Chapter 3 The painting.

I got down at the bus stop as I recalled her work place being ten minutes away from there after taking a left. I sighed and straightened my backpack behind me then I dragged my box and began the walk.

Yesterday was still freaking me out.

Erica didn't live so far away, her house was just three streets away from mine. She was quite surprised when I had shown up in front of her door in my pajamas. And yep, I had slept over at Erica's.

I hate to admit but I get scared easily. When I had told Erica what had happened, I immediately regretted telling such a story to a freak of horror films. She was so excited and had suggested we go back to see what exactly was going on but I would rather build up and confess my love for Mrs. bakers cookie than to go back to that freaky house.

When we had gone back to my house in the morning, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The tap was working Perfectly and the mirror was clear. No face.

I sighed and shook it out of my head. I didn't want to think of it. I'm sure after I spend this wonderful summer with aunt Beatrice, I'll totally forget about it; so I told myself to feel better.

I finally stood in front of the retirement home where Aunt Beatrice works and I have to say, it was a lot bigger than I had expected. My phone rang out and I took it out to see it was aunt Beatrice, for the 10th time.

"Are you here yet?" She immediately asked before I could speak.

"I'm right in front right now"

"Don't move okay?, I'll be there in five seconds. Starting now." with that she hung up.

I sighed and was about to take a step.

"Alex!" someone yelled out my name and ran full force towards me in her white coat. She jumped and gave me a big hug. "Alex!" she squealed

"Ugh!. Aunt Beatrice you're squeezing me too tight" I forced out. I could barely breath.

"Oh sorry" she said and released me immediately but she still held on to my hands with a big smile. "you really came"

"Of course I came, where else was I supposed to go?" I asked, returning the smile as she laughed a little.

"That's true," she then observed me from head to toe, while I was still wondering why she spun me to have my back to her, and then spun me back to face her. She had on a face of satisfaction. "I guess it wasn't all just talk, you seem like you've been eating well."

"So that's what that was all about. I told you I'm fine, you send me just enough allowance". I said. I eat just well, I believe my nutrients are also very important. I'm not too slender, not too fat. At times Erica would go on about how great my body shape is and tell me how jealous she is, though I don't seem to see any difference than a normal me.

"That's also why you're looking even more beautiful than the last time I saw you" aunt Beatrice said.

"Wow, I'm flattered" I said sarcastically and she gave me another smile before taking my box out of my hand "Give me five minutes and let me patch things up a little before we leave"

"Sure, no problem. I'll guess I'll just- take a look around."

"That's fine." She said as she led me inside.

The inside smelt wonderful and looked beautiful too, and I could see why. Different flowers were arranged at the edges of the wall right in front of the glass wall, positioned just where they would get a nice sunbath. Different people were everywhere, mainly old ones, but then I realized it wasn't just old people. I could make out really young people and like my aunt read my mind, she said.

"It's visiting time". She led me over to her office.

Of course getting there wasn't so smooth. A lot of 'is that your niece?', 'its nice to finally see you', 'I've heard a lot about you', 'you look even more beautiful in person' of course I just shook that off as just a normal comment and a bluff. I wasn't half surprised I was already popular in a place I've never been to. My aunt's a big talker as usual.

I sighed and took a seat in her office while she wheeled my box over to a corner.

"If you need me, I'll be right in the last room of this corridor. Okay?"

"Alright." I replied

"Tell me immediately if you're ready to leave, or if you feel uncomfortable okay?"

"Alright." I said trying to pass the message 'I get it already'. She gave me a soft smile and then left.

I got up and went out of the room to see her walk down the right corridor then make a turn. I looked to my left, a different area than the one we took.

I'll start from here, I thought and walked down the left corridor. It was actually a more interesting place than I'd thought. I came across a room and looked through the window, it was quite the silent place, but old men and women were seated then a young woman in a uniform stood right in front of all of them and she kept waving her hand and making signs with her fingers.

Ah! sign language.

