The Insanity of a Wallflower

Free- XLII

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Ms. Lexington breathed in deeply. Her brown eyes were a little red, perhaps her contacts were bothering her too much. But besides that small agitation they seemed to bare, her irises were bright and excited as she watched what was before her.

"Alys," she shook her head gently, "I truthfully did not think the mural would be done in time. I know there's still this last piece to do, but I can't believe when this debuts in a week at graduation- this will all be finally known."

She glanced to the massive stone wall; the two-story pane under a glassed cathedral roof. I too leaned my head back and took it all in.

A massive mural was painted almost incomprehensively down it's length. The top of the mural had the school's head faculty, painted in hyperrealistic portraits, crowning the mural. Almost like a separate piece, yet still commanding the establishment and recognition for what was happening beneath them.

Below that crown of faces were dozens of murals, all framing the outer edges; their art bleeding into scene after scene. Each piece was separate. Yet each piece was connected. Like a hurricane's arms, these images were warped, pulled and overlaid; twisting into the next scene, circling the blank center of the mural.

It truly was a storm of colors and emotions. Libraries overlain with human figures studying; a grand feast while the students conversed, stone pillars painted with etchings of trophies and accomplishments, choirs of unknown faces tilting towards a white light that shown in, the absent music somehow still echoing through the stone. Blurred forms of teacher's educating their students. Numerous forms of humans moving through scenes; holding instruments, tools, books, paint brushes, pencils. They all wore white, though the hues of lights painted would alter the colors for every scene within the mural. Gold for warmth, white for vibrancy, brown and red for shadowed figures.

The last piece I was to paint; a nucleus to it all, was the faceless student and educator, balanced in their scales, shaking hands in a deal of their education. Formulas, orreries, telescopes, mechanisms, elements, chemistry all bled out from that scene and into the other's connecting them all. A flurry of stormy thoughts, a chaotic merging of colors, a glorious and abstract piece of art that ached my fingers to their core.

And beneath it all.

A tidal wave of sins, an enigma of revenge.

A sinking ship of regret.

A tragedy for the world to finally know.

When I had first laid eyes on the massive stone wall I was awed and alarmed at the architecture and cathedral heights. It felt like so many years ago, such a life time ago that I first jumped into this with Hayden. I knew so little of him; only that he hated all those around him. I tried so hard to avoid him. But then he convinced me to paint this mural with him. And I jumped at that. I jumped at the idea of revenge, never once caring about losing myself, my future, to this. We would be sued. We would be arrested. It was all worth it at the time, all to show the world how much they had hurt me. To make them pay for what they had done to Karri.

I glanced to Hayden beside me. His somber gray eyes watched the center of the mural.  Its' emptiness held a tension in his gaze. How would they look when that last bit was painted this week? How would he react when he saw the under mural; the depiction of him and the governor, bound in a deal to cover up the death of Tucker?

I knew he despised himself, he would want it... he would hate it.... no matter what I drew. For to Hayden, he saw himself as a monster. He would smile and lie, convince those around us how marvelous the mural was; its horrendous outer cloak hiding the truth as the Principle and State Rep examined it and approved it before the looming graduation.