Portrait of Obsession

Category B: Highly Commended (2024) Monash Short Story Writing Competition
Author: Emily Forbes

I swirled my paintbrush in the water and then dipped it into my palette, my eyes fixated on the beauty before me. Liora’s skin glowed in the warm Italian sun, her ethereal beauty leaving me breathless.

‘Marko, are you okay?’ Liora questioned, she must have caught me staring.

I glanced away from Liora and back to my palette where I gently swirled the colours before adding them to the portrait of Liora.

‘Yes, my dear.’ I gave her a quick smile of reassurance.

The sun slowly set as the evening turned to night, I watched Liora as she left my studio. Perfection. I assumed God had listened to my prayers and sent her to me. She was a miracle, every woman I had painted had made me feel genuinely disgusted, and their hideous flaws left me with no choice but to turn them away. Liora came to my door one day and I instantly felt a connection, I needed to paint the most perfect portrait of this woman.

Two months passed by and I was still painting her portrait when I started to notice my illness. It began as slight fatigue, which I blamed on my long hours in the studio, painting the portrait of Liora, but despite a full night's sleep, the tiredness didn’t go away. Exhaustion clung to me, forcing me to isolate myself from friends and family. I spent all my time in my studio.

I didn’t feel like myself, the doctors were concerned and heavily medicated me.  I was ashamed and alone, my only company being Liora.

‘Marko, your tea.’ My eyes jolted open and my heart was racing but slowed down when I laid eyes on her. I had fallen asleep when I was supposed to be painting Liora. In her hands was a mug with hot tea. She looked flawless, her hair perfectly styled, her lips perfectly plump. She’s so perfect, almost too perfect… I brushed the thought off as I sipped my tea.

 Confusion suddenly filled my mind as I drank the tea. I looked up at Liora.

‘Two sugars a…’

‘and a splash of milk.’ Liora finished my sentence, her blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

How does she know how I like my tea? I was sure I had never told her. I suddenly felt faint, my illness slowly eating me up inside, but I needed to finish this portrait.

‘Liora, where did you say you were from again?’ I tried to make conversation while painting as Liora didn’t speak that much.

Liora just smiled, her cheeks going slightly pink. I had learned over time that Liora was a very private person and liked to keep to herself, I knew nothing about her, and I wanted to know more. Who was she? How is she so mysterious? We sat in silence for another 10 minutes, until Liora finally spoke.

‘Marko you must remember to take your medications.’

It took me a few seconds to register what Liora had just said. I froze. How does she know about my medications? I have kept my illness a secret from everyone, my medications hidden away, locked in a cupboard.

‘Liora, how did you know about my illness?’ I demanded, still slightly frozen from the shock. Once again, Liora just smiled.

‘I need to go.’ Liora quickly stood up, her long dark hair swishing as she walked.

‘I’ll be back.’ She closed the door behind her, leaving a trail of her sweet scent behind her as she left me to ponder with my thoughts.

I had a weird feeling about her, like something was not quite right. She knew everything about me yet I knew nothing about her. It was frightening but it only further fueled my obsession for her.

That night, as I drifted off to sleep, I experienced a haunting nightmare. I was in my studio, painting the portrait of Liora, all of a sudden there was a loud crash, and the beautiful blue summer sky turned to a deep indigo. Thunder boomed and I quickly turned back to look at the portrait, only for it to be mockingly smiling at me, my heart pounded with fear. Liora's sweet expression turned devious and dark. The frightening face opened its mouth and spoke:

‘You will never finish this portrait.’

When I awoke, the only thought in my mind was to finish the portrait. I realized the more I painted, the more I felt my health decline, my eyes were sunken from the lack of sleep, and my hair started to go grey, I should take this as a sign yet I couldn’t bring myself to stop.

One day when Liora left my studio, she never returned. Weeks turned into months and I was becoming weak and fragile, my hands shook as I picked up the paintbrush, I couldn’t do it, my Liora was gone. I lay in bed as my mind whirled around, thinking of the time I had first met her, I wailed out, crying for her to return. I had become bedridden, unable to take my medications, my illness consuming my soul. I had ignored my health all for this portrait, all for her. It was then that I heard a faint knock at the door. I could feel her presence, it gave me the energy to get out of bed and answer the door.

I opened the door, only to see a slender figure that made me shudder with fear. Liora’s eyes, once sparkling blue and full of life, were now filled with an intense darkness. Her glowing skin is now a ghostly pale.

‘You didn’t finish my portrait.’ Her voice sounded hollow and empty.

 I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out. My body collapsed, my illness taking over me. I realized what my obsession had done to me, Liora was feeding off it, and I had fallen into her trap. With a final shuddering breath, my body gave up, the last thing I saw was the unfinished portrait, its face looking at me with a haunting smile.