Abducted Creativity

Short Stories English I 2022-23

Wondering around the room searching for the door, he passes a seemingly out-of-place curtain with no window behind it. Cautiously pushing back the fabric, Benny discovers a padlocked door. Quickly unlocking it and swinging the door open, he descends down the dark staircase leading to the basement. The sound of weeping and shuffling echoes through the hall as Benny discovers a group of six people chained to stools positioned in front of easels. He looks around, seeing the group covered in sweat and paint. Then his eyes drift to the wall adorned with paintings similar to those presented in the auction. Benny finally found his culprit.

The repeated beeping of the GPS tracker echoing through the blacked-out SUV fills Benny’s ears as he trails a few meters behind an unlabeled moving truck. His nerves engulf him as he taps the steering wheel, knowing this case will make or break his career. Benny, a 25-year-old undercover cop, receives his first major assignment in Paris, France to investigate recent art thefts and missing persons. &nbsp;Once the truck arrives at its destination, Benny takes a moment to observe his surroundings. Puzzled, Benny finds himself standing in a packed parking lot outside an

abandoned warehouse. Once inside, Benny observes the enormous room appearing as an auction house. The large stage in front, scattered with easels and canvases of art, presumably the exact pieces the moving truck transported here. As Benny takes a seat in the back row, a short man appears from the dark velvet curtains and waddles to the center of the stage, introducing himself as Marcelo Flores, the artist of tonight’s event.

    Later that evening, Benny receives a call from an unrecognizable number. Hesitantly, he answers the phone, greeted with a burst of dry, menacing laughter. “Hello, Benny Morson” Marcelo’s voice greets in a threatening tone. Before Benny has the opportunity to question how Flores discovered his identity, the line abruptly ends. Startled, Benny stares at the pile of useless leads scattered in front of him knowing he possesses limited time to put Marcelo behind bars.

Having exhausted all ideas and personal contacts, Benny, left with no choice, must investigate the source. Logging into the police database and searching for the address of Flores’ art studio. Entering the arrangements of numbers and words into the car’s GPS, he takes a deep breath knowing if he comes up empty-handed, his career will be over before he even blinks.&nbsp; Stepping up to the cracked open window and pushing it open, Benny slides through, entering the seemingly vacant studio. Searching through every drawer and cabinet, he eventually discovers a single key.

Benny takes note of Flores’ name, appearance, and any information he can gather on his new number-one suspect. Impatiently waiting for the show to conclude, Benny dashes backstage. Trying his best to avoid being seen, he frantically searches the canvases for signatures or clues when he discovers an array of names on the back corners of each painting. Just as Benny attempts to take a photo of his newfound evidence, the creaking of floorboards under his feet startle him as he drops his phone, spinning

around rapidly to face Marcelo and his posse of bodyguards. Furious, Flores interrogates and accuses Benny who slyly retrieves his phone from the ground and slips it into his pocket before sputtering out an excuse. He claims to be an interested buyer wanting a better look at the art. As suspicion grows, Benny exchanges a false name and phone number with Flores to prevent the exposure of his true identity. After their dangerous confrontation, Benny leaves the warehouse immediately to investigate the mysterious Marcelo Flores.&nbsp;

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