JULIET'S QUILL

CHAPTER 1: ETHAN'S SON

"I was talking about my painting, not the song."

Lucas walked in through the tiny door of our living room. Lucas was my paying guest, besides being my only friend at college. I graduated a week ago, and now I wanted to start my career as a painter soon. Lucas was a genius, a knowledge absorbing sponge. He was the reason of my first class graduation. I had a degree in natural and applied sciences but all I wanted was to paint my dreams, paint my fears, paint my happiness and paint my pain.

Lucas sat on the chair next to my canvas board.

"Wow, this is brilliant. But what is it?"

"Oil paints!" I replied disappointedly.

There was a knock at the door and Lucas went to check. It was almost midnight, and we weren't expecting anyone at this time.

"Is Marcus home?" I heard a faint familiar voice.

I cleaned my hands with my apron.

"Hello, Nicholas"

"I really need your help. I need 1000 euros."

"I don't have such kind of money. Why don't you go and ask your dad!"

"He won't give it to me, it's urgent. Marcus, you have to help me. Or they'll kill me"

"Who would kill you?" I narrowed my eyes.

"I can't tell you the details yet. But I need the money in two days, please."

He rushed out of the door, leaving Lucas and me staring at each other in shock.

"Where would you get the money?" Lucas asked.

"From Ethan!"

"You think, he'll give you 1000 euros without asking the reason. He would not spend a single euro at you. You do remember what you did last time."

"He deserved that. I just said what everyone wanted to say to him. He's an arrogant, rude bastard!"

Lucas shrugged," I would still say, it isn't a good idea helping Nicholas."

He went out to his room.

I took a last look at the scattered paints on the canvas. The thin strings of gold, like the ones spun by Rumpelstiltskin himself, bunched together like a bouquet of sun kissed wheat around a featureless face. I was working on this piece for a long time now, imagining every single curve of her face.

I named this painting,"La fille de rêve" i.e the dream Girl. But she had to be special; she was my dream after all. So, I was spending a lot more time on this painting than other ones. *********************************************************************************************

ETHAN RAPHAEL'S ARTGALLERY:

When I arrived, the gallery was crowded with people. The groups of people were entering the exhibition hall, and I knew, it was a good fortunate day for Ethan. On the walls, different patterns of modern paintings were hung: charcoal drawings, pencil drawings and oil paintings were on display. I looked around at few paintings, wishing for a day when I would see my paintings hung between these famous ones. May be, one day! As I strolled through the hall, I felt a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't make a scene here, just follow me."

"Okay Uncle Ethan!" I smiled as friendly as I could.

This man could make my career shoot from earth up to the seventh sky but he would never do that. He hated my father for 'God- knows- what' reason.Out of my 5 Liter blood, about 2.5 came from his sister. But he always ignored the fact that I had a mother who happened to be his only blood sister. I followed him to the back room and he closed the door behind us.

"How're you, Uncle?"

"What do you want?"

"Okay Ethan, thing is that I want 1000 euros from my mother's account."

"I have already given you whatever your mother has left behind. I owe you nothing else now"

"I do know about your combined account with my mother, so, stop lying"

He sighed, "Nicholas! He told you?"

I nodded," Yes and that was the cheapest thing you have done so far though."

He remained quiet for a while and then asked," Who asked you for the money?"

"Nobody. I want it for myself."

"No, you don't. I don't understand why Nicholas won't come to me directly. He's my son"

I had a strong urge of saying," Is he?" but I remained quiet.

Ethan looked at me, "Just go and tell Nicholas. I took care of the matter myself. Those people won't bother him again."

"What people? Will you tell me who wanted to kill him?"

"Him?"

"Yeah, Nicholas came and asked me for the money that they would kill him otherwise."

Ethan shook his head and smiled," They threatened Nicholas that they would kill his father. He wanted to save me."

"Who were they'?"

"That's none of your business. But what might interest you is this!" He handed me a flyer without looking at me.

"There's an art exhibition for young artists arranged by me. Lots of critics and famous people will visit it. You can have a chance to fulfill your dream"

"Are you serious?"

"Yes, you deserve a chance, Marcus. You have three months."

"Thank you so much. I don't know what to say."

He smiled and squeezed my shoulder.

"You're my own blood. Your success would be my victory, Marcus."

This was the best sentence I ever heard from him.

I walked out of the art gallery with nothing, but high hopes. This was the best day of my life, and nothing could ruin that.

I strolled around the pavement, back to my house when a black van stopped next to me. The door slid open, and a masked man threw out a blood covered body on the road next to me, and dashed away.

"Good Lord! Nicholas?"

His head was bleeding profusely. I pressed my palms hard against the back of his head. Many people gathered around us.

"Somebody call the ambulance... Please...Hang on, Brother. I got you." I whispered.

I could feel the warm blood trickling down through my fingers. I heard the siren of ambulance in the distance.

Nicholas whispered," I... I told you they would kill me."

I carried him into the ambulance. I dialed Ethan's number.

"How could you do that to your son?"

"Sorry?"

"I'm taking Nicholas to the hospital."

I hung the phone and switched it off.

I had no idea who these people were, and what they wanted. Was it only money? Or a lot more than that?