Shadows of Ember

Chapter One

The paint brush glided smoothly across the delicate paper, releasing its harsh grip on the pale jade green paint and allowed it to blend in with the darker green hues. Before long, the paper had been transformed into a willow tree. The thinness of the brush had accentuated the detail found in the leaves of the gentle giant. Each leaf was unique and stood out in its own way, bringing the whole painting to life. I lifted up the pad of paper and leaned back so I could admire my work. It wasn’t entirely finished; I still needed to add in the peaceful lake that was in the foreground. However, I thought it was enough for today; I didn’t want to overwork myself.

Feeling content with what I had accomplished so far, I decided to leave it at that for now. I gathered up my materials and sketchbook and proceeded to tuck them in snugly under the usual boulder that rested alongside my natural seat, a tree stump. My father didn’t know about my secret stash of painting equipment as he refused to let me do anything artistic at home. It reminded him too much of my mother, she had loved painting anything and everything that she laid her eyes on. I had inherited her talent and interest in the subject, but my father hadn’t wanted to let it blossom. Instead he ignored it in the hope that one day I would forget and my talent would be erased. But you can’t erase talent, it’s a part of you, otherwise you are no one, it’s who you are.

However, despite his resistance, it was impossible to ignore the overwhelming urge inside me. Secretly, I saved up enough money to buy a sketchbook and paint set I could call my own. Nevertheless, I had to keep it a secret from my father. This was where my spot came in, tree stump and boulder situated perfectly. I was fortunate enough to find a big enough boulder, and dig a hole deep enough that it wouldn’t look out of place from its surroundings. It allowed me to safely store all my materials away from my father’s prying eyes.

I gazed out across the perfectly calm expanse of water in front of me. The golden sun had transformed the lake into a glassy mirror, reflecting everything. This was where I felt at home. Away from the hustle and bustle of family, friends and school. Here I felt whole, and I could forget about the pain that my mother had left in my heart. Why do I do that? As soon as I’ve managed to escape the pain, my mind suddenly remembers that night. It’s as if my body wants me to suffer. That night. The last time I ever saw her beautiful, smiling face.

It had taken place on a typical cold, wet November evening just over a year ago. It had started off like every other evening; my parents saying a quick goodbye before they gallivanted off out to another party, leaving me and my sister on our own, left to fend for ourselves on another typical school night.

My mother planted a quick kiss on both of our cheeks and started recalling the same old rules. Before she could finish the first rule, my father had taken hold of her arm and pulled her out the front door. I heard them chuckling behind the veil that separated them from the restlessness of family life. I sighed and walked back through the corridor into the kitchen.

We were a well-off family, with my father being a banker and my mother being a well-known artist in this area, it benefitted us. They were able to bring in money to pay off all the bills and still afford to go out every night, yet never taking me or Laura with them. I reached into the fridge and retrieved the leftover chilli con carne that I had made last night and tipped it into a pan to heat it up.

I stood there aimlessly stirring the mixture with a wooden spoon, lost in my own little world for a while and staring out the window into the forest. I was brought back out of it with a jump as the phone rang. I placed the spoon down on the worktop and reached over for the wireless phone that stood next to the microwave.

‘Hello?’ I said with a bored tone.

‘Hello. Is this the Jackson residence?’ a concerned voice answered.