Anne Tyler Lord

Fiction: The Power of Art

Loretta bolted awake at 3:17 a.m.. Her heart raced and head pounded to the beat of sheer panic. She stumbled to her studio wearing the same pajamas and robe she had worn since the night he first appeared. It was time to meet him on the battlefront. She could feel his icy stare and his movement toward her. He once again threatened to invade her life, her sanity and peace of mind. His menacing acts of destruction were the most awesome force she had encountered.

When he first arrived, Loretta was afraid of his fearsome power of possession. She didn’t understand his strange ways, his quick movements and supernatural ability to invade the very core of her mind. She cowered during his nightly visits. But there was no escape from his torment. Loretta decided to fight back against this arrogant bastard. She would not wait for his evil endgame.

Tonight she summoned the courage to focus her trembling hands. She felt a surge of energy overtake her body as she grabbed a paintbrush.  She frantically mixed colors and her hands felt the brush fly across the canvas of its own volition.

A growl was followed by high pitched scratches from his deadly nails.  Loretta sensed his presence creeping into her mind. She let out a roar of defiance and began the fierce battle of wills. Even if he refused to leave, she would not allow him to have control.  She trusted the power of her art to save her from his hauntings and possession. She would expose his ugliness and show the world that she was not afraid of this formidable foe.

Which watercolor do you think Loretta painted that morning?

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45 responses to “Fiction: The Power of Art”

  1. Kim Batchelor

    I like stories with pictures.

    Sorry to take so long to get to this story, Anne. I’m leaning toward the first picture. Since the devil is actually channeling the squirrel, that solves the “growling” issue.

    Very inventive storytelling.

  2. Cecilia Dominic

    The pictures make for a great punchline to the story! I’m going for number 2, just because I’m gearing up to battle them in my garden again.

    Cecilia

  3. Anne Tyler Lord

    Thanks so much for the comments! I’m glad everyone had a good time with my little experiment.

    I can tell there are a lot of you who have suffered from squirrel torture – very funny, but not funny at the time!

  4. Linda

    The squirrelly one wins! Much scarier than demons (especially when the hazelnuts are ready for picking).

    What a super fun story… peace, Linda

  5. 2mara

    hahaha. I love the paintings, but for me the second is definitely more frightening. My skin crawls just looking into that glassy eye.

    ~2

  6. David G Shrock

    I can’t pick between the pics. Squirrels may not growl, but they can chatter a storm when angry. My sister claims some big ones have thrown nuts at her.

    Nice story.

  7. Deirdre

    Did you paint the paintings too? Cool!

  8. PJ Kaiser

    Anne – Very clever idea! We’ve talked about how visuals add so much to the story 🙂 The way the story is written – it’s a bit melodramatic – i have to go with the squirrel. If it was written in a slightly darker, more evil manner, i would definitely go with the first picture. In fact, i would have gone with the first one until about half way thru. Well done!

  9. Heather

    Definitely the squirrel! Love how you have incorporated text and art to give the reader an interactive multimedia experience – have you ever considered joining up with an artist to write a whole flash in a graphic style? Think that would be a great idea!

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      that would be an interesting project – it would be fun! It would be great to have graphic FridayFlash!

  10. Anne Tyler Lord

    I am overwhelmed with the number of comments and am so entertained by the variety of responses. Thanks so much for the fun! I can tell there are a lot of you who have had bad run-ins with the evil squirrels out there. And, the fun of the paranormal and psychotic are delightful interpretations.

  11. Skycycler

    Fantastic, Anne! Is it a shape-shifting Squirrel/gilled thing? If not, I’m going with #2. Laura’s comment made me laugh! I love the ‘trust in the power of art.’ Great stuff!

  12. Lindsay Oberst

    What a creative idea! Are the paintings yours?

    The squirrel picture makes the story more humorous, while the other one has intriguing spin-offs.

  13. Laurita

    Funny and clever. I vote for #2, although Michael’s idea of a hybrid is intriguing.

  14. Laura Eno

    Well, of course you know that I ADORE the first picture. I do hope that she banished that frightful woman on the left from her life…

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Ha! That is just great!!

  15. Paula Ray

    You definitely captured the picture–great descriptions. I love the artwork.

  16. Deanna Schrayer

    Anne, one of the things I love about you is your bent towards inventiveness, and the idea of choosing your own ending is but one great example of that.
    As I read it, the first picture is what I saw, but after seeing that squirrel I had to reread and it was so easy to see him instead. Either way, a great read!

  17. Maria Kelly

    Damn squirrels! I think the demon would have not been quite as much of a pain in the ass. Great story!

  18. Sam

    Oh yes, squirrel. Has to be. Who doesn’t love squirrels? 😉

  19. Eric J. Krause

    The horror lover in me wants to choose picture #1, but the comedy lover wants to choose #2. That story was the perfect set-up for the funny twist, so I’m going to go with #2, the squirrel.

    Good story, and it was a great idea to do the fun interaction!

