The moment Ashley awoke from what could loosely be called her sleep, she felt a wave of restlessness wash over her. Her body provided little resistance as Ashley sat up from her mattress, her muscles having not relaxed since last night. She lowered her head and shook it in terror, afraid of what was to come when she presented her latest work to the art critic. She cringed with mixtures of sadness and rage as she impulsively rocketed to her feet and trudged into the living room.
As she entered, the light had been thankfully lacking as only faint rays stretched through the room, likely from clouds covering the sun at the time. She saw her easel and the painting resting upon it, her heart dropping and her stomach doing flips at the sight of it. Immediately, she waved her hands and shook her head before turning to the kitchen, desperately needing something to relieve her tension.
She opened the fridge door and found a plastic bottle containing pancake mix, her choice for breakfast the moment she saw it. Feeling too stressed to create any complex dishes, she began to relax as she poured the mix into a pan and turned the stove on. She simply let the pan sizzle and cook the pancakes as she sat back and watched, only intervening to occasionally flip a pancake to the opposite face. Once they were prepared, she scooped the pancakes into a plate and poured some of her favourite pancake syrup on it, the smell of the syrup intoxicating her drowsy senses.
She took her plate into the living room and sat at her dining table, taking her fork and stuffing the first piece of pancake into her mouth. "Mmm… I forgot how good these taste…" she said to herself, before continuing her meal. With the plate empty, she licked her lips of any remaining syrup and sighed with satisfaction. Despite this delicious breakfast, she still felt tension when she returned her focus to the painting.
She looked up at the clock and it read '8:25 am', plenty of time until she had to face the music. As much as she loathed the idea of heading to the museum, she felt it would be beneficial to get the ordeal over and done with as soon as possible, the welling panic in her heart having a larger chance of killing her than the embarrassment. With a final sigh of resignation, she wandered to her painting to pick it up and tucked it under her arm, before quickly making her way out the front door.
She stepped out into the street and waited several minutes for a taxi to drive past, worried that she may be wasting more time than she may have perceived. She reminded herself that she may have to go shopping in the future and get a wristwatch for herself. Luckily, a taxi finally arrived and she got in, and was met with a pleasant surprise. The taxi driver was the driver from yesterday, possibly driving this road as part of his routine. He turned from his seat and faced her, stating "I had a feeling you'd need a lift at some point this morning". Ashley simply smiled in response as he pulled away, asking "Back to the museum, please".
Eventually they arrived outside the museum and Ashley stepped out, paying the driver handsomely and waving goodbye as he returned to the main road. She took her painting under her arm and slowly made her way to the front door, mentally planning an excuse for her lack of versatility. She pushed the door open and looked around inside the building, never having the chance to get a proper look at some of the furnishings in the building. She decided she might as well kill some time by witnessing the concoctions of previous artists.
She looked around the first floor and examined several ceramic statuettes on a row of podiums, each moulded into the shape of a person's head. She didn't recognise any names or faces, however, and she continued towards the end of the building. She gasped with delight as she spotted a bar, fitted with cabinets full of various drinks. She rushed over and was prepared to ask the bartender for any recommendations when she froze with shock, recognising the bartender the moment he turned to face her
"Bob?!" she exclaimed in disbelief, the man simply smiling in response as he continued drying the glass in his hand. "You look like you could use a drink, Ashley" he offered kindly, "What would you like today?" Ashley blushed at his kindness and was conflicted on her choices. She wasn't an avid drinker, but also wasn't shy of the occasional glass or two. As of today, the last thing she wanted was to say or do anything she would regret, and therefore decided to have some apple juice.
As he obliged and began tipping the juice into a spare glass, Ashley admitted "I seriously had no idea you worked here, Bob. That's so cool". Bob laughed heartily and answered "That is a pretty huge coincidence isn't it? I hear you're applying for that job as an artist". Ashley nodded and answered "Yeah… I need to show them… some of my paintings to get the job", her voice beginning to break towards the end as her tension returned.
