The Mystic Art Gallery

The Mystic Art Gallery

In the heart of the bustling city, nestle between cobblestone streets and historical Victorian houses stands the Mystic Art Gallery. The gallery was a haven for forgotten dreams, lost hopes and hidden treasures. Its curator Heather snow had inherited the pace from her eccentric grandmother Morgana Monroe. Heather believed the art gallery held secrets that could breathe, dance and came to life if given the chance. During the day the gallery is a place of wonders for art lovers to cherish the visions of modern and eclectic artwork. One moonless night, as the clock stuck midnight the gallery stirred. The paintings on the walls shifted, their colors deepened. Sculptures start to roam around the gallery exploring and venturing around the staircase. Petrified wildlife came to life growling and stretching their limbs outward. There was a neon mist that permeated around the entire gallery. The scent of orange blossoms fragrant the air from the citrus trees within the paintings. Heather was mesmerized by all the mystical sights she witnesses. Her blue eyes widen as she saw an albino boa constructor crawl down off one of the paintings hanging on, the wall. Faeries began to fly sprinkling gold magic dust around the gallery. Angelic angels in the clouds began floating over the calm waters within the painting. Two colorful peacocks in a floral garden surrounded by a glistening waterfall extend their beautiful feathers. A couple dances together under the moonlight. Ghostly apparitions ride their ponies through the museum in the Paul Revere scene. Heather is greeted by a handsome prince that kisses her hand.

“May I have this dance?” the prince asks.

“You may,” says Heather.

The handsome Prince takes her hands and leads her into a waltz upon the checkered gallery floors. Heather melts in his arms and holds him tightly as they dance through the night.

In one painting autumn leaves fall from the trees in a river-walk scene. Two skaters enjoy doing a figure on the ice in Capitol Park. A large black panther hidden in the bush jumps out of one of the paintings and roams around the art gallery. The hooting of a lone Owl perched upon a tree limb. His golden yellow eyes shines brightening in the darkness of the painting. In an Old Western painting, strong winds send a tumble rolling in the dry desert of the prairie. Heather takes a seat by a window as she watches glowing murals of otherworldly creatures of the night stir in a strange mist. A constellation scene with dreamlike landscapes wonderful colors of neon yellows, green and pink light up the gallery. Whimsical clocks chimes loudly. A silhouette of smooth jazz musicians plays as music notes dance in the air. Hundreds of butterflies fly in unison lighting on tables and the walls of the gallery. One of the butterflies' lights on top of heather nose. She wonders what the patrons would think of the knew all the wondrous things that happens after midnight at her art gallery. Heather's grandmother Morgana was a unusual woman. She would tell people of her talking all hours of the night with wondering spirits in her living room. Looking outside her window at night seeing hairy fanged monsters running wild in her rose gardens. Heather never knew her Mother Aurora. She had died when Heather was born in childbirth. After her high school graduation, Heather moved into a dorm at Belwood University in Alabama. Her last year at the university she was told by her uncle Ross that her grandmother was placed in a nursing home. Uncle Ross believed Grandmother Morgana was losing her mind. He didn't want her to be left alone unattended inside her home. After graduation, Heather moved back to her grandmother's house. Heather would faithfully visit her grandmother inside the Haven Glenn nursing facility until she passes away three years later. In the beginning, Uncle Ross wanted to sell the art gallery. An attorney for Morgana presented a will to Uncle Ross. The will stated the Mystic Art Gallery and the house be given to Heather upon her grandmother's passing. This made Uncle Ross really mad, and he stopped speaking to Heather after the reading of the will. The attorney gave Heather another letter with a key to a safe deposit box and explanation as to what her grandmother wanted done. Heather opened up the letter. In the letter her grandmother tells her to spend one night in the gallery.

“Spend one night in the gallery?” ask Heather.

“One night,” says Mr. Mann.

“Why?” asks Heather.

“Just do as the letter says,” said Mr. Mann. “You'll understand more after that.”

“Okay,” said Heather.

Mr. Mann picks up his briefcase from the coffee table and walks out of the house. Heather gets the letter and the key and puts them into her purse. She picks up her car keys on the end table and leaves her house. The first stops he makes is to the art gallery. When she opens up the door to the gallery, she is met with an abundance of spider webs. She takes her hands and clears them away. The art gallery was closed four years after her grandmother was put inside the nursing home. Her Uncle Ross was a overweight, balding, cranky man who wanted nothing to do with the gallery. He would rather sell the gallery and the house to get the money for himself. Heather grandmother knew about Ross's greed and that's why she left the house and gallery to her. She knew that Heather would appreciate them more. Heather took a broom from the closet and began sweeping and dusting the gallery. When she was finished it looked more presentable. Heather dusted an old sofa off and took a blanket from the truck of her car. She turned on the outside light off the gallery. She locked the doors and sat down in the chair. She started to read the letter more in dept that was written by her grandmother. The letter tells Heather to not be afraid at the mystical treasures that she is about to witness. Starting at the stroke of midnight. A large clock inside the gallery began to chime. It was the midnight hour. Heather sat up in her chair and watched all over the gallery. The first she notices was a bright light shining from the wall. She stood up and looked at one of the paintings. It was a scene of a super moon. The bats in the painting came to life flying a squawking around the super moon as it began to shine bright in the darkness. Heather stared in amazement. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. After her first night at the gallery, Heather opened the door for the public to visit. She placed ads in newspapers and fliers of her grand opening. She never mentioned about the mysterious things that happened after midnight. That was a secret between her and her grandmother for their enjoyment only. When the sun came up, the paintings became still once again. If she hadn't witness it for herself, she would have never believed that they could have come to life. Heather turned on all the lights inside the gallery. She hung the open sign up on the front window. Coffee and pastries perfume the whole entire gallery. As customers began to arrive, Heather greeted them at the door with a smile. She walked over to the painting that was of the handsome prince and straighten it on the wall.

“Until tonight beloved,” said Heather softly.

She winked at the painting with her right eye and walked back to the front of the art gallery to greet other customers coming inside.