I seemed to have been stuck artistically with my work for months. I have been a struggling artist for most of my career, having received mostly lukewarm reviews and sales from my sculptures in the past. That had really never bothered me as much as my current dilemma was. Recently, I had lost all inspiration for my work. I struggled mightily to focus on any single subject. Nothing seemed to inspire me. I was starting to worry that my love of my art was slowly slipping away.
Looking down, seeing the flyer again, I had picked it up earlier during one of my visits with Charles, a local art dealer and good friend, with whom I show all of my finished pieces through his studio.
In bold letters, it proclaimed, "Once in a lifetime opportunity for local artists. Now is your chance to enter a piece of your work in a nationwide contest for artwork representing the theme, Endless Love. The contest encompasses any medium of the artist's choosing to showcase their work."
Charles had asked when I might have a new piece, potentially one to showcase in the contest. I had just shrugged, telling him that I was working on a few things, which I was not really the case.
I looked at the flyer again, focusing on the sentence about the pieces representing the artist's interpretation of the theme, "Endless Love."
"Hmmm," I thought to myself. "There might just be something here for me, but what?"
I struggled to pull any inspiration from the depths of my soul. I knew there was an idea bubbling just below the surface for a piece of sculpture that could potentially drag me out of my doldrums; I could just not seem to grasp it.
Frustrated, I headed out the door, driving to a new art supply warehouse I had seen recently at the far end of town. Maybe something there would release the muse I was so desperately searching for.
Once I arrived, I started walking up and down the aisles, looking at all the different shapes and sizes of granite and marble they had for sale. Nothing was inspiring me. My frustration was reaching a boiling point when I saw a salesperson walking up to me.
"Can I help you find something, sir," he asked confidently. "My name is Ahmed."
"I'm not sure, Ahmed. In fact, I don't really know what I am looking for," I said awkwardly. I shook his hand, feeling a strange energy radiating from his strong grip. "My name is Sam, by the way."
"Not to worry, Sam," he replied. "I'm sure I can help you find something to help get your creative juices flowing again. Let me show you something over this way."
Who was this guy, and how did he already know that I was having difficulties with my artistic inspiration?
He led me through some double doors in the back of the warehouse I had not previously noticed. Inside were multiple slabs of granite and marble in all colors, shapes, and sizes. I was in awe of the selection. I had never seen such beautiful pieces of stone before. Many of the pieces called out to my artistic soul.
"What do you think, Sam? Do any of these pieces spark your interest?" he calmly inquired.
"Actually, yes. As a matter of fact, quite a few of them are speaking to me," I replied, still in awe of the situation.
"Go ahead. Touch them. Find the one that really speaks to you, Sam," he said with a sly grin.
I walked up the aisle, letting my hand slowly trace over the smooth surfaces. They were all so beautiful. Any of them would make for a perfect medium for my sculpture.
As I came to the second-to-last slab, a large pink piece of marble only a few inches shorter than myself, I paused. It was the most pristine piece of marble I had ever laid my eyes upon. I slowly walked around it. I could not see even a single flaw in the rock. As I touched it for the first time, my world stopped. In my mind's eye, I could instantly picture the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. A warmth spread throughout my entire body. I swear the marble was selecting me rather than the other way around.
I blinked and shook my head as I released my hand from the rock's surface.
"I've got to have this piece of marble. What does it cost?" I asked urgently.
Ahmed just smiled and nodded. "I see you have your inspiration back, my friend. Let's not quibble about pricing for now. I can see you are inspired at the moment, and we shouldn't interrupt your vision. I will have the piece delivered to you this afternoon. You can come back in another day or two to discuss the financing. I am sure we will be able to work out a deal that will be mutually acceptable to both of us."
"Are you sure?" I asked, a little confused. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before in any other art supply establishment.
"Oh, yes, my friend. We cater to only the finest sculptors and do everything possible to help further their creations."
I shrugged my shoulders. Paying later would definitely help my financial situation at that precise moment. I gave him my address information, shook his hand, and left to drive home.
Later that afternoon, a truck pulled into my driveway. Two burly men unloaded the slab of marble and delivered it to my workshop.
Once they left, I circled the slab again. The excitement of using it for my sculpture swept over me again. Amazingly, as soon as I touched its smooth surface, I was again overcome with the vision of the beautiful woman. She had long, flowing red hair and green eyes, as bright as the finest emerald, that drew me into her very soul. Her naked form was completely captivating. She was now burned permanently into my mind. I knew she would be the perfect subject for my sculpture. This pristine piece of marble would be a perfect medium to bring this vision of beauty to life.
Not wanting to waste any time, I quickly gathered my tools and started to work. Using my diamond grinder, I made short work of removing the excess material to get the piece into the basic form of my dream woman. Now would come the much longer process of whittling down the piece, slowly bringing out the finer details of the sculpture.
I heard a knock at the door. "Fuck," I spat out. I hated being disturbed when I was in my artistic zone. "Who is it?" I yelled angrily from my workshop.
"It's me, Charles. I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I would drop in to check to see how you're doing. You seemed a little lost and unfocused when I last spoke with you."
