Remains Of An Age: The Age Of Darkness

Kara and Dante

Kara put the last, finishing touches on her latest painting and stepped back a bit. She absentmindedly stuck the bottom end of her paintbrush between her teeth as she looked at the canvas. With a smile on her face, she put her paintbrush down, satisfied with the landscape sprawling out across the picture. A large black stone castle dominated the background with beautiful, unknown  flowers growing in the foreground.

"Another Kara Wycroft masterpiece. " Dante commented as he walked up behind her."It's beautiful, as usual."

Kara smiled warmly as her fiancee wrapped his arms around her and gently slid his hand across her lower abdomen.

"So how's mama feeling today?"

"Well, apart from the constant nausea, I'm feeling pretty good." Kara replied, turning around to face him. The happy couple had just found out only a few months ago she was expecting their first child.

"I can't believe I'm going to be a daddy." Dante smiled, happy tears starting to well up in his brown eyes.

Kara  brushed her fingers through his shoulder length dark blonde hair. As they stood, snuggling, she wondered what their baby was going to look like. Would it have hair like his or auburn hair like her? Would the baby's eyes be green like hers? It didn't really matter to her though. She was going to be a mother.

Feeling another wave of nausea wash over her, she pulled away from him.

"Are you ok?" he asked in a worried tone.

"Yeah. I just need to sit down." she grimaced as she walked slowly to sit on a stool near her easel.

Dante, being a dutiful fiancee, hurried to the kitchen sink to get her a glass of water.

While she sat, waiting, she scanned over the many paintings scattered around their loft apartment. Each one showed a different aspect of the constant dreams she'd had since she was younger. The fantastic creatures, a bat-winged horse. A small evil looking human-like grey creature with tiny sharp teeth.

Her favorite painting, however, was that of a small brown haired girl standing in front of a grand gold framed mirror. It made her feel warm inside every time she looked at it.

"Do you really think these paintings will sell like the other ones did?" Kara called out in the direction of the kitchen.

Dante appeared in the doorway with a tall glass of ice water."Of course they will. People love your art." He handed her the glass of water.

"My only question is do you always have to paint this dark fantasy stuff? Can't you paint something a bit...I don't know ...happier?" Dante inquired, looking at the newest addition to her repertoire.

"These pictures are happy, Dante. They make me happy. Why can't you understand that? What, do you want me to paint more puppies and kitties and happy little fucking rainbows in them?"

Kara stood up so fast she knocked over the stool. She put the glass down on her workbench gruffly, grabbed a paintbrush, dipped it in grey paint and swiftly painted the silhouette of a tiny kitten in the foreground. Tossing the brush back on the table, she turned back to Dante.

"There! Happy enough for you?" Frustrated tears began well up.

Dante stepped closer to her and took her hand in his."Kara, sweetheart. Let's not argue about this again. I love your paintings. I always have. You're an amazing artist." He brought up a hand to wipe away the tear rolling down her cheek.

Kara sighed."I know you don't particularly like them, but it's what I see. Dante. It's the only thing that helps me after I've had those dreams." She looked around the room again."I see these things so clearly. It's like I've been there, which I know is impossible, but...I.."

"Stop. It's ok. You're just gonna make yourself upset again. That's the last thing you need right now."

Dante pulled her closer and hugged her tightly.

"I love you, and I'm sorry if I made you mad."

"It's ok. I guess I'm just moody." she said as she glanced up at the clock on the wall."Oh, hell. It's four o'clock.  You gotta get ready for your gig tonight."

"Damn." Dante cursed and kissed her quickly before darting off to the bathroom to take a shower.

While Kara spent her days painting, Dante spent his nights as the drummer for an in house  band in the local rock and roll night club, the very place they met.

Kara had gone to the club with a few of her friends for a girl's night out when she saw him. She was instantly enamored by his savage drum skills and rugged build. She had never seen anyone quite like him and that's what attracted her to him so much.

From across the room she watched him, intently, as he finished his last set for the evening, and walked straight over to her.

The two got along extremely well that night and decided to go on a few dates. It wasn't long before they found a loft apartment, moved in together, and now, she was pregnant with their first child. Some would say things happened too fast, but they were madly in love.

Kara smiled at the memories as she hurriedly fixed dinner for her 'rock star'  as she called him.

After he got ready, she served him a luscious quick pasta dish.  Dante ate till he couldn't eat anymore, he gave her a quick kiss before darting out the door.

She forced herself to eat dinner, because of her nausea, then she did the dishes and decided to go take a shower. She undressed, tossing her paint spotted clothing in the corner and turned on the water. Kara made sure the temperature was just right and got underneath the flowing water. The warmth felt good on her skin as it washed away the day's stress and stray paint smudges.

Turning the water off, Kara reached for her towel and stepped out of the tub into the steamy room. She wrapped the pink, fluffy towel around her torso and tucked the top in, keeping it there. The big mirror above the sink area was completely fogged over, so she reached up and wiped her hand across it to make a clear spot, but when the silvery glass was revealed, her blood went cold. There, in the open spot, a pair of deep blue, unknown eyes stared back at her. Kara screamed out loud and jumped back a bit, falling to the cool tile. She quickly regained her courage and jumped back up, wiping away the entirety of the foggy mirror. The only face that looked back was her own. 

"Get a hold of yourself." she told her reflection. She grabbed her hairbrush , turned off the light and left the room to get dressed.

Relaxing later that evening, Kara got suddenly inspired. She snatched up a new canvas, her paints and a framed photo off the wall. Working furiously through the evening she completed a gorgeous, happy painting she knew her fiancee would like.

After two a.m. Dante finally walked in the door to see Kara asleep on the couch in the living room. Her arms and face were covered in different colored paint smudges. He smirked a bit and started walking toward her, but when he saw her new work, stopped in his tracks. On the stretched canvas on the easel was a beautiful portrait of both Dante and Kara. The picture she worked from had been taken on their second date. Of course she added some of her signature flourishes, abstract colors, but it was painted with love.

Dante knelt down beside her and gently woke her up.

"I saw your new painting." he commented as he led her to their bedroom.

"Happy enough for you?" she asked sweetly.

"It's perfect."

Dante pulled her very close and kissed her deeply. Her knees went weak, as they usually did when he kissed her like that. He slid his hands down her back, just underneath her bottom and picked her up. Kara wrapped her legs around his back as he carried her in the bedroom, locked in their passionate kiss, and closed the door.