Reflection

Reflection

In the dimly lit confines of her small attic studio, brushes dance across the canvas in Yun-jin’s skilled hands. The scent of paint permeates the air as she meticulously crafts her self-portrait, each stroke infused with her dreams and aspirations. The flickering light cast elongated shadows, creating an eerie yet intimate ambiance as she worked.

Yun-jin’s slender fingers delicately blend hues, striving to capture not just her likeness but the yearning and desperation hidden within her soul. The portrait is more than a mere painting; it’s a chance for a scholarship, a vessel carrying her dreams of escape from the suffocating grip of her abusive home life and the confines of the small town to carve a new destiny. It’s her lifeline to freedom.

As the image takes shape on the canvas, Yun-jin’s gaze flickers between her reflection in the dim studio light and the growing likeness before her. Her once-luminous eyes, now dimmed by exhaustion, mirror the weight of her burdens, encased in shadows that portray sleepless nights and relentless torment. Her once vibrant complexion now appears muted—a stark canvas that amplifies the weariness etched into every pore. Her unkempt hair, a disheveled cascade of strands, echoes the chaos that pervades her life, each tangle a silent testament to the turmoil she endures. Her clothing hangs loosely on her slender frame and her sunken cheeks hint at an existence fueled more by resilience than sustenance.

The creaking floorboards under angry footsteps and muffled yelling announced the beginning of another day in the house that felt more like a prison. As she made her way downstairs, the air was thick with tension as Yun-jin’s parents stood in a heated argument, their faces contorted with rage. Their harsh words echoing through the cramped rooms. The sound of shattering punctuates the heated argument, a stark contrast to the serene strokes of the paintbrushes in Yun-jin’s attic sanctuary. Yun-jin hesitated at the threshold, steeling herself before entering.

“Where the hell have you been?” Her father spat, his voice dripping with disdain, his breath reeking of alcohol even in the early morning.

Yun-jin’s mother, her eyes cold and distant, added, “Wasting time on those childish sketches. You can’t make a decent living on such a thing. You’re not special, just another mouth to feed in this ungrateful house.” She sneered, taking a drag from her cigarette.

Their words were cold and full of malice. Yun-jin’s shoulders sagged under the weight of their words. This was the daily routine—a cycle of emotional torment that she longed to escape.

Yun-jin quickly washed up in the cramped and molded bathroom, getting ready for the day. At her high school, the hallways buzzed with life, but for Yun-jin, they were a battleground. The whispers and mocking glances followed her every step. A group of girls, adorned in designer clothes and with perfectly styled hair, sauntered past, casting disdainful glances her way.

Their leader, Soo-Kim, exudes an air of effortless beauty and confidence. Her flawless complexion, framed by perfectly styled, chestnut-colored hair, highlights her sharp, piercing eyes that seem to assess the world with a mix of superiority and entitlement. Her slender figure and impeccable fashion sense only added to her aura of authority, making her a magnetic presence that commands attention. Her sneer cut deeper than any insult as she tossed a particularly disgusted glance at Yun-jin before stopping in front of her, noticing the paper explaining a scholarship opportunity awarded to a winner of their annual art competition. “Why even bother trying, Yun-jin? You’ll never fit in at a college like Aurora Academy. You need something more fitting for someone like you. Maybe a drunk like your father or a homewrecker like your mother? Oh! Maybe you can be my pet?” She hummed as her friends giggled.

Standing beside Soo-Kim are her loyal companions, each mirroring her in their own way. Hye-choi, with her radiant smile and fashion forward attire, exuded a charming elegance that compliments Soo-Kim’s authoritative demeanor. Her soft-spoken nature hides a cunning intelligence, making her a subtle yet influential force within the group. Beside Hye-choi stands Eun-jeong, the group’s playful and outgoing member. Her infectious laughter and boundless energy create a vibrant aura that draws people to her. Together, Soo-Kim, Hye-choi, and Eun-jeong from a trifecta of beauty, confidence, and influence, their collective presence casting an intimidating shadow over Yun-jin and anyone deemed beneath their social circle.