My anger subsided. Charles was a good friend. There was no reason to take my anger out on him.
Charles smiled as he looked me over. I was completely covered with stone dust from head to toe.
"Looks like you have your inspiration back, my friend. What's that you're working on?" He said as he looked over the beginnings of my sculpture. "That's a beautiful slab of marble."
"Just a little something I picked up today," I returned with a grin of my own.
"Are you thinking of entering the competition, Sam? Can you finesse a representation of endless love out of this slab of rock?"
"Maybe," I replied. "Something really speaks to me each time I touch this marble. I have never felt anything quite like this ever before. I need to see where it takes me."
Charles smiled and nodded. "That's what I wanted to hear. I can't wait to see the finished product. It's good to see you so inspired again, my friend."
We exchanged a few more pleasantries before Charles excused himself, stating he would check in on my progress the following week.
I circled my slab once more, feeling the intense energy it was radiating. When I slid my fingers over the still rough surface, my mind again was instantly filled with the vision of the red-headed beauty. She smiled as her bright green eyes turned to me,
In my head, I heard her speak. "Please bring me to life, Sam. I want to be with you always."
"I will, my dearest," I said out loud. My heart fluttered with something I had not felt in a long time. Hope.
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I worked almost non-stop over the next few days, barely ever stopping to eat or sleep. I was now totally consumed with completing this piece, fully determined to bring my beautiful vision to life within the sculpture. Each time I placed my bare hands on the marble, she would appear again. In my mind, we had long conversations together. I told her my life story, and she told me hers. I knew it was not possible, but I really felt I was falling in love with her.
After five days, I had her basic form shaped into the marble. I now just needed to use my skills to bring out the finer details of her form.
I smiled to myself as I saw her in my mind's eye again. Her smooth skin and long, flowing hair. The dimples in her cheeks as she smiled at me. Her beautifully proportioned breasts, with stiff nipples already pointed with her arousal.
Shaking my head to clear my mind, I remembered that I had yet to pay for the marble slab. Not wanting there to be any issues, or God forbid, someone wanting to repossess my work, I decided to head out and square my bill. There was no way I was ever going to allow anyone to take my muse now that I was so close to bringing her to life.
"I'll be back soon, my dearest," I said to my unfinished work.
Cleaning as much of the stone dust from my coveralls as I could, I got into my car to head to the art supply warehouse I had visited earlier in the week. I would then be able to square my bill for the marble they had delivered to me and get back to my work.
As I turned the corner into the parking lot, my eyes seemed to deceive me. Where the warehouse had been just days before was now just a dirt lot.
"What the fuck?" I exclaimed. "Where the fuck is the warehouse?"
I sat staring at the dirt lot for ten minutes, my mind not comprehending what was going on. Completely confused, I turned around and headed home again. I was completely mystified as to what was going on. Everything over the past week had been so very strange.
As I walked back into my studio and dragged my hand over the marble, the familiar warm feelings enveloped me. I could again see my beautiful muse in my head, beckoning me to finish her.
"I'm back, my love," I said to the empty room, completely pushing all the other strange occurrences from my mind. "I won't leave again until you are here with me in your full, unfettered state."
With that, I dove headfirst into completing the most intricate parts of the sculpture. It was here that I could use my specialized skills to bring out all the beautiful, delicate features of Persephone. Yes, I now knew the name of my beautiful muse. She had spoken it to me during the last vision. It was my mission now to bring Persephone fully to life. I so wished that she was here with me for real.
I worked day and night, again barely eating or sleeping. Each passing moment brought Persephone that much closer to completion. I could see her clearly in my mind with each touch to the stone. She urged me on each step on the way. I heard her cute little giggle as I finished her feet. She moaned softly as I smoothed out the last of the roughness on her breasts, gasping as I tweaked her nipples playfully after finishing that part of the sculpture.
I spent the longest time on her face, getting every detail absolutely perfect. This was not the time for an errant chisel strike or mishandling of my grinder. Each moment brought me that much closer to her.
Finally, it was complete. I stepped back and admired my work. She was perfect. Her body posed erotically as she faced me. Standing, with her plump breasts, nipples hard and pointed. Her ass, round and full. A small triangle of hair sat atop the hidden crease between her legs.
But what really stood out was the beauty of Persephone's face. Her long hair tumbling down her back, her full lips, the dimples from her shy smile, and the piercing eyes always looking directly into my soul.
I smiled and nodded. Yes, she was perfect. I bent down and kissed her stone lips, feeling a warmth that shouldn't have been there.
At that moment, my physical exhaustion totally enveloped me. My head spun; the room closed in around me. I stumbled backward, my legs giving out. I was barely able to make it to the makeshift cot I had set up before falling upon it. Everything went black.
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When I awoke, I was groggy and disoriented. It was now dark. I had no idea how long I had been in a comatose state. As I tried to stand, I sensed someone else in the room with me. I silently reached over to the lamp beside me and switched it on. My heart stopped. Persephone was standing naked in front of me.
