The Painter's Unending Haunt

orse. The doctors said Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobin

perfec

sed. So I arranged it through Noah. I told him to tell her it was a

er my le

te hospital wing, my side scream

not looking at me. "The

lief washing over me. "

I shuffled down the hallway to her room. I

eam. He was telling a story, and she was looking at him with an e

a piece of my body missing for her

t it later, about how close

been my rock through all of this while you were off... doing w

ay, "I was in a hospital bed, recovering fr

end. Noah saw the space opening up bet

itics loved it. A museum wanted to acquire one of my pi

posed to be

pentine in one hand and a rag in the other. He was standing in

out to de

ing; I was fighting for my life, my soul. I managed to stop

cut, but he saw

told her I had attacked him in a fit of jealous rag

final nail

and her mother's constant praise of

decided I needed

s still tense after Dr. Chen's call. Noah, ever the

The large television screen on the wall, which had been d

a news

launched into the Creative Rehabilitation Center network following n

goes de

screen. The same sterile, imposing

self feel

Her hand flies

nic. He fumbles for the remote, but

d, were essentially prisons," the reporter continues. "Families were charged exorbitant fees for

wd says, pointing at the screen. "I

r face is ashen. She looks

off the TV. The screen goes black, but

id journalism. They'll do anything for a story. It's probab

g, her eyes fixed

voice shaking. "That's the

alm down. Our center is one of the good ones. I vetted it myself.

he first time all night, she looks at him not

ker of