《Flowers Withering Away》 Prologue Anyone you asked would tell you Julius Laurent was, without a doubt, an unusual child. He rarely spoke or cried, instead spending his days mesmerized by the world around him, fascinated by how things worked. Hours would pass as he sat with his toys, meticulously taking them apart to understand their mechanisms. From a young age, he possessed an insatiable curiosity and a profound drive to create, understanding that to build, he must first comprehend. Julius¡¯s father would often argue with his mother, exasperated and concerned. ¡°Why does he have to be like this?¡± ¡°He can¡¯t spend all his days like this.¡± ¡°He needs friends.¡± Julius was acutely aware that he was not like other children. Socializing and interacting with people seemed to lead to complications; in his eyes, it was far easier to immerse himself in the intricacies of how things fit together to create something extraordinary. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. When Julius was nine, he accompanied his mother Pamela on a shopping trip to the main city, where the expansive shopping mall boasted every type of storefront imaginable: clothing, shoes, food stalls, jewelers, and, as Julius would soon discover, his new favorite place, the art store. As they entered ¡°Wilson¡¯s Paints, Palettes, and Wonders,¡± Julius was immediately captivated by a tall wooden easel displaying a small oil painting of the coast. The glistening blue waves and the vibrant yellow sand ignited a spark within him. ¡°Is everything alright, Julius?¡± his mother asked. ¡°Mum, I want to create something like this. But how do I?¡± Julius¡¯s curiosity was palpable. ¡°Well, honey, painting isn¡¯t something you can just break down and learn how to put back together like everything else. It requires your own unique touch to make it beautiful; no two painters are the same.¡± Pamela¡¯s words resonated deeply with Julius. This moment marked the beginning of Julius¡¯s journey to become the world¡¯s greatest painter. From that day forward, the world would never be the same. Julius dedicated countless hours in their backyard to painting. He would complete at least four paintings a day, his mother watching in amazement at his unwavering commitment. Each time she asked why he worked so tirelessly, he would always respond, ¡°I want to create something amazing.¡± Thus began the journey of Julius Laurent, a boy whose singular passion and determination would leave an unforgettable mark on the world of art. Lost {Updated 15/06/2024} Our story takes place in September of 1994 a quiet town in the south regions of France, many people do not know this but this is where an artist by the name of Julius Laurent has been living for the past 10 years. Tucked in the Blossoming Hills of this quiet town stood a house. A simple house, it was 1 story and didn¡¯t have much to it aside from a small garden bed that lay withered in the front lawn. It had looked as though this house had been abandoned for years but to surprise was not abandoned for here is where Julius Laurent lives. Julius Laurent life was nothing special he did not do well in school, he struggled to socialize with people and as many of us in this world he suffered the loss of someone he held very dear to him. It could not have been more then 5 years ago, Julius Laurent was going about his day like he always did. 5 am sharp he would stroll down to the market to pick up his produce, always a smile on his face and a skip in his step. Back in time for breakfast at 7 am when his best friend and life-long crush Lily Barbier, every morning she would stop by every morning to see Laurent and admire the mountain of paintings he had created, Lily was always his number 1 fan or well his only fan as no one else got to see what was made inside that home.
Good Morning Laurent! Lily was as expressive as ever polar opposite to Julius¡¯ blunt and crude demeanor
¡®Morning Lily, to what do I owe your appearance today. Julius stated in a cold monotone voice
Oh come now Julius, I always stop by to see what amazing painting you have working on. So how is it? The painting of our little town
Julius brews a tea for sweet Lily as she sits impatiently waiting for Julius to unveil the painting he has been working on the last few days. Just as he is returning he notices Lily peaking through his workshop, he can¡¯t help but drop the tea and rush over to slam the door closed. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
¡°Lily you know I don¡¯t like it when you snoop around my workshop, I don¡¯t like people seeing my works. You of all people should know this!¡± Julius raises his voice to Lily sending her into a pale state of shock
As Lily rushed out the door, Julius couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of regret in losing his temper like that. He knew that Lily only means well and she isn¡¯t someone to be scared of but the thought of someone seeing what he creates without his control is unsettling to him. He wouldn¡¯t hear from Lily the following morning or the morning after that. Julius understood he upset Lily and knew it would take some time for her to come around again. As Julius makes his way through town, following his daily routine. Dark clouds rolled over the hills and the sunny bright sky had now been masked by a blanket of darkness. Once Julius had reached the market everyone turned to him in silence, no one spoke a word. Old man Peirre who ran the market passed Julius one of the daily papers, everyone had one and when he scanned the front page he understood why.
¡°Lily Barbier passed away age 27, what happened and why.¡± Stretched across the front page with a photo of her, sweet Lily.
Julius could see, the way people looked at him, the shock and horror in their eyes. He knew they blamed him, Lily¡¯s love and kindness was felt by all. It is not a surprise that people were so impacted by her death.
