Hanako Akemi

“I HATE ART I HATE ART I HATE ART WITH ALL MY HEART! Oh why did that have to rhyme?” Said Oscar to himself, He sighed as he stood against the museum wall. His classmates were on a field trip at an art museum. Oscar wasn’t having any fun, none whatsoever. He had gotten in trouble for writing “I hate art '' on his artbook three times in a row. To him, art seemed boring, a waste of time if anything. He didn’t understand art which is why he hated it. Oscar couldn’t even draw a simple stick figure, since he can not draw he chooses to be sour about it all the time. Oscar peered over to see Gabriella. Gabby was a wonderful girl, except, she loved art, loved art with all her heart. Gabriella spotted Oscar and came running over.

“Hey Oscar, want to look at the paintings with me?” Gabby asked. Oscar shook his head.

“Not in a million years!” Oscar said. He turned around and saw an abstract painting. Oscar scowled, abstract art to him was even worse.

“Oh come on, Oscar. Can you imagine what the world would be like with art!?” Oscar went silent for a moment.

“The moon and mars?” Gabby tilted her head to the side.

“Oh well, guess I’ll see you soon somwhere around this art musem. Bye!” Gabby and the rest of the class went on their separate ways. Now it was just Oscar, all by himself. He didn’t bother to say it, but he sure wouldn’t mind if Gabby could tag along with him. He just didn’t want to make himself look like a complete fool. Oscar sighed as he turned a the corner, he was walking down a dimly lit hallway. At the end of a hall. He saw a vertical painting on the wall. It had a picture of a lady, she had short hair tied up in a bun, she wore makeup and a pink cherry blossom kimono. “Hanoko Akemi?” Read the words on the painting. Oscar started to smile. No other painting had caught his interest so suddenly like this before. Oscar slowly moved towards the painting, he reached his hand out for the painting, as he reaches closer the [ainting slips off the wall, hitting the ground face forwards as glass shattered all over the floor. Oscar swiped his hand away and gasped. He looked around, no one had heard the loud Noise? Oscar felt a chill down his spine. He saw a hand up rise from the painting. Then out slowly came a leg, Soon a woman emerged out of the painting. The woman, with the pink kimono and red lipstick. She directed her hnd towards the painting. Oscar knew what the she wanted him to do now, get inside the painting? But-why? Oscar turned to run but with a ‘SNAP’ he was instantly pulled back by a gush of wind. Oscar tried to stop himself but the wind was to strong, and this perfectly waxed floor was no help at all.

“Why-wh are you doing this!?” Oscar’s voice was trembling, the wind was too strong and his eyes started tearing.

“No….” Oscar said as he felt onf his hands slipped.

“NO!” Oscar finally let go and was sucked inside the painting, only to find himself screaming his lungs out on the art museum floor. Everyone was staring at him. Osacr slowly stopped screaming and opened his eyes. He quickly sat up. He turned his head and saw the painting perfectly still on the wall.

“Bu-” Oscar tried to speake but was scared, and confused to do so. The art teacher came and grabbed Oscar by the arm.

“What is wrong with you!” She said in Oscar’s ear grinding her teeth. “People think you’re crazy!”

“I think- I think I am going crazy..”

“Do you need to go outside?” The teacher asked. Oscar slowly shook his head.

“O-Oscar?” Osar turned around and saw Gabby, Oscar sighed in

relief and went in for a hug. Gabby didn’t know what was going on but she went in for the hug anyways.

“Uhh, was that you screaming?” Gabby asked. Oscar put both of his hands on Gabby’s shoulders.

“Gabby…you need to help me!” Oscar was frantic.

“H-help? help with what?”

“The painting, the painting! It’s alive! The paintings are alive!”

Oscar kept repeting himself. Oscar Pointed to the painting on the wall. Gabby stared back at the painting, her stare sooned turned into a glare. There was something offly…off, about that painting.

“Just…stay away from the painting ok?” Oscar nods his head.

Oscar walked away leaving Gabby behind, still glaring at the painting. Oscar roamed around the museum halls once more. He came across another painting, it had bubbles painted in the big blue sky, in was called bouncing bubbles. This painting, strangely enough. Was able to catch Oscar’s attention too. Though Oscar

didn’t get close to it this time. Instead he stayed a few feet back. He hard a, “pop”, from the painting. Oscar looked up to see a bubble floating towards him. Oscar popeed the bubble with the tip of his finger, but more bubbles came out of the painting flooding the hall with them. Oscar started to chuckle, then he started to laugh. He ran down the halls popping each and every bubble, but they just kept coming out. Oscar got close to the painting and rubbed his fingers against it. The bubbles grew sharp spikes and started to eradicate everywhere. Oscar yelled As he ducked onto the ground for cover, he wasn’t sure how he was able to dodge them all. A bubble came flying towards him, Oscar held his hand out to pop it but instantly regretted it as the spikes had pierced him through the hand. Oscar cried out an agony. But once again, Oscar found himself lying on the ground, with his hand soaked in blood. The teacher came and yanked Oscar’s arm from under his shirt. She saw the blood.

