The Picture

 This story contains mention of the occult, sensitive matter and body excretion 

THE PICTURE 

BY CAMILLE CLARKE 

Photo care of the Internet 

” One is day, and one is night, 

Will only live when it is bright, 

Once was love and now is hate, 

Now is beautiful, priceless, and great, 

To break the spell, she must see light, 

Will come to life and break thy strife.” 

She is beautiful, whispered an older gentleman passing in front of Geneve's picture. 

Geneve had been the main attraction at the museum for the past five years. Her black flowing hair, her sparkling blue eyes and a smile that could brighten any day. The gold frame on the picture seemed cheap and did not do her justice.  

Her fiancée, Edward, visited the museum every day, but no one ever spoke to him. He sat on a bench that was in front of her picture and was caught sometimes speaking to the painting. He did not want to give up on their love and tried to keep it strong. 

After the museum closed at night, she came to life. The security officers believed Edward was crazy and just left him as long as he did not cause any harm. 

Everyone thought Edward was crazy like hell, but he did not care. He even hid in the museum at night to speak to the portrait. Once he was caught trying to get into the museum and he made up some cockamamie story about leaving his wallet in the museum. Some nights were good but sometimes he missed her. It was one of those nights. He looked at her features, his gaze resting on every line and freckle of her face. 

The artist, Geoff Richards, was popular but lived his life as a recluse. His mansion was on the outskirts of the city and was built in the 1800s. He had quick, cold, grey eyes which seemed accusatory when pointed in your direction. No one knew how old he was, but his silver-colored hair gave away his age. 

It was whispered that Geoff had a coffin in the living room of his dark mansion. Others said that he was seen walking in the graveyard in the wee hours of the morning conjuring up those who were dead. No one had ever opposed him or attempted to see if this was the truth. Who in their right mind visits a cemetery at night? Farless to be conjuring up the dead. 

Edward knew what happened.... 

Geoff was jealous of their love and did not want any other man to have her. He knew she was alive, and he did not want her body to be buried. She was just in a deep sleep. Geoff placed her body in a white and gold colored coffin and spent time just sitting and staring at her. She looked the same as she did years ago. But she could only be awakened by the answer to the poem. 

” Hello,” said an old friend. Edward looked up and saw Jeremy. Jeremy was the one who conjured up the spell to keep her asleep. He was paid a considerable sum to keep her unconscious because it was better than her being dead. Five years ago, Geneve was conscious and living life to the fullest. Unfortunately, she had died during a vehicular accident. Geoff had approached Jeremy and asked him to help. 

” What it is now?” Edward asked, with a heavy sigh. 

” I had a dream, and I got the answer You need to take the body out on a solar eclipse,” he said sitting next to Edward. Even though he cast the spell, he did not know how to wake her up. 

Edward frowned and moved away as a woman cocked her head as if she were listening to their conversation. That idea could work.” One is day and one is night, will only live when it is bright.” That made sense. Edward cocked his head. He hoped Jeremy was right because he was plain out of ideas. 

The men went outside to discuss this problem. 

” I do not know if to believe you and how the hell are we going to get the body? Geoff is not going to just let us take it. In this dream do I get arrested?” Edward asked. 

” Geoff is on his way here now and the eclipse is tomorrow. We drug him by throwing this in his drink to make him sleep,” Jeremy said holding up some mysterious looking powder in a translucent plastic bag for him to see.  

” Okay, so I will be making a jail for breaking and entering, stealing, abusing a corpse, and poisoning Geoff which is murder...” he raised his hand. 

” It will work I tell you,” Jeremy said. As soon as the words left him Geoff walked straight past them.  

” O my gosh! Just give me the damn dust. I will put it in his cup. You get the body. I hope I have your cell number. All this last-minute idea bothers me,” he said. 

Edward was not a spontaneous kind of guy. He was more like a man who planned his itinerary. 

Jeremy jumped in his car and sped away to Geoff's house. 

Now how am I going to do this thing? He had an idea. 

Edward gave a slight cough to draw Geoff's attention. 

” I was thinking, and I know we are not friends but that could change?” Edward questioned as Geoff scowled and his sharp eyes looked pointedly in his direction.  

Edward waved his hand excitedly and spilled his drink. He pulled out a handkerchief wiping Geoff's clothing. 

” Am sorry I drank a little too much. I will get you another one,” Edward said going to the bar.  

Edward smiled looking in Geoff's direction. No one was looking. He took out the powder and threw all the contents in the glass. 

He made his way back and handed Geoff the drink. 

” Thanks,” he mumbled, looking at the glass. Edward drank his bubbly encouraging Geoff to drink his own. Geoff ignored him. 

” How about we make a toast...” Edward said raising his class, trying to rack his mind with an idea to make him drink.  

” To all the girls we loved before. Ummmmm, ummmmm,” he did not know what else to say. Edward drank from the glass. Nothing else was coming to mind. 

Geoff was giving him some hard looks.” What brought this on?”  

” We both are getting older, and we do not need more enemies,” Edward said. 

Geoff drank a sip of the glass. His eyes fixing on Geneve's portrait. He swallowed more. He was thinking why the wine was bitter and what was Edward babbling about now? 

Edward' s cell phone rang. Thank goodness! He did not know what else to say to Geoff. 

” Edward here.” He was glad to hear from Jeremy. 

” I got her. Meet me at the side of the building. I did not know she was so heavy! Damn.” 

Edward rolled his eyes.” Laterz.” He saluted Geoff. Not looking back. 

