#purgatio

random asks / / always accepting !

the moment she hears the whine of the heavy metal door swinging open, joey sees red. there is nothing but PURE RAGE in her heart when she sees john seed. after everything he’s done to her – every split of skin, every bruise, every hand on her without her permission – after everything, she wants nothing more but to claw his eyes out. she may be exhausted, weak, battered, beaten… but she has not been SILENCED. john seed can take her freedom, he can take her dignity… but he cannot take her voice from her.her eyes burned as he stepped closer to her, eyes locked with his – promising a fight if he put his hands on her today.      ❝ go fuck yourself, john – ❞     she snapped, only to watch him slide something from his pocket.a bracelet. she knew that bracelet.soon enough, it was in her lap – warm and sticky with BLOOD. shaking fingers found the soft leather, turning it over in her hands as she realized what it was.❝ no – NO! no, john, this isn’t – ❞it seems like nothing but a bloody leather bracelet. oh, but it wasn’t just any bracelet.it’s danny’s.it was a gift, one of the many she’s given to danny over their years together, but one of the most special. it’s simple – really nothing more than a brown leather strap. elegant, fashionable, something he could wear with nearly any outfit. and if you looked closely, it was engraved with the date of their anniversary.yes, joey knew this bracelet well. she knew it because danny NEVER TOOK IT OFF.he’d put it on the day she gave it to him and hasn’t taken it off since. he loves this bracelet… and she knows he’d never let anyone take it from him. even john. her stomach twists as the pieces begin to assemble in her mind. blood stains her fingers, her palms – and she realizes with gut-wrenching horror that this blood is DANNY’S BLOOD.she knows john is keeping him somewhere in this bunker – though she barely knows anything other than that. it’s probably part of his TORTURE, to keep her from news about the one person that could give her hope in this nightmare. she’s only been left to WONDER, to HOPE and maybe even to PRAY that he’s alright. joey needs him to be alright, she needs him to survive this… she’s only just gotten him back after three years without him. and if they’re going to survive in this bunker, under john’s hand, she needs to know that he’s alive. it’s the one thing that can keep her going.but now? now, she got the message.a bracelet danny never took off, would rather DIE than let someone like john seed get his hands on… covered with his blood. still warm. which meant…no…NO.joey is on her feet as soon as john turns his back to her, running after him – only for the heavy steel door to close and lock in her face. the former deputy all but threw herself at it, pounding fists on cold, hard metal, bloody leather clutched in tight fingers.❝ no – john! john, get your fucking ass back in here and explain this! NOW. he’s not–! he can’t be! he would never take this fucking bracelet off! you get back in here and give me some fucking ANSWERS! ❞joey hears no response save for the echo of her own voice. for a moment, she stands there, staring – before releasing hell.❝ open this door! open this FUCKING DOOR! where is he, john?! where is danny?! WHERE IS HE?! ❞     her fists continue to pound on unforgiving metal, and when that yields nothing she throws herself at it. she takes a few steps back before launching herself at the door with a SHOUT – more like a scream. her shoulder connects with steel and she feels like pain resonate it’s way through her body but still she doesn’t give up. she tosses herself at that door over and over and over… until her skin is slick with sweat, she’s panting, and her shoulder is throbbing in pain. her fist is clenched, leather dangling from the tight grip.❝ h-he’s not… he can’t be… he can’t be…  ❞                                                                           he wouldn’t leave me here alone.it’s almost like joey feels the room lurch – her stomach turns and the entire room goes sideways. her free hand scrambles for purchase on the metal frame of the bed as she sinks to the floor. she can’t breathe – she can’t even see straight – as she scrambles across the floor, back pressing into the wall. the bracelet is still warm in her hands. danny’s blood is still warm on her hands.❝ not danny… please. please. not danny… ❞     unfocused eyes find the ceiling, wishing not for the first time that she was looking up at the big, open montana sky. she remembers the night she gave him this bracelet… how it was probably too cold to be outside, but it was danny’s birthday. and he loved the stars just like she did. how they had each other for warmth, so it didn’t matter how cold it was. she was never cold in danny’s arms.joey was cold now, though. she was so cold.❝ please… please don’t take danny. don’t take him away from me. not again. ❞     joey doesn’t know who she’s talking to. she’s never been the PRAYING type… but she’s desperate. trapped in a bunker at the end of the world with a man hellbent on unraveling her at the seams… and now she’s lost the one thing keeping her going?❝ let… let john take whatever else he wants from me. that’s… that’s fine. but please, PLEASE don’t take danny. ❞finally, joey’s head bows as she curls in on herself, pressing the bloodied bracelet to her forehead. though there’s still part of her that clings to her disbelief… the bigger part sinks into DESPAIR. through everything she’s been through, she’s tried so hard to keep herself together, tried so hard not to let herself shatter. but the cracks have already been made. it was only a matter of time – a matter of finding the final BLOW.                     john should know the quickest way to ruin her was to harm someone she loves.or to kill someone she loves.because now, she’s alone. and she’s vulnerable. and that’s a dangerous place to find herself in.❝ please… don’t be gone, danny. i can’t do this without you. not again. ❞the only answer joey hudson receives is silence and she knows – this is the beginning of the END.

Alchemy Tree 48" x 60" acrylic on canvas

This piece sold last week and I composed an email to the collector explaining the inspiration behind the painting. I decided it would be nice to share it here. 

This piece was inspired by the mythological theory that when we are born we actually come down from the heavens to earth, and along the way we absorb the elements of the universe: copper, gold, silver, mercury, iron, etc.