My kooky great-aunt grinned, displaying gaps where a few teeth used to be, as though she just won the jackpot.

I groaned and nearly rolled my eyes but restrained myself in time. Otherwise, a good smack on the back of my head would set my brain right. She was elderly but packed a mean punch that could make a grown man cry like a baby.

“A silver coin, boy,” she asked, stretching out her palm in anticipation. I did roll my eyes then and quickly ducked as her hand moved. I was almost twenty-one, still she called me a boy.

I held up a coin for her to see but paused for a moment, furrowing my brows. Her eyes lit up for a second before frowning at my hesitation.

She wiggled her fingers, urging me to act quickly. Without a second thought, I placed the coin in the centre of her palm.

“Good.” She nodded with satisfaction and pulled out a brand new canvas from under the counter in her antique shop. It was wrapped in brown paper. “Get going and paint something out of this world.”

“As you wish, Aunty. See you tomorrow.” I cradled the canvas under my arm and headed to my apartment.

The sun lit up every corner of my drawing room, perfect for painting. I set up the canvas, laid out my oil paints and brushes.

A swipe of my brush across the canvas and it shimmered lightly, the wet paint sticking fast like it naturally belonged there. I picked up the pace as the inspiration flowed and got lost in my work.

When the sun began to dip behind the horizon, I dropped the brush on the easel and surveyed my work.

She was ethereally beautiful. A brunette in white, surrounded by white and pink orchids. Her amber eyes glowed like they were alive—

She looked alive!

Stunned, I gazed until she blinked and her lips curved into a gentle smile. “Hello, Fuji.” Her voice was light as a breeze but sharp enough to clear up my shock. She was real.

She stretched and yawned as though she had just woken up from a long sleep. Her pale hands stretched above her head, the motion rippling across the canvas in slow motion like the waves of an ocean.

“Oh,” she gasped and glanced down at herself. I stopped my painting at her midriff, the lower part of her were covered with pink orchids that spread out towards the edge of the canvas.

She appeared like a trapped figure in the midst of orchid flowers. Our eyes met and the light in hers dimmed a little.

She wanted to be free but I'd trapped her down with my brush strokes. She was mine and that thought made me smile, for the first time in a long time.

“Will you finish painting all of me?”

“I'm not sure yet. Tell me your name.”

“Misaki.”

[To be continued]

I hope you enjoyed reading this short story inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt words: a silver coin and brand new canvas. This piece seems like the beginning of a series. But I'm not sure yet. The continuing part(s) will be posted soon.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

^{Image credit: Long_Phung}