He made it to the car. His love was lying in the backseat and still unconscious. Tears welled up in his eyes. 

As they were driving past the museum, Geoff ran out of the front door. 

” I hope he did not see her. I do not trust him,” said Edward and Jeremy agreed. 

” Hold up. Park here and follow him.” 

Geoff drove home and quickly ran back to his car. They were not surprised when he went to the cemetery. O hell! Jeremy parked the car a distance away, he did not want Geoff to know he was being followed. 

Suddenly Geoff pulled off his pants to use the toilet.  

He then got up, drifted back and forth, and fell to the ground. What was he doing? 

” How much of the powder did you give him to drink?” Jeremy asked, blinking his eyes. 

” All. Why?” Edward did not measure it. He did not know he had to. 

” My goodness. Nothing. He just has diarrhea,” Jeremy said waved his hand.  

Not long after Geoff got up and knelt on the ground over the grave. Edward knew whose headstone that belonged to. It was Geoff's father. He died years ago. 

Okay, so Edward was a little weird going to the cemetery. Yes, he knew the cemetery very well. His mother and father were buried here and so was his favorite uncle and aunt.  

Unexpectedly, Geoff stood up and chanted some words. A green mist arose from the ground. 

” I do not know about you, but I am leaving,” Jeremy started the car and drove to the outskirts of the city. 

” I have no idea what all that hocus pocus was about. We best stay out here tonight,” said Jeremy.  

Edward sighed heavily. Maybe this will not work. Maybe she dies. Maybe and more maybes. He closed his eyes. He was tired of Geoff and his jealousy and evilness.  

Jeremy was blabbering about the eclipse and not getting caught by Geoff before the time was right. 

” The total eclipse will be around 2 p.m. We will have to stay out of Geoff's path until then,” Jeremy said pulling his jacket over his torso. 

Edward' s phone rang. Speak of the devil. Jeremy gave him a sharp look. 

” Where are you?” 

He pretended he did not know who was calling. "Who the hell are you? You just cannot call people and ask them questions. Nobody taught you any manners it seems,” Edward said in a surprised and angry voice. 

” Bring her back,” Geoff said. Evidently shaken-up. 

” I am not bringing back any damn thing. You made our lives a living hell. You kidnapped the woman I love and kept her with you. She did not love you and she never will,” Edward said. He was fed-up with this bullshit, and it was only a matter of time before he acted on it.  

When he met Geneve they were in their late teens. Geoff loved her also and made things difficult for them. Edward knew that Geoff took her body and that was the last day she was conscious was five years ago. He remembered it as if it were yesterday. They were having a meal and she complained about feeling unwell and went home. Edward did not hear from her for days after that. He even approached Geoff who claimed he did not know where she was. All along Geoff had her in a coffin in his house. 

Edward notified the police, but Geoff denied having any knowledge of the coffin with a body being in his house. They saw the coffin, but it was empty. It is not against the law to have an empty coffin in your house. 

Geoff felt intense anger building up inside him and punched the wall. Those thieves! He felt he had every right to have her. He knew Geneve from childhood. He did not know what made Edward feel he was so special. Yes, she had been seeing Edward before he put her in the casket.  

Next day, Edward and Jeremy were still in the car after 10 in the morning. Edward yawned loudly stretching his legs. 

I know I am not sleeping in the car anymore. The car was cramped, plus he felt cold. 

He glanced behind him. Geneve was still asleep. So was Jeremy. 

” Could you start the car. I want some breakfast,” Edward said already feeling for some coffee. 

They ate at a popular restaurant and headed back to the car. 

Edward sighed. 

” How are we doing this?” he asked Jeremy.  

Jeremy was checking his teeth in the mirror. 

” It is not a problem. When the eclipse starts, we take her outside, and it will wake her up. It is not hard. Can you hand me the floss from the glove compartment?”  he asked. Raking his hands through his dark curls. 

Jeremy drove to the top of a hill where couples came to make out. 

Geoff was already there, leaning against his car.” I knew you would come here.” 

Edward shook his head as he got out of the car. 

They took Geneve out of the car and put her to lie down on the car's bonnet. It was time. 

Geneve lay on the car. Her clothing looked old and messed up. Her long black hair was tousled by the breeze. The eclipse started and the three men cocked back as one of her eyes opened. She held up her hands to block the sunlight. 

” Geneve?” Edward moved forward touching her hand. Geoff also stood over her touching the tendrils of her black hair. 

She squinted getting off the bonnet.” What is going on?”  

All three of the men were taken aback with her sitting up. 

” Geoff,” she whispered. She waved her hand in his direction and got off the bonnet of the car to hug him. 

” What?” Edward was surprised. Geoff? Geoff?! 

” What the hell? I must be going blind. Geoff?” He was surprised as she hugged Geoff. 

” My love. I waited long for you,” Geoff whispered, hugging Geneve tightly.  

” What the Sam Hill going on here?” Neither Edward nor Jeremy could believe what was happening.  

Geneve smiled and turned to address Edward.” It was always Geoff, and I had all that time to think about our relationship. I know that you loved me, but I did not and do not love you.” 

Edward was stumped. His face turned red from embarrassment. 

Jeremy tapped Edward on the shoulder.” Let's go.” 

And so, Geoff and Geneve walked away in the sunset together. Both knowing exactly what each other was about. Edward went his way with a heavy heart thinking that he lost the love of his life. However, Jeremy was at least a good friend. 

THE END