Artistic License

Part I: Concept

There were no stars in the sky on the night that my world ended. 

A sunset lovingly illuminated my surroundings as I paused to drink in the silence of the afternoon. Fiery reds, luminous golds, and gentle oranges danced in the sky. Its glorious evanescence was stunning, and I longed to hold it in my grasp. Loitering beside a stop sign, I dug around in my book bag for my sketchbook and colouring pencils.

These were always kept easily accessible– an extra minute wasted dumping out my bag meant a minute less left of the sunlit scenery. I eased the rubber band off of the roll of pencils with my right hand and slung it around my left wrist. Sometimes, I wish I were ambidextrous, I mused in my head, because this would be a lot easier to manage. As I held the pencils in my hand, I swore, realising I had no table to place them on. Ruefully, I slid the rubber band back over them and fished for my sketchpad.

Its wide dimensions were fairly incompatible with my bag, and the worn edges had become slightly curved from its not-so-gentle shoving-in every morning. I flipped through pages of floral designs and Japanese manga characters, feeling nostalgic. So many memories were alive in this book of art. Near the end of the pages, I found my desired blank. Peering up at the horizon, I realised it had already minutely changed. I had to move quickly.

I pulled a lead pencil out of the banded bunch. Armed with this weapon, my hands soared across the page, my eyes darting up occasionally to check the scene. I sketched out the treetops, then the housing development, then the clouds. Next, after debating it for a moment, I erased from the top of one house a tall satellite antenna that was offending the skyline. No one will know. The speed of light wasn't enough, as my competitor was perfection and the quickly ebbing daytime. I hurried as much as nature would allow me to, laying down my colours with a peculiar feel of nervous urgency.

I glanced up to check the scenery after filling in a faded pink, and the sun was threatening to drop below the horizon completely. Curiously, no stars had popped up– perhaps they were lurking behind the numerous clouds. As my eyes returned to my pad of paper, I thought to check the time. It was six forty-six; Arianna wouldn't expect me back until seven thirty. I continued colouring without a second thought. The night slowly melted into the sky as I drew, adjusting my colours minutely against the pristine photograph in my mind.

And then it was night, and I was finished. Almost. It became too dark to see any longer as my legs felt the ache of standing for such a time. I resolved to complete the shading of the trees when I reached home.

...Home! What time is it?! I quickly fumbled to open my cell phone, the dark face of my old-fashioned wristwatch practically useless. In my haste, the drawing pad fell to the ground. No! Fearful it would get dirt or moisture on it, I shoved my phone in my pocket and bent down to grab it. The motion was painful, my heavy bag crushing my back as the pencils stabbed into my chest. I came incredibly close to losing my balance as the sounds of a faraway car rumbled upon the road behind me faintly. However, at the last minute, I managed to stand myself upright, pad and pencils clutched close. I wisely put the pencils in order in my book bag before once more reaching for my cell.

As I flipped it open quickly, I was horrified to see that it was seven thirty-eight. I was still a half hour from home! I am so in for it, I screamed to myself as I turned to sprint across the street.

There was a screech of tires, a flash of light, and a drawing pad smeared with sunset and blood slammed into the paved road.

                                                          ✎

Beep.

Beep.

Beep.