The Snowflake Chronicles

Leah’s encounter where her muse

Writing Assignment 7
Written in March 2010

Word count: 803

Leah stared at the canvas waiting for her to cloth its body with color. The longer she stared at it, the worse the situation became. The white canvas seemed to mock her, laugh at her inability to sketch the simplest scene in her mind. If she could not visualize the scene in her mind, how could she put it on the canvas?

“Maybe,” she whispered, “if I draw a line of hills before starting to paint.” She picked up her favorite sketch pencil and raised it to the surface of the canvas. Her hand did not move, the pencil seemed to hang in the air laughing at her.

Laying the pencil down, she picked up her digital camera and walked out the front door. There was no use attempting to paint or even draw. At least, the camera would record the memory of her morning walk and leave her brain free to think or draw a blank whichever was the easiest.

After leaving the house, Leah turned right with the intention of walking to the park about three blocks away. She knew she should go back, put her painting equipment in the car and drive to the park. At least, that way she could paint the park rather them attempting to paint something from memory.

At the corner she stopped, looked right and left, but instead of crossing the street she turn left toward the old courthouse standing in the center of town. The courthouse was about ten blocks away, a longer walk then normal, but worth the effort because at her last appointment her doctor had asked her to increase the length of her constitutionals.

Leah walked three blocks before stopping at the intersection of Main and Long Arrow Way. A black cat was standing in the center of the intersection; the cat just stood their looking around as if it were lost. Raising the camera, she took a photo of the cat and then looked at the photo she just took. In the photo, the cat was looking directly at her and smiling.

Interesting expression, she thought as she saved the photo. That’s the first cat I’ve seen since moving to Feline Junction. I’ll use it in the painting commissioned by Mayor Christian. I wish he’d been more specific in what he wanted in that painting, but then His Honor is never specific about anything he wants.

Something warm and furry rubbed against her right leg, looking down she saw stripped yellow cat sitting beside her. She took a picture and then checked to see if it was good. The yellow cat was licking his front paw, so she saved the photo.

I hope the Mayor likes cats, she thought as she crossed the street. Because that’s what he’s going to get, cats playing on the courthouse lawn.

Leah walked several more blocks before stopping again. She stood at the edge of the courthouse lawn, where a dozen or so cat of various colors frolicked. Smiling she began to take pictures of the cats, checking the memory in her camera to make sure she had enough room to save more photos.

“Fascinating aren’t they,” a voice came from behind her.

“Yes,” she replied turning around to face Joe Holbrook, the head security guard at the courthouse. “Is it all right to take pictures?”

“Please, Leah, take as many pictures as you want. No one is going to believe this cat story without photographic proof.”

“What do you mean, Joe?”

“There haven’t been any cats in this town in twenty years, not since Mayor Christian came into power.”

“Doesn’t he like cats,” she realized she might have to use another subject for the painting.

“I don’t know, Leah,” Joe smiled noticing the perturbed look on her face. “The day after he was elected Mayor all the cats left town. Sadie Johnson says it’s because he looks like a dog. Any way all the cats left town and he’s the only one who’s willing to run for the office. Are you upset about something, Leah?”

“I was going to put cats in the painting he commissioned, but if he doesn’t like cats then…”

“Don’t worry about what he likes; the only reason he’s mayor is that no one else wants the job. As for the cats, the City Council voted unanimously on commissioning a new painting for the courthouse foyer. They don’t care about the subject of the painting; all they care about is making the citizens of Feline Junction happy.”

“What’s the problem with the painting that’s hanging there now?”

“It’s the old hanging tree that was cut down last year. The citizens don’t want to be reminded that the last person hung was an innocent man.”

“Then cats playing on the courthouse lawn would be acceptable.”

“Acceptable and appropriate,” Joe smiled.