Short Story Collection

The Paintbrush

As Jessica sat in her studio in Manhattan,she stared at the blank canvas infront of her. She loved to paint,but had only started painting professionally the previous year. A customer had come and asked her to paint whatever she felt best,and to "go with her artistic instincts." Jessica wondered, what could I possibly paint?

"Jess!" shouted a familiar voice,breaking into Jessica's thoughts.
"There you are!" said Stacie; Jessica's best friend,as she hugged her.
"I've been looking everywhere for you! Your Mom said that she'll be going to France early,so...she wants to see you now."
"Fine..." said Jessica, but Stacie was already pulling her out the door.

Jessica's parents were divorced. Her father lived in Australia and her mother did alot of work overseas. So, Jessica had alot of time for herself...but sometimes she longed for a sister or a brother. She just wanted to be part of a normal family.

***

As Stacie pulled into the driveway,Jessica noticed her mother standing on the porch holding a bunch of flowers.
"Hi, Jess!" said her mother cheerfully,sitting the flowers down on the bench next to her.
"Hey, Mom," said Jess, unenthusiasticly. Her mother wasn't someone who's company she enjoyed. Jane just didn't understand her daughter...nor did she make any effort to.
"Ugh,honey,look at all the paint on your t-shirt! Honestly,I can't understand why you enjoy this so much." said Jane,fixing the stray pieces of Jessica's hair.

"Why did you want to see me,Mom?" asked Jessica,changing the subject.
"Oh,that's right;I nearly forgot why I called you here in the first place!" said Jane. Jessica rolled her eyes.

"So,honey,as you know,I'll be in France this summer,so-"
"-you won't be here for my birthday...again." said Jessica,cutting off her mother.
"I'm sorry honey,but I need to work and-"
"It's ok, Mom. Besides,it's better to be spending the summer with Dad."

Jane looked a little hurt  and jealous because her ex-husband was always the one who "understood" Jessica.

"Ok," said Jane,recovering, "getting to the point of why I called you; I'd like to give you your birthday present now."
"Mom,it's ok," said Jessica, "we're different;you didn't have to worry about getting me a present," said Jessica kindly. She said this because Jane was always complaining about how difficult it was getting birthday presents for her daughter and about how they "had different tastes." At one point, Jessica felt bad about taking interest in the things she liked,because Jane always made it sound like a bad thing.

"Actually,Jess,this is something special," said Jane,handing her daughter a stick-like object wrapped in pink paper that said Barbie Girl. Jessica rolled her eyes at the wrapping paper. I guess some people never change,she thought.

"Alright, I have to get going. My flight is at 5PM. I'll see you girls when I get back." Jane hugged her daughter and Stacie and left.

"Well," said Stacie, "your Mom really is something. I'd say that she's one of a kind...and not in a good way."
Jessica sighed.
"What do you think she got me?" she asked,eyeing the thin object.
"I don't know..." replied Stacie. "Open it!"
Jessica carefully unwrapped the item,making sure not to tear the wrapping paper. Stacie rolled her eyes and said matter-of-factly, "You have OCD,"
"I do not," said Jessica and Stacie laughed.

Jessica gasped. "What? What is it?" asked Stacie.
"It's a...paintbrush," replied Jessica. It was a filbert brush with a golden ferrule and light brown wooden handle. On the handle was the words "a magical  paintbrush for my magical daughter" engraved in a curly font.
"This is...the best thing I've ever gotten from her," said Jessica.

***

The next day,Jessica went to her studio to start her customer's painting using her new brush. She had decided to paint a landscape of the ocean with a mermaid sitting on a rock in the distance.

I like it, thought Jessica,smiling to herself. She admired it for a while, and hoped that her customer would like it. I wish I was there, she thought to herself.

Suddenly, as she held the paintbrush in her hand,Jessica was in the painting. She looked around. Nothing moved; it looked just as how she had painted it...but,the paint was still wet.

"Oh no! I wish I wasn't in this stupid painting!" said Jessica,still holding the paintbrush. She was suddenly out of the painting,but her shoes were spluttered with blue paint.

She looked at the paintbrush,then to the painting. She took a deep breath in,then said to herself, "Ok,Jess. You're just imagining things."
She then looked at the painting. Right there,in the centre,were two little footprints from where Jessica stood. But,just as quickly as she saw them,the footprints disappeared.

She looked down at the paintbrush and said, "I wish...I had a bar of chocolate." Then, appeared a bar of chocolate in her hand.
"A magic paintbrush!!" shrieked Jessica.

"Whoa! What's going on here?" asked Stacie as she entered the room. "And where did you get chocolate from?"
"Stacie,you're not going to believe this!" said Jessica.
"If I'm not going to believe it, why bother telling me?"
"Shut up and let me tell you!" said Jessica, "This is a magic paintbrush. Look: I wish I had a...taco!"

And sure enough,there appeared a taco.
"This is freaky," said Stacie.
"I wish I lived in a peaceful place,with two mountains,a bridge in the middle and a beautiful sky with clouds and rays of sunlight..." continued Jessica,not thinking,but,what she didn't realise was that she was only allowed five wishes from the brush,and because she had used them all,she was now going to be granted her wish...but she would be stuck in a still picture on a canvas, because painting was what she loved most.

As this happened,Stacie realised the gravity of the situation ,but she was too late to do anything.

And there on the easel appeared a canvas with a beautiful landscape painted on it, just as Jessica had described. She sat in the middle of a bridge between two mountains.

And so,there stay Jessica until the day she died, and when that day came,she simply faded away.