Weds Brief
This week's prompt is: "Nothing else matters" or have a scene set in an art gallery or use: fish, knife, ice or use a bucket in an interesting way or have one of your characters explain what FIFO means or have someone watch an arrest or be arrest or use: sun, mimosa, swing or "One is the loneliest number"
Lancaster wasn’t a metropolitan area like Philadelphia or
New York, but it had amenities all its own. They had parks, festivals, and
museums.
Yes, Lancaster had a lot to offer, a cross between city and
country. Tom and Ben couldn’t think of
any place they’d rather live than here.
“Tom, did you see this one?”
Ben and Tom decided to spend their Sunday afternoon at the Museum of Art
and History, nicknamed MOAH.
“Wow, that’s lovely.” Tom took a closer look at the painting
Ben stood in front of. “It kind of looks
like it could have been done in our backyard. “ Their home backed onto a nature
preserve, which was one of the reasons they’d bought the house.
“Yeah, you’re right. The
artist even captured the stream bed that meanders through.”
The two men wandered through each of the exhibit rooms. The
museum was having a special exhibit about love.
So all the artwork was related to love in some way. The painting they’d been admiring reflected
love of nature. There were photos and
paintings and sculptures depicting a parent’s love for his children, an elderly
couple being cared for by their grown children, and a painting of a couple’s
wedding in Paris.
Ben was so engrossed with a statue sitting in the middle of
the room he didn’t notice Tom had made an abrupt stop in front of him. He ran right
into his back.
“Tom, what did you stop for?”
“Look at that, Ben.”
There was a sculpture entitled “Nothing Else Matters.” Two men, one holding the other as he lay on
the ground. They wore military uniforms,
and it appeared one was wounded. Of
course, like most art, it was left up to the interpretation of the viewer.
“They’re lovers,” Ben
whispered.
“How can you tell that?”
Tom took a closer look at the piece.
“I mean, I can see they’re comrades in arms, even close friends, but
lovers?” Tom turned to Ben, who was
still mesmerized by the art.
“I think the wounded one might be dying.” Ben reached out and took Tom’s hand. It made him think of images he had of Tom and
his dangerous job.
“It’s okay, Ben.” Tom
squeezed his hand. Tom seemed to know where his mind had gone.
“I know it doesn’t say what it is, but I get the impression they’re
a couple, closeted ,and one got wounded by enemy fire and he’sdying.” Ben’s voice got very quiet at the end. He rested his head on Tom’s shoulder. There
were other people milling about the gallery, looking at the exhibits. Tom and he were so caught up with the art
piece that they didn’t realize someone was watching them.
“How about we get a bite to eat? There’s a restaurant a few blocks over I’d
like to try,” Tom suggested.
* * * *
A shadow followed the two men as they made their way to the
exit. The figure watched them leave and
stood by the front entrance. Tom and
Ben went to their car and drove off.
“Fags, you’re all ruining this country. Well, I’m going to take care of at least two
of them.”
TBC
Oh bloody hell. Sweet and innocent becomes dark and dangerous. I'm definitely not one to complain about that.
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