Layla gazed out the classroom window, tapping her pencil absentmindedly on her sketchpad. The blank page stared back at her, taunting her lack of inspiration. She sighed and glanced at the clock. Only fifteen more minutes until art class ended.
Ms. Curtis paused at Layla's desk. "How's your still life coming along?" she asked, peering at the empty sketchpad.
Layla shrugged. "I'm just not feeling inspired by a bowl of wax fruit."
Ms. Curtis nodded sympathetically. "Artist's block happens to the best of us. Maybe try working on something else for now and come back to the assignment later."
As Ms. Curtis walked away, Layla glanced around at her classmates' work. Their sketches actually resembled the arrangement of fake grapes and bananas on their table. Meanwhile, Layla's usually vivid imagination had apparently taken the day off.
When the bell rang, Layla shoved her unused sketchpad into her backpack and shuffled out of the classroom. She decided to take the long way home from school. As she walked, she gazed longingly at the row of art shops lining the downtown street. If only she could be one of those artists displaying their brilliant creations in the windows instead of struggling to draw a simple bowl of wax fruit.
One shop in particular caught Layla's attention. A sign above the door read "Prisma Arts Supplies." What really drew her in, though, was the dazzling window display of vibrant paints, papers, brushes, and other art materials. Layla paused in front of the window, admiring the rainbow of colors and imagining the possibilities they held.
On impulse, she opened the shop door. A little bell tinkled overhead. Inside, shelves brimming with art supplies stretched from floor to ceiling. Layla wandered the aisles, running her fingers over the bottles of glittering paints and inhaling the rich scent of leather-bound sketchbooks.
In the back corner, a box of crayons sat on a low shelf. Layla paused, struck by their unique hues. She picked up one labeled "Stormy Sea" - a deep blue-green with flecks of silver foil. Next to it sat "Sunset" - swirled shades of orange, pink and purple.
Layla glanced around. The only other customer was an elderly man asking the shop owner about oil paints. She carefully opened the crayon box and gasped. Each crayon was shaped uniquely - some twisted, some spiraled, some curled into loops. She reached for one called "Magic Hour," a dusky blue-violet, but nearly dropped it when it began glowing at her touch.
She stared wide-eyed as the other crayons began emitting a soft light as well. Their colors seemed to swirl and blend together hypnotically. Drawn forward in a trance, Layla selected a golden crayon called "Daydream" and headed toward a blank sketchpad on a nearby table.
As soon as the crayon met paper, Layla felt a jolt of energy. It was as if lightning flowed from the crayon directly through her fingertips. She began sketching freestyle, scarcely aware of choosing subjects. A meadow of wildflowers took shape, the blooms so lifelike she could nearly smell their fragrance. Next, she drew a majestic oak tree, its branches spreading upward for the sun. With each stroke, her drawings became more vivid, as if she was transcribing the world directly from her mind's eye.
Finally, Layla drew herself sitting beneath the oak tree, sketchbook in hand, wearing a flowing dress that caught the breeze. She finished with a flourish and stepped back, heartbeat quickening. Had she really created something so beautiful?
Just then, a gentle tug seemed to pull at her whole body. Her vision blurred for a second and when it refocused, she found herself standing under a massive oak tree in an endless field of flowers. Layla gazed down to see she now wore the same dress from her drawing. In her hand was the magic crayon box.
Layla pinched herself hard. When she didn't wake up, she knew this was no dream - the drawing had become her reality. As the initial shock wore off, a smile spread across Layla's face. She selected another crayon and raised it to the sky, ready to draw wherever her imagination took her next.