Macabre: The portrait

Taken Aback

"I get it, Jake. You're still trying to wrap your head around all of this. It's understandable. But I believe these questions hold the key to unraveling the mystery that surrounds us. So, let's dive in, shall we?"

Jake, hesitant but willing to cooperate, replied, "Sure, I'll do my best to answer."

"Let's start with your mother's history. How did she pass away?" I inquired, hoping to shed some light on the situation.

Jake's response was filled with uncertainty, "My dad never talked much about her. Whenever I brought her up, he would change the subject, urging me not to mention her."

Curiosity piqued, I pressed further, "And what about your father? How did he meet his end?"

"He went to meet a friend who had recently purchased a boat. While exploring the boat, he tragically lost his footing and drowned. He didn't know how to swim, so he struggled to breathe until his untimely demise. He was always a cheerful soul..." Jake shared, his voice tinged with a mix of sadness and reminiscence.

Interrupting him mid-sentence, I couldn't contain my revelation, "Your father! He appeared in my dream, clutching an oxygen tank, gasping for breath. The house surrounding him was drenched in blood. Could it be a warning, a sign of impending danger? Is there a possibility of bloodshed between one of us? I can't help but wonder..."

Jake, still grappling with the bizarre turn of events, responded with genuine confusion, "Lisa, I honestly don't know what to make of all this. It's hard to comprehend why these things are happening, especially after meeting you. I don't want to point fingers, but I'm at a loss for explanations."

"Jake, we find ourselves entangled in a web of darkness and uncertainty. The questions that linger in the air hold the key to unraveling this enigma. Your mother's demise, shrouded in secrecy, and your father's tragic end, a haunting tale of a fatal misstep into the abyss. It sends shivers down my spine. But what perplexes me further is the connection between your father and my haunting dream. The oxygen tank, the struggle for breath, and the house drenched in blood... " I pondered, my mind swirling with the weight of the unknown.

As the night enveloped us, I reassured him, "Rest now, Jake. I'll remain by your side until morning. If you happen to venture out while I'm asleep, wake me up. We'll face this darkness together, unwavering in our resolve."

Crack of dawn:

"Lisa?" Jake's voice echoed through the room, jolting me from my slumber. I peered out from beneath the cozy confines of my cardigan blanket and sleepily responded, "Yeah, Jake?"

"There's somethin' I haven't spilled about my mom," Jake confided. My curiosity piqued, I inquired, "What's the scoop?"

"I never really knew my mom, ya know? My dad spilled the beans that she had an affair with our neighbor and practically lived at his place. I never had a chat with her or even heard her voice. The only thing I got is a portrait. When my old man found out 'bout her shenanigans, things got ugly. He claimed she wanted to off him, but he managed to snatch the knife away. After a few weeks, they split up, and my dad got custody of me and the house. But things went downhill from there. My dad started hittin' the bottle hard, shoutin' my mom's name even though she was long gone. A week before my dad kicked the bucket, a family friend let slip that my mom croaked just a couple days after the divorce. Her death's been a mystery ever since. I'm just wonderin' why all this is messin' with you," Jake spilled.

"Whoa, Jake, that's heavy stuff. Can't imagine what it's like growing up without knowing your own mom. The blood in my dream might symbolize the violence that surrounded your parents' relationship. It's like there's a dark secret lurking in the shadows. I'm real curious about your family history." The rain began to pour outside, creating an eerie atmosphere as Jake shared his unsettling story. I leaned in closer, my chair scraping against the floor, eager to hear every word.

"My dad, when he was alive, he gathered all of my mother's belongings and locked them away in the backyard shed, including the portrait. One day, I stumbled upon a key while organizing stuff, but I had no idea what it unlocked. A week later, I took a chance and tried it on the shed. To my surprise, it opened. Inside, I found my mother's clothes, old pictures of her, and the portrait. I cleaned off the dust and hung it in the living room," Jake recalled, his voice filled with a mix of curiosity and unease.

Concerned for Jake's safety, I voiced my worries, "I'm not sure if it's safe for you to retrieve those pictures, especially after revealing all of this. Something could happen to you."

"Yeah, you're right," Jake replied, his tone tinged with sadness. "I should have left when everyone else did. The whole neighborhood emptied out, and I was the only one left. It's been tough for me, never really knowing my extended family from both my dad's and mom's side."

Seeing and hearing Jake in such a vulnerable state weighed heavily on me. We had only just met, and yet I felt a strong desire to help him navigate through this unsettling discovery. "There's another picture of my mom on my phone, the one I took when I found it in the shed" he said, gesturing towards his phone on the side table.

   I handed him his phone. "Yeah, it's right in here. I captured it after I stumbled upon it. Let me show you," he said. As I handed him his phone, I glanced at the wallpaper, a picture of Jake himself, I couldn't help but notice his undeniable handsomeness. In that moment, though it wasn't the right time to dwell on my feelings, I couldn't deny the attraction that sparked within me.

As Jake scrolled through his phone, searching for the picture, the sound of hail crashing against the hospital's walls grew louder. The noise reverberated throughout the room, and we turned to look at the windows, only to see the hail shattering the glass. In a rush, a nurse burst into the room with a wheelchair, ready to move Jake to a safer area of the hospital away from the hail's onslaught. Fear gripped both Jake and me. Was this all connected to the revelations? What was truly happening?

After about 30 minutes, the nurses finished settling Jake in and ensuring he wasn't injured. "This is unprecedented. The windows are supposed to be impenetrable. It's baffling," one nurse remarked to the other while examining Jake. Jake and I exchanged worried glances. Once the nurses left, I pulled my chair closer to Jake.

"I think we should put a stop to this investigation, Jake, How much more hurt will you get if we do not stop?" I said, concern evident in my voice. "I believe you now, Lisa. I'm sorry for what you've experienced. I regret involving you in all of this," Jake replied, his tone filled with remorse. "It's not your fault, Jake. You couldn't have known what would happen. You've lived in that house without incident, so how could you have anticipated something like this?" I reassured him, wanting him to know that everything would be alright. In that moment, I couldn't help but feel sympathy for Jake and the challenges he faced. "I'll wait for you to get better, and then I'll take you home with me. My parents don't need to know," I insisted my voice filled with determination. Jake looked at me, a mix of gratitude and fear in his eyes. "That means a lot to me, Lisa," he replied, a faint smile on his face, though I could sense the underlying fear.