The Girl In The Painting_A Psychological Horror by Matt Shaw & Sam West

Author:Matt Shaw & Sam West [Shaw, Matt & West, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-06T04:00:00+00:00

Sixteen.

I was pinned in place, watching him back away from me, his eyes never leaving mine until the crowd took him. I was struck by the fluid grace of his movements, the way he navigated the crowd without bumping into one solitary person. If I tried walking backwards like that through a crowded room, I’d be on my arse before you could cry watch out!

My body sagged with the release of pent-up anxiety when he disappeared from sight. I was shaken, the adrenalin coursing through my veins.

Now that he was gone, everything around me snapped into sharp focus – the music suddenly so loud, the people so rowdy. It was like a fog had been lifted from my mind and reality was clamouring to get in, in all of its deafening, obnoxious glory.

I wanted out of there, and I wanted it fast. I felt foolish, standing there alone, probably looking like a kid who had lost their mum in the supermarket. Downing the remainder of my lager for want of anything better to do, I cast my gaze around myself, searching for Zara or Mandy.

I spotted Mandy over on the heaving dance floor, grinding her pelvis against some guy I didn’t recognise. I rolled my eyes – no chance of her coming home with me tonight then.

I shuddered as my thoughts drifted to Paul – I really didn’t want to go home, to him, which had been the whole bloody point of coming here tonight.

I clung to the hope that Zara might come back with me, or at least let me crash on her sofa.

Just as I was thinking this, a weight smashed into my back, sending me staggering. I spun around, heart pounding, face to face with the girl herself, irritated that she would pounce on me in my fragile state.

‘Babe, he messaged me,’ Zara announced, waving her phone excitedly at me. ‘Where’d the cute but creepy boy go?’

‘He is not creepy,’ I pouted. ‘And who messaged you?’

‘Gary. He wants me to go to his tonight. Right now, in fact.’

My heart sank. She couldn’t do this to me. Not tonight. And especially not for that dirtbag, Gary.

‘Sweetie, you do know you’re just his booty call?’

Her pretty face fell, and I immediately felt bad for saying it, even if it was the truth.

‘I am not his booty call, we have a special connection, he just doesn’t like putting a label on things. And he’s like, really busy with stuff all the time.’

There was no point in arguing and for some ungodly reason, my eyes burned hot and I swallowed down the lump in my throat.

‘Okay then,’ I muttered.

Zara hugged me briefly, then held onto my arms to peer into my eyes.

‘You okay, sweetie? You look upset.’

‘I’m fine,’ I said, pasting on a bright smile, even though it pained me to do so.

‘Good,’ she said, ‘I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?’

Then she too, disappeared.

I didn’t want to hang around a second longer and stepped over towards the bar, dumping my glass on the bar top.

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