The Heaven and Hell Complex

Part 2

  On June 6th, Douglas Day finally invited me up to his lodge up in the hills, telling me with utter excitement that his piece was finally ready to be viewed. He seemed a lot more vigorous than the last few times I spoke with him. I still didn't understand why he seemed so apprehensive for the past few weeks we spoke. Upon asking him this very concern, he told me he simply hit a block in his thought process. He had fully converted the room into what was now his installation, but felt like it was...missing something.

Something, he claimed, was to fully solidify the full effect to his 'break-out piece'.

I just gave an acknowledgement of praise for getting over his 'artistic block' as it were, and was more than eager to see this long anticipated project of his. He seemed just as eager for me to see it. I could tell he was hoping that I could sign him up to a gallery as soon as I would be "blown away" by his "masterpiece". I admittedly grinned at the prospect of this thought.
And this man certainly seemed like the well-rounded and friendly personality that I'd admittedly feel bad for letting down with a negative criticism on his piece that he had worked so hard on to finish.

But I was a professional so my opinion had to be just. Even so, I only knew the man for two months. We were hardly life-long friends, so disappointing him wouldn't affect me personally in the long run.

He drove me up to his house, which also turned out to be an estate. I had no idea how wealthy this man was! 

I did start to feel more and more impressed with his enthusiasm in the arts, since he clearly had the money to create his projects, as it showed very clearly from his three-story pinewood lodge, overlooking the golf course as well as the nearby park and woods. The view was amazing, though it would have been a lot better had it not been such a cloudy day.
But I digress. I entered the house and I was once again stunned by the money put into the house.
It was obvious that Douglas Day designed his own interior. He certainly wanted to make a name for himself for sure.

After a bite to eat and a cup of coffee, he finally showed me to what used to be his private gallery, but he had sold all of his painting and converted the entire room into what was to be his pièce de résistance.

I was a little anxious when he told me that he sold off his near-priceless collection of paintings and sculptures just to make the room clearer for his own piece. I started to wonder to what lengths he actually went just to get this piece done.

I could tell be Douglas's mannerisms and sheer enthusiasm that he was indeed an eccentric man, but to sell every single one of your most valuable pieces just to make room?
This project must mean a lot more to him than simple name recognition and a check.

In my opinion, any fool can take a canvas, paint or draw some incoherent nonsense, give a seemingly valid reason as to why they created such incoherent nonsense, and get their work put in a gallery. Simply as a starting point to any aspiring artist.
But Douglas Day had gone to the extreme.
It stunned me that despite this man's wealth, he still needed that extra money to build his magnum opus, so he sold off his other artwork that must have cost him good knows how much. He wouldn't tell me, not did he say who's work they belonged to and where he purchased them from.

Come to think of it, he never even mentioned anyone that assisted him in making this work of his. For all I know, he constructed the entire thing himself by hand.

And upon knowing all this, and when he finally opened the two great double-doors to the room, I felt my heart drop as I stood and stared at the sight, my mouth agape.