The portrait girl

I wandered through an abandoned hallway, unconvinced as to why. It was not me trying to impress my friends. Neither was it some kind of internet challenge. It just happened. And by the time I'd realized, I was already too deep into the mansion. It would have made for quite an intriguing attraction at the pier. There were moldy walls, ones with holes as wide as a boulder. Wrong word. Maybe crater. At least, a rather small one. Something cracked beneath my feet. The floor was littered, with glass. I realized that I could somehow see properly, even though it was dark outside. I studied the ceiling. No bulbs. No lanterns. The obvious question kept playing back in my mind. A loud thud disrupted my thoughts, and I noticed a painting split in two, on the ground. I had watched enough horror movies and enough ghost stories, to know what could happen if I approached it. So, I picked up both parts of the painting, and in my best attempt to reconstruct it, placed both pieces together. It formed a portrait of a girl around my age. She looked beautiful and barely made any effort to smile. The sound of running water caught my attention. To my left were some steps, leading into a green-lit cave below. I dropped the painting and took the steps down. Sensing something behind me, I quickly glanced back. The hall was nowhere to be seen. Behind me was a wall of rocks. I studied it for a few seconds, before continuing down the stairs. They led me to a luminescent pond and in its center, was a girl. Unaware of my presence, she carefully scoped the water with her palms and lifted them over her head. She closed her eyes and gracefully tilted her hands. The water flowed down her skin, and it glittered. I didn't notice my jaw was wide open until I felt a fly land on my tongue. I quickly reacted and almost swallowed it. I began to cough and spit. My voice echoed in the cave, and the girl stopped in her tracks. Our gazes met, and I choked on my words as I tried to apologize. She giggled and began to laugh. Something about her carefreeness, made me calm down. Her voice suddenly trailed off, and I watched as she struggled to pull her leg. She fell and looked as if she was battling the water. She reached out her hand, just as the water swallowed her. My body moved on its own, and I dove into the pond, realizing how deep it was. Her hand was still outstretched, and I tried my best to grab it, but the current carried me back to the surface. I was suddenly on a beach, and the water barely covered my knees. The girl stood several meters away, and she waved excitedly. I sluggishly raised myself and noticed she was standing further ahead, between two trees. She seemed hopeful. Her lips parted, and she looked like she was shouting something, but I couldn't hear her. Her face changed when she realized and she spun around and entered the woods. I frantically followed her, charging into the woods. She waited for me outside the doors to a large building. She sat on its porch and sadly poked the ground with a stick. Her face lit up when I approached, and she stood up. She wiped down her dress and smiled as she grabbed my arm, and I recognized her. She led me into the building. There was a party. No. A ball. Couples danced around in the room with grace. Some watched as the large chandelier swung back and forth, like a pendulum. Something about the lighting of the room complemented her red dress. She looked so happy as she led me to the center and elegantly bowed. I was so dazzled by her look and barely noticed that there was no music. Only the sound of shoes, hitting the wooden floor. It came to my attention that the people around us had no faces. They looked like puppets, moving mechanically around. As I looked away, I realized that the girl had disappeared and that I was dancing with a puppet. I struggled to free myself, but it would not let go. The others stopped dancing and began to walk towards us. They twitched as they grabbed my arms and head. I struggled to free myself and failed. I was losing consciousness and was about to give up when she appeared. She rappeled down a thin string and seized my arm. The puppets let go, as she pulled me up and we ascended past the mansion, into the clouds. The moonlight illuminated her beautiful face, and she cupped mine. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she forced a smile and let go. I fell. A type of fall that lasts an eternity and my vision went dark. Something licked my face, and I woke up with a jolt. It was Rex, and he whined as I got up. I heard people call my name. Realizing that the others had been waiting for me, I quickly hurried past the old fountain and Rex followed suit. Something tugged my jacket, and I stopped. I spun around and saw nobody. The mansion remained dark, but my eyes scanned one of its windows. People called out my name again and this time, sounded closer. Rex barked happily and dashed towards the small gate. I glanced back one last time, before chasing after him.