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Gräfin von Oberndorff Sophia


The Portrait

 

In the small shadowed corner of an antique shop, hidden behind dusty shelves and forgotten statues. Hung a large golden frame, containing a portrait of an aging lady. But no sweet grandma, an elderly woman with piercing green eyes and a mischievous grin, the corners of her mouth wrinkles deepening with the grin. Her stabbing eyes seemed to follow anyone who dared to linger by. The portrait had been known by the townspeople for over 20 years, stories and legends revolving around it. Among those legends, a story told that the portrait hid a curse, so evil no one in mankind could imagine. 

 

Amanda, a youthful artist, stumbled into the shop hoping to discover her next inspiration. As she wandered around, she found herself stuck, glued gazing at the captivating portrait.  She noticed herself being stalked with each step she took in any direction. She slowly faced the painting and stood right in front of it. 

 

As she stared mesmerized by the woman's alluring eyes, she noticed herself unable to move, unable to speak. She was simply trapped by the beauty of the painting. As she slowly reached for the portrait practically hypnotized, she felt a jolt of shiver brush up against her arm sliding down her spin. As she gently brushed away the accumulating dust off the portrait, she revealed the shine of the frame, a beautifully carved golden frame. The longer she started the more pull she received from the painting. Almost as if the woman were pleading her to release from within the portrait as if she were a genie in a lamp. 

 

Suddenly in a split of a second, she found herself surrounded by sand, miles and miles of sand. Ongoing for thousands of steps. But before her stood the same lady, her eyes glistening under the bright sunshine. The woman began to speak, a flow of ideas from her speech entering Amands thoughts. Amanda’s face glowed, as an artist's high emerged. She suddenly was thrown into reality, back at the corner of an old dusty antique shop. She waved at the portrait and set off strutting with her overflowing thoughts filled with ideas.


 




Submitted: 09:25 Fri, 22 March 2024 by : Gräfin von Oberndorff Sophia age : 16