On Mute

Chapter 25: The Effects of a Portrait

            Long and bold I made the lines of the hair, the soft textures of the skin I made translucent by smudging the lead with my fingers. With a swift and small curl I made his eyelashes, darkened the lids in a shadow and made his strong sturdy brows. I looked up from my piece, glancing at those long and gentle lashes, how delicate yet masculine they seemed to appear on his face. I shrunk away, feeling a flush meet my cheeks. What is with me?

            Then I began work on the rest of his face, taking care to shape the chin correctly and adding the right complexion. Then I spied the lips, emotionless and soft looking, with a tint or rose. I began to sketch them, feeling evil for enjoying trying to capture them on my paper. With a flick I made the smirk, etching in a shadow where the lip curled upward and... wait a minute? I dropped my sketch pad from my view. Where once shut, the black irises beamed wide open with that devilish smirk.

            "Guh morin' to oou too." Good morning to you too. I grinned, setting aside my palet.

            "How you feeling?" He sat up looking at me straight on.

            "Drugg, a shuh nuh buh reponsibuh for muh actuns."Drugged, and should not be responsible for my actions. I raised an eyebrow and huffed.

            "What makes you say that?" He scrunched his face.

            "Oou cant schell me I am actin normul?" You can't tell me I am acting normal? I pick up an orange bottle of painkillers and shake them.

            "The name... it's some really long word, don't know how to pronounce it. But yeah, you're on some pretty hard stuff?" He laid back down, stretching a yawn and messaging his forehead.

            "Morn'n a ready huh?"

            "Yeah, it is morning." I leaned back to stare at the clock above the bathroom door. "Seven o'clock, the sun has just rose minutes ago." He huffed a sigh and sat back up again... wait, he is pushing his legs off? "Hey, where you going?" he didn't look back, but when he reached the bathroom he turned to me finally.

            "I'll be right out." After a moment I heard him sigh.

            Oh the simple pleasures in life...

~X~

            "Well, um shorry dey din't ave mush variety."Well, I'm sorry they didn't have much variety. Marc placed a bowl of plain Cheerios in front of me as he sat down with his. We were in the hospital cafeteria after Marc got discharged from his room. I sipped the milk before it could taste like cardboard.

            "It's fine, I don't mind Cheerios that much."

            "Ey ate the shtuff." I giggled

            "You mean you "hate"?" He grumbled as he slurped.

            "I um tryin, cut muh shum shlack?" I am trying, cut me some slack?

            "Yeah... yeah..." Then we slurped together.

            Within no time flat we were packed up and ready to go home.

            "Sorry I wasn't there at breakfast... I had to go place your prescription." Mr.Alders pulled the car out of the parking spot and we began our decent down the levels. He son nodded, accepting his appology.

            "Roun, roun, roun, wuh go, were wuh shtop, numbuddy knows?" Marc then chimed. I chuckle, and lean towards the passenger's seat.

            "You're a real goof on meds aren't ya?" Marc huffed, then let his eyes trail away, staring out at the circular tunnel, light,dark, light, dark it went as the sun got shut away then re-exposed by the concrete pillars.

            Finally we were on the road, the thick mist of the early morning seeped into my open window as we sailed across the pavement through the big city. All was silent, Marc looked out the window, Mr. Alders drove and I sat in the back seat, rubbing my thumbs against the leather anterior. Mr. Alders spared no expense to be driving first class, he had a Mercedes, it was black and sleek and buisin like, with all the luxury bells and whistles anyone could think to cram into a four wheeled automobile. I looked under my feet. Maybe he was a secret agent? Those rocket thrusters should be around here somewhere?

            "Marc, you really should take a crack at sketching again, your friend here is about to pass you?" Mr. Alders poked. Marc looked back at me with a grin.

            "Leh er pass muh, it's er thin nuh mine." Let her pass me, it's her thing not mine. He then waved his hand back to me. "Eey wan tuh shee dat pichuh of me please?" I want to see that picture of me please. My hands fell on my sketch pad and I passed it to him hesitantly.

            "I really hoped you would of forgot about it?" He took the pallet in his hands and began to turn the pages one by one.

            "Nope." He replied as he looked at me. I turned the other way and grumbled to myself. I could tell he found the page, the paper stopped shuffling and his head went still as he observed it intensively. He then handed it back without a word, and a glimpse of the side of his face showed he was rather flush. He went back to staring out the window again.

            Finally I was home, I gathered my supplies in my arms and waved them off as they pulled out. Marc raised his hand in response, but lowered it as our eyes met then looked the other way. I caught a glimpse of the shaved side of his head and my shoulders lost their stregnth. I really hope he re cooperates fine...

            Then I turned my back to him and the chapel as I left my dream cloud, we will brush past this thought another day.