Drew smiled as he walked past the new painting he had bought earlier today at a thrift store. He had found it in the back along with a lot of other paintings. Judging from the fine layer of dust on the frame, the painting had been there a while. Something about the woman with the long, wavy, black hair and the piercing green eyes in the painting made him buy it. He was creeped out and intrugued by her at the same time. Her name was written underneath. Leinani Māhoe. The painter's name was scribbled in the bottom of the canvas.
He walked to the bathroom and undressed to his boxers. He brushed his teeth, studied himself in the mirror for a short while, and finally peed and washed his hands. He turned off the light and walked back through the hallway, once again passing the newly bought painting.
"Goodnight, Leinani," he said.
A creepy sound hit him from behind. Like a voice not able to speak but still trying to communicate. Like something out of a horror movie. He turned around and stared at the painting. He could have sworn her eyes had moved. It seemed like she was staring directly at him.
"No, it's a trick. It's one of those paintings that trick you with the eyes following you everywhere. I just didn't notice earlier. That's all," he said.
He tried calming himself down but it didn't work. He was freaked out. He spun back around and hurried to the bedroom. He usually slept with the door open but he closed it tonight as if it would protect him from something that wasn't there.
"It's all in your fucking head!" He growled at himself. "Snap out of it and go to bed!"
He got into bed and turned off the bedside wall lamp. He closed his eyes and tried chasing sleep. It didn't take long before he heard that creepy sound again. It really sounded like a voice but that made no sense. He was alone in the house.
He tried rolling over and ignoring the sound but the sound refused to be ignored. It became louder as it came closer. As if someone was walking down the hallway. It stopped outside of his bedroom door. He was half expecting someone to knock on the door. He wasn't expecting what happened next. The sound suddenly started again, and it was inside his bedroom. It was coming from the foot of his bed.
He sat up and tried looking through the darkness. It actually looked like a pale woman with long, black hair and piercing green eyes was staring at him with her mouth open and a haunted look on her face. He fumbled for the light switch and turned it on. The woman was gone.
"What the fuck?" He mumbled.
He turned off the light again and let out a little scream when he saw her again. She had moved closer and was standing next to the bed.
"Go away!" He yelled. "This is my house!"
She made the sound again and came closer. She leaned over him and he quickly turned on the light again. She was gone but he could still hear the sound. It was as if it came from under his bed.
"No, I am not doing this! I am not playing this game!" He yelled.
He heard nails scratching on the bed from underneath. He jumped out of bed, tore open the door, and ran out in the hallway. He stopped at the painting, not sure if he had expected her to be there or not. She was still in the painting but her mouth looked different. There was a hint of a smile that wasn't there before.
"Who the fuck are you?" He asked.
The only answer was the same creepy sound suddenly sounding next to his left ear. He screamed in fear and ran down the stairs. He needed to get out of the house and away from the painting. He didn't care if he had to sleep in his car all night. He couldn't deal with this right now.