Ch. 6: That Which I See (MOON)
I showed Jay as I painted in my dreams…
I realized I had fallen asleep at some point.
Opening my eyes, I saw the sun had already set and the moon was shining.
Jay: "Hey, morning."
OO: "…Jay."
Jay smiled as he looked down at me.
Jay: "Well, this is how things always are for me. "
OO: "I see…"
Jay: "Did you do another painting?"
Jay took the canvas that was beside me.
OO: "The garden was so beautiful, I wanted to show it to you."
Jay looked at the painting affectionately and ran his fingers over it.
He focused on a particular part of the painting.
Jay: "…so this is our gardener."
OO: "Yes, he was sprinkling the water just so and…Jay?"
He looked up then cast his eyes down, his long eyelashes hiding his eyes.
At that time…
??: "A painting in the sun huh? Wouldn’t it just be so nice for you to paint together. Not that you can. Since we turn to ash in the sun."
Suddenly, I heard a voice oozing with malice.
Who is…?
I looked around trying to find the source of the voice.
The darkness seemed to come alive, and the man from town yesterday appeared from the shadows of the trees.
The vampire…from yesterday…?
Jay: "Hey. Your buddies came to play yesterday, but tonight you’re here in person huh?"
I remembered the bats that had broken through the window into the room yesterday.
Vampire: "Oh, you got me."
The vampire chuckled.
Jay: "…what are you doing here?"
Vampire: "You guys seemed to be having so much fun last night. I thought I’d come see for myself. I figured we could be friends."
Jay: "…"
Vampire: "However…"
The vampire looked at me and sneered.
Vampire: "You do something cruel. Painting something like that when we can never see the sun…"
OO: "I just…"
I just wanted to show Jay something beautiful…
Jay: "…she didn’t do anything wrong."
Jay’s voice sounded heavy as he came to my defense.
Vampire: "You like this girl, don’t you?"
Jay…likes me?
Jay: "What are you…?"
Vampire: "And right now you can’t see her in the daylight. So wouldn’t it be better to just snatch away her time in the sun? That way she’s just like you."
What is he…talking about?
Vampire: "Want me to do it? Turn her into a vampire?"
The vampire’s fangs glinted from his pale lips.
Vampire: "Well?"
Jay looked down at me and his eyes wavered for an instant.
Turn me…into a vampire…?
The vampire stretched out his hand to me and I took a step back.
Vampire: "Come here."
But…
Jay grabbed my shoulder and pushed me behind him.
Jay: "…what am I hesitating for?"
Jay wiped the sweat off his face and turned to the vampire.
Jay: "Just get out of here."
Vampire: "What did you say?"
Jay: "You said you’d do something like that for me but… Sorry, that intent is enough for me. If I let you do something like that, there would be no one to show me such beautiful things."
Jay…
Jay: "I want to see more."
Jay gave me a guilty smile over his shoulder.
Jay: "…I’m an idiot."
As Jay spoke, the vampire vanished in an instant.
Jay: "Sorry that was so scary."
OO: "It’s ok…"
Jay turned and gently stroked my face.
Jay: "Thanks for the painting, OO. From now on, would you show me more of the sunlit world?"
OO: "But…"
I made Jay go through something really painful by showing him this…
Jay: "Don’t worry about what he said. To me, you are the sun itself."
Jay…
OO: "…yes!"
Jay: "You’re a good girl…"
I instinctively placed my hand over his.
Jay’s smile in the moonlight was more beautiful than any scene I could have painted…
From deep within my heart, I thought of how I wanted to get better at painting him.
END