"How is this possible?" I whispered. I looked over where the sculpture should have been, but only saw the marble base.
"Shhhh, my love, don't fight it," she replied. "You created me. You wished for me to be real, and now here I am."
She stepped forward and put her hands on my chest. Looking up into my eyes, she smiled brightly before lightly kissing me. My head was spinning. I could not comprehend what was happening, but in my disoriented state, my feelings for my muse overwhelmed me. My Persephone was here in front of me, somehow now alive.
"Oh, Sam, I've dreamed of this since the very first time we connected."
She kissed me again. This time, I did not resist. My mouth opened hungrily on hers, our tongues intertwining. She moaned softly as my hands slid over her back and down to her beautiful ass.
Her hands found the zipper on my coveralls, sliding it all the way down. She pushed it off my shoulders before running her hands through the hair on my chest. We kissed passionately again, now lost within each other.
Placing her forehead against mine, she looked directly into my soul again.
"My dearest Sam. I don't know how long the universe will let me stay. Let's not waste what time I may have."
She dropped to her knees, sliding my coveralls and boxer briefs down as she did, freeing my cock that was now as hard as the marble Persephone had come from. She looked up at me and smiled before taking me fully into her warm, wet mouth, sliding her tongue around my aching shaft.
"Fuck, Persephone. That feels so good, so perfect," I sighed.
She slid her hand between my legs and cupped and fondled my balls as she continued bobbing up and down my shaft, keeping her beautiful green eyes locked on mine the entire time. Humming softly to herself as she took me down her throat, the vibrations carried me over the edge. I grunted as my hot cum filled her mouth. She greedily swallowed it all, licking her lips as she arose and then lay back on my cot.
"My turn now, my love. Please make me cum," she begged.
I got down on my knees in front of her, spreading Persephone's legs and placing them on my shoulders. Her pussy was glistening and swollen with her arousal. I inhaled deeply, taking in her intoxicating scent, before diving right in. With the very first swipe of my tongue, I was struck by how sweet her pussy tasted. I lapped hungrily at her dripping folds while circling her stiff little clit with my thumb. She writhed in ecstasy as I continued to lavish her pussy with all my attention.
"Fuck, Sam. That feels so good," she moaned as I slid one and then a second finger into her while sliding my tongue repeatedly over her clit.
"I'm cumming, Sam. I'm cumming," she screamed as her back arched from the cot, her fingers digging into the sheets as her climax swept over her.
Before she had even stopped quivering from her intense orgasm, I stood and dragged her forward on the cot, lining up my cock, which was now rock-hard again, with her still-pulsing opening.
"I'm going to fuck you now, Persephone. I need to claim you as my own."
"Yes, Sam. I am yours to use as you wish. Claim me now as your everlasting muse."
With that, I rammed myself fully inside of her, the velveteen walls of her pussy sucking me deeply inside her wet and willing cunt.
My world came apart at the seams. Everything I understood to this point in my life shifted. We moved as one. Our bodies responded together with a mutual understanding neither of us could explain. We coupled as long-lost lovers, each moaning in ecstasy as our two worlds collided with a shared climax.
I never wanted it to end, but alas, it did, far too soon in my mind. My softening cock slid out of Persephone. I looked sadly into her eyes. She returned my gaze with the same sadness. I understood it all now.
"You can't stay with me, can you, Persephone?" I asked.
"No, my love. The universe only made this possible for this one time. I don't want to leave you, but I must go back now," she cried, tears streaming down her face.
"Back where?" I asked.
"Out there," was all she replied. She hesitated momentarily and then continued, "But there is another way if you are willing, Sam."
"I would do anything to be with you forever, my dearest Persephone," I said with a renewed hope.
Persephone just smiled and held her hand out to me. I took hold of it, smiling back at my beautiful muse.
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Charles walked slowly around the sculpture now prominently displayed in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. He had visited it many times over the past few months.
Sam's piece had won the contest. It had been judged as the most perfect representation of "Endless Love" over hundreds of other entries. After the competition, there had been a bidding war on the piece. The final selling price ended at a whopping one and a half million dollars. It was currently on temporary loan to the museum. Sam's other earlier pieces were now also gaining international attention, and many were selling for impressive prices from the gallery due to his newfound notoriety.
Unfortunately, Sam was not basking in any of this recent fame. He was nowhere to be found. He had disappeared soon after the last time Charles had seen him, before the piece now in front of him had been completed.
The money from all the sales was sitting in a bond waiting for Sam to claim it.
As Charles returned to carefully studying the piece in front of him, he shook his head again. Every time he looked at it, he wondered how Sam had been able to create a sculpture of this size out of the slab of marble he had seen in his workshop. Surely it had only been large enough for a single human form.
But here in front of him was a sculpture displaying both the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and also her male lover.
Charles smiled again as he looked at the face of the male form. Sam had not only captured a random male form as the woman's lover but had also added his own features to the male figure. He had made it a self-sculpture. The likeness was uncanny.
Two lovers forever posed in a romantic embrace. Truly the encapsulation of "Endless Love."
