The Torn Smile

    By I Hate

    The Torn Smile cover image

    31 Jan, 2024

    a man with a creepy look on his face standing in a doorway with a creepy look on his face, international gothic, a character portrait, Dirk Crabeth, promotional image

    The man peered at me through the darkness of my doorway. Smiling at me with his wide torn smile and small beady black eyes. His presence was as chilling as the wind outside.

    a man in a dark room with a light on his head and a coat on his shoulders, looking at the camera, antipodeans, a character portrait, Daryush Shokof, promotional image

    "Can I help you?" I asked, my voice a shaky whisper. His smile widened, revealing teeth yellowed with age. He nodded, yet didn't utter a word.

    a man sitting in a chair in front of a fireplace with a picture on the wall behind him and a lit candle in front of him, international gothic, a character portrait, David Annand, promotional image

    I beckoned him inside and he trudged into the living room. His curious eyes swept the room, temporarily settling on the old family portrait adorning the fireplace mantel. A peculiar mix of nostalgia and curiosity filled his gaze.

    a man with a creepy look on his face and coat over his shoulders, standing in a dark room, neo-figurative, a character portrait, Daryush Shokof, promotional image

    "Are you lost?" I ventured. He shook his head, still staring at the photo. The silence was becoming unbearable, and his haunting smile was starting to unnerve me.

    a man standing in a dark room with a coat on and a coat on his head and coat on his shoulders, aestheticism, a character portrait, Dirk Crabeth, promotional image

    The man finally spoke, his voice raspy and aged. "No, I am not lost. I used to live here, a long, long time ago." His words hit me like a cold wave.

    a man standing in a room with broken windows and debris on the floor and a tv on the wall, art photography, a matte painting, Dirk Crabeth, cinematic photography

    "This house... it belonged to my family," he continued. "I am the last one left." His voice trailed off, replaced by a silence that seemed to echo his loneliness.

    a woman standing in a room with a chandelier hanging from the ceiling and a table with papers on it, gothic art, poster art, Clarice Beckett, promotional image

    I was taken aback. The house was in my family for generations. Could he be lying? Or was there a secret, buried deep within my family history?

    a man standing in a room full of boxes and boxes on the floor and a window above him and a coat over his head, antipodeans, a character portrait, David Budd, promotional image

    I led him to the attic, filled with dusty boxes of old family memorabilia. The man's eyes shone with an eagerness that I hadn't seen before.

    a man standing in front of a wall of portraits of people and papers in a room with many framed photos, american romanticism, a character portrait, Dirk Crabeth, promotional image

    He rummaged through the boxes, finally pulling out a yellowed photograph. It was an old family portrait, and there he was, his torn smile unmistakable, even in his youth.

    a man in a black coat standing in front of a mountain range with a dark sky in the background, neo-romanticism, a matte painting, Daryush Shokof, promotional image

    "I was disowned," he admitted, his voice breaking. "I made mistakes, terrible mistakes. They sent me away and I could never return until now."

    a man with a coat on standing in a room with a door and window frames on the wall and a door in the background, aestheticism, a character portrait, Daryush Shokof, promotional image

    His story was heartbreaking. The man with the torn smile was a part of my family, a part of my history. I felt a strange sympathy towards him.

    a man in a black coat standing in a dark room with candles on the walls and a window behind him, neo-romanticism, a character portrait, Derek Chittock, promotional image

    We spent the evening talking, unearthing secrets that were buried for decades. His stories were filled with regret, redemption and a longing for home.

    a man with black hair and a black jacket in a forest with trees and fog in the background, with a black jacket on, gothic art, a character portrait, Dirk Crabeth, promotional image

    As dawn approached, he stood up to leave. His eyes, once filled with sorrow, now held a glimmer of peace. "Thank you," he murmured, his voice barely audible.

    a creepy house with a creepy tree in the background and fog in the air above it, with a dark sky, international gothic, a matte painting, Clark Voorhees, dark atmosphere

    I watched him disappear into the morning mist. The house, suddenly feeling more alive with the secrets it held, echoed his parting words.

    a woman sitting on the floor in a room with papers all over the floor and a window in the background, aestheticism, poster art, Anne Said, promotional image

    His visit left me in a daze, my mind spinning with the revelations. I was part of a family saga that was both tragic and beautiful.

    a man sitting in a chair in a dark room with a fire place in the corner and a fireplace, art photography, poster art, Everett Warner, promotional image

    Days turned into weeks, and the man with the torn smile became a distant memory. Yet, the house held his presence, as if he had never left.

    a man in a coat standing in a hallway with a door open and a ceiling painted with a flower pattern, international gothic, a character portrait, Dirk Crabeth, promotional image

    His stories filled the empty rooms, whispering through the corridors, resonating in the silence. He was a part of the house, a part of its history, a part of me.

    a man standing in a hallway with his hands in his pockets and looking at the camera with a serious look on his face, neo-figurative, a character portrait, David Budd, promotional image

    The man with the torn smile was more than just a visitor. He was a reminder of the secrets and stories that my family house held within its walls.

    a man sitting in a chair in front of a fire place in a room with a fireplace and a painting on the wall, pre-raphaelitism, a character portrait, David Annand, promotional image

    I found myself treasuring his visit, his stories, his presence. He had brought life to the old house, to my family history, to my own identity.

    a man in a suit and tie standing in front of a painting of abraham lincoln in a dark room, international gothic, a character portrait, Daryush Shokof, promotional image

    The man with the torn smile, a forgotten member of my family, had returned home. And in doing so, he had brought me closer to my roots, closer to myself.

    a man in a dark room with a coat on and a window in the background with a light coming through, gothic art, a character portrait, Ejler Bille, promotional image

    His visit had indeed been a thrilling encounter, one that unraveled shocking secrets. Secrets that were now a part of me, a part of my home.

    a man standing in front of a wall with many pictures on it and a black jacket on his shoulders, international gothic, a character portrait, David Budd, promotional image

    The man with the torn smile may have left, but his legacy remained. He was an integral part of my family, my history, and my identity. His journey had become my journey.

    a man in a suit and tie standing in front of a wall of portraits of men in suits and ties, american realism, poster art, David Annand, promotional image

    Through the mysteries and the revelations, I had found a connection to my past. The man with the torn smile, though a stranger initially, had become a part of my family's tapestry.

    a man with a creepy face standing in the rain on a city street at night with people walking by, international gothic, a character portrait, David Annand, film noir

    His visit was a reminder that we are all interwoven with our history. And sometimes, it takes a stranger with a torn smile to remind us of that.

    a man in a coat standing in a room with a fireplace and pictures on the wall behind him and a lamp on the table, international gothic, a character portrait, Diego Giacometti, promotional image

    As I stood there, looking at the old family photograph with the man's torn smile, I realized that our past shapes us, and sometimes, it takes a visit from a forgotten family member to truly understand it.

    The Torn Smile

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