Tales of Gloomsdale #1: The Hidden Attic

Chapter Fifteen

Matt closed his eyes at the light that seemed to pour into the attic. It was miniscule at best, but felt blinding compared to the encompassing darkness. When he opened his eyes, he jumped out of his skin as he found himself face to face with a sad-looking girl staring straight at him. It took him a while to realize it was just a portrait.

"Woah. You were right," Matt whispered to Willow. "It really is realistic."

He couldn't tear his eyes away. It looked just like Adrienne did in the picture, and at the same time, not at all. She had a mournful, downtrodden expression on her face, her brown eyes staring right into him, as if accusing him and Willow of her sadness. There were some things that made Matt realize she wasn't a real person. The gray tint to her brown skin, the lifeless look in her brown eyes, devoid of any shine. Like everything else in the attic, she seemed to be covered in dust, including her dull red dress that drooped as much as her face did and seemed to be ripped in some places.

Or maybe it was fading away, along with her arm and part of her neck. That was the biggest thing that made Matt realize it was just a portrait. Like Willow had said, part of her body was fading away. It was difficult to make out, since in place of the faded paint was dim light that spilled into the attic. Combined with the depressed expression on her face, it almost seemed as if she was disappearing.

"Huh?" Matt heard Willow say. "Her left hand wasn't rubbed out before."

Matt trailed his eyes to the other side of her body, noticing both sides beginning to disappear. "Her hair is as well," he pointed out, gesturing to the fading reddish brown curls. "She looks kind of like you. "Except for her expression, I guess. You're always annoyingly happy."

"Hey!" Willow shoved him. "Anyway, she doesn't look much like me. I don't have red hair."

Willow's hair fell over her face as she leaned forward to take a closer look at the portrait. She brushed her hair behind her ear, only for the curls to continue falling over her face. In frustration, she reached into her pocket and took something out before beginning to tie it around her dark curls.

Matt stared at the ribbon that she tied around her hair. It was old and fraying, with thread sticking out the same way Willow's hair fell over her face. It was a deep red, the same color as Adrienne's dress. The same color as...

"That's Adrienne's ribbon, isn't it?" Matt pointed out.

Willow turned to stare at him while tightening the fraying ribbon around her curls. "Huh? Oh, yeah, it is. So what? You took things out."

"I guess it doesn't matter," Matt muttered, turning his attention back to the portrait.

Willow turned her gaze back to the portrait and gasped. "Matt, look! She's smiling now."

Matt glanced at the portrait, expecting her to be joking. But to his shock, there was a slight smile across her face. It didn't make her look much happier. It was a faint, sad smile, but it looked joyful compared to her expression from before.

"No way," Matt muttered. "It has to be an illusion or something. A trick of the light."

"Except there's no light here," Willow quipped. "Well, there is. In the parts where she's fading. She's blocking out the window."

"Should we take it down?" Matt asked. "I can't stand looking at her."

"I don't think so. We can just cover her with the curtain," Willow pointed out. Then she gasped in shock, her eyes widening.

"What?" Matt asked.

"Don't you see?" Willow demanded. "You took the necklace and pen from the drawers. And I took the ribbon and needle."