Someone’s there or is it something? It’s following me in my long, dark hallway. I can feel its presence. When I was young, my family (my Mother and I) owned this picture in a lovely gold and silver frame. The picture was of my Grandparents. It was left to my Grandmother when my Grandfather died, but while she was in possession of it, she became strange. She never wanted to see us in the retirement home. Then, one night, my Mother received a phone call from the retirement home.

I suffered with insomnia at the time, and it was around 1:34 in the morning. I could hear her light flicker on, and I could also hear her scrambling to get ready. I got out of bed and went to my Mother’s room after about ten minutes. I walked to the door hinge and stared at her. She didn’t seem to see me, but when she turned she saw me standing there.

“Mummy? What’s going on?” I asked. She then replied with, “Honey, get dressed, it’s Nana, she isn’t feeling well.” I did as she said and I grabbed my clothes, put them on and got my favourite scarf. She told me to stand at the door and wait for her. I waited for a minute before she opened the door and we walked to the car. We got in the car and she started the car. My Mother and I were around twenty minutes away when we got a phone call. My Uncle was on speaker phone and he was already there and was telling her not to let me in the room. She hung up. I started asking some questions about why I couldn’t go in and what was happening. I didn’t understand. Mum just told me it was grownup stuff.

We were now five minutes away when we got another call. It was again on speaker phone. It was the nurse. She had rung to inform us that Grandma passed away. My Mother immediately hung up the phone and drove faster. We arrived soon after. She didn’t even straighten up her parking. We walked in with fast pace. I was holding her hand. Her hands were warm and sweaty from the steering wheel. She opened the doors, and we walked the minute walk to my Grandmother’s room. She told me to wait out there. I did as she said at first, then, I heard screaming.

I ran in to see my Grandmother’s dead body in her bed. She had her eyes rolled back into her head and her neck had purple marks on it. I looked over at the picture hanging on the wall to un see what I saw, but when I looked over, my Grandmother’s skin in the picture was a pale green and purple. She didn’t have any eyes and her mouth was open to a point where it didn’t look human. My Grandfather looked the same, except for his red eyes and his eye lids covered in black.

It reminded me of how much my Grandma and Grandpa didn’t get along as much. My Grandmother when she was young, was very poor, so her family basically sold her into marriage. It also made me think about my Grandfather’s past. He wasn’t very good in his youth, then again, he was very sarcastic in his old age and was also very shallow. He blamed my Grandmother for the bad things in life. I couldn’t stop staring at the picture. My Mum looked at me before staring at it and she asked what was wrong. I said that the painting was scaring me. “It’s just Grandma and Grandpa smiling.” I was about to tell her what I saw when I looked at the picture again.

Now, my Grandfather had his finger over his mouth, like he was telling me not to tell her what I saw. I just stayed silent for the rest of the time we were there. When we got home, I immediately went to my room with my clothes on and soon fell asleep. The next day, I woke up and went out to the living room. I saw a note from my Mum. It said that she had to go see my Uncle for the will and she’d be back at around 1:00 o’clock. I decided to just watch Bay Watch. I’d forgotten about the picture due to the film until I my Mother came home. I ran over to her to see the picture.

It was the same as yesterday, only now, there was a small black figure with red eyes behind my Grandmother. I decided to go to my room. I didn’t even give her a hug. Later that day, she was cooking, and I was still in my room. I decided to go out to the living room, but there the picture was. I sat down on the sofa. I looked at the black figure in the picture. It was closer now. I turned the T.V. on and then looked back at the picture. The figure was now even closer. I was starting to feel sick. I kept my eye on that demonic thing. Then my Mum called for me. I turned around to see what she wanted, and she wanted me to grab some salt from the cupboard. I groaned but I got up and did it anyway.

I gave her the salt and sat back down. I looked back to the picture and I was about to literally throw up. I saw the figure was now right up against the painting. It was in between my Grandmother and Grandfather. I again looked away to not have to look at it again. When I turned back my head. I could see the painting out of the corner of my eye. Nothing was there. I looked up and my Grandfather and the figure were gone. Then, I became cold. I felt sick. Then, I could feel something brushing my back. I looked behind me to see nothing. I started spending more time in my room than out there. As I got older, I started to spend more time away from home. When I came home, I could feel the coldness run down my body. More years went by and I moved out. I had lived there for about two years without word from my Mother, then I got a call, it was my Mum. I picked up, but it wasn’t my Mother, it was a nurse.

My Mother was dead. She was choked to death, but there were no signs of a break in. I told her I’d be right over, and I hung up the phone. All I thought about while driving there was my Grandmother’s death and the picture. I walked in and felt the coldness of the house welcoming me again. I saw my Mother look the same way my Grandmother did. Then, the picture. I could see my Mother in my Grandfather’s old place in the picture. I went back to my apartment to see all of my stuff had been left out on the doorstep and a piece of paper saying evicted for overdue bills.

I was confused because my bills were always paid. Days went by and I hosted the funeral. In the will, my Mother apparently gave me the house and picture. She was actually going to change her will the next day, but she died. So, I stayed in the house for a while and moved out of my old apartment. In the hallways at night, I can feel the presence of a spirit with me. Waiting and watching. Walking with me. Finding the right time to strike.