Yun-jin’s heart sank, her shoulders slumping as she clutched her sketchbook closer to her chest. The desire to escape this torment burned within her, the scholarship—her only lifeline to freedom—a chance to break away from the abusive household and the relentless torment of high school, a beacon of hope amidst the darkness that enveloped her life. Before they could say anything else, Yun-jin, in a moment of courage, pushed past Soo-Kim and ran down the hallway.

As the school day ended Yun-jin eagerly packed her things, ready to continue working on her portrait. As she makes her way down the hall, she hears a familiar voice approaching, Soo-Kim and her friends hadn’t left yet. Yun-jin cuts down a hallway to avoid them, slipping into the closed art studio. A faint light from her phone’s screen pierced the darkness as she ventured inside. Dust danced in the air, illuminated by the gentle glow of her phone, lending an ethereal quality to the abandoned space.

Yun-jin’s breath hitched as she took in the relics of the studio’s past—a weathered easel draped with cobwebs, half-finished canvases obscured by layers of dust, and paint-splattered palettes frozen in time. The room seemed to hold echoes of forgotten artistry; a melancholic melody of untold stories etched into its walls.

Amid this eerie stillness, her brow relaxes momentarily as she feels a semblance of solace within her art—a fleeting escape from the reality of her life. She placed her canvas on an easel and retrieved brushes left forgotten in a corner, her heart pounding at the thought of having somewhere that was just hers. As she dipped the brush into paint, the silence was punctuated only by the soft swish of strokes against the canvas.

In a secluded corner of her secluded sanctuary, Yun-jin sits hunched over her easel, completely engrossed in painting her self-portrait. The window she had opened to shed light in the room allowed the sun’s warmth and lingering rays filter through, casting a warming glow over the otherwise cold and dreary room.

Her concentration breaks with the distant sounds of giggles and hushed whispers. In the hushed shadows of the abandoned art studio, a faint glow emanates from Soo-Kim’s phone, casting an unnatural light that accentuates her icy glare. She steps forward, a vision of calculated malice, flanked by her clique—their elegance a contrast of the room’s desolate grandeur. Yun-jin freezes as they invade her sanctuary. Soo-Kim’s lips curl into a cruel smirk that sends a shiver down Yun-jin’s spine, as she strides forward, Hye-choi and Eun-jeong following suit.

Before she can shield her artwork, Soo-Kim’s piercing voice echoes throughout the room. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Her mocking tone resonates, drawing the attention of her friends toward Yun-jin’s unfinished masterpiece. “Were you trying to hide this from me? I thought we were friends Yun-jin.” She cooed with a malicious grin. Soo-Kim leaned closer, scrutinizing the self-portrait, her eyes flickering with envy and disdain.

Without warning, Soo-Kim’s perfectly manicured hand reaches out, her slender fingers curling around a paintbrush. Hye-choi and Eun-jeong mirror her actions as malicious laughter filled the air. They close in on Yun-jin’s haunting self-portrait, each ruthless swipe a calculated assault, giving way to a chaotic canvas.

Yun-jin’s heart pounded in sync with the cruel laughter that echoes through the room. Tears stream down her cheeks, each droplet a silent witness to the agonizing destruction of her dreams. “Stop, please!” Yun-jin screams as she lunges for her portrait only to be restrained by Hye-choi and Eun-jeong. Soo-Kim’s eyes darkened, they always darkened when she was enjoying herself.

Soo-Kim brandishes an X-Acto blade, turning to Yun-jin with malicious content. Yun-jin’s eyes widen with despair and fury as Soo-Kim viciously rips the canvas to shreds, her laughter ringing in the studio. “This garbage doesn’t belong here Yun-jin. I’m doing you a favor.” Soo-Kim sneers, relishing the destruction.

Fear tightens Yun-jin’s throat as Soo-Kim advances, her gaze filled with venomous disdain. “If I see you trying to submit another ridiculous painting, I’ll make sure you regret it.” She hisses, her threat hanging in the air like a chilling omen. Yun-jin’s heart sinks as she watches the remnants of her shattered dreams scatter across the tile floor, the haunting aura of Soo-Kim’s threat lingering in the air.

