THE VOID

ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖

{Josephine's phone rings}

Josephine: ((glances over at her phone, that's resting on the table. Hero's name appearing on the screen. She jumps too pick it up a little too eagerly)) "Hero" ((she says through the phone, before he can say anything))

Hero: "Josephine!" ((He replies, just as enthusiastically)) "How are you feeling?" ((He adds))

Josephine: ((she pauses for a moment..wondering if she should mention his words from the night before. She decides against it)) "I'm great considering, and yourself?" ((She can't help the small butterflies dancing in her stomach, just by the sound of his voice))

Hero: "I'm a mess, but I always am after drinking. Last night is still so fuzzy, when I woke this morning I thought seeing you was just a dream" ((he adds instantly regretting his last words. Why can't he keep a lid on the cringy lines and complete honesty about his feelings))

Josephine: "I was the complete opposite, I knew it was all real. Every smile, glance, action and word uttered was no figment of my imagination but a fantasy like reality" ((the words lunge out before she can hold them back. She needs to control herself, she doesn't even really know Hero))

Hero: "A fantasy like reality..hmm I think I like that. May I steal it?" ((He asks))

Josephine: "I mean I'm not sure if it's an original thought, I'm sure someone else has probably said it but sure. Go wild with it!" ((She answers curious what he wants to use it for but deducing it's for that journal he was writing in the first time they met))

Hero: "Thank you. I have this thing tonight at an art gallery. It would be cool if you stopped by?" ((he asks greedily knowing she is probably busy but he can't hide the fact he wants to see her))

Josephine: "Sure, that sounds awesome"

Hero: "Great! I will text you the address, see you tonight!"

((Despite the seemingly perfect ending sentence, Hero can't bring himself to hang up the phone and so him and Josephine continue to talk))

***

((7pm - Josephine and Alice enter the small building on the edge of shoreditch. They are greeted with glasses of Champagne and they walk around looking at the paintings that cover the rustic dark red bricks on the walls))

Alice: "This is incredible, I mean I know nothing about art but these paintings are insane" ((she says scanning the walls trying to take in every single stroke of beauty))

Josephine: ((also taking in the art, she looks just below a piece and is captivated by the words)) "They each have a story..or a description of the day that goes with the image..look this one talks about how the artist was feeling when he painted it" ((she adds, gleefully))

Alice: ((glances down to see what Jo, is reading)) "It's in third person, I don't think it's the artist who wrote this..but a by stander" ((she continues reading each passage under each of the mesmerising pieces of art))

Josephine: "They all sound like one voice..one person looking over each of these and adding a story, or context or just some words of understanding" ((she looks over at Alice)) "Is it bad that I like the writing more than the actual paintings" ((she whispers, making sure no one can hear her))

Alice: "Not at all, I'm with you" ((she responds with a light giggle))

((They continue down their path, before they see Mel through the crowd. She is standing by the food table, she turns her nose up at each of the appetisers. Alice and Josephine make their way towards her))