She stared back at me, her eyes looking like a lifeless soul that has given up on the world, just waiting to fade and leave everything behind. These are what I got from the large painting on the bridge wall of a girl who seemed to bear a sharp resemblance to me. She had on a blank stare and nothing more. She wore a loose shirt and pants and looked like a well put together woman. But yet her eyes, it felt empty. It felt like a mirror of my life and that alone was scary. It didn't even help that she looked exactly like me. I was jolted back to reality at the blare of a horn.

"Leave the road na" I instinctively move to the side only to realize I wasn't even on the road to begin with and it's just the usual entitled Danfo drivers feeling like the roads of Lagos belongs to them. I hiss and continue my journey back home after my morning run as the day begins to break. The painting still lingering in my thoughts, wondering what the inspiration behind the paintings was and if it I just had a common face as I get ready for work.

"Miss Sharon?" A voice calls out and I'm brought back to reality. I look around trying to recall what's going on. I see my employees seated in the meeting room, all eyes fixed on me waiting for me to close the meeting, it dawns on me that I've once again zoned out. I wrapped up the meeting and make my way back to my office flopping down on my chair with a huge sigh. Then I hear a knock on my door. 

"Come in", I mumbled. A head pokes in and my assistant and best friend, Gianna walks into my office. "Girl are you okay?, you've not been yourself since morning". " I'm good just really tired" I didn't mean to lie,  but how do I explain to her that I saw a painting this morning that looked so much like me and felt so real bringing back memories that I want to keep buried. I just can't. I know she'll get so worried. I make my way back home after work, hoping to stop and take a good look at the painting but when I pass the same bridge it was empty. All traces of a painting gone. Well that's odd.

The next day, I'm running late for work, and of course there just so happen to be traffic. Great! As I  look sideways wanting to move to the next lane when the light turns green, I see another painting on the wall. It's a different one but one that still looks exactly like me. But this time, a younger version of me. she's crying. The figure, a young girl not more than 10 years was painted a distant from the up close painting of before, but it shows her terrified and scared holding an object that was not clear but it's definitely one that send shivers down my spine. And the outfit... The simple pink gown looks exactly like the one I wore when it happened. Well this is starting to scare me. I'm too drawn to the portrait until I start hearing horns and continue my journey to work, still scared and worried how much of a coincidence it is. 

After work I was anxious to pass there again but as I get to the spot, once again it has been taken off. This made me wonder why a painter would leave a painting out for just a day.

As I leave my house the following day, anxious to see if there's another painting placed up, my phone rings. I  look down at the caller ID and sighed.

"Hi Mom, What do you want".

" Your father wants to speak with you" I froze. " W-Why" I stutter terrified to know why my father, all of a sudden, wanted to see me. " I don't know, he just said he wants to see you. Come over this weekend." And with that she cuts the call not even giving me a chance to disagree. This was definitely going to affect my mood for the rest of the week. Still wallowing in my thoughts of meeting my father, I once again pass the bridge and unconsciously look towards the new painting that was put up. I let out a Petrifying scream, because what I saw was the same younger version of me holding hands with that of a younger boy that looks exactly like my dead twin brother.

Come back on Saturday for part 2