“You know, Yun-jin, you remid me of that woman who killed herself in here. Poor Yeseul.” Soo-Kim muses, her words cutting through the tense silence of the art room. “Story says that she was obsessed with art, spending hours on end painting in this room.” A sense of unease creeps over Yun-jin as Soo-Kim continues. “It’s like her whole world revolved around her art. Sound familiar?”

With a mocking smirk, Soo-Kim circles Yun-jin. “They found her lifeless body in this very room. She didn’t have any friends; so, her body wasn’t found until school started again. They say she her spirit still lingers in this room.”

Soo-Kim’s gaze sharpens, and an eerie glint flickers in her eyes as she holds up the X-Acto blade. She holds it delicately between her fingers, the blade catching the dim light as the sun sets, its menacing edge reflecting a sense of impeding danger.

“You know what they say about Yeseul?” Soo-Kim’s voice drips with a chilling blend of malice and fascination. “She was so obsessed with perfection that in a moment of madness, she used a blade just like this one to slice her own face.” She explained, placing the blade on Yun-jin’s cheek.

Yun-jin’s eyes widen in horror and disbelief at the horrifying revelation. Soo-Kim’s voice takes on a sinister edge. “They found her, covered in blood and clutching her disfigured face, as if trying to fix what she saw as imperfect.” Soo-Kim continues, her tone cold and cutting. “She was so consumed by her own quest for flawlessness that she lost herself to madness. Imagine that Yun-jin, an artist destroyed by her own obsession.”

Yun-jin’s pulse quickens, a shiver running down her spine as Soo-Kim’s comparison to the tragic tale of Yeseul gnaws at her mind. Soo-Kim’s words linger, painting a chilling parallel between Yun-jin and the tormented soul now rumored to be haunting her newfound sanctuary. The chilling possibility of a shared fate weighed heavily on her mind.

Hye-choi’s brow furrows in concern, a flicker of unease crossing her features as she watches Soo-Kim’s chilling display. Eun-jeong’s eyes widen, her usual carefree expression replaced with a hint of worry, sensing that Soo-Kim might be pushing the boundaries too far. “Soo-Kim, maybe we should…” Hye-choi begins cautiously, her voice tinged with unease.

Before she can finish, Soo-Kim’s gaze pierces Hye-choi, a glint of warning in her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous.” She snaps, her voice cutting through the room like an icy wind, “Unless you want to be next?”

Hye-choi and Eun-jeong exchange uneasy glances, their concern palpable, but quickly lower their gazes, obediently backing down in the face of Soo-Kim. The atmosphere in the room shifts, a tense silence settling over the group, their worried glances occasionally darting toward Yun-jin, silently pleading for her to comply and defuse the unsettling situation, the fear of Soo-Kim’s retaliation outweighing their concern.

In a tremulous voice laden with desperation, Yun-jin’s plea cuts through the tense air:

“Why, why are you doing this to me? Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Her words quiver with vulnerability. The desperation in her voice reflected her inability to comprehend Soo-Kim’s relentless cruelty.

Soo-Kim watches the blade she kept on Yun-jin’s cheek as she dragged it slowly, a small cut forming as blood trickled down Yun-jin’s cheek. “I enjoy it. It’s satisfying to watch someone beneath me struggle.” She explains, lifting her gaze to meet Yun-jin’s. “You’re nothing but a pitiful speck compared to me. You’ll always be beneath me, always lesser.” She scoffs, her words a chilling declaration of superiority.

With a final venomous smile, she sets the X-Acto blade down, her eyes flashing to Hye-choi and Eun-jeong giving a silent command to follow. “See you tomorrow Yun-jin!” She cooed happily as she departed, leaving Yun-jin frozen in place hopelessly. The sound of Soo-Kim, Hye-choi, and Eun-jeong grows more distant as Yun-jin then collapses to the floor.

