This week’s story is a bit briefer than usual. Sorry about that, I’ve been kinda busy with novel rewrites and my masters starting up again. Still, I think it’s not bad and it’ll take you about half as long to read as usual, so give it a go anyway.
And as before, you can get the anthology I’m in for as little as three quid if you go for the PDF format. It’s a decent story, honest.
Sketches Of Spain
By Nick Bryan
‘So, my other friends have been saying that scrawling all over the walls and ceiling of my bedroom makes me insane.’
‘Because, y’know, I did. I mean, I drew all over it. Not splodges or patterns or crazy shit, I drew proper pictures. I managed to recreate Paris in watercolours next to my bed, all reflections and moonlight and whatever it is people like about that place.’
‘And then I sketched out Barcelona, although it’s tedious trying to make somewhere feel hot with only light black and white, but I gave it a shot. My point is, proper drawings, real art, I’m not crazy.’
‘I know producing decent paintings of sunflowers didn’t stop Vincent Van Gogh from being mentally ill, but I haven’t amputated anything or killed myself – well, obviously – all I did was draw. I’m pretty good at it too, I think.’
‘And it’s not as if my housemate came home and saw it all over the house, y’know, like in the movies, and then screamed and ran away while I grinned. I own the place, I warned him beforehand, I can turn my room into a walk-in postcard if I want, can’t I’
‘No dead pets, no tin foil hats, no voices. Nothing that isn’t really there or anything like that. I barely even talk to the cat, millions of people admit to doing that. And you don’t see them getting friends coming up and saying “Are you okay?” in a high-pitched mutter.’
‘Thanks for bringing the paint and stuff over, by the way, I thought you’d want to see what I did with the place. I mean, I took a load of pictures and put them on Facebook, but it’s not the same, is it? Check out the architectural detail on that Barcelona, you can practically smell the Gaudi.’
‘Well, if you could, y’know? I’m not crazy, just very good at drawing.’
‘And I know you’re about to nag me that it’s time I left the house, it’s been three months, but I figured this was the next best thing, you know? If you can’t go outside, bring the world to you. See? And totally rational, since I’m a good enough artist to pull it off.’
Copyright me 2011, no stealing, just email me and ask nicely. It’s only 400 words, for crying out loud. Other stories are also available.