January (Part I)

January (A Short Story)

He awoke in the darkness before the sun peaked her head in the dawn. A wet paint brush still lingered on the bedsheets and a canvas was neglected on the floor. He had a habit of falling asleep while working but loved to see the horizon at sunrise. The sun was a majestic vixen with a golden facade, and her hair was strewn about the clouds. She was a chameleon of sorts, bursting in dark blue and purple hues or revealing herself in yellow and pink bliss. She was his lover, awakening him in the morning with a soft glow. The light hit him and her glory enveloped the sheets. But there lingered an unfamiliar chill in the air. An icy finger pressed against his bones, and he shivered beneath the sheets. A gaunt face, in the silvery glow of the moon, gazed longingly at him....