Between the lines

Chapter 7

Madison walked home from the coffee shop with a strange mix of excitement and nervousness bubbling in her chest. Teaming up with Ryan to uncover the mystery artist was a great idea in theory—she just hoped it wouldn't blow up in her face.

As she reached her street, the setting sun painted Llyndarren in shades of gold and crimson. The faint outline of the cliffs was visible in the distance, and she couldn't help but think about how many more pieces of graffiti might be hiding out there, waiting to be discovered.

Her mum was at the kitchen table when Madison got in, flipping through a magazine.

"You're home late," she said, looking up.

"Yeah, I was at the coffee shop with a friend," Madison replied casually, kicking off her shoes.

Her mum raised an eyebrow. "Ryan?"

Madison froze. "How do you know about Ryan?"

"You mentioned him once or twice," her mum said with a knowing smile. "It's nice that you're making new friends."

"It's not like that," Madison said quickly, grabbing an apple from the counter. "We're just... friends."

Her mum didn't look convinced, but she let it go, and Madison escaped to her room before the conversation could continue.

The next day, Madison and Ryan started their unofficial investigation. They didn't meet up right away—Ryan had suggested they start by gathering information separately before comparing notes.

Madison began by revisiting some of the murals she hadn't seen in a while. The one at the skate park, the face in the tree, and even the abstract swirl of colours on the abandoned factory wall—all of them felt like pieces of a larger puzzle she couldn't quite solve.

While snapping a photo of the factory mural, she ran into Evie.

"Okay, seriously, what's with the obsession?" Evie asked, folding her arms.

Madison glanced at her friend, then back at the mural. "I just... I don't know. Don't you think there's something amazing about it? Whoever's doing this isn't just painting—they're telling a story."

Evie tilted her head, considering. "Maybe. But it's not like they're gonna reveal themselves or anything. Artists like this never do."

"Maybe they will," Madison said, more to herself than to Evie.

Evie sighed. "Well, good luck with that. Just don't start sneaking out at night or something. Your mum would freak."

Madison laughed nervously, but her friend's words stuck with her. She didn't want her mum—or anyone else, for that matter—to know just how deep her fascination went.

Ryan, meanwhile, had his own strategy. Instead of retracing the murals, he hung out at the places where new ones were most likely to pop up—abandoned buildings, train stations, and quiet back alleys.

He didn't have much luck until late afternoon, when he overheard a couple of kids talking near the bus stop.

"Did you see the new one by the cliffs?" one of them said.

"Yeah, it's insane. I think it's the same person who did the tree face. The style's similar."

Ryan's ears perked up. He waited until the kids left before heading straight for the cliffs, his heart pounding with anticipation.

When he got there, the mural took his breath away. It was massive, stretching across a weathered concrete wall, and it depicted a pair of hands holding up a shattered mirror. The reflection in the shards showed different emotions—anger, sadness, joy, fear—blended together in chaotic harmony.

Ryan took out his phone and snapped a picture. This was definitely the work of the mystery artist.

That evening, Madison and Ryan met up at the park to share what they'd found. It was quiet, the sun dipping below the horizon as they sat on a bench near the swings.

"Okay, you first," Ryan said, leaning back with his hands in his pockets.

Madison pulled out her phone and showed him the photos she'd taken. "I went back to some of the older pieces, just to get a sense of their progression. The colours are getting bolder, the designs more complex. It's like they're getting more confident."

Ryan nodded. "Makes sense. I found something new today, by the cliffs."

He showed her the photo of the shattered mirror mural. Madison stared at it, her mind racing.

"It's incredible," she said softly. "The detail... the emotions. It's like they're trying to say something, but I can't figure out what."

"Me neither," Ryan admitted. "But I think we're getting closer. Whoever this is, they're not just some random graffiti artist. They're trying to connect with people."

Madison glanced at him, a smile tugging at her lips. "You sound like you've thought about this a lot."

Ryan shrugged, but his cheeks turned slightly pink. "It's... inspiring, you know? Makes me want to try harder in my own stuff."

Madison didn't press him further, but she felt the same. The art was more than just paint on walls—it was a conversation, one she desperately wanted to be a part of.