At that moment, Bob noticed the canvas under Ashley's arm, asking curiously "Mind if I have a look at that?" Ashley immediately knew what he meant and instinctually tucked it under her arm, afraid to receive any criticism from what she thought was the nicest man on the planet. However, afraid to be considered rude for not expressing herself towards others, she nodded slowly and held the canvas in front of her for Bob to see.
"Good lord! That's incredible!" he gasped with delight, "I didn't realise you were that good!" These compliments instantly rekindled that spark of faith in herself that had long been doused. She blushed lightly and answered "Well, I feel like I've gone wrong somewhere…". Bob waved his hand and turned his head away in defiance, "Don't be so modest, Ashley. You seriously haven't done anything wrong from what I can see".
She tucked the painting back under her arm and looked up at the clock on the wall, reading '9:12 am'. Ashley groaned as she knew that the critic would be expecting her any moment now. She faced Bob and said "Thanks so much, Bob. I have to get going now. The critic will be expecting me now". Bob nodded in understanding and answered "Well, don't let me keep you, girl. You're about to make history!" With this final encouragement, Ashley waved goodbye as she began her ascent to the upper floor.
Finding herself in a familiar room, Ashley passed through the multiple art desks and easels in search of her specific associate. "Ready, Ashley?" a voice spoke from behind her as she jumped in fright, turning to see none other than the critic who looked as equally surprised. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I uhh… I've… finished it… for you" she stumbled with her words as her confidence began crumbling at an alarming rate. She held the artwork forwards as an offering for her superior consultant, her arms trembling as the critic reached forward to grab it.
The critic watched her as she took the painting to examine, witnessing as Ashley slowly began to quake and tremble with genuine fear. Sympathetically, she explained "Don't worry so much, Ashley. I'm not going to murder you if I don't like it, you know". This joke did little to comfort Ashley as she admitted "Sorry, it's just that… I've come all the way to Oasis Springs for this job and I'm worried I didn't do good enough because I spent all of last night working on it and I might have been too tired to notice any mistakes I made while painting it to show you and for you-"
"It's perfect".
Ashley's panic attack was cut short by these simple words; simple, but powerful. The critic looked upon the landscape as she continued "The detail is amazing, the emphasis on distance is simple to follow and the environment itself is beautiful to look at". Ashley could feel her body become lighter than air from these words, a weight being lifted from her shoulders. "Be sure to check in next week, Ashley. I'll be sure to have work for you".
Ashley had to fight the urge to suddenly ensnare the critic in a spine-crushing hug, instead cupping her hands on her mouth and hyperventilating from the shock. "Thank you so much…" she wheezed, her eyes on the verge of tears. This is everything that she had been setting up for in the past five months, everything she wanted coming together right before her eyes. The critic was excited for such a hopeful and inspired woman, but had become concerned for her stability after such an ungracious breakdown.
"I have to admit though, I'm a little bit concerned for you" the critic explained, immediately bringing Ashley back down to planet earth. The critic could easily read "what do you mean?" on her face, prompting her to continue "I don't want you be paranoid about working here, especially if you're getting paid for what you do". The critic took Ashley's hand in her own and shook it, concluding "We're all friends here, Ashley."
Ashley left the painting in the care of the museum as she descended the stairs to the first floor, before she heard a voice call out to her. Bob was waving her over as he pointed down to the counter, "Ashley, you forgot your drink!" Ashley slapped her forehead and chuckled before heading over to take it. She placed her payment for the drink in Bob's outstretched hand and began drinking her beverage, all while telling Bob about how the meeting went.
"Well, you have to admit you have been rather… jittery recently. You need to find something to help you relax" Bob recommended as Ashley took a short sip from her glass. "I know… I just don't know where anything is around here" Ashley confessed. Bob grinned smugly and stated "Well, you know where my bar is, so…". Ashley hung her head as she chuckled lightly, surprised to find a devious side to Bob's personality.
