Floating Stars

Chapter 23: Jeeves the Cat

"Close your eyes," Luchinda commanded Astrid with a soft, velvety voice. Astrid did as she was asked, perched on the edge of a slim, wooden stool. Her paintbrush waited in her loose grasp as she stared at the white canvas in front of her.

"Now think back to when you were the happiest you've ever been. No anxieties, no troubles. A time you felt most at peace."

Astrid let out a gentle breath as her thoughts jumped straight to the lake in Strelle Forest. There, stood before her, was True and she had his light orb shining in the centre of her palm. A warm smile played on her lips as the love she felt within her heart at that moment, flooded back into her core.

"Now open your eyes."

Astrid obeyed with no hesitation, the white of the canvas grabbed at her sight like two strong hands. 

"With the colours sitting in front of you, paint what you saw," Luchinda instructed, making Astrid's breath catch in her throat.

"I - I don't know if I can…" the pressure Astrid felt from Luchinda was evident in her shaky words.

"You don't… Wait…"

Astrid sat in silence, patiently waiting as her aunt paced back and forth in front of her.

"Okay! Try this - look at the four colours. Memorise their order." 

With a puzzled scowl, Astrid did just that. She could not see where Luchinda's thought process was going.

"Alright? Have you got it?" Astrid nodded, and so Luchinda continued, "Most importantly, I need you to trust me." She then took her light orb out of her pouch that hung on her hip. "Do you trust me?" 

Astrid nodded again, but this time her movement was much slower, the light, clasped in Luchinda's hand, reflected her violet gaze.

"I want you to close your eyes again." 

Darkness swallowed the room as Astrid obeyed, just like she did before.

"Think of that same peaceful memory. Feel the atmosphere fill you, let it engulf you." Astrid did as she was asked and felt her shoulders, which she didn't realise that she tensed, relax.

"You are going to paint it with your eyes shut." 

A gust of air left Astrid's puffed cheeks, as she contemplated what she just heard.

"You can do this. Go on, find your place and your materials." 

With a quick shrug, Astrid clumsily reached out her hands to find the canvas and each individual paint pot. She dipped her paintbrush into the pot filled with green paint, carefully drew it out and made it hover over the canvas in anticipation.

"You can do it, let your memory guide your hand. Take it one brushstroke at a time."

As soon as Astrid's brush made contact with the canvas, she felt a heat penetrate the skin of her right hand and wrist. The warmth seeped into the tiny muscles within her fingers and pulled her hand in various directions. She knew she had no choice but to rely on this fire to dictate her movement. She soon got lost in the dance that it caused her paintbrush to perform.

Then all motion stopped. That heat travelled up her arm, across her face, and tapped at her eyes; forcing them to blink open.

There, before her, was an abstract, yet beautiful, painting of her memory. She could clearly pick out True by Strelle Lake within the acrylic paint that stained the canvas, in brilliant, bold colours.

"Wow…" Astrid breathed in awe.

"Wow indeed!" Luchinda piped up, making Astrid glance over at her.