Paul Simon floods the room as I begin to paint. I dip the paintbrush into red paint and begin to stroke long strokes in the form of a sunflower. A sunflower like everyone I see. Oblivious to what goes around them as they stand on their own little hill. Normally I can't stand those types of people who just stand around watching their friends and never get involve with anything. They don't seem to hide within themselves anymore. But things change, my perspective changes. My strokes become jagged as I paint the converse sneaker standing alone at the bottom of the page near the ground covered with cobblestones. Just like me. Just like how I'm separated from everyone. How I hide myself from everyone to hide the scars that appear within.

Ms. Garcia is probably wondering why I'm not happy anymore in her class. Why I'm worrying too much about this stupid project. I want to stop myself from painting but my stupid fingers won't let go of the paintbrush, as if they wanted to tell a story to the world.A story I'm not ready to tell yet, but I feel it must be told. I'm not usually shy; I just pretend that I'm outgoing and happy to hide what I'm feeling. and so far it has worked. It's fooled all of my friends and even the teachers. But I am sick of pretending all the time and I just want to be myself....

****, I ruined my painting. My strokes are basically scribbles and it doesn't even form the object I want it to form. Instead my scribbles form a blob that looks like smoke hazing over the sneaker. Stupid. Stupid ******* me. Something always goes wrong when I'm thinking too hard about something. And everytime I do something wrong my father--my father--I can't think about him or his punishment now. I just have to finish this project , its overdue and I can't afford to get a zero. A tree. Yes a tree should be next. It would surely fix this problem. A tree symbolizing my house and how it stands up straight against everything that goes in it. No, that would be too obvious. Somebody will know and the rumors would start to spread. Something I can't afford to happen, but the tree is the only thing left to complete it. And I'll do anything for a high grade. Even if it means to ruin my reputation.

 I quickly paint the tree with short quick strokes and I leave the easel. I don't even bother with the sky. It would cause me too much trouble and pressure to complete it. I look back at the painting. Its messy and not the best one I painted so far but I feel like its helped a lot. I watch a boy paint Jesus on his canvas. Jesus never pretended to be someone else. He did what he believed in and supposedly he got into heaven for it. I wonder if I would go to hell if I keep pretending like this.

As everyone leaves to go to their next class, I click on my alter ego, Alice Fry the most popular girl in school. Alice Fry, who has lots of secret under her tongue. Alice Fry, who is abused constantly underneath the very roof where she used to call it her sanctuary. But no one will know it as they look at an abstract messy painting covered with red paint and senseless symbols.

Keyword: abuse paint

Report this story | Add to Favorites | Send to Friends | Author's Profile

No Comments posted

Comments (9)

Posted by Zombie Punk 2008-08-14 15:01:11 Red Tears Bravo! This was a really great piece of flash fiction, I am truely impressed. I thought you conveyed what you wanted to get out with such easy, and you made it a little mysterious till the end, although you did drop hints. I am very interested in more of your works now that I've read this. Phenonmenal job! Cheers, Max + Report this comment
Posted by allmine 2008-08-14 15:06:48 .... Good job...very good job. There are some spelling errors and some grammer stuff, but mostly just typos (which I have too!) Very good characterization. I look forward to more of your writing + Report this comment
Posted by harmattan 2008-08-14 17:29:40 Red Tears Very dark and moody, just like the main character Cunning twist at the end. A decent swipe at a difficult set of emotions. But you cannot survive without a proof-reader! I 'll be back Kind regards Harmattan + Report this comment
Posted by r.e.potter 2008-08-14 17:34:20 .... Nice short story. Thought it was an easy understanable piece to read. Great job getting a your message across with so few words. + Report this comment
Posted by Eternal_Bliss440 2008-08-14 18:12:22 Thanks I really didn't see those typos and grammar mistakes. Sometimes I type so fast that I don't think about what I read + Report this comment
Posted by Egoist 2008-08-14 19:31:21 .... I wasn't expecting it to be the popular girl. I was heading along with the flow of the story (which was very smooth), then all of a sudden the unexpected character is revealed. I liked how you tied the story in with a painting , and how the story was told through a bland person's mind. A creative story, and my favorite part was the secretive mind that the popular girl has. + Report this comment
Posted by resistanceisfreedom 2008-08-14 19:43:30 .... it didn't surprise me at all when i found out that it was the popular girl...that would make the most sense because most people don't think of popular, talkative people as having a different personality way beneath. i thought you did a great job with this and i loved the picture you posted with it as well. + Report this comment
Posted by alfred 2008-08-15 09:52:00 .... What is this about? + Report this comment
Posted by Eternal_Bliss440 2008-08-15 09:56:14 .... its about a popular girl in art class painting. Sh girl is assgined to paint symbols that best descres her life. But all she can think about was her father abusing her + Report this comment

Post a comment

Post a comment