Dazed in Heaven (LH Series #1)

prologue

Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Indigo. Violet. When I was still a kid, I always questioned myself, who created rainbow? Did he/she have anger with the other colors? How come he placed 7 colors in a bended ray, positioned it in the sky for humans to see, and left all the other colors abandoned? I mean, shouldn't we be fair? Because to be honest, a work of art is a scream of freedom as what Christo said. And how can we create art if we only have 7 colors? 

But then, as I grow up, I realized that you don't need a huge variety of colors to create a masterpiece. All you need is a touch of magic from your own hands and mind. Bring out the inner artist in you. It may take time but be patient. Patience is always a virtue, isn't it?

Napakagandang titigan ng mga paintings na nakasabit sa wall. Different perspective of creative artists. How I wish I could put up my own portrait here inside the podium. It would be overwhelming and fulfilling for me as an amateur artist. 

Umayos ako ng upo nang makita kong pumasok na ang supervisor namin dito sa building. He stared at us, we are 13 artists all in all, and he took a deep breath. He glanced at my way while walking and his head cocked sideways, shit here he go again.

"Miss Aduana, I never thought that you'll be a part of this huge project." He said with a so-called shocked face. Mr. Socrates Vasquez here has this great anger for me. Maybe because he's a supervisor but my designs are better. Arrogance aside, our Head Mistress likes my works better than his. And I think I'm such a threat to him and an ego-wrecker. Can't blame this competitive asshole.

"You are underestimating me again, Mr. Vasquez." I have the courage to answer him, knowing Mr. Apollo is my supervisor, not him. But then, what I said is true. He's really underestimating me and my capabilities just because he's got a higher position and I don't. Inequality at its finest.

"No, of course I'm not underestimating you, Miss. I definitely know your capabilities that's why I questioned your presence here." There is thick sarcasm present in his voice and the way he looks at me. My temper is sky-rocketing already. I really don't have patience in every single thing except arts. And this guy right here is way too far from art, hell he's only a piece of cheap brush. 

"And I know that you questioned my presence here because you don't know how well my capabilities are. If I may remind you, you don't handle me and Head Mistress Peterson chose my design over yours. Thank you for noticing my ever silent existence, Sir. I really don't appreciate it." And I forced a smile, a fake one. Just like his brain. If ever he has one.

Umayos sya ng tindig at tinaliman ako ng tingin. Oh, scary. "Tch, stupida." I heard him whisper.  Stupida my ass. Tss.

"Gago." I whispered back, loud enough for him to hear it. He clenched his fist and I just batted my eyelashes boringly at him and looked away. In my peripheral vision, I saw him took a very deep breath. Haha, pikon.

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, artists from corners of the continent, welcome to your orientation for the upcoming Project Sollertia Praelum. To begin with, let me call on to Mr. Kohle Andrae Herrera of Herrera Arts Podium, together with Mr. Tominez of Tominez World of Arts for the introduction of the project." My heart skipped a beat. My eyes was immediately set unto his. Those brown orbs, oh it never fails to make my heart go frenzy. He always have this effect on me. Always.

"Good morning, artists. I am Kohle Andrae Herrera, CEO of Herrera Arts Podium. I am with Mr. Tominez here but it doesn't matter who I am with, I just want to be straight to the point. This project costed our podium a huge ton of money. We invested a lot in this project and we badly want to win. We need to win. To grab that 'artifex fortissimi' award. We have here 13 artists who came from far cities just to achieve that dream. To step unto that goal. To hit the home run and be the bravest artist that you wish to show to the world. Each of you is a chance for HAP, and TWA, to prove to everyone that we have the best artist in the globe. Don't disappoint us or else we'll disappoint you. You came this far and so, prove your selves for the last time." His eyes was fixed on me, something I did not expect. Ever since our last meeting, he never gave me much attention. But now, boy, am I going to suffer again? "Prove to me that you are an artist that's worth risking for." He gave me this meaningful gaze and I can't manage to look away. He's hypnotizing me!

