Misty waters

22-Beat of your heart

I spent the day talking to Sparks and lounging around the ground floor. He was the perfect person to talk to when you’re feeling blue. His humor would bring a smile to my face every time. But I couldn’t help noticing Miss Rose’s ill temper. She was snapping at every conversation, sighing every second someone would ask her a question and would retreat to her dreary crimson room on every chance she got. Something was seriously wrong and she was making it all the more obvious.

Twinkle was still the silent and hard to reach person on my list and Sunny was growing rather reclusive. The decision Rex made had affected everyone in unseen ways. The days were stretching out endlessly with nothing in them but more and more silence. Hope seemed like a fragile flame in a soaked cave. I could see no way out. How was I ever going to understand the prophecy without Rex? And even if I did, it would mean nothing. Because Philo clearly said it was for the two of us.

But I am more than ever keen on making this day more or less productive. Valerie’s words were still hanging in my thoughts; my great grandmothers paintings was the first clue on my list.

Pulling over a black shirt and simple jeans I sneaked downstairs. No one was awake. Besides it was only 5:20 and Mrs. Bumble usually gets up around 8 or so. I took a long look at the calendar in the empty kitchen:

March 12th was the date marked as today. We still had some spring days ahead before the heat breaks in.

Tiptoeing silently I walked to the drawing room. This was my only chance. After two hours the house would bustle and hustle about leaving me no peace to check the paintings. The wall was covered in beautiful paintings. I couldn’t recognize even one, which looked to be from this world. I walked to the foremost painting. It was the one right to the small window. An eccentric meadow was painted on the canvas. There were cyan flowers everywhere. And the grass was of a strange blue color. The sky was a striking purple, the kind when the sun sets.

Sure enough the painting was odd. The color of the vegetation was not natural nor was it familiar. But that was it. It had nothing on it but a scribbled writer’s signature. No message was hidden in it, it was just a lovely painting.

Maybe this isn’t the one I told myself. My heart sinking with disappointment, I stared at the painting on the left. It showed trees so tall; they couldn’t fit in the picture. But on the ground grew wild looking vibrant flowers, they were of all shapes and sizes. The sky was barely visible here due to the densely growing trees in the back. I squinted desperately, trying hard to see any hidden messages. But I couldn’t find one.

Looking closely…I saw something rather more terrifying. My eyes wide in shock and horror I stepped backwards. On the top part of the painting where the trees disappeared, was a lone hanging foot.  And what seemed worse to me was that, there was a string of blood dripping from it.

My stomach twisted and repulsed at the sight. There was only one message I could fathom and that was death. I averted my gaze from the disturbing art and tried to concentrate on another one. The next painting was much more admirable. It was a scene that showed bright blue water that was murky and unclear. The sky was overwhelmed in grey clouds that hinted rain. This looks like Misty waters to me. My eyes hurriedly scanned every stroke and every object. There must be something somewhere. There must be! But there was nothing.

I can’t look at anything else, I finally decided. I turned on my heel to go.  There were far too many paintings and not one clue in them. Rex said he’d keep in touch, but I haven’t heard from him for so long. Valerie promised to stop by once in a while but I’m guessing she’s busy. The thing that is frustrating me even more is that; I can’t reach either one of them.

I sat down on a sofa, pondering over my situation. I feel like I’m going nowhere. I need to straighten out my thoughts. First of all, the kingdom disappeared, everyone but Mrs. Bumble the caretaker of Miss Rose and of course Miss Rose who was to watch over all of us. My memory was erased, and the place was attacked by the reapers. Anyone who knew certain things about the Misty waters was to disappear. I and my sister were an exception. Mrs. Bumble didn’t know anything. And as far as I understand, all the answers to my questions are in that place.