-Amber stood next to her esle and stared at the blank canvas. Her mind, the mind if an artist, now seemed dry of ideas. She looked beyond her esle out into the duskly lit city. Rows of concrete shaped builds seemed to block her view. Letting out a desperate sigh she rolled her eyes. It all seemed to be a headache right now.
"I can't just stand here staring at you!" she spoke to the white fabric rectangle that seemed to mock her. Glancing up to the buildings once more she gave into the idea that her only chance accomplish her art was a change in scenary.
"You're coming with me!" She grunted softly, lifting the wooden scaffolding esle and fabric panel of canvas into her arms. Then pricariously slipping her bag over her shoulder with another grunt, she managed to get from her studio to the building's roof.
Amber reached the huge door, almost out of breath she pushed the door with her shoulder, gasping as a woosh of air, forcefully met her face. Struggling a bit more with the heavy door she managed to finally stand on the rooftop.
Now the city sky shown clear and her eyes scanned over a view that wasn't blocked by horrible grey walls. The crisp air seemed to heighten her senses. She closed her eyes breathing in the city below. A smile tracing over her face as a shiver ran up her spine.
"Yes...This is perfect!" Speaking just beyond a whisper, startling herself as her words echoed off the buildings below. A rustle from behind, had Amber turning quickly towards it. It almost sounded like a person moving.
"I'm sure it's nothing...Just the wind. I just need to get my work done, and I will go back to the studio." She slid the leather bag from her shoulder letting it drop loudly to the floor. The noise caused some pigeons to take to flight. On the building next to hers. She paused to watch them soar across the sky to the next building over.
"See just some pesky birds..." Amber's eyes roved across the rooftops. Hues of gold and blue churned into her mind. She placed her hands making a primitive viewfinder with her fore fingers and thumbs. Finally it caught her eye. The perfect spot.
Shillouetts and shadows that seemed to stand out. Light bouncing off of organic shapes on the top of an adjacent roof. Quickly, Amber began to sketch. Her eyes trying not to make sense of what she saw but focusing on the shapes of objects that were in the negative space around the knew that once the sun was completely behind the building that her subject wouldn't be seen either.
"I just need to sketch this negative space!" Now Both hands worked racing the darkness that pressed its shadows around the shapes. Amber sighed as the sunlight was replaced with the inky blackness of night. The building where her perfect scene lay, now completely saturated with blackness. Again a shuffling noise sent a chill up her spine. She no longer felt alone. She quickly gathered her stuff and found herself on the other side of the roof door out of breath once again.
Amber felt relieved when she reached her studio door. Flopping herself into an oversized chair her eyes found her canvas leaned against the opposite wall below the window. Something peculiar caught her eye. There was someone...Something watch her sketch felt her skin flush. She looked at the canvas.
"What the Hell did I draw!" Amber spoke to herself as she came closer to the picture. Her eye now could see a muscular arm and shoulder. Then she made out a bare muscular leg. What was this round edge behind the man. Maybe a backpack but the front seemed to be like a chest plate. Amber went back to the chair and just stared at her art.
The stoic leader stood stalk still. He didn't want to be seen. He had to stay in the shadows. It was the way of the ninja.
"Leo!" A loud whisper came from behind him, and he felt his countenance deflate. "Shush!" The leader growled back. Soon several brushes of wind fell around his still frame.
"Hey fearless, what's the hold up?" A larger ninja elbow nudged the leader.
"He's in creepy stalker mode again." A younger voice whispered again from behind.
"I don't blame him..." A taller ninja spoke pushing a pair of glasses closer to his eyes. "This one's kinda cute"
All four ninjas stared at the woman clumsily setting up an esle and canvas on the roof ahead of them.
"Be careful D, I'll tell April that your cheating on her." The young voice sang out with a teasing song.
"Shush! I think she heard us!" The leader scolded, holding up his hand.
"Well, I'm out! I told Casey that I'd meet up with him at the pizza parlor." The large ninja began to walk away.
"Hold on Raph, she looking straight towards us!"
All four stood watched like statues as the woman began to paint.
"What the hell do we do?" The big one hissed.
"She doesn't seem to be afraid." The tall one breathed."Maybe she's not even looking at us"
"See what you get for being creepy, Fearless!" The big one grumbled, doing a facepalm, and gaining a snicker from the younger sounding ninja.
"How long do we have to stand like this dudes... I really need to pee!"
"Shush Mikey!" The voices hissed.
The leader nudged the taller one. Giving him hand signals to get a look at what she was painting. Quietly the taller one moved making his way along the edges of the rooftops. Finally he stood behind the woman. Close to the roof access door. He adjusted himself trying to see the partially painted canvas.
Using a small flash light the tall ninja sent a coded signal to the leader.
"It looks like a bunch of shadows, I can't see more than just shillouetts." The tall ninja adjusted herself once more. The woman seemed to be suddenly nervous.
"Oh crap! She knows I'm watching!"He hid again as she looked back. Soon she was quickly moving his way in a hurry towards the door. The tall ninja ducked as the door closed behind her. Looking at the roof he gave the signal that cost was clear.
A noise came from the street below. The tall ninja went to the roof's edge. The woman left the building carrying a large paper wrapped package.
"Hey guys, she's leaving..." Soon all four ninjas peered over the edge watching the woman slide into a yellow cab.
"Guys we need to follow that cab! I think she painted one of us!" The leader watched after the taxi as it drove away.
"I'm on it Leo!" The taller ninja already had the license plate numbers running through his phone.
"Raph, Mikey follow the cab from above!" The two ninjas didn't waste a moment. Both flew into the night jumping over the buildings.
"Donnie!" The leader rounded on the taller ninja once more. "Did you see anything on that picture that looked like any of us?"
"Like I said before...All I could make out was shillouetts and smudges. I f you ask me she needs to keep her day job." Seeing the glare his brother gave him, Donnie went back to tracking down the cab.
"Got it! The cab's computer has an apartment building just about five minutes from here!" The tall ninja sent the location to the others.
"We'll take the Shellrazor!" Leo affirmed.