She soon took her leave as she bid goodbye to Bob and thanked him for the drink. She flagged down a taxi and returned home, stepping out after paying the driver and heading inside. The heat had amplified in the time that passed and was almost unbearable for the young woman. She pushed through the front door and collapsed on the couch, far too many things running through her head to maintain her focus.
"What the hell was I thinking?!" she groaned as she held her head in her hands, "I must've looked completely insane to her!" She could tell that the critic was bothered by the way she acted, her disturbed reaction being plain on her face from the way she looked at her. She was so angry at herself for panicking so much, as it was ironically what might likely stand in the way of her achieving this job. Ashley held her breath, praying that the critic may look past her episode and she her skills above all else.
Ever since she came to Oasis springs, everyone had been expressing worry for her following her most vulnerable moments. Bob was at least kind enough to disregard it and support her with achieving her goals, but the people she'll work for will undoubtedly make a record of her overly-emotional outburst. Impulsively, Ashley began hitting her head with both her clenched fists.
Ashley found herself unable to move for several minutes as she leaned back against the backrest of the couch. She was so annoyed with herself and didn't know how to best relieve her welling stress. All of her dreams were right in her grasp and she almost blew it, but she had nobody else to blame but herself for her own insecurity. Ashley leaned forward and sniffed miserably, a pair of tears streaming down her cheeks.
She felt so lonely and confused, like a little girl lost in a city. She needed someone to talk to about her problems, but couldn't think of anyone she could trust with the details. She needed someone to keep an eye on her and to help her when she needed it. She stood up from the couch as her eyes became misty and lifeless, knowing that she was far too cowardly and reclusive to share anything about herself to someone else.
Already feeling a headache threaten to flourish, she decided to save her troubles for a later date and headed into the kitchen. As she entered, her eyes caught a glimpse of something sitting on the edge of the kitchen bench. She looked down and picked up the small piece of folded paper, instantly remembering its origin from that mysterious woman. She hadn't seen Lea since she was given her number, but in the short time they spent together, Ashley felt entirely safe in her presence. Perhaps this is her chance to get some answers.
She pulled out her phone and read the number, dialling it into the keypad and holding it to her ear to wait out the dial tone. The moment a familiar voice spoke "I had a feeling you'd call, Ashley", Ashley's hair almost stood on end. "How did you know it was me?!" she spat in fright into the mouthpiece, receiving only a chuckle as an answer. "Do you need some company tonight, Ashley?" Lea offered with a puff of uncountable laughter, Ashley interrupting her and replying "No! Not tonight. You have some questions to answer!"
"Perhaps tomorrow then, Ash? I'll see you then" Lean offered with confirmation clear in her voice. Before Ashley had the chance to process what Lea had said and attempt to speak against it, the phone line went dead. Ashley's arm fell to her side and she nearly let her phone fall to the floor, "What the bloody hell just happened?!" This Lea person seemed to be extremely hard to converse with, but she would have to try her best for when she arrives tomorrow.
In the next hour, a dinner was eaten and a shower was had before she approached her easel, prepared to create her next artwork with a portrait in mind. Granted, she had no photographs or pictures to base her artwork on, and was therefore forced to create an original impression of a person. The first person that came to mind was Bob Pancakes, and she quickly set to work on mixing the colours and preparing the outlines before she could possibly change her mind.
The artwork was not going well and Ashley was already almost finished, having only spent five minutes working on it. Ashley had no need to continue painting, but felt compelled to due to her obsession with completing her tasks. The thought of starting something and leaving it unfinished was almost physically painful to Ashley and she refused to let it happen here. Eventually, even though the final product was less than worthwhile, she was pleased to be finished.
Disappointed that painting no longer helped to relieve her stress, she eventually gave up and headed for bed. She slipped under the blankets and tried her best to sleep. Due to the bed's capacity for two, Ashley found herself sprawling across the entire mattress in an attempt to find comfort. All while she tried, she eventually exhausted her efforts and her eyes began to drift shut as she fell asleep.