Free Chimera by Stephie Walls

but it seems not to have faltered, just changed, evolved. I’m proud of her. Fighting off the urge to stay home to create, I make the trip to Ferry’s studio.
    Over the next few days, we hash out the details of the final images—choose filters, paper, frames, and finally a title. Kaleidoscope Dark . At this point, the rest is in Ferry’s hands to pull together into a finished piece. The entire concept has been strange to me. I paint. There’s only one. An original. I don’t have prints available, and there are no duplicates. The one in my hand is the only one available, but that changes with photography. There’s no original—it decomposed on my wall, which was a bitch to clean up. I still catch whiffs of the aftermath.
    My phone startles me, dragging me out of my daydreaming haze. When I answering it, Tara Winford’s voice chimes through, “Hey, Bastian. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”
    “Sure, Tara. What’s up?”
    “Hang on. I’d like to add Ferry to the call if that’s all right with you?” Interesting, if she wants to talk to both of us, it must be about Kaleidoscope Dark. I wait in silence before I hear them both on the line exchanging pleasantries.
    Tara stops yapping with Ferry and gets to the point of her call. “I heard through the grapevine the two of you have finished the project you’re working on. I’d like to offer you an opening at the gallery if you’re interested.”
    I doubt the silence is as long as it seems. I’m beside myself. I never thought there’d be another opening for me. That night at Sera’s event, she did mention showcasing my work, but I never thought I would produce anything worth putting on a gallery wall, yet here the opportunity is.
    She continues. “Bastian, if you have any other pieces you’d like to put in, we can certainly schedule the opening date out far enough to accommodate those works.”
    “I only have one other painting I’ve been working on. It might take me a couple months to get enough pieces together.” My mind’s going a thousand miles a minute contemplating the reality of committing to the number of paintings needed for an event.
    “Tara, I think we should put it off long enough to get Bastian up to speed.” Ferry’s matter of fact.
    “Ferry, do you want to add pieces? We could do a joint opening and intersperse your and Bastian’s pieces throughout the gallery with the project you’ve both been working set center stage.” Tara’s good at what she does. She’s always thinking outside the box, looking at what will bring her the biggest return on her investment.
    “That would be good. I have a collection I’ve been working on that compliments Bastian’s work. They’re all portraits of sorts, highlighting emotion. Bastian, you’re not saying much. What are your thoughts?”
    Reeling with all that’s in front of me, a showing of Kaleidoscope Dark and a joint opening with one of the world’s most renowned photographers is the opportunity of a lifetime, one I desperately need to seize if I have any hope of rejoining the artistic world. “Ferry, if you’re up for it, I’m in.”
    I hear the excitement in Tara’s voice. “What do you think about planning a date two months out? Does that give you both enough time, or do you need three?”
    “I’m going to default to you, Bastian.”
    “Let’s do two, Tara. It’ll help me stay motivated.” The fear in my voice is palpable, but neither comment.
    “Sounds good. I’ll need updated bios on both of you, and as you narrow down the concept for your portion of the opening, I’ll need blurbs on the subject matter. I also need pictures of a couple of the pieces you’ll have at the exhibit. If you can get me that in the next two weeks, I can start marketing and planning the event. Now, what do you guys need from me?”
    “I’m sure I’ll have questions as we progress, but right now, I’m in awe of all that’s taken place in the last five minutes and need a couple hours to