On My Own (TVD Series)

Isolated Target

Sitting in the middle of the attic floor, my body spread out along the wooden floorboards as I stared up at the ceiling. Hands covered in paint and tubes of acrylic paints cluttered around my legs and arms, I took in deep breaths as a cool breeze blew in through the propped window. 

Having only slept a few hours this morning, I woke up at the crack of dawn to the sound of Gaia and Hestia heading down towards the garden to weed the plants. With the fresh smell of wet grass coming through the window, it was only of the few things distracting me from the memory of Enzo's body lying a few feet below me. 

Sitting up, I stared down at my legs as they turned out facing the opposite walls squishing the acrylic tubes underneath. Sliding and kicking over the empty ones, I crawled my way to the canvas and the stool I sat in front of it, raising myself from the ground when I heard something come up the stairs to the attic.

"Lauren?" Gaia whispered, turning the doorknob.

Peaking her head inside, she gazed around the room for a bit before finding me in the middle.

"Do you need some candles?" I asked her.

"No...can I eat my cookies with you?"

Chuckling under my breath, I flick my fingers over at another empty stool sitting in the corner, levitating it to sit beside the window.

"Take a seat."

Squeezing and spreading the black acrylic on the palette, I smeared it in different spots on the blue canvas, dragging certain parts downward when I see Gaia offering me a cookie.

"Thank you."

Taking it with my teeth, I had her clean some of the dirty and dry brushes inside one of the moving boxes while I tried to get a good sketch on the canvas.

"Is this for a client?" She asked.

"No...well, I don't know. Haven't had much of those lately...everyone keeps dying."

Hearing the dirty water splatter at the sides of the mason jar, I spread another tube on my palette, mixing it with white before sliding it across the canvas again. Using my fingers, I smeared some of the harsh edges of the picture, creating creases due to my nails I smear more of the mixed color on the canvas.

"Why do you wear that ring?" Gaia asked, pointing at my daylight ring.

Quickly glancing at my right hand, I wiped the top of my hand on my overalls to show her the bluestone wrapped around the silver wiring.

"It keeps me from burning in the sun...not all of us are lucky."

"But it's so ugly?"

"It's a family heirloom..."

"I know...but it's still ugly."

"Gaia!" Selene yelled from the foyer.

"You're mom's calling." I chuckled.

"Ugh...she's gonna make me go to the garden again."

"I thought you already went to the garden?" I asked, taking another cookie.

"I did, but all of the plants are still blooming so there's nothing to do."

Taking the jar from her, I helped her down from the stool.

"Go, she'll get angry."

"Can you come with me?" She whimpered.

"I have to finish this Gaia-,"

"I'll give you another cookie."

Digging her fingers into her plastic ziplock bag, she pulls one with the abundant amount of chocolate chips to my face.