piercing eyes glare from the blackness within the painting capturing my gaze, whites lost in a sea of penetrating dark a slow twinkling shaft distracting my contact pulls me down, where a red pendant hangs drawn loosely round his neck crucifix of christ i expect to see on this ageing man resembling a priest, but no, only a single red ruby dances before me teasing to look deeper his eyes are a warning, deliberatly trying to draw my gaze from the hidden dangers of the bloody stone only he knows of the secrets locked within, the secret which lost his soul, forever remaining in darkness sealed in the burning red of the hells bane