The Aurora (Aurora Saga, Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

the past with them. Bill’s words faded into the distance as she daydreamed, but she suddenly awoke from her thoughts when Bill said,
    ‘You look like you want to be alone. I’ll be off now; it was nice meeting you. If you need anything just drop by the store.’
    Londuo nodded.
    ‘Yes… Yes... Thank you.’
    They never told me. Londuo stood staring at Violet’s grave. That’s why they were so kind to me. Londuo thought again back to the time when she was convalescing from her injured shoulder.
    *****
    She was sitting with Violet out the back of the house, looking towards an old derelict outbuilding. Violet had half-finished a painting of it and Londuo was trying to paint for the very first time.
    Walter had just brought them two cups of coffee from the house. He passed them to Londuo and Violet.
    ‘Thank you, dear,’ Violet said.
    ‘I think the Chrysler’s going to need another set of new tyres soon,’ Walter remarked. ‘And it’s getting hard to start now.’
    ‘You’re not still looking at that brochure of the Ford are you?’
    ‘It’s a nice car. Maybe I can pick up a used one in a few years’ time.’
    ‘What it is?’ Londuo asked.
    ‘He’s been drooling over a car. The Ford Mustang. I think he wants to be a teenager again and tear around the countryside!’ Violet said. ‘Don’t know why you want a convertible though. Not very practical, is it?’
    ‘No, dear,’ Walter replied. ‘I’m going back inside to read the newspaper. Have fun painting.’
    He walked back to the house.
    ‘There’s no harm in wanting to feel young again,’ Londuo said, knowing that Violet was never going to allow Walter to have the car. ‘After all, the only place you go is Hinsdale and that’s just once a week. He needs something else to occupy his time. You have your painting, while he doesn’t have a real hobby. He only reads books or does gardening.’
    Violet smiled.
    ‘You’re probably right, Londuo. Maybe he does really want this car.’
    Londuo looked at her blank canvas. That’s a big area to paint.
    ‘Now, I’ve squeezed a number of acrylic colours onto your easel,’ Violet said. ‘It’s up to you how you mix then together. If you need other colours they’re in the box on the ground between us. There’s plenty of water in these jars to clean the brush.’
    Londuo was unsure where to start. She mixed a blue with white and apprehensively started to paint the sky. Violet continued with hers. Londuo stopped and watched her for a while before saying,
    ‘I want to paint that building, but how do I know what colours to put where? Your painting seems to come to life; how do you do it?’
    ‘Look at just one part of the building. For example, take the door, Londuo. What do you see?’
    Londuo studied the building in front of her.
    ‘I see an open wooden door which is old and rotten. About half of it’s in sunlight.’
    ‘What colours do you see?’
    ‘Mainly shades of browns, with some black and a bit of grey.’
    ‘Try to see past the basic colours. Look, there’s blues from the sky, greens from the grass. I can see some purple; not just the dull colours. Look at the yellows where the light hits it.’
    Londuo could now see other colours, but was finding it hard to visualise how she could paint it.
    ‘Also how do you feel about the door? Is it happy, sad or full of energy? Think what would bring it to life.’
    ‘I believe I can see what you mean. It looks happy, even if the rest of the building is falling apart around it. It wants to be opened and closed.’
    ‘Good. Don’t be afraid to paint what you see and feel Londuo. Remember you’re not trying to create a photograph.’ Violet placed her hand over her own heart. ‘It’s what’s inside you that will bring it to life.’
    *****
    Londuo looked around. Everyone had now left the churchyard. Paint from the heart, that’s what Violet meant, but my heart is still with James. She thought of James. I wonder if he tried to paint when he