Lila stared up at the cracked plaster ceiling of her dingy studio apartment. Another rejecting letter from an art gallery had arrived that morning - the sixth this month. She was starting to doubt if her dream of making it as a painter would ever come true.
A loud crash from the floor below jarred her from her misery. Lila peered out the window to see her elderly neighbor Mrs. Wilkins struggling with an overstuffed garbage bag on the curb. Without a second thought she rushed downstairs to help.
"Thank you dear" Mrs. Wilkins smiled revealing a warm dimpled grin. "Maintaining this aging home grows more difficult each year."
"It's no trouble at all" Lila replied hoisting the bulky bag with ease.
"Your heart is truly golden," the woman said, patting her arm in a friendly manner. "Listen, I've had something on my mind that I wanted to ask you. Would you be interested in doing some work for me? I can certainly pay you for your time and effort."
Lila's curiosity was piqued. "What did you have in mind?"
"So, the ancestral mansion, it's just been sitting empty for decades, but I'm finally ready to sell it. The main issue is the attic, frozen in time - packed with antiques and dusty relics. I could use a strong young person to clear it out and prepare it for the realtor."
Lila considered her empty fridge and dwindling cash reserves. "You know what? I'd be happy to help out."
Two days later she found herself lugging boxes down a winding staircase from the shadowy attic of a once-majestic home. Between coughing fits from the musty air Lila caught glimpses of opulent crystal chandeliers, moth-eaten velvet drapes and ghostly impressions left on wallpaper by artwork hung long ago.
As she entered the attic again a tattered canvas leaning against the wall caught her eye. Fighting through thick cobwebs Lila pulled it into the fading daylight to examine the striking portrait painted there.
A beautiful young woman with striking green eyes and raven black hair stared hauntingly back at her from the frame. Despite being covered in grime the brushwork was extraordinarily skilled - Lila had never seen anything like it.
Her gaze traveled down to an ominous caption inscribed below: "Isabelle's Curse." A chill slithered down Lila's spine though she couldn't say why.
Abandoning the rest of her work for the day Lila lugged the heavy frame back to her apartment determined to restore the forgotten masterpiece. She carefully removed layers of built-up grime using delicate strokes until the colors emerged vibrant and rich as the day they were painted.
As an emerging artist Lila was instantly mesmerized by the portrait's depth and realism. Those captivating eyes seemed to actually follow her about the room. She found herself talking to the painting as she worked, telling the beautiful Isabelle about her artistic struggles and dreams.
After four nights of patient labor Lila stepped back to admire her work. The revitalized portrait seemed to radiate with an otherworldly glow. As a wave of fatigue suddenly washed over her, Lila retreated to her bed for the first decent sleep she'd had in weeks.
She awoke ravenously hungry at 3am. Stumbling to the kitchen Lila opened her barren fridge and panicked seeing nothing to satisfy her craving. Without conscious thought she found herself venturing back to the attic lugging Isabelle's painting in tow.
Hours later Lila blinked awake in the attic drenched in sweat and gasping for air. What had just happened? Wincing at the light she rose to fetch her coat and return home. That's when she froze in shock seeing the state of the attic around her.
Shattered antiques littered the floor alongside mangled furniture and claw marks scored deep into the walls. In the corner slumped Mrs. Wilkins clutching a bloodied gash on her head - alive but dazed.
"Mrs. Wilkins! Oh my god what happened!?" Lila rushed to her side.
The old woman fixed her with a wild-eyed expression of pure terror. "You...you demon! I saw it with my own eyes. Your form...shifting and contorting into that hellish snarling beast!"
Lila looked down at her tattered clothes and caked fingernails now caked with debris from the apparent struggle. "I...I don't remember anything. I must've sleep-walked or had some sort of nightmare. We need to get help right away!"
Five police cars arrived within minutes sirens blaring as Lila recounted her fragmented memories. She watched in disbelief as they photographed the shredded painting hanging crooked on the attic wall.
That's when the pieces finally clicked together. The ominous inscription warning of Isabelle's curse...her own insatiable hunger in the night that guided her sleep-walking rampage. The more she gazed upon the now-ravaged portrait the more Lila sensed a demonic force peering back through those famously alluring green eyes.
Over the following weeks Lila became consumed by researching the painting's origins and fell into a cycle of depression and sleeplessness. Wracked by guilt over the incident with Mrs. Wilkins she started having recurring nightmares of transforming into a fanged monster whenever she closed her eyes.
Finally Lila located town records indicating the Isabelle in the painting was a young newlywed tragically murdered by her wealthy husband in 1793 after he grew obsessed with the occult. Legend had it his dark rituals trapped Isabelle's vengeful spirit inside the portrait for all eternity.
In a final act of desperation Lila tracked down and confronted the unrepentant descendant of Isabelle's killer in hopes of breaking the curse once and for all. As she stared into his cold heartless eyes matching those in the hellish painting Lila realized some evils can never be undone.
The End