At the next room I saw a room where they were busy exercising. I would call it a yoga class but then not to be rude, I thought in a yoga class one needs to be...you know, able to move the body.

The next room I found was pretty loud, I wondered what was going on, and when I looked in through the window. I could make out a few teenagers and old people gathered and it seemed like they were having fun. I watched silently.

"Hey Jake. Why don't you take the next dance," one of the young girls said then the one called Jake spoke.

"Alright then."

He was quite handsome. He walked up to one of the women and then took a slight bow with his hand stretched out.

"Milady, would you do me the honor of dancing the afternoon away with me?"

"Pea brain." his friends laughed and one of them playfully hit him. The old lady giggled and took his hand, then a music was played. It was really catchy. They both started dancing and I couldn't help but smile. They danced well but I was smiling cause it looked fun. At one time, the lady gave Jake a princess spin around and then it went the other way too, the others cheered them on. I was actually having fun watching them until my phone rang.

It was Erica. I moved further down the corridor and picked the call.

"Hey Erica,"

"Hey, you there yet?"

"Yeah, I got here some minutes ago." I said

We talked as I could feel my legs moving, I didn't know where I was going but I didn't seem to mind. I kept walking as we kept talking. Long talks wasn't actually my thing but, unfortunately for me... its Erica's thing. But I don't mind lending a ear for a long time for her. She was telling me how her younger sister had eaten the rest of her fortune cookie and how she had destroyed the magic.

I laughed at this as I kept going, Erica could get so worked up for things that weren't so big a deal. She's got two little sisters and I knew just how they were so lucky to have her.

When I finally hung up with a 'bye', 'bye' I looked around and then stood on a spot as the realization dawned on me.

"I'm totally lost." I said to myself and looked to my left and right, wondering how I had ended up there.

The corridor was awfully quiet, there was no one around and I couldn't hear any noise. I looked down to the left again and realized there was actually a door up ahead.

The wise thing I could've done was to turn back and retrace my steps, that's what I would've done on any normal day. But then I found myself walking down to it and I turned the knob without thinking, also with the thought that it was probably locked, but it clicked opened. I pushed it open slightly and peeped inside the room.

No one was in, but there was a bed that looked ruffled like someone had just been on it. I went in further and was astonished at what I saw on the wall of the tiny room.

Paintings!.

Really beautiful paintings!.

I became drawn to it and I couldn't help but walk in without considering whose privacy I was disrupting. On each canvas, I could make out the painting of a beautiful meadow, it looked so real and felt like I could just walk right into it. Then there was another painting of a woman. She had the most beautiful caramel colored hair I've ever seen along with her slightly matching eyes. The background had been covered In a lot of beautiful Lilys.

"This is a masterpiece." I muttered in astonishment. Then the next thing I could think of was to take out my cellphone.

Erica totally needs to see this, I thought and started taking pictures of the paintings. There were a lot of drawings everywhere and I couldn't stop clicking.

I haven't been a fan of art but what I saw made me fall hard in love with art. I had taken a photo of every single art on the wall, then I noticed a painting. The canvas looked like it had just been painted some few minutes ago cause I could still see traces of wet paint.

It was different from the others I had seen. It looked more like a flower or a design or something. It was weird but- it pulled me in.

Suddenly, I became... so drawn to it.

I found my hand reaching out slowly as I felt like I was being sucked in.

And then,

I touched it,

It was this moment it all came to me like the stormy sea.

So fast and strong I felt my head was going to explode. I could barely make out what I was seeing in my head. Pictures of places and things I have never seen, one after the other, but I winced out as I couldn't take it any more, it felt like my blood was flowing backwards.

I forcefully redrew my hand from the painting and I found myself breathing really hard, it was like my heart was about to burst.

"What the -" I ran out of breath to talk.

I was scared stiff but I had to leave that room immediately. I was still breathing hard, I turned to leave and flinched with a scream at the sight of the old man on a wheelchair right in front of me.