A doctor once vaguely told me 'I had about a month.' This statement confused me so I asked him to elaborate 'A month until what?' At this his face got very sad and his hands very sweaty 'A month... until you die...' I looked at him for a moment then finally nodded 'That was to be expected...' And just like that he sadly left my little hospital room to leave me to my imagination. That conversation happened one month ago...
I am sure you all are wondering 'If she was supposed to die a month ago how is she writing this?' Well the doctor did say 'about' a month until I died. But I must say I did surprise a few of the doctors. But you see the reason I hadn't died yet was because I hadn't completed my masterpiece. After all... no artist can die without leaving behind their greatest work for future generations to gawk at!
Now you must be asking 'Masterpiece? How can she make art work from a hospital bed?!' Well if you're actually thinking that I must say I am insulted! But I also must confess I might have not told you the whole story about my soon to be finished 'masterpiece'. When I say 'soon to be finished' you might say 'hasn't been started yet'. But you see that's why I couldn't let myself die! I needed an idea so I could at least 'imagine' my artwork before I did. Then I could be happy because I at least got to 'see' it in my imagination. Only problem? I couldn't think of an idea...
Oh I should probably tell you my name! My name is Crystal, I'm 16, at one point my dream was to be an airplane pilot, and you are...? 'A figment of my imagination'? Well it's very nice to meet you 'A figment of my imagination'! Wait...
Well with the formalities out of the way I should probably tell you a few things about myself. As you already know I'm an artist, without a masterpiece, and I'm dying. The doctors told me I had some gene from my birth mother that caused me to have some kind of cancer. They told me what kind it was I just wasn't paying attention.
I knew I was dying and that's all that mattered I didn't care what I was dying from and I knew once I had died I still wouldn't care. I mean how many people do you see walking around who have died, asking how it happened? In how many zombie apocalypse movies do the zombies care that they're killing more people they same way they died? The answer to both of those questions is none. At least it is for me... If you see your dead aunt walking around asking you questions then you should do one of two things. Call an exorcist. Or call a physiatrist. I suggest the latter...
Now with all the fun stuff out of the way I can introduce you to my family! (Queue chirping crickets... P.S. this is the moment when you say 'What family Crystal?' then I laugh and answer your question.) What a great question! That's right I don't have a family! According to my 'former' foster parents my birth father ditched my mom as soon as he found out she was pregnant with yours truly. (This is when you all call him a jerk...) I know he is a jerk! Thanks for agreeing with me! Let me draw you a smiley face in gratitude! :) You're welcome.
Now! On to my birth mother! She herself hadn't had cancer but apparently her mom did. When it was time for me to be born something went wrong and she died. That left me without knowing either of my birth parents. So I was put into the foster care system since I didn't have any other relatives that would take me. When I was three years old I was taken in by a foster family. They seemed to really care about me! Until they found out I had cancer and got rid of me because they couldn't pay for it... (What's with these crickets?! Oh you can call them jerks too if you want.)
So now we're back to where we started with me lying in a hospital bed, dying, without an idea... I knew my masterpiece would be a drawing, since that was basically the only art I could do from bed. I had told the nurses of my dreamed masterpiece and they really took to the idea. They all went out of their way to bring me sketchbooks, ink, pencils, chalk, markers, crayons; basically I had every kind of paper and writing utensil known to man! But there was one nurse who was even better than all the rest...
Nurse Hazel was the specific nurse assigned to me. Whenever she came in to do tests she would always start off with telling me a series of jokes. The same series of jokes every time! It got to the point where I could recite them with her! (Have I ever told you a cow joke? They're 'udderly' ridiculous! Don't worry you can 'milk' those jokes all day! I would tell another cow joke but I would probably just 'butcher' it! We should probably 'steer' clear of cow jokes and 'moove' onto pigs! I really let my cow jokes 'hog' all the fun!) You all can see why she's a part time farmer and not part time comedian.
