The Painter's Prophecy: contos, #1

By jessica diogo

"Step into a world where reality and imagination blur, where the strokes of a brush hold the power to shape destiny. Join Haley Davis, a renowned writer on the brink of inspiration, as she delves into the enigmatic world of Eleanor Williams, a mysterious artist whose paintings whisper secrets of the future. From the picturesque cliffs to the haunting canvases that adorn Eleanor's lavish home, every detail holds a clue to a story waiting to be told. But as Haley uncovers the truth behind the mystical paintings, she finds herself entangled in a web of intrigue and danger that will challenge her perception of reality. Experience the thrill of unraveling mysteries and the exhilaration of chasing inspiration in 'The Canvas of Destiny.' Prepare to be captivated, enthralled, and spellbound until the very last stroke of the brush."

• Language: English
• Publisher: jessica diogo
• Release date: Apr 17, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224887668

jessica diogo

Ricardo Almeida is a writer and journalist, graduated in the Brazilian city of João Pessoa in 2007. He specializes in investigative journalism. In addition to his journalistic work, he is a speaker and writer. It shares its knowledge at conferences, workshops and publications, with the aim of disseminating information about society. Your commitment is to help others achieve a balanced and meaningful life.

Book preview

Table of Contents

The Painter's Prophecy

The Painter's Prophecy

Why did I come to this backwater place?

Haley muttered, lowering her head and clenching her teeth to hold back tears.

In reality, the view from the cafe terrace was breathtaking.

Picture-esque cliffs cut through the turquoise expanse of the sea, a clear sky above.

A stony beach, wet pebbles glistening in the sunlight.

Down below on pristine white lounges, elderly women lay, occasionally chatting and laughing

loudly.

Clearly, they were enjoying their vacation.

To die, that's all that's left.

Haley suddenly felt a growing anger engulfing her.

Haley Davis, writing books for over a decade, had achieved considerable success.

Perhaps not reaching the heights of popular detective masters, but over the years she

had built her own audience eagerly awaiting each new novel.

Her releases disappeared from shelvers within the first days of sales.

Hylay held literary evenings, met with readers, receiving a tremendous energy boost from them.

She had long established a successful partnership with her favorite publishing house, where

there were no disagreements about rhythm, text quality, or royalties.

Live and rejoice, one might think.

However, a few weeks ago, Haley experienced a creative crisis.

She had literally squeezed her latest novel out of herself, formerly loyal readers immediately

reacted, posting dozens of negative reviews on literary internet portals.

This time, inspiration was nowhere to be found.

Haley began to feel the futility of her efforts, as if she had already come up with everything

imaginable.

She loved observing people, spying on interesting situations, as real life often surpassed any

TV series.

All that remained was to conclude the sequence of events, add intriguing nuances, and generously

infuse them with emotions.

The problem was, the work wasn't progressing.

As soon as Haley began to invent a new story, she realized she had already done something

similar.

And if not her, then her colleagues, which was even more frightening, a discerning audience

could easily accuse her of plagiarism.

For days on end, Haley lay on the couch watching TV series, hoping to find some new ideas there.

All she needed was one bright moment to latch onto and create a complete work.

But even there, everything seemed dull.

From the first minutes of watching, Haley would get annoyed, marveling at the predictability

of the plots and the simplicity of the characters.

Could this be it?

Could her creativity really be at its end?

During the weekend, Haley's daughter Vivian came to visit.

Vivian didn't miss the exhaustion in her mother's eyes.

"'Mom, you're just tired.

Everyone goes through it in life,' Vivian said, gently smiling.

"'You can't button up all the buttons.

There will always be a wind somewhere.

What if, right at this cafe, the man of your dreams walks in?'

Haley smirked.

They settled at a table in a street cafe under the branches of a weeping willow.

At my age can one still meet the man of their dreams, huh?

Perfect characters, darling, only exist on the pages of books.

In real life they don't exist."

The woman sighed.

The moment Haley thought about her age, her mood deteriorated completely.

It wasn't just the mood.

Everything was deteriorating for her.

And now apparently there will be no more books daughter.

It's over.

Haley Davis, the writer, has gone to print.

"'Oh, here we go,' Vivian exclaimed.

"'Mom, you're brilliant and the most talented person I know.

You've had creative crises before, remember?

The last time you dropped everything and went to Brazil.

I remember inspiration visited you there.

Oh, what's Brazil got to do with it now?

I don't want to.

Then aren't there interesting places here?

Listen to me.

I know of a small seaside town, really off the beaten path, with only private resorts.

And recently I completed a project and received a decent bonus.

So mum, I can afford to send my most beloved person in the world on a vacation.

Just like that."

In response, Haley waved her hands.

"'Oh, no, absolutely not on your account.

Actually I can afford it myself.

The royalties from my previous novels haven't been spent yet.

But will there be new ones?'

"'So consider it my personal contribution to literature,' Vivian happily said.

Mum, please.

You can't imagine how much joy it brings me to spend money on you.

She couldn't argue against that argument.

When Vivian was little, money was tight.

Just a year after the little girl turned one, her father left them and Haley was left alone,

without a job, with a small child in her arms.

She then got a job as a journalist for the local newspaper, but the salary barely covered

the basics.

Haley always had a penchant for storytelling, but in her youth she considered herself not

talented enough.

It was until the newspaper published her short story, just to fill a vacant space.

Immediately after the newspaper came out, the editorial office received letters with enthusiastic

feedback.

Inspired by the success, Haley started writing more and more.

Gradually, she moved on to larger formats.

Finally, she dared to send her manuscripts to a publishing house.

They started working with her right away, but there was no talk of good royalties because

nobody knew anything about the writer Haley Davis.

Despite modest income, Haley tried to provide her daughter with the best of everything.

She always aimed to ensure that her child never felt deprived.

It seemed like the girl took everything for granted.

However, in her teenage years, Vivian revealed that she saw how difficult it was for her

mom.

She dreamed of getting an education and