At Lincoln High School in Seattle, a quiet student wins the school’s art competition with a haunting painting—only to be accused of plagiarism. But when the truth unfolds, it reveals a story of grief, memory, and the power of art to keep love alive. The Forged Painting is a heartfelt mystery about two teens, a lost brother, and the courage to tell the truth. #TheForgedPainting #YAfiction #ArtMystery #EmotionalStory #GriefAndHealing #StudentLife #SeattleStories #SiblingBond #TruthInArt #ShortStory #AsianAmericanVoices #CreativeWriting #WattpadReads #MediumWriters #DramaInSchool #podcast #storybook
00:00the forged painting part one shadows behind the canvas ethan tran stood just inside the entrance of lincoln high's auditorium arms crossed eyes scanning the rows of student artwork displayed on easels and hanging panels
00:16the annual spring arts showcase was the biggest event of the year for the school-esque creative crowd and for ethan it had always been personal he'd spent weeks on his submission a surreal cityscape overtaken by nature vines curling around skyscrapers birds nesting in traffic lights it was bold textured and full of symbolism but it hadn't even made the final cut instead the top prize had gone to ryan new yen a quiet junior known
00:46mostly for keeping to himself his painting titled boy in the rain was undeniably beautiful a lone figure stood beneath a flickering street lamp rain cascading down his face half obscured by shadow the emotion was raw the technique refined but something about it nodded ethan he'd seen it before not exactly but close enough ethan was a digital art junkie always browsing obscure blogs and forums years ago
01:16he'd bookmarked a painting that looked almost identical same composition same lighting same haunting mood the original had been signed by someone named twan ryan's version bore his own name ethan pulled out his phone and scrolled through his old bookmarks there it was he held the screen up next to ryan's painting the resemblance was uncanny was this plagiarism he didn't want to jump to conclusions
01:46and worse and worse no one seemed to notice
01:48he waited until the crowd thinned then approached ryan who was standing off to the side hands tucked into his hoodie eyes fixed on the floor
01:58hey ethan said trying to sound casual your paintings impressive
02:02ryan looked up surprised thanks i was just wondering ethan continued where did you get the idea
02:08ryan hesitated i don't know it just came to me ethan frowned because i think i've seen it before
02:16online a few years ago ryan's expression didn't change but his eyes flickered maybe there's a lot
02:23of stuff out there it's not just similar ethan said holding up his phone it's almost the same
02:29ryan stared at the screen then looked away it's not what you think then what is it ethan asked voice low
02:38ryan took a deep breath it's my brothers ethan blinked your brother painted it yeah his name
02:45was tuan he passed away two years ago the words hit ethan like a punch to the chest he lowered his phone
02:53he was sick for a long time ryan continued cancer he painted that during his last month i used to sit
03:01next to him while he worked after he died i couldn't draw anything for a while but this year i wanted to
03:07honor him so i recreated it every brush stroke every shadow ethan was silent the anger he'd felt
03:16earlier dissolved into something else confusion guilt empathy i didn't mean to cheat ryan said
03:22quietly i just wanted people to see it to feel what he felt but you signed it as your own ethan said
03:28not accusing just trying to understand ryan nodded i didn't think they'd accept it if i said it was his
03:34i didn't want to explain everything i just wanted it to be seen ethan looked back at the painting it
03:40wasn't theft it was memory a tribute a way to keep someone alive i thought you were copying ethan admitted
03:48but now i'm not so sure ryan gave a small sad smile i guess i kind of was but not for the reasons you
03:56think ethan nodded slowly maybe there's a way to tell the judges let them know the story behind
04:02it ryan's eyes widened you'd help me do that yeah ethan said art should tell the truth this this is a
04:09truth worth sharing the forged painting part two truth in the rain the monday after the spring art
04:16showcase ethan trans sat outside the art room tapping his foot against the linoleum floor he'd asked for a
04:22meeting with miss carter the art teacher and head judge of the competition his stomach twisted not
04:28from anger anymore but from uncertainty ryan nugent's painting had one fair and square technically
04:34but ethan couldn't shake the feeling that the story behind it deserved to be told
04:39not just to miss carter but to everyone ms carter opened the door and smiled warmly ethan come in
04:46he stepped inside clutching his sketchbook like a shield thanks for meeting with me of course she
04:53said gesturing to a seat is this about the showcase ethan nodded it's about ryan's painting boy in the
05:00rain it's carter raised an eyebrow you think there's a problem not exactly ethan said i thought it was
05:06copied at first from an old blog but it turns out it was his brothers ryan recreated it as a tribute
05:13miss carter leaned forward her expression softening i didn't know ryan had a brother
05:18he passed away ethan said quietly two years ago ryan told me he painted it during his brother's final
05:26days he didn't mean to cheat he just wanted people to see it miss carter was silent for a moment then
05:31nodded slowly that changes things i don't think you should be disqualified ethan added quickly but i do
05:37think people should know the story it's part of the art miss carter smiled you're right art isn't just
05:44about technique it's about meaning thank you for telling me later that week miss carter called ryan
05:50into her office ethan waited outside unsure how ryan would react when ryan emerged his face was pale
05:58but calm she wants me to speak at the award ceremony ryan said ethan blinked really she said the judges
06:07want to honor the story behind the painting not just the painting itself that's amazing ethan said
06:13are you okay with that ryan hesitated i don't like talking in front of people i think my brother would
06:19have wanted it friday evening the auditorium filled again this time for the awards ceremony students
06:26parents and teachers gathered under soft lights the winning artworks displayed proudly on stage when ryan's
06:33name was called he walked slowly to the podium clutching a folded piece of paper he cleared his
06:38throat voice trembling my painting is called boy in the rain he began but it's not really mine it was
06:45first painted by my brother tuan when he was sick he was 17. he loved art more than anything said
06:51painting helped him feel alive even when his body was failing the room was silent i watched him paint this
06:57scene himself i think standing in the rain half in shadow said it was how he felt alone but still here
07:04after he died i couldn't draw for a long time but this year i wanted to bring his work back so i recreated
07:11it every detail not to win just to remember ryan paused eyes glistening i didn't tell anyone at first
07:19i was afraid they'd think it wasn't real art but it is it's his truth and now it's mine too
07:25the audience erupted in quiet applause miss carter stepped forward and placed a hand on ryan's
07:31shoulder we're proud to present ryan new yen with the lincoln high art legacy award she said
07:36for honoring the spirit of creativity memory and courage ethan clapped the loudest after the
07:42ceremony ryan found ethan near the back of the auditorium thanks ryan said simply ethan smiled
07:49you did the hard part ryan looked at the painting one last time i think he'd be proud ethan nodded he'd
Be the first to comment