I was breathing once again when Mr. Vasquez started blabbering. If not, maybe I was drowned with emotions already. "Thank you for that motivational and inspiring introduction, Mr. Herrera. You won't be disappointed with the supervisors' choices." Then he looked at me. "Except for one choice." And he looked away. This bitch.

"Oh well, before I formally explain the said project, here is a painting. We will be having a surprise warm up." And he showed us a painting, placed in a studio easel.

The painting was odd. It was a portrait of a woman's face surrounded by shard like objects and colors of red, white and black was all over the painting. It looks like she was calm even though the shards are covering her already. It's really odd... but interesting. What could possibly be the story behind the picture? Was the artist metaphorically eaten by something? Probably fear? Or death? And he/she just let it eat him/her?

"I want you to tell me, what do you see? What emotions do fill you in? What realizations have hit you in the head, artists?" he gave me and my co-artists a menacing look. He was waiting for answers. My seatmates started to brain storm and hunt for answers proving a good point. "Let's begin with you, Kirk Ty." Mr. Vasquez called on Kirk Ty, the Chinese artist who had a tragic past and is coping up with depression and bad anxiety.

"It is a portrait, Sir, bearing the demons of a past life. It gives me chills to see that they are back once again to haunt me but then I realize that they are already in the past. If I were to explain it in a short statement, it made me realize that I am very brave that I have the strength to tame them before and make them the foundation of who I am today." I mentally clapped my hands. I somehow relate to his answer, but no. I have a different point of view. We all do.

"Hmm, interesting answer. How about you, Ms. Dara Sanches?" he diverted his gaze towards the nerdy girl Dara Sanches who obviously has something with the painting because she looked very affected. It seems to me that the painting has given her nightmares already.

"A picture of my fears, Sir Vasquez. It is full of red and black, colors of fierce and boldness. I am scared that maybe the best of my fears would take over me and destroy me. That the fears I have will keep me from being the person I dream to be. But I realized that I am stronger than those fears because I am me and they will never be me." I mentally smirked and clapped once again. They have good answers and it feels like they've been through a lot already. Maybe tragedy does turn people into crafts. Beautiful and wise crafts.

He's asked other artists and they bear different answers but the same idea. Fear. Past lives. Tragedy. Mistakes. Death. Those words were used repeatedly in their answers and I feel like an outcast for I only have the contradictory answer amongst them all.

"I see, that is one compelling explanation Ms. Penelope Cortez." And I don't know if he did it on purpose but I am the last one to explain my side. Probably to let me be out of words and explanation because everyone got the idea. Sorry, Mr. Socrates-the-fucking- Vasquez but I have to disappoint you. "Opinion of Ms. Ormosia Aduana?" he gave me a questioning and judging look before letting me stand and state my opinion.

"A painting of heaven." Everyone gave me amazed, confused looks and met eyebrows. They stared at me like I lost my head.

"Excuse me?" somebody correct me if I'm wrong but Mr. Tominez, the hazel-eyed guy in a tux, was the only one who was brave enough to ask me that even if he, himself, is confused with what I said.

I took a very deep breath before answering because I know I have to explain a whole lot further.

I managed to look at Mr. Tominez, because he was the one who asked me once again. I maintained eye contact and never knew that hazel eyes was beautiful, mesmerizing, and hypnotizing, "A painting of heaven is what I see in that portrait, Sir. They all say that that image bears something that would destroy them. Fears, demons, tragedy. But for me, it is heaven. Seeing that painting lets me remember how stupid of a child I was before and how bad I am at decision-making to the point of doing something that made me regret of living this life, and at some point, it made me the best version of myself, letting me experience hell before tasting the feeling of being dazed in heaven. Mistakes became lessons for me. Now, I am better and braver. A stronger artist of my own canvas. A new chance with a better brush with me to paint and decide on to what portrait Ormosia Aduana will be painting." 

And he slowly clapped his hands without breaking eye contact. God, for the first time after a lot of years, someone looked proud of what I did.

I smiled at him. Yes. Ormosia Aduana smiled in front of that hazel-eyed guy who looked so proud of me. Tominez was his name.