The End

"Once upon a time when Benedict's Creek was struck by a strange epidemic and all the townspeople started perishing, that was when Lady Brianne made 'Misery', all these dark figures you can see here, walking towards the star studded dark blue sky, this was her take on the uncountable deaths in the town..." Riley looked closely at those small dark figures, not paying attention to what the guide was saying next. There was something strange and too real about them, they looked as if each one was in so much pain and with a touch would come back to life, so did the dark night sky look behind them.

Riley and Nona had come to Benedict Creek to visit one of Nona's friends, that is when they decided to visit the old Wilton house at the end of the town to look at all the paintings of the famous local painter Lady Brianne Wilton. The paintings were put up for an exhibition in her own 19th century house.

"Didn't the epidemic affect her?" Someone asked from behind. David the guide said "Oh no no it did not affect her at all, she was a very secluded person, she hardly left her room. She was a private person by nature but she preferred to be lonely even more after the death of her only son Timothy who had fallen out the window of her room. This painting right here is how she saw her son for the last time, still alive and smiling his little smile.

There stood another painting titled "Timmy." A little boy in his little blue striped trousers sitting with his legs crossed and grinning, looking out of the window at the golden yellow moonlight washing his beautiful little face making it even more brighter. Riley couldn't watch it anymore, the thought of a mother watching her own son fall to his death and painting her last vision she had of him made her really sad. One thing which was very clear was moonlight made a deep impact on that woman. She always used the element of moonlight to beautify her paintings and leave an essence of charming mystery in all those art pieces she ever made.

After watching a few more paintings she went upstairs using the guides direction, she wanted to use the restroom. She was about to go down after that when a certain urge of walking through the hallway took over her. She touched the hardwood railings with intricate carvings on them, she was walking when suddenly she tripped and fell. Within a moment there was darkness all around her, the light has gone out.

Riley didn't feel scared she just felt cold, she was getting up when a sudden spark of light got her attention. She realized she has been laying adjacent to a room, what she saw next would never quite leave her mind or memory ever. She saw a canvas on top of which was the painting of the dark starry night with the moon shining it's ivory glow down on a blue sparkling river and the lush green pines standing behind them, then she saw a woman walk towards the canvas half covering it. Riley couldn't find her voice but her mind blew with questions.

The woman had a robe on with blue flowers on its edges and her orange hair flowing down her back. She turned towards Riley, but the moonlight from the window fell on her face blinding her and she couldn't seen her face and the light came back again.

Riley quietly went down, her palms were sweating. She didn't say a word about what she saw.

While on the way out someone pointed towards a painting asking the guide about it, "Oh that? It's lady Brianne's last painting it's called 'The End' ironically it was also the end of a life as well they say she had a heart attack while she made it in her room upstairs and passed away right there, "She always had a weak heart" they said.

It was the same painting Riley had seen, the same dark night, same old Moonlight, the same old trees but there was something missing which we couldn't make out while she was alive. No one knew what it was but Riley did. It was the river.