With trembling hands, Yun-jin kneels among the fragments of her dreams, the torn canvas a stark reflection of her shattered hopes as the blood form the cut on her cheek dripped onto the canvas. Her fingers trace the remnants of her self-portrait, a chilling reminder of the comparison Soo-Kim made.

In a panic, Yun-jin flees the art studio, desperately driving her footsteps as she races through the deserted halls of her home. She collapses onto her bed, heart pounding in her chest, seeking refuge in sleep. That night, her dreams take a nightmarish turn. Haunting visions of Soo-Kim snuff out any hope to escape her harsh reality. As she dreamed, Yun-jin desperately tried to fix the self-portrait Soo-Kim destroyed.

The lights in the abandoned studio flicker as does her perspective itself. She witnesses herself, a mere bystander in her own body, as she feels Yeseul’s spirit take control. Watching helplessly as her hands become instruments of the spirit’s terrifying will. The nightmare continued through a series of images, from the creation of a stunning self-portrait to gruesomely taking Soo-Kim’s life.

Suddenly, she jolts awake, her body drenched in sweat, her heart racing as if trying to escape her chest. She frantically scans her surroundings, finding herself in her room, the nightmare’s tendrils still clinging to her senses. As she staggers to the bathroom, a reflection in the mirror stops her in her tracks. Her appearance—her disheveled hair, her terror-stricken eyes—now reflects the hauntingly beautiful self-portrait she recreated in her nightmare the night before. A chill runs down her spine as the realization dawns upon her—a sinister transformation has taken place.

With trembling hands, she approaches the now completed self-portrait that stands against the wall. It’s a breathtaking rendition, a perfected version of herself, beautiful in a hauntingly ethereal way—a far cry from the disfigured visage she had feared from Soo-Kim’s story.

The news spreads like wildfire—Soo-Kim, the tormentor, is found dead. Panic courses Yun-jin as the haunting connection between the nightmare and reality dawns on her. The transformation in her appearance, the completed portrait, and Soo-Kim’s demise intertwine in a chilling tapestry of horror, blurring the lines between her dreams and a nightmarish reality she can scarcely comprehend.

Shrouded in disbelief and terror, Yun-jin grapples with the harrowing events that have unfolded. Fearing Yeseul’s spirit’s influence and horrified by the chilling correlation between her nightmare and Soo-Kim’s death, she grapples with a haunting truth—her body, was a vessel for Yeseul’s wrath during the night.

Haunted by the realization that Yeseul’s spirit now lurks within her, Yun-jin is torn between confronting the truth and the desire to escape its tightening grasp. She feels the weight of guilt and fear press heavily upon her, knowing that her own body has become a conduit for something sinister.

Whispers of her eerie transformation and suspicion seep through the small town. The once plain, tired girl now possesses an otherworldly beauty that sends shivers down the spines of those who gaze upon her.

Fearing of what she might become during the nights, Yun-jin struggles to navigate the thin line between reality and the haunting nightmares that have become all too real. Driven by a chilling resolve to sever ties with Yeseul’s spirit, Yun-jin brings the self-portrait to the abandoned art studio, standing before the haunting self-portrait as her heart pounds in her chest. With shaking hands, she grasps the once familiar X-Acto blade, intent on cutting her tie to Yeseul.

As the first slices strike the canvas, a jolt courses through her body, an inexplicable pain overwhelming her. She gasps in horror as a gash appears across the painted portrait, mirroring a searing wound that materializes on her own face.

Determined to break free of Yeseul’s hold, Yun-jin presses on, each stroke a chilling echo of her desperate defiance. Yet, with every damage inflicted upon the painting, an equally horrifying affliction befalls her own body—a callous retribution exacted by the Yeseul’s own sinister power.

The haunting portrait, once a reflection of unearthly beauty, now bears grotesque disfigurements that mirror Yun-jin’s own tortured form. Every scar, every blemish inflicted upon the canvas, etches itself upon her. Exhausted and broken, she collapses, her breaths becoming shallow as darkness consumes her.

Art, once gave Yun-jin a sense of purpose and hope, became the very thing that destroyed everything in her life.