I see you

Clara is an elderly woman in her 70s with snow white hair pulled up in a bun atop of her head.Wisps of hair etching her face.Her smile and kind eyes reflect the kindness in her heart. She always tries to look her best. That day she puts on her yellow dress ,which she calls her sun dress. She reaches for her brown sweater and pulls it over her shoulders. As she search's for her brown loafers, her cat Milly purrs softly and rubs up against Clara's leg.

.Milly jumps on Clara's bed along with Willow and Henry all 3 of Clara's fur babies snuggled up together, purring and sleeping the day away. Then she carefully applies her everyday vibrant red lipstick , a touch of color that always brightens her face and lifts her mood to face the day ahead.. Her hobbies include knitting scarves, slippers and hats essential items for the homeless shelter during the colder months. Providing warmth and comfort for those in need.. People who know her describe her as delightfully eccentric, she is also a very sweet and caring old lady. She lives with her 3 cats Milly, Willow and Henry. Her constant companions. Clara also enjoys making frequent purchases at the local thrift store. She visits the shop every other Friday. She enjoys finding hidden treasures. Before she leaves on her thrift store journey she reaches for her yellow floppy hat her tan purse and sunglasses. Clara is very particular when it comes to matching her wardrobe. One morning she decided to visit the thrift store in town just a mile and a half away from her home. She was filled with curiosity and wonderment about what she might find. Clara begins her task of finding the perfect treasures. She found little trinkets of her favorite collectible items. Clara loved collecting items related to cats. She also indulged in collecting old books. As she walked down the aisles she came upon some paintings. Abstract, still life, Religious, and portrait. There were all different styles of artwork to choose from.

She was searching for the perfect picture to put in her hallway. There was an empty spot that needed to be filled. As she rummaged through all the wonderful paintings that were stacked on the floor of the thrift store, Clara came across a beautiful painting of a child with cascading brown curly hair adorned with delicate flowers flowing downward throughout her hair. In her lap the child held a cluster of Black Eyed Susans. She wore a charming pearl bracelet on her right wrist. The child has wide, brown mesmerizing eyes. As Clara held up the painting towards the sunlight. The child in the painting seemed to glow with life. She immediately picked up the charming painting and put it in her cart as if she was calling to me to take her home. Having acquired her prized possessions, she began her journey home. Clara carefully arranged her treasures on her desk in the bedroom. She dusted off the painting, and oiled the fine wood frame. The painting came back to life with Clara's help. She discovered a label on the back. It stated the name of the painting and the date which it was painted. It indicated that the name of the child is Aurelia, dated 1880. There was not a signature of the painter to be found. Clara hung her beautiful painting on the wall, and said , "welcome home" Aurelia.To her astonishment she could have sworn the painting of the girl in the picture just blinked one eye at me, as if she was acknowledging her greeting. Could this just be my imagination running wild? Are my eyes playing tricks on me? Maybe the sunlight hit the painting in such a way that it would look as Aurelia was blinking her eye. There has to be a reliable explanation .Could my painting be possessed by the entity of this enchanting child? This is truly out of the ordinary, this is a very old painting. I became curious and googled possessed painting in the 1800's. In the 19th century, it was popular to believe in the supernatural and paintings being haunted or had unsettling effects on the viewers of the paintings. Hmm , I had my doubts. I gazed at the painting and said, "Aurelia can you hear me?" "Aurelia can you see me "? Feeling very silly talking to a painting, to my surprise, she blinked one eye again. This is no coincidence. I jumped back with chills all through my body. Considering my situation, I realized I have a challenging dilemma on my hands. I look at the painting once again, becoming mesmerized by Aurelia's eyes. I could not look away; it was as if I were in a trance. I felt Aurelia's eyes just piercing through my soul. I tried and tried to take my eyes off the painting, no use; the intensity was almost hypnotic. I was fixated on Aurelia. I felt as if my body was suddenly being pulled inward into the painting. I was spellbound. A sense of absorption. I was losing track of my surroundings, diminishing awareness of my environment, not being able to focus. Tunnel vision comes to mind. The painting became my cage, a lost soul within it's frame. Aurelia held me captive. Feelings of immersing myself into another dimension, a window into another world. I was looking within myself. I am now in a timeless realm where time stands still, a placeless existence. A dream-like unreal quality of life. Not knowing or feeling the existence of time. I cannot escape my confinement. This painting is a portal for souls to live out their eternity in a parallel realm. I was now looking through Aurelia's eyes. Clara's cats started acting strangely. They stood guard in front of the painting sensing something no one could.until their demise. In the real world time passed and Clara's home was sold. The new owners only kept the painting of Aurelia which had an alluring and captivating effect on them. The painting powerfully attracts and fascinates its viewers. As time goes on the painting changes ever so slightly. You can see more flowers on Aurelia's lap, sometimes a tear is visible running down her cheek.The painting takes on new hosts to keep the haunting legacy constant, It is now Clara's turn to mesmerize her new victims and claim their souls into the painting. Who knows how many souls were held captive in the painting? An untold number of souls found themselves prisoners within this canvas. Making it impossible to count. Their numbers lost to time. The power of the painting prevails. Who will be the next victim? Only time will tell.