Iridessa slept heavily on her soft-feathered bed. The morning light illuminated her room, exposing all the dust and feathers lingering in the air. The light touched her long, twisted red hair, making it look as if her head was on fire. Her porcelain skin glowed beneath her emerald wool blanket. The room smelled of smoke from the left over fire, and the sting of paint. The sun, shined light on the small room, showing various beautiful paintings. Scattered all over the girl’s room were palettes of color, brushes, tins of water, and one wooden easel.
As she laid there, someone stared at her. It was her stepmother, Lilith. She had long hair, dark as midnight, with wisps of silver around the outline of her wrinkled face. Her skin was a sickly grey, with a murky brown scar that ran from her left eye to her pointed chin. Her left eye was a muted ice blue, and her right eye was as dark as her hair. Lilith looked as if she was scheming on how she could put her long, scaly fingers around Iridessa’s neck and compress the life out of her. At that moment, Iridessa shot straight up from her deep sleep and let out a slight shriek as she saw her stepmother standing there.
“ Get up,” snarled Lilith.
She scrambled out of bed and pushed the wisps of her hair out of her face, Iridessa replied “Yes stepmother.”
Iridessa pulled on her petticoat and tied her stay, but not too tight. She hated those constricting garments. She liked to feel her lungs fill with the chilly air as she painted, feeling the colors of the cold air in her body. She wrapped herself in a shawl and swiftly went to the kitchen.
As she sat at the wooden table, Lilith read a thick black book, “Make sure the porridge doesn’t burn this time girl.”
“Yes, mother,” sighed Iridessa.
After they ate their breakfast in silence, Iridessa cleared their bowls and went outside to start on her daily chores. Lilith, put on her black cloak, walked out of the small cottage toward town.
“I’m going to town. You are to do your chores and not leave,” Lilith said.
“Yes, mother.”
“ I don’t want any funny business while I am gone.” And she vanished into the thick forest.
Iridessa let out a breath and smiled. She quickly finished her chores and went back inside. She hummed as she grabbed a piece of bread, slathered it with golden honey, and shoved it in her mouth. She was happy to be alone and free.
She stood in front of her easel and placed a newly stretched canvas on its frame. Staring into the white, she cleared her mind and let her imagination float in front of her eyes. She started to see vibrant colors, places she wanted to be, places she’d only seen in her books. She started squirting tubes of paint onto her palette, picked up a paintbrush, and started to paint with such passion that when she was done, you could see the emotion on the canvas.
Just as she was almost done, she heard a call from outside.
“Hello? Is anyone home?”
She froze, dropped the paintbrush in water and rushed to the door. She opened it slightly to see a handsome man with a milky gray horse by his side.
“Miss? Could I bother you for a drink of water? My name is Gabriel, I am traveling to the next town and seemed to have lost my canteen.”
As she opened the door wider and stepped out, she scanned the forest for her stepmother. She relaxed as there was no sight of her. She stepped out and went to the well. Pouring some water into the cup, she handed it to Gabriel with a shy smile.
As he grabbed the cup, his fingers shut over hers and held them for a second too long, noticing the splashes of color on her hands.
“ Are you here alone?” he asked, looking around.
“Yes, sir. My mother has gone to town.”
He gulped the water in one swallow, and stared.
“So, are you a painter?” he asked looking at her hands.
She quickly put her hands behind her, embarrassed for how dirty she was.
“It’s really just a hobby of mine. My Father was the real painter.” looking at the ground.
“I know who you are! I would recognize that red hair anywhere!” getting excited, “You are Lilith’s stepdaughter. Your father was a great painter, do you still have any of his work that I can see?”
“ Yes,I am. I’m Iridessa. I’m sorry sir but all of my Father’s paintings are gone.”
Looking disappointed, he said, “ Please, Miss, I would love to see your paintings at least.”
Embarrassed to show her work, she still showed him into her room. He hurriedly walked to the paintings. His hands caressing the canvas like they were gold. He looked at every one, like he was looking at colors for the first time.
“I have a proposition for you. You are a wonderful painter. I am an art consultant and I am on my way to open a gallery in the next town. I would love to have you be the first artist I showcase. This can make you a real painter like your father, and could help you sell your paintings. You would be able to start making some money, maybe move away from Lilith. You want that, don’t you?”
Her face puzzled. “No one will buy my paintings, and my stepmother Lilith won’t let me, I’m sure of it.” She thought more about what he was offering, getting excited, she thought with his help, she could get out from under Lilith.
It was as if she heard her name, Lilith was coming in through the door.
“What is this?” yelling, “Get out of my house! You are not welcome here!”
Gabriel turned to Iridessa and said, “Remember what I have offered. I will come tomorrow to pick the paintings up.” and he ran out the door.
Lilith turned to look at Iridessa. “You will never be a professional artist like your Father! You are an ugly, good for nothing girl!”, barked Lilith.“ I forbid you to sell any of your paintings to that man. At morning light we are leaving.”
“ Why? I don’t understand!” she said confused. “Why can’t I sell my paintings? They are mine! I am nearly old enough to be married!”
“I will have no questions, you will do as you’re told girl. I am your mother, I know what is best for you. And if you try to sell them, you will regret it.” giving Iridessa a look that was evil as the devil himself.
With that, Iridessa knew not to question her. What she wasn’t aware of was what great lengths Lilith would go to stop her.
Lilith had started a fire in the front yard. Its flames, roaring up to the canopy of the redwoods trees. She threw each painting in, one by one, along with all of the painting supplies. Iridessa stood inside with her nose pressed to the chilly glass window, watching, tears streaming down her face.
She rushed to her room and locked the door. She lifted up the floorboard where she kept her father’s old painting supplies. She knew that if she wanted to have a painting ready for Gabriel, before Lilith took her away from her hometown, she had to work fast.
She set everything up and looked up to the sky and whispered, “ Please father, help guide my hand, let me paint like you.” She felt a sudden rush of cold air that chilled her to the bone and she started painting quickly. She again went into a frenzy of passion, just like the frenzy of flames that were starting to rise all around her.
As Gabriel rode up the next day, he saw what was left of the small cottage. Smoke spiraled off of the blackened frame.
He got off his horse and started looking for signs of the girl and the woman. Just when he had searched everything, thinking no one was hurt, he let out a gasp as he saw one small, charcoaled body. Kneeling down on one knee, he bowed his head and said a small prayer for her soul.
When he opened his eyes, he noticed a splash of color underneath the blackness of her body. Thinking it was bizarre, compared to the destruction he saw, he carefully lifted the remains, slightly burning his hands as he moved her. Somehow protected from the fire, was a painting.
Looking straight at him was the most beautiful self-portrait he had ever seen. Every detail was exquisite, down to the rainbow colored splashes on the girl’s hands.
Becoming Writer 2016 Anniversary Contest 