Paintings (WIP)

I know the illness and quarantine are just a cover story. You might be as confused as everyone else—but I can help. I know exactly what happened in [Town 1, Town 2, Town 3]. This is the work of [Artist]. Horrifyingly beautiful work. If he's even a real person. He's the one truly responsible. I purchased his collection of beautiful paintings called 'Towns at Night', and they came to life. They are what showed me what happened. At first, I thought I was going crazy. How could paintings come to life? But once I saw the destruction of [Town 1] on the news with the fake cover story it was confirmation that these paintings were something else - something sinister disguised as something beautiful.

I purchased the 'Towns at Night' collection at the [Art Show Name] art show up in [City]. It is quite well known amongst high-end art collectors in the area. I have been going for a few years now, and I had never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Throughout the night as I walked around the show looking at paintings, I noticed there was one artist in particular who kept glancing my direction, as if he wanted me to check out his paintings. I did not recognize him, so I assumed it was a new and upcoming artist. To be honest, he made me quite uncomfortable and uneasy but I decided to check his paintings out. I knew how difficult it was to break onto the art scene as a new artist, so I felt for him. I noticed that he had received no traction the entire night. I don't think anyone had looked at his paintings all night. In hindsight, this was clearly a mistake.

As I approached the man, indicating my interest he smiled at me and made a comment that added to the unease. "Hello sir, I'm glad you finally decided to check these paintings out. I knew you would eventually. I am sure you'll find that they'll interest you." And right he was.

The painting drew me in immediately. It depicted my home town [Home Town], bathed in the soft moonlight I remembered from quiet walks on late summer nights. Streetlamps glowed along the empty cobblestone roads. The shops and cafés in the town's square stood open — lights on, doors ajar — as if they had only just closed. But, my eyes went to one place in particular. The house I grew up in, its blue picket fence painted by my father — board by board. Even the small chip at the top of one of the slats was there, where I had accidentally thrown a baseball. My father was furious at first, but softened, complimenting the strength of my throw. The pathway leading to the dark oak front door was lined with orchids, roses and cornflowers, adding splashes of purple, red and blue to the otherwise shadowed scene. The fountain in the town's center was mid-spout, catching the reflection of the full moon in its spray. I could almost hear the water splashing... the clink of coins against the fountain's stone. Everything about this painting was exactly how I remembered [home town]. It was perfect. Almost too perfect - like something I might have painted from memory, if I were a talented artist. But something was missing. The people. Perhaps this was a stylistic choice made by the artist to highlight the town itself rather than its inhabitants. However, this absence still lingered in the back of my mind. I needed to add this to my collection. The cost didn't matter, but I still inquired about the price.

He told me that this painting was a part of a collection called 'Towns at Night', and the three paintings must be purchased together. This was the request of the artist himself, and there were no exceptions. I found this strange for two reasons. I had never heard of a request like this before. And secondly, that the artist himself did not show up to represent his art.

Up until this point, I hadn't looked at either of the paintings in the collection but they are just as masterfully done. The painting to the left of [Home Town], depicted [Town 1], a neighboring fishing town West. The lake beautifully mirrored the waning crescent moon that was high in the night sky. The men fishing on the docks glowed under the dock's lamp. The town itself, was quite busy with people eating under canopy umbrellas at the town's many restaurants most well-known for their delicious fish. I had eaten at many of them and it was some of the best fish I had ever tasted.

I hadn't spent any time looking at the other two paintings. My focus had been entirely on the painting of [Home Town]. But now, standing before the full set, I see they were just as beautifully done. To the left of [Home Town], was a depiction of [Town 1], a neighboring town West of [Home Town]. Mirrored in the lake was the waning crescent moon that was positioned high in the cloudy night sky. The lone lamp on the dock shone on the wet boards and the empty boat positioned nearby by. The lights within canopy umbrellas shone on the many restaurant's empty tables. This painting had an eerily similar vibe as the previous one. It was empty.

Up until this point, I hadn't looked at either of the other paintings in the collection but they were just as beautiful. They just didn't have the personal relationship with me [To fix]. The painting to the left of [Home Town], depicted [Town 1], a neighboring town West of [Home Town]. The moon mirrored in the lake and the dock being lit up were the stand outs in this painting. To the right, was a painting of [Town 2], another neighboring town East[Home town]. The standout in this particular painting was the forest that neighbored the town. It's trees detailed, tilted slightly to left as if there was an East to West night breeze. Green, yellow and orange leaves on the ground clearly showing it was Fall.

This entire collection was beautiful and masterfully done. The artist clearly had very good attention to detail and had depicted each town perfectly.