“Go! Go and clean that off.” Oscar staggered his way to the bathroom with everyone staring at him and talking about him. He went into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Oscar was

exhausted, he slumped onto the bathroom floor and closed his eyes. Surprisingly he fell sound asleep. Oscar had a nightmare about Hanako. Repedeitly banging on the bathroom door. The banging got louder, and louder, and louder, until the bathroom door burst opened is when Oscar awakened. He heard a faint knock at the door.

“Oscar?” A voice said. Oscar got up from the floor and opened the bathroom door. It was Gabby, Oscar smiled relived to see her face once more. “I was worried about you! You’ve been in here for over thirty minutes! Oscar nods his head zoning out. The teacher came once again and got on to Oscar.

“GO! Go outside, now!” Oscar glared at his teacher.

“No.” Oscar said. Gabby’s eyes widened. “I am not going outside! Can’t you see the paintings are alive! They’re trying to kill me!” Gabby looked down at the floor not wanting to see Oscar in the face.

“Look, I-I want to believe you But-”

“Then believe me!” Oscar said as he gripped Gabby’s shoulders. Gabby froze. Gabby slowly shook her head and mumbled.

“Oscar…you’re scaring me.” Oscar sighs as he takes his hands away from Gabby’s shoulder. He didn’t mean to scare her. Oscar walked up to a painting, he looked back at Gabby and sighed. “I’m sorry…” Oscar mumbled He grabbed the frame and ripped it off the wall, as soon as he did that. Everything went dark. He couldn’t see three feet in front of him, all Oscar saw was him, and the paintings. regardless of what was happening, he continued ripping paintings off the wall one by one. People were screaming and yelling but Oscar didn’t hear them, and continued tearing down each and every painting. Then, that’s when Oscar saw her, Hanako, Hanako Akemi. Fire immersed from Hanako’s hand, she touched the walls with her fingers, the walls started to burn. Oscar looked around frantically.

“YOU! YOU DID THIS TO ME! TAKE ME BACK! TAKE ME BACK NOW!” Oscar and Hanako were soon Surrounded by flames. Hanko laughed.

“Let me tell you a little story.” She said. She withdrew flames from her hand, the flames formed a motion like picture. Of herself dancing, the moving flames sent Oscar into some type of trance.

“When I was a little girl, I was happy. Always working with my father in our own little Inn, My mother inspired me to be a good painter just like her, making people…let out their emotions just by staring at one simple thing. But, on a sad little rainy day my mother passed due to a sickness that struck her in the heart. It left my father in tears. I started to paint just like a mother, to let out and show my emotions. Once, it was a hot and dry day. We had little oil lamps in our Inn to give it some…aesthetic. But, one of them fell over…and caused a fire. I was left in the burning house, and I burned to death. my life was not the brightest. The only one who escaped the fire was my father. Over tooken by sadness and grief he painted this beautiful painting of me. He started speaking to the painting…like it was alive! People heard about the tragic news all over the town. They wanted to see the paintings for themselves, but, my father would not allow that. He hid my painting in a large box and hid the box somewhere where they could not find me, but my father’s plan failed, they found the painting of me and put me inside this art museum for all to see, only to gasp when they hear the tragic story behind this painting. No one knows that my spirit lies within this painting.” Oscar finally snapped out of the trance as the fire was swept away. it went silent, it was such a tragic backstory, but that didn’t change Oscar’s perspective on art, not one bit.

“And to see you disrespect art! Treat it like garbage! It-it.” Hanako fumbled on her words. “It just infuriates me! You do not know the true meaning of art! You shall suffer, and your spirit will be mine!”

“OSCAR!” Oscar heard a faint voice call out to him. He turned and saw Gabby! Oscar gasped.

“G-Gabby!? You can see me!? I can see you! But-but how?” Gabby looked at Hanako as she stood tall above them.

“Look, I think-you and me may be connected to this in some way.”

“Gabby, you have to save me-”

“NO!” Hanako’s voice boomed. “Your friend must pay the price!” Hanako snapped her findergs. Oscar felt his soul slipping away from his body, he fell to his knees. Gabby knelt down and held Oscar’s hand. Oscar closed his eyes.

“Please…save me.” She saw tear fall from his face. Gabby wanted to save him. But she didn’t know how.

“I am sorry Oscar…but I can’t-I can’t save you. I have to leave, before this place burns down completely!” Gabby started to cough do to the smoke and debris.

“Then you’ll com back for me! Promise you’ll come back for me! PROMISE ME NOW!” Gabby froze, she looked unsure. There was no way. She doesn’t know wat’ll happened ten years from now.

“I-I promise.” Gabby said as her lips were trembling. They both looked deep into each other’s eyes, and without warning, Oscar let go of Gabby’s hand, his sould leaving his body. Gabby was able to escape the burning building, all the paintings were burned except for one, Hanako Akmei’s. Oscar disappeared, they weren’t even able to find his body. Gabby didn’t like the fact that she was the only one who new what horrible things actually happened to Oscar. But was very aware, that there will be a time when Hanako Akemi, will strike once again.