Drawing tends to put Lucy in a trance-like state; the world could shatter to bits around her and she would hardly notice. It has been like that since she was little, absorbed in a task and losing time until someone snaps her out of it.
What she’s experiencing now, though? That’s something else entirely.
The piece is almost finished. Lucy feels like she’s holding her breath, like the music in her mind is rising to a crescendo. She selects white, and her stylus hovers over the red-orange flames for a moment before pressing down, adding light to the blaze she created.
Before last month, Lucy could count the number of times she’d drawn fire on one hand. Then the dreams started, and now it’s like her only purpose is to capture those flames on her drawing tablet, to share them with the world. Maybe she’s some sort of prophet now, though she’s not quite sure what it is she’s prophesying. The end of the world? Perhaps. But there’s no fear in her dreams, not even sadness. Not really. It’s all rather… matter-of-fact. This is how it is. This is how it’s always been.
With a final touch of white, her drawing is finished. By tonight she’ll have it uploaded to her account. Her followers seem to enjoy the new direction her work has taken; she’s been receiving more shares, more comments. Even a few more private messages, one of which has been on her mind since she first read it yesterday. Part of her is scared to respond, to confirm that what’s been happening to her is real and not just a helpful spark of inspiration. Maybe tomorrow she’ll reach out.
She saves her newest piece and thinks of what she’ll title it. Now that she’s waking up from her art-induced trance, excitement begins to blossom in her chest. Her previous pieces have all been of a similar space: a library of sorts, swallowed by ruthless flames. Today’s drawing is the first to be different, the first to be from the outside looking in.
In the drawing, it’s night. Yellow light illuminates high grass and an old metal fence. Central to the piece is an old house, and it is burning.