The game

The game

Blair

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We woke up the next morning close to each other, heating each other with our skin. We didn't speak as the dim light entered through the cracks of the blinds.

Felix caressed my arm, following the movements of his fingers with his eyes. He was thinking, I could tell, so I didn't interrupt his thoughts. Afraid that he was reliving what I had said to him last night, I kissed his neck, telling him without words that I cared deeply about him.

"I think we deserve something special for breakfast," he said in a groggy voice. "There's a new bagel place a few blocks away. What do you say if I go get them?"

My heart leaped at his suggestion. I smiled from ear to ear, looping my arms around his neck. This was his way of making sure everything was okay between us, I was sure.

"It's a lovely idea Felix," I said. "Although I could make bagels myself if you want."

He kissed my forehead before getting out of bed.

"You're not doing anything today sweetheart. However, I will be expecting you to be ready when I come back to finish what we started yesterday."

My cheeks turned bright red. I sat up on the bed, crawling to Felix's side as he opened the drawers and got dressed.

"Finish what exactly?" I teased.

He turned around to face me as he put a crewneck over his head. He placed his hand on my waist, squeezed it tightly and kissed my neck. "The trivia game."

He winked, turned to the closet and put on some pants. I just stood there watching him, thinking of how I would surprise him when he returned.

I got out of bed when he was ready to leave. I accompanied him to the door and told him to be back soon. He told me he'd take no more than twenty minutes since he'd be walking. He kissed my cheek and put on his coat, closing the door behind him.

Now alone in his apartment, I decided to get dressed. The prospect of sex was great, but in the morning I'd much rather do something fun outside the house. For that reason, I changed into normal clothes, throwing on a pair of jeans and a shirt. Besides, it'd be hilarious to see Felix complain about me wearing pants again.

As I walked down the corridor to the living room, I noticed Felix had left his keys on the kitchen island. I picked them up, inspecting the different labels. Some were for Durham like cabinets and locked drawers, classrooms and master keys, while others were for storage units and even a bicycle chain.

There was something odd about one of the keys. It was simply labelled "the room" in Felix's handwriting. What room? Did he mean his bedroom? Out of curiosity I checked it, but the key didn't fit quite right in the keyhole. I shrugged my shoulders, giving up on the silly idea.

I sat down on the couch, contemplating the trees outside. It was sunny, and the weather was finally getting warmer. As I watched the treetops sway in the wind, I couldn't get my mind off that strange key. Come to think of it, I didn't find any key that read "home office," so maybe that was what the key opened?

My curious mind didn't allow me to stay put any longer. I got up and picked up the keys again. I went up the spiral staircase as I singled out that mysterious key from the bunch of keys.

As soon as I put the key in, I knew I got the right one. It slid in smoothly, offering no resistance. Before unlocking the door, I pondered if I should open it. Felix had told me to never go to his office because he had important documents up there I couldn't have access to as a Durham student, but it wasn't as if I was going to rummage through his things. I just wanted to see what it looked like. I wouldn't even walk inside; I would just take a peek. He wouldn't even know I went up there.

I rotated the key, the mechanism inside clicking as the door opened. I pushed the door forward, and what my eyes saw froze me to the ground. My eyes widened and I gasped, covering my mouth with my hands as I let the keys fall to the ground. I opened the door wider as if someone about to walk inside an animal cage, immediately taking a step back in fear.

My mouth was dry, my skin was devoid of all color. I was dizzy, gripping the railings of the stairs so I wouldn't fall. I turned on the lights, the yellow glow of the standing light revealing what Felix had kept in the dark for God knows how long.

There, in front of my eyes, was an art studio, every inch of every wall covered in artworks, art supplies scattered across the floor as if a child had been playing with them, countless drying racks, old looking chests with padlocks, random jars and containers, a craft table with graphite markings, and two easels of different sizes.

My head was spinning. I couldn't believe this was happening. Everything he told me about himself, about him not painting anymore, about what he kept up here, what he was doing on Wednesday... It was all a lie.

With tears stinging my eyes and panic surging in my body, I entered the dark room, fear permeating every corner of my body. I wanted to run, to get out of there, to wake up from that nightmare, but I couldn't. The man I loved had kept all of this a secret, and I had to find out why.

As soon as I laid eyes on the closest canvas, I felt a pang on my heart, like two hands were squeezing it to draw out my blood. There, on the unfinished canvas, was a portrait of me. I had my eyes closed as the sun shone on my face, my muscles were relaxed, my lips plump and my skin smooth. I was entranced as I stared at it, my shaky hands hovering over it but never touching the painting.

Close by was a battered sketchbook on the floor. I picked it up and flipped through it. Without exception, all the pages were filled with pencil sketches of me, some of my face, some of my naked body, others of us together, our limbs intertwined. I dropped the sketchbook like it had caught on fire, overwhelmed by what I was seeing. I walked back from the easel until I hit a wall, my chest rising and falling rapidly.

My eyes frantically scanned the rest of the room, taking in Felix's paintings. The ones on the wall were lopsided, some looked like they were about to fall. I didn't touch anything because if I did then I'd know this was real and not a sick nightmare.