Forgotten Portrait

Not What It Seems

                                                            ~~~Ibara~~~

    Once I had shut the door, I leaned against it and listened to the painted lady move around outside. Am I safe? Or can she jump back through the window? Well... she hasn't yet, so I guess I'm safe. Good... I sighed heavily and pushed myself off of the door, heading hesitantly over to the blue rose that was lying on the floor. I bent down and gently lifted the rose from the floor. This rose... it looks familiar... It's blue... an impossible miracle.

    I reached into my coat pocket and pulled out the fake blue rose, holding it up against the real one. They look the same... Amazing... Someone really but a lot of work into this fake rose. It looks just like a real one would... I put the fake rose back into my pocket and stared at the real one. I have to find a vase... There's only two petals left, but... how do I get past that lady?

    I turned around to face the door. I just have to run faster than her, I suppose. I sighed a little bit as I wrapped my hand around the door knob and pushed the door open. The lady immediately turned to the door, pulling herself towards me.

    I made a mad dash for the exit, but she was to fast for me. The lady wrapped her hand around my ankle, pulling me down in front of the door. "L-let go of me!" I shouted as she dug her nails into my leg. I lashed out with the leg that she hadn't latched on to, but I missed and she grabbed my leg in mid-swing, digging her teeth into that leg. "AH!" A pained yelp rose out of my throat and I struggled to free my legs. Things became more serious after I saw that my petals were falling from my rose. M-my rose! N-no! I shut my eyes tightly to hide myself from the pain.

    "You have to break free!"

    Y-you!? My eyes snapped open and I felt a new fire light up in my soul. I have a promise to keep, don't I? I asked myself, snatching my leg out of the lady's hand. Her nails left a few scratches, and she seemed shocked about my newfound determination to escape. Taking a deep breath, I lashed out with my leg again, this time piercing her frame.

    With a dying scream, the Lady in Blue melted into blue paint, staining my pant leg. I-I did it! The lady is gone! A wide grin spread across my face. Thank goodness! Now... I have to find a vase to revive the roses! I wonder if that vase I saw outside has some water in it... With that thought, I hurried out of the room, heading to the Eternal Blessing vase outside.

                                                         ~~~~~~🌹~~~~~~~

    Thank goodness. The vase has water in it! If it only has one use... I should probably restore his first. It has less petals than mine... I grimaced and placed the blue rose's stem in the water. The rose immediately regained its lost petals, becoming almost as beautiful as the fake rose that was in my pocket.

    I sighed and looked at the vase again, noticing that there was still water in it. "Huh...? There's still water in the vase... Wait... isn't this the vase that he told me to use last time? I thought that the water could only be used once..."

    "Water in blue vases is eternal, hence the name 'Eternal Blessing'."

    "Eeeeh? You could have told me that sooner!" I sighed, irritated. "I guess that is doesn't matter... I have to get this rose back to that man I saw earlier..." I muttered, but something seemed to grab my arm from behind. I whirled around to see what had grabbed me, but I only saw a shadowy silhouette.

    "The man you're about to face... He isn't exactly who he says that he is..."

    I blinked and looked at the silhouette, wondering where I had seen that shadow before. "W-what do you mean...?" I asked, slightly frightened by the idea of going back into the same room with that man in it.