Anxiety slowly took over Julius¡¯ body as he implausible rushed back to his home, he want in such a rush he forgot to grab his basket from the market but who remembers such minor details when they have their minds filled with questions and regrets. Julius¡¯ couldn¡¯t help but blame himself for yelling at Lily that dreadful morning. Maybe in his mind¡­ Maybe if he didn¡¯t do that Lily would still be here. Shattered It had been at least four weeks since the news of Lily Barbier''s death spread across the town like a plague of depression. In all that time, Julius Laurent had not been seen outside his house. Some people worried for him, but even more became suspicious. Why would the quiet, socially awkward painter feel the need to hide away during this time? What did he have to hide? Little did the townspeople know, Julius was not trying to hide anything. They were unaware of the tremendous guilt, regret, and excruciating pain he was enduring. Julius had no energy to move, and when he did, it was never for anything good. After three days, he threw all his brushes, paints, and canvases into a pit and used them to heat his winter nights. Days five and six were no different¡ªmore memories used as kindling, though this time he was accompanied by a bottle of 1962 vintage scotch. He had never been much of a drinker, even in his younger years, but this just felt like the right time. As the weeks went by and the fire kept burning through the night, people noticed a change in Julius. He no longer came down to the market every morning. He wasn¡¯t painting, and anyone who tried to approach his home, even with the softest of steps, would flee in terror from the things Julius yelled from behind his crumbling walls. It didn¡¯t take long for people to give up on Julius Laurent. They had tried to extend a hand, but it was dismissed without a second thought. Night after night, bottle after bottle, Julius remained confined to his house, not interacting with a single soul. The only conversations he had were with the fireplace in the dead of night. Time had slipped by without him even noticing. ¡°Is it that time of year again? I really must be out of the loop,¡± Julius mumbled under his breath, slowly awakening to the day, or what was left of it. ¡°The day Lily would have turned 28, June 16, 1995. You were taken too soon from us, Lily. I know if you were here right now, you would have all the answers.¡± Tears streamed down Julius¡¯s face. Upon gazing outside his kitchen window, Julius noticed the most peculiar sight: a woman tending to the garden bed he had neglected for the last five years. Who is this woman? Why is she touching my garden? Does she want something? A million questions raced through his mind. He had not spoken to or seen anyone for the last nine months. As he rushed outside to dismiss the unwelcome guest, shock coursed through his body. This was not just anyone; it was Lily¡¯s mother, Aimee. Julius hadn¡¯t seen her since he was in school. ¡°Oh my! Look at you, you¡¯re all grown up now, my boy,¡± she said energetically, giving Julius a big hug. ¡°What happened to my little boy?¡± ¡°Please¡­ c-calm down, Aimee. It hasn¡¯t been that long,¡± Julius struggled to breathe as Aimee squeezed his chest. ¡°Shh now, Julius, let me have this,¡± Aimee said, slowly releasing him. ¡°You know how hard it¡¯s been without her. It was sad not to see you at the funeral.¡± ¡°I know, Aimee. I¡¯m sorry. I just couldn¡¯t handle it. I know it would have been a beautiful ceremony.¡± If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Aimee walked over to the garden bed, where all kinds of flowers lay. As she brushed her hand over the roses, she turned her head to face Julius. ¡°Have you been getting outside, Julius? I know you aren¡¯t one to tend to things like this, but you need to get outside sometimes,¡± she stated with concern. ¡°I¡¯m fine, Aimee. Don¡¯t worry, I get out just enough,¡± Julius lied, not wanting Aimee to worry about such trivial things. ¡°Alright, sweetie, that¡¯s good to hear. I don¡¯t want to find out you¡¯re staying tucked away in this house all day,¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Now, how is the painting going, my dear? You were working on a painting of your mother, weren¡¯t you?¡± Julius could not even think of a response. All he could do was turn away in shame. Pamela would be so disappointed if she found out Julius had destroyed everything he had made.
¡°I haven¡¯t really had much time to work on any paintings right now with everything going on.¡± He stated in a cold tone
¡°Of course sweetie, it is a challenging time for all of us.¡± Pamela smiled brushing Julius¡¯ face ¡°Just remember, she would have wanted you to keep painting. You are incredible Julius, the things you create are going to change the world.¡±
For a brief moment as Aimee was comforting him, it felt as though all his problems had faded away and he was right their with Lily and his mother Pamela.
¡°Why is it always the truly good people in this world that are taken away? their is no point in painting, it does not change everything. Everyone still dies and people will all be alone in the end.¡±
Julius could not help but get emotional, he did not intend to hurt Aimee with his words. Every time he thinks about Lily and the idea of painting again he can¡¯t help but get angry with everyone and everything in this world. He knew being around people would only cause them pain too so, instead of worrying people or being honest about he felt. The easiest option for him was to turn his back on everyone and hide away from people and their emotions, that way he could forget about his Mother, Painting and especially Lily at least for a little while.
As tears began to form in Aimee¡¯s eyes she let a whisper ¡°Please¡­ Julius, Please do not forget who you are and the time you shared with Lily. Even if she is gone you were still have her with you everywhere you go in life.¡±
Julius depressed and overwhelmingly ashamed of himself and his actions leading up to this moment could help but feel the urge to apologize to Aimee for everything and anything that has happened but ultimately to say sorry, sorry for that day when everything started going wrong. But like all other attempts at trying to be honest about himself it was met with nothing yet another mask to cover up the hurt. All Julius could muster the courage to do was a pat on Aimee¡¯s shoulders with the whisper of ¡°I¡¯m sorry Aimee, It has been a rough time. I know how hard it is for you too and I don¡¯t want you to worry about me. Please go on home, I will be alright¡± With his head down Julius turned away and walked back towards his home. He knew this was not fair on Aimee she did just want to help but he could not heal yet, Julius thought he didn¡¯t deserve it after everything he has done.