"We want you to survey the room, Ms Williams. As a test."The director of the museum intoned slowly, stern eyes scanning Hera, as if testing her. A pair of old- fashioned glasses sat at the end of her pointed nose, her grey hair sternly tied back, at odds with the bohemian clothes she wore, a brightly-coloured saffron scarf atop along, flowery dress in turquoise. But her words sent chills down Hera's spine, making her feel oddly small, even though she knew she towered over the director, whose eyes shone in sinful amusement.

"You want me to... is this a mistake, director?" she stuttered, unsure. Everyone knew why the room had been sealed.

Or everyone knew, but never spoke.

Stormy grey eyes looked at Hera in scathing disdain, as if the crimson sweater and navy slacks she wore had personally offended her. That sent fury bubbling through Hera, that quickly coagulated into a lid for her fear.

"Yes, Ms Williams. I will repeat myself again." she enunciated her words clearly, disapproval evident in her voice. "The Board of Directors wishes for you to enter the Warren's Room, as a test of your competence."

Dirty-grey eyes narrowed and the Director's voice turned clipped. Test of my competence, my ass! Was ten years of training and handling paintings not enough for you, bitch? Hera wanted nothing more than to glare daggers at the director. But her yearning to join the board was more important than her current humiliation and she struggled to keep her emotions in check. The director knew, of course, seeing the way amusement graced her eyes. It was obvious she was waiting for Hera to fail, her eyes darkening with amusement, a predatory gaze that screamed at Hera to run, or squirm uncomfortably. She refused, looking straight at the director, an unspoken challenge in her eyes. Bitch. Hera bit the inside of her cheek, hard enough that bloodstained her teeth, flowing freely onto her tongue, greeting it with the metallic tang of blood.

"Is there no other way?" But the look of finality in the old hag's eyes told her everything she needed to know.

In the end, ancient keys were placed in her hands, the cold sting of steel biting into her palm. Warily, Hera approached the aging door. It looked as if it'd been carved out of ancient oak, the weathered wood rough under her fingertips, splattered with stains. Something about it was at odds with the carved metal ornaments that adorned it, wrought in iron and steel that had long since grown rusty, seeping into the corners like dirty, encrusted blood.

The look of it sent shivers up her spine, her heart thumping louder against her ribcage. What made it worse was the sounds of laboured breathing coming from under the door. Her instincts all but screamed at her to turn around. But she needed to do this. Had to, for the little gremlin that was at home. A toothy grin flashed before her, along with a pair of brilliant blue eyes. Athena, she thought fondly. I'm doing this for my sister. With the extra money she could earn as a director on the board, they wouldn't have to worry anymore.

Not with their drunkard of a mother, forever ready to waste money on booze.

Taking a long, steady breath, she felt courage fill her. Hera plunged the key into the keyhole, twisting it with unneeded force, a show of false bravado. I can do this, she thought. But her courage steadily ebbed away as she stepped into the room.

Light was snatched away as she set foot into the room, the door swinging shut with a note of finality, sending her heart sprinting again. To make matters worse, the only source of light was a flickering oil lamp, in which sat a single candle. The tiny flame danced with the wind, as wind sifted through dusty window panes, sending chills down her spine. Of course, they had to choose a night shift for me to look at the painting. Well done, Director. Well done. She rolled her eyes, sarcastically clapping her mental hands. Still, the painting fascinated her, she was drawn to it the same way a moth was drawn to a flame. Waiting, in the shadows, for a wave of curiosity to pounce.

But the dim light set a perfect mood for the painting, in muted grey, mauves and blue. Suddenly, Hera's mind drew back to the Director in her bohemian colours. But as her eyes appraised the painting, an uncanny similarity trickled down her spine. Somehow, dirty-grey muted eyes morphed into watery blue ones. They reminded Hera of the sea, with its treacherous and watery depths, an air of mystery that would soon plunge into open darkness. The woman in the portrait seemed to fix upon her in a heavy stare, the brevity of her faze unwavering and terrifying. Her nose was slightly turned up, a crown-like structure adorning her head. Her thin lips were stretched into a wry smile, one that bordered on being grotesque. For some reason, the crimson in her robes seemed to reflect on her face, painting it a bloody red that terrified her. Shaking, she moved her eyes to the bottom of the painting.

Don't wait, the epitaph below the portrait whispered. Come to me.

In a flurry of motions, unfamiliar and foreign words tumbled out of Hera's mouth. What sounded like an unending string of gibberish, but as the unfamiliar phonetics escaped her mouth, she found that the portrait was growing, a sinister wake lying beyond the ancient words.

Pale blue eyes danced across the room with uncanny eyes, every stroke of the brush lit with life, brimming with power...Hera felt the fine hairs in her neck rise up as sweat trickled down her skin, causing damp hair to stick to the sides of her neck. What...the...

Suddenly, a ghastly figure sprang out of the painting, dashing towards her. Only, broad shoulders hit the side of the heavy brass frame. Hera's breathing grew heavier, as something sat in the room. A macabre smile began making its way across the lady's pale face, making her lips seem even redder. Her eyes glinted in the dark, illuminated solely by the moon as a gust of wind came rushing in, putting all the candles out with a sickening woosh.

"I've been waiting for you, my dear."

--------------
A/N: 1072 words! This is the first part of the thriller I'm planning to do. The second chapter is done, I just need an ending....any suggestions?

And to my dear Jies: chocolatewithtea this is the first part to the thing n my MB, and Chiaroscuro555, here's what I got from your story! I hope you guys will enjoy it!