But that isn't the only reason Nurse Hazel is the best. She would always come into my room during her lunch break and try to help come up with an idea for my 'masterpiece'. We both agreed that millions of people have done drawings of flowers so that wouldn't be any good. I mentioned dogs but she immediately thought of 'dogs playing poker' dogs just weren't original anymore. We had decided on some kind of mythical creature. That way no matter how I drew it the piece would be original because no one had ever seen one before
Then came the task of picking the creature. Unicorns and fairies were too aimed for little kids. I wanted something that could please all audiences. People claim to see The Loch Ness Monster every day so it's not original anymore either. A Phoenix would be kind of cool but then I thought of Arizona so I changed my mind. All and all we still hadn't made much progress on the identity of my creature.
However, my creature quest would be put on hold a week later when I died. The End. (Wait... What?! I'm not finished yet!) Sorry about that... let me explain in more detail so you'll be a little more satisfied. As they always say... 'Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back!' I really have no idea what that means but I like cats. By the way do you ever wonder why people say 'I heard 'they' made a new one or, as 'they' always say'? Who are 'they'?! (Cough) Sorry about that. I'm getting a head of myself.
As I was saying... one week later I took a turn for the worst. Frankly, the doctors had been surprised I had made it this long. I had been lying in bed (As usual) when all of a sudden I could feel something inside me change then all of these alarms started blaring and doctors came rushing in. They all started frantically checking the machines and trying to make whatever was happening stop. But that's when I saw it right outside my door "That's it..." I whispered.
The doctor looked at where I was staring "Nurse! Close that door!" Nurse Hazel did as he said only she hadn't seen what I had. A little girl with curly hair holding a stuffed toy... a stuffed dragon...
The doctors looked between each other and shook their heads. There was nothing else they could do. Nurse Hazel came over to me and held my hand. I could see tears were coming from her eyes. "I'm sorry..." she whispered.
"I found my masterpiece..." She stopped crying and looked down at me. "A dragon..." I continued "Not one of those scary dragons that kidnap princess though. A cute little dragon... about the size of a Teddy Bear. He has a cute little smile and tiny eyes that close when he laughs. He has a cute little mustache on the edge of his snout. And his little arms..." my eyes started to droop; I was too weak to continue.
Nurse Hazel held my hand tighter "And his little arms are just the right size to hold a paintbrush because art is his hobby." I nodded in approval "He has tiny little wings and the cutest tail with a little curl at the end..."
I nodded again "That sounds nice..." and just like that I slowly faded into the unknown and unexplored. The End. (Wait! I'm still not finished!) Sorry... it's me again... Crystal the dead artist... I still have to give you an epilogue!
About a month after I had died Nurse Hazel still hadn't gotten over my dying words. To me I had finally completed my masterpiece. I had gotten to see it in my imagination and that's all I could ask for. But Hazel wanted something more. One day she had finally made up her mind. She got out all of her art supplies and started drawing. She drew all day and all night. Once she had finally finished she smiled down at her work. The next day she put it in a frame and hung it in the lobby of the Hospital's Terminal Ward. It's been hanging there for twenty years now and is often one of the last things people like me see of the outside world before being put in a hospital room.
Everyday people walk past the drawing some without even noticing it. The older nurses and doctors know exactly what it means though. In the picture sits a sixteen year old girl with a pair of goggles worn by airplane pilots on her head. On the table in front of her there is a pile of art supplies. There's a can of pencils, pens, and paint brushes. Then there's an ink well and a box of chalk. Pieces of paper are sitting directly in front of her with different scribbles on them. A glass of water sits next to her as she seemingly stares off, imagining what to draw with her pen in hand.
Most importantly in the top left corner flies a little creature from her imagination. A small dragon... He has a cute smile and tiny eyes... He has a cute mustache on the end of his snout... And finally... He has little arms, just the right size to hold a paintbrush... because art is his hobby...
Finally in the bottom right corner there is a small message 'To Crystal he is your dragon who finally came. Your masterpiece is finally finished. You can rest easy now.' And that my friends is the story of the dragon who finally came to finish the dying artist's masterpiece...
(A/N - Well guys what'd you think?! I think this might be my first non-fanfiction! :) As I said I've entered this story in the 'Brian Kesinger's Visual Storytelling Challenge' It will be open until July 5th so you all still have the chance to enter too! :) Wish me luck guys!)