there. The story was stuck in my head, and though I was hungry, I felt like I would puke if I ate anything, so I went straight to my room and went to sleep.

The next morning, I went straight to Night, sat next to him, and looked him straight in the eyes. "Do you know what the painting was about?" I asked. He was looking at me eyes widened, eyebrows narrowed, and I could tell he was super irritated with me; he looked like he was about to slap me or something.

"Yeah, I'm not dumb like you. It's about Achilles and Patroclus, the Trojan War," he said, relaxing his eyes and looking away from mine. I grabbed his chin, as if begging for attention, moved in close, and asked, "Why were you so absorbed in that painting the other day?" He flinched and pushed my hands away from his face. Realizing I was too close, I took a step back. He grabbed me by the collar and pulled me closer.

"Why don't you mind your own goddamn business and stay out of my life like a leech?"

"Whoa," I said.

His eyes shifted from irritation and anger to soft and guilty. Was I angry about what he said? No. Moon tells me stuff like that all the time-she even calls me a fucking future homeless person, reckless asshole, unemployed mafia god. I'm used to it and knew I had crossed the line by invading his personal space, so whatever. He got up and ran away.

Lily saw him running away as she was entering the class. "What's up with him?" she asked me.

I was occupying her seat, so I got up, scratching my head. "Sorry, I messed up." And then I told her what had happened.

"You ever heard of a madman? You know, someone consumed by art? I think he's completely caught up in it. You know the concept of reincarnation, right? people believe humans are reborn as others, so who knows? Maybe we're seeing a version of our past selves in ancient paintings. He first saw that painting last summer when we visited Bangkok, and it's been haunting him ever since. He has read everything about it as part of his research. And on top of that he goes there every weekend like a madman, staring at it like it'll start speaking to him. For all I know, he's already had a full-fledged conversation with everyone in that painting." She explained me, so we both were on the same page?

"If I go try talking to him, will he listen?" I asked her since she was the one close to him

"He is a psychopath; give him some time he will be back to normal, actually he has this big wall around himself he won't even let me and Leo in sometimes so all we can do right now is wait for him" she advised me and I followed.