The painting was yellowed with rounded edges. It was a masterpiece and it was lying in my hand. Wait, had I stolen it? I don't remember... had I borrowed it from someone... hmm?

I stood up from the couch, looking at the painting vividly, hoping that I didn't do anything bad last night since I drunk myself to sleep and took a couple pills. I hardly remember how I got home last night or who brought me here... Strange isn't it?

Knowing I was doing a spur of the moment thing, I knew right then that I would never try that again. I hold on to my head, trying to rub the throbbing extricating pain away while groaning. I look in front of me seeing two aspirins and a tall glass of water, I swallow the pills and take a large gulp of water, letting out a huge sigh after taking the medication. Everything from last night was such a blur and this painting in my hand was a mystery.

Maybe I did do something wild last night and stole the picture from someone but right now I wasn't thinking about any of that. I just wanted the pain in my head to go away and take a long hot bath to soothe my back. I lay the painting on the table as I slowly get up from the couch, walking to the bathroom while stumbling a little to the wall. I feel a pair of hands grabbing on me, trying to keep me from falling.

"Who the hell are you?!" I spoke bravely trying to mask my fear of this tall, smooth coca butter skin complexion man, yanking my arms from him.

"Easy, now. I'm just trying to help you, ma'am. I'm not going to hurt you. If I wanted to hurt you I would have done it by now." The man watched me, as he spoke calmly to me. "I'm the man who brought you home. You begged me to stay with you."

Well, if I begged this man to stay I must've trusted him in some way. I thought.

"If you want me to leave I can go."

I shake my head while looking at him.

"No, you can stay. Just-just don't touch anything."

"I won't touch anything. You have my word."

He helps me to the bathroom, keeping his intentive eyes on me.

"You good?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You can go now."

The man walks out the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I remove my clothing as I grab my towel and washcloth in the closet. I look at my naked body in the mirror as I see these unknown bruises on my arms, shoulders, and back.

"What the fuck?" I examined my body as I touched my bruises as I winced and groaned in pain.

I wrap the towel around my body and open the door.

"Um... Mr. Tall Man can you come here?"

I hear the man chuckling in amusement and saunter to me.

"Yeah, and Mr. Tall Man has a name by the way." He laughed while looking at me.

It looked like it didn't bother him seeing me in a towel.

"What is your name then?" I looked at him as he plastered a goofy smile on his face.

"Antwan."

"Well, Antwan do you know how these bruises appeared on my body?"

He looks down at me like he doesn't want to tell me what happened.

"Well..." I waited impatiently urging him to talk to me.

"There was a brawl at the club, and you were in the middle of it."

"I got into a fight?" I asked in shocked, knowing that I had never done anything like that before.

"No. The people around you were fighting, and you were in the way. You got pushed and hit on so many times, and you fell on the floor. I saw you and picked you up then I brought you to my truck. You couldn't give me your address cause you were too intoxicated to talk, so I looked through your things and found your address."

Ohhh, so that's why I thought I could trust him, because he saved me. I thought.

"Okay. Thanks for clearing that up."

"You're welcome."

Antwan moved out the bathroom, closing the door shut while I unwrapped the towel and lay it on the rod then I use the bathroom. I turn on the shower, putting it on the right temperature before getting in. I lather my washcloth with soap and begin washing my body clean. As soon as I was finished I get out of the shower and dry off my body thoroughly. I wrap the towel around my body tightly, so it won't slip off. I walk to my room and put on a comfortable set of clothes.

I then walk to the living room and sit on the couch staring at the painting, thinking where it came from. I feel Antwan looking at me while I stare at the painting.

"You like it?" Antwan asked while smiling.

"This is yours?" I questioned him.

"No. Yours." He responded.

"What you mean? I can't paint. I never painted in my life." I mentioned while being confused.

"I saw you paint this last night. You wanted me to stop at a store to buy some yellow, blue and white paint, paint brushes and the wooded thing in your hand then requested to go to a lake, so you could see the stars. When we got there, you started venting about things that were on your mind and you talked about your toxic past then you broke down, but you never stopped painting. I have never in my life seen someone do that and that really intrigued me. You fell asleep after you finished painting it then I took you home."

I sit there in silence, in bewilderment that I painted something as beautiful as this.

"I guess you have a hidden talent, ma'am." He flashed a smile showing all of his teeth.

"Yeah, I guess so." I looked at him with a small smile then looked down at the beautiful painting I drew with no memory of doing it.

#WritcoStoryChallenge #MERAISHQ