  20. Jen B

    Hehe… I can’t decide. Great and tense story, though. And the pictures just add to it.

    I love squirrels so I guess I have to go with picture #1. 🙂

  21. mazzz_in_Leeds

    Ha! I’m struggling to decide between the pictures – can I have both endings please?! 🙂

    I was reading it more as the demon being more of a muse type thing, ie her battling to get her inspiration down on paper (or canvas!)

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      you most certainly can have both, and more, how fun to combine all the possibilities!

  22. Michael J. Solender

    ooh very devilish, I like #1, tho he is squirrel-like. Maybe a cross?

  23. Dan

    The squirrel. Definitely the squirrel. Squirrels are far creepier than any fiend from the borderlands of the outer darkness.

  24. peggy

    Wonderful read, beautiful watercolors and throughout the story, I kept waffling between incubus and cat. Should have kept the title in mind (lol). Both pics fit nicely into the word picture you painted–as vivid as the watercolors.

  25. John Wiswell

    I picked the second one because I’m a goofball. But also because of the scratching, and preferring something other than the traditional monster in the night. If you’ve ever had an infestation in your attic, you know those things can drive you just as mad as any incubus.

  26. Anne Tyler Lord

    Thanks for the comments! I greatly appreciate it and I love to see the variety of interpretations.

    These are not my paintings, I wish I could paint like that.

    Marisa, I haven’t heard a squirrel growl either, but you never know about the demonic ones. And believe me, they are out there.

    Lily, yes there are a few times I put double spaces after the sentences – alway confused about which to do anymore – I changed them and see what you mean.

  27. Marisa Birns

    At first I imagined it was the squirrel. I have spent summers in upstate New York where the little dears would come out at night and skitter across the roof of my bedroom. They were scary.

    But, they never growled. So I will pick the first picture.

    This is a wonderful flash. We got wonderful words, nice illustrations, and an opportunity to become part of the story!

    Loved it.

  28. Jemi Fraser

    Nicely done – definitely could swing either way with the answer. I envisioned something else as I read – the artist in the centre – pushing out a bubble of power from her core.

  29. Cathy Olliffe

    “SQUIRREL!!!”

    Yay! I was the first person to say that!

    Good stuff, Anne! Nice writing, nice illustrations (you did them? Awesome) and nice way of putting a smile on my face.

    1. Lou

      Dangit Cathy! You beat me to it!

      I picked the squirrel because she could get lost in that one, in a way she couldn’t in the other one. I think. 😉

  30. ganymeder

    I’m thinking there’s a 50/50 chance it could be either one.

    Cunningly crafted tale.

  31. Michelle

    this is a great post – love how you’ve entwined the artwork. 😉

  32. Cascade Lily

    LOL Anne! Love the choose your own adventure ending 🙂 I was thinking supernatural the whole way through, so pic number one for me. Very tight writing in this excellent flash – well done indeed.

    By the by, are you putting two spaces between sentences? I think you are, and that’s what’s throwing your left alignment out slightly. You might try dropping down to one space and you’ll see what I mean 🙂

    Where did the pictures come from? Yours? They’re great – especially the squirrel!

  33. Mark Kerstetter

    This is a fun flash. I’m definitely going with the squirrel. I’ve seen a rabid squirrel, my friend, and it ain’t pretty.

  34. G.P. Ching

    Imaginative delivery of this one. I’m going with the first painting, although when I read it the second time I could see how the second would fit. I guess I’m with Melissa, I just pictured the pest to be of a demonic nature, not of this world. Tightly written by the way. Nice work.

  35. C

    Definitely the squirrel. Cause squirrels have secret ninja powers.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      http://media.photobucket.com/image/squirrel%20ninja/nachosforever/Animals/squirrel-ninja.jpg

  36. shannon esposito

    Well, coming from a family that used to trap squirrels in our yard and then relocate them to a park, I will have to say painting 2. 🙂 But, the first painting seems familiar, too, unfortunately. In any case, great story!

  37. Melissa

    hahahahahaha!! I didn’t see the pictures when I first read the question, so in my mind I pictured green and black swirling around her with a demon-type thing trying to possess her. (Looking not too unlike the first pic.) I was thinking the demon could be self-doubt…but I think that’s because I recently read a post from an artist friend where he talks about sleepless nights in his studio facing the demon of self-doubt. So I’m going for the first pic, although I TOTALLY see how it could be the second. That would be awesome.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Thanks Melissa, I definitely also imagined the naughty muse and major personal & creative problems as symbolic for the evil alien – So many fun interpretations!

  38. marc nash

    I know you want me to say the persecutory imagery of the first one, but I’m going to plump for the scratchy claws of the second one driving her nuts night after night across wooden floorboards.

    Very well written and executed idea with the choice of paintings and reader’s choice in the matter.

    marc nash

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Thanks Marc, I think it is a hard choice even for me – paranormal horror fantasy – or – evil destructive pest & obsessive insanity. I relate to both so personally – hehe!

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