Decisions Decisions
The light was fading the sun was going down, Ray had been painting, his easel set up close to the window in the living room of his flat to catch the best light. He had a spread on old sheet on the floor, paint splattered from previous artistic endeavours. He stood back examining his work with a critical eye. Blacks, blues with a hint of red set off a stormy sky whilst the rolling waves crashed against a rugged coastline and then some thirty meters off shore the dark figure of a man floundering in the sea waving an arm. Time was running out and soon the sea would claim him as if he had never existed. The sea reflected Ray's mood dark and brooding. For some time Ray had been trying to come to a decision; should he leave CI5 and do something else, but what? It was all he knew, that and police work. He didn't want to go back to that, the line had gotten too thin. He felt emotionally and physically drained, too much misery death and killing, a lot of it by him. 'God I need a holiday' he thought, 'maybe a permanent one'. The ringing of the doorbell brought him out of his musings, he walked over the the intercom on the wall opposite and pressed the button, "Yeah?"
"Open up sunshine" a familiar voice piped up.
"Come on up" Ray replied.
He pressed the button to let Bodie into the flat.
"All right mate, you busy?" Bodie asked, closing the door behind him.
"Just finishing up" Ray replied, collecting up brushes and a water pot, "Why?"
"Fancy a drink?" asked Bodie, suddenly noticing the painting he walked over to where the easel stood, "What's all this then Picasso?" he smirked. Ray tried to throw a sheet over the painting.
"Aw lets have a look." Bodie said.
"It's not finished yet," Ray replied, slightly embarrassed at revealing such a dark side to his nature.
"Come on mate," Bodie snatched the sheet out of Ray's hand. "Bloody hell mate, it's good!" Bodie commented in a surprised tone. He had only seen one other painting of Ray's before, a still life of a bowl of fruit, for Ray was a private man - a more sensitive soul. Where with Bodie what you saw was what you got or what he wanted you to see.
"You should take this up for a living old son," Bodie said half joking.
'There's a thought' Ray smiled to himself. But he knew he wasn't really that good, probably starve.
"Fancy it then?" Bodie asked.
"What?" replied Ray distractedly.
"A drink," said Bodie sarcastically, rolling his eyes.
"I don't know," said Ray, weakening, but feeling better than he had done all day.
Bodie stood there one hand on his hip with a pleading puppy dog look in his blue eyes. Suddenly Ray laughed, "All right," he said exasperatedly, "Just let me get cleaned up – half an hour – help yourself to a drink," he said, pointing in the direction of the kitchen. As Bodie went Ray picked up his paintbrush and returned to the unfinished canvas. With a few more brush strokes he painted another man on the beach, a heavier man, more muscled and strong. A pile of discarded clothes were at his side. In his mind Ray heard a voice, 'hold on mate I'm coming, I'll save you."
Ray stood back one last time and looked at the painting, finished, satisfied. He knew then deep within himself that without a doubt the decision had been made.
This is my first story so please please review and me know what you think.