20 In 5 -- Vol. III -- Artistic Necessity

by Dave MacPherson

Every Sunday, we children of Stiennerplatz would run out of church as soon as the final note of the last hymn was sounded, so we could hurry to the shore of the lake to draw.

I wish I could be there for that trip....

It was Johanne, the go-getter, who discovered the sand outcropping by Beaver Boulder, where our model would make his appearance. We would be sitting with our sketchpads on our laps when the water before us would eddy and bubble. The lake was a cold swirling cauldron when at last our model would pop his green scaly head out of the water. He would tower over us, five meters, with his saucer eyes, trout mouth, yellow antenna: our model.

He was the most interesting sea serpent one was ever allowed to draw and draw we would. Our model only could stay above the water for a half hour, so we would draw with furious strokes. Near the end of the allotted time, we showed him our pictures. He leaned over and nudged the sides of those whose drawings he liked. The pleased nudge of a sea serpent was better than any accolade or grade ever could be.

Every week we would draw the serpent and we all grew as artists. But little Piotr grew too much. He began to experiment with flattening perspective, making the serpent almost a cubist creation. Piotr showed the serpent his most abstract portrait at the end of one drawing session.

Piotr beamed with pride. The sea serpent stared at the sketch pad for some time, and then ...

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And then what? You've got to be kidding us right? Nope! If you want to finish "Artistic Necessity," you'll have to purchase a copy of the new edition of "20 in 5." Currently available directly from Smashwords in a variety of e-book formats. Or you can purchase it from the Mis Tribus eBook Store. 


Included are the ending to "Artistic Necessity" along with 19 other flash fiction stories. Brought to you directly by Mis Tribus.