The Painting

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    Meet Jane. She is a middle aged widow and lives in a small house fit for two in a suburban neighborhood. The car she chose to own was a tiny red Honda. She spends her days doing whatever she pleases, though she has some sort of routine to keep normality in her life –book club, grocery store, etc. Today, she had been coming back from her trip to the grocery store when she came upon a sign that pointed her to yard sale. She then remembered that it was her friend, Laura, was the one hosting the sale; and Jane had promised to go to it.

    The hosting-yard was more crowded with people and tables and trinkets than Jane had ever seen it (Laura has hosted this sort of thing before). She stepped out of her car after she had not-so-skillfully parked it the curb.

    “Good afternoon, Jane. How are ya? Those migraines still bothering ya?” Laura yelled.

    “Went to the doctor Wednesday. He gave me some medicine, and they seem to be working. We don’t know if it will be a permanent solution though.” Jane meandered over to the other middle aged woman, who was sitting at a table with a tin box in front of her.

    “Ohhhhhhhhh,” she nodded her head a bit. “Well, look through this junk and tell me if you want any of it. I’ll give a discount.” Jane chuckled and obeyed.

    So far, nothing had jumped out at her and screamed “BUY ME.” Nearly halfway through the ‘junk’, Jane spotted a piece of an intricate frame under a box of stuffed animals. She bent down and picked up the box to reveal a painting.

    The frame was a labyrinth of swirls, vines, and patterns. It was a dull bronze color and outlined in black. The frame stood at around four feet in length and another two and a half in width. The painting itself had an almost indescribable beauty. In the middle of the painting was a girl –young, possibly in her early twenties. Her hair was pulled back in a mold to her head. Then, in the back, dark brown curls fanned out and flowed down her slightly turned body. She wore an emerald green dress that hugged her torso and swelled out at the waist. The girl was the epitome of beauty. Jane was at a loss of words.

    Laura noticed and called out, “You find something?”

    Jane didn’t take her eyes off the painting but nodded. Laura was at her side almost immediately.

    “Oh no, not that one,” Laura muttered and shook her head. This earned Jane’s full attention.

     ”Why not?” Her tone made her sound almost offended.

    “Because, it’s got a curse,” she said. Jane scoffed.

    “You kill me with all your superstitious stuff,” she laughed the serious atmosphere Laura created.

    “It is!” She spoke a little loudly and gained a variety of looks form bystanders. She lowered her tone. “Look, when my aunt died last year, I got the painting. Since the very first night, I’ve heard footsteps around my house every night. I’ve tried to sell it every time I have a sell, but no one would buy it.”

    Jane resisted the urge to roll her eyes like teenager. “Well, why don’t you let me take off your hands for you?”

    “Absolutely not, did you hear what I said? It’s cursed. I won’t allow you to buy it.”

    “You said you couldn’t get anyone to buy it. Let me buy it. If I don’t like it or if I hear footsteps in the night, I’ll sell it myself.” Jane gave her the look. Jane’s look usually meant that she was going to get her way no matter what. Laura knew this look and gave in when she saw it.

    “Alright fine, but if you have any problems, you tell me.” Laura crossed her arms.

    “Why, so you can say ‘I told you so’?”

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