Mastery

The Girl With The Daisies

Rory

Lucky for me, the fair was busy. I somehow found a spot at the entrance and put up all the paintings carefully. My aunt borrowed me her (almost) neon-yellow parasol and i figured it would get me some attention. We sat on a couple of beach chairs behind the paintings and drank some beer that i brought along. I was so happy Amanda decided to come along.

"So do they all have a backstory?"

She pointed to the paintings.

"Not really. Sometimes i wake up with an image or something happens throughout the day and i get one. I just focus on putting them down on canvas as soon as i can and the processing comes afterwards."

She took a sip from her beer and nodded.

"That's actually pretty cool"

An older woman with her husband stopped at our stand and studied the painting of the floating woman.

"Wow... this is really... mesmerizing, which one of you two is so talented?"

"Thank you ma'am, that would be me"

"How much are you asking for it?"

"I set that one up for twenty"

"I'll give you fifty for it because that's a very beautiful young lady you got there"

She winked towards Amanda and she blushed a deep red. I was handed the bill and after i wrapped up the painting i shook their hands and they took off. I sat back down trying to hold in my laugh, but Amanda didn't even try.

"You made 30$ extra just because i tagged along!"

"Now don't get so full of yourself"

She rolled her eyes and then reached for another beer.

"Whoa slow down, we're going to be here for a while"

She raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"We? I can get up and leave whenever i want"

"I don't ca-"

Just then a skinny forty-year old man stopped in front of us. He studied my paintings while rubbing his scruffy chin. He didn't look like a guy that would be into art... but who knew. I stood up to greet him.

"I just got divorced" he mumbled softly. 

He kept staring down and i could only hope he wasn't going to break down and cry over my paintings. I was horrible at comforting people and I was just here to sell my paintings.

"Hi there, i'm sorry to hear that"

He nodded slowly and reached into the pocket of his jacket. He grabbed his old wallet and scrambled through it, only to take out a cigarette. I looked back at Amanda and she shrugged, while suppressing a smile. This was a really odd man.

"She kicked me out so and I just moved into an empty apartment"

He lit up his cigarette and looked up at the sky as he blew out the smoke. I'm guessing to sink the tears back into his eyes. Amanda stood up and walked over next to me.

"I'm guessing you're looking for something that could add a little color, maybe even some joy?"

He looked at her with glassy eyes but he smiled.

"Yes my dear, yes i am"

I looked at Amanda and she looked back at me with an arrogant smile.

"How about this one here, of the girl with the daisies" she walked over to the painting she had just described and showed the man.

"It is indeed beautiful. It kind of reminds me of my little Sofie when she was little. I can't believe she sided with her witch of a mother. I'll take it"

I opened my mouth to give him a price but he just stuffed a hundred-dollar bill in my hand and walked off with the painting under his right arm, and his cigarette in his left hand.

"You were saying?"

Amanda pushed past me, grabbed another beer and settled back onto the beach chair. I sat back next to her and we watched people walk by and tried to guess their stories.

A while later, it was almost time to clean up when suddenly Amanda elbowed my side and i followed her gaze to a stand, not fifteen meters away.

"It's them"

She whispered almost inaudibly. Two men in black suits were walking around the stands, as if they were searching for something specific.

"They're looking for us." she said in a very serious tone. And she was right. 

Amanda jumped up quickly and picked up the two remaining paintings, shaking my shoulder to snap me out of my trance.

"Rory get up, we have to leave now!"

I got up and closed the parasol as unnoticeable as i could, but one of the men spotted me and nudged the other one. So much for a bright yellow parasol.

Amanda and i looked at them for a second before they started walking towards us. Amanda pulled my arm and soon we were running towards the car. Amanda put the paintings in the passenger seat and started the car. I got in the back and looked out for the men. They jumped into a black car, similar to the one i saw drive by my house that day in the attic. 

Amanda pulled off roughly from the dirt lot and was driving towards a public part of town. Smart. The men trailed behind us, further and further, till i couldn't see them anymore.

Who the hell were they? Why were they looking for us?