The Art of a Monster

Ch 13.June/16/2009

Valeria turned the corner and saw Stefano's house down the block. She smiled as she walked towards it. Stefano forgot his other camera lens at her house when he came for dinner and painting. Valeria walked up the steps and was about to knock on the door but saw that it was already opened slightly. Did someone break in? Is the intruder still inside? She wanted to get away and call the police to let them handle it. But her curiosity took hold of her. She carefully opened the door and snuck in. It was quiet. Almost too quiet. Valeria carefully put the lens on the counter. She felt the urge to leave and get help, but she wandered deeper into Stefano's home from one room to the next. She reached the last room with no sign of Stefano or the possible intruder. She sighed in disappointment and was about to leave until she saw a red door. She wanted to walk away. She would turn to leave but stop and look over and over. Her curiosity was still in control. She looked around before carefully opening the door and stepping into a large dark room. There were long metal tables, racks and photo equipment barely visible. The only light that was provided was from multiple red bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Valeria raised her hand and gently traced a bulb before she walked further into the room. She looked at everything in curiosity and confusion. She tried to think about why Stefano would have knives and strange equipment as she wandered around until she reached a desk. She bit her lip wondering if she should turn back. She took a step away to leave but then saw a familiar name: Carly Evans. Something wasn't right. She needed to find out what was going on. She opened the folder with Carly's name. A few were pictures of her tied to a chair with deep cuts in her arms and legs while crying. Others were of her screaming mouth or her terrified eyes. When Valeria saw the last two, her heart stopped. The first one was her dead in the chair with a missing arm. The other picture was one that she saw before: Innocent Gift. Valeria couldn't believe it. She didn't want to. She opened another one and saw pictures showing the same thing that Carly went through. Valeria looked closer. She recognized the woman's face. It was Hannah and a picture: Bouquet. She looked at the other names on the folders. They were all names of victims. All of the main pictures were ones that she's seen and loved. She then looked at the last folder: Emily Lewis. The famous actress and model in pictures she admired: Glory and Afterglow. Valeria felt her heart start to break from the thought of falling in love with a murderer.

"Valeria?" A voice said making her almost jump out of her skin. She quickly turned around to see Stefano. Her heart started beating faster.

"What are you doing back here?" He asked calmly. Valeria couldn't get herself to speak. She was shaking uncontrollably as she started to slowly step away from the desk. She looked down at the dagger in his hand before she looked back at his face.

"Valeria, let me explain." Stefano said as he started walking towards her. Valeria gasped in fear and ran. She could hear Stefano chasing after her. All that was going through her head was that she needed to get out before she becomes his next victim. The room was too large and too dark. She couldn't find the door. She was getting tired and Stefano was catching up. She knocked a chair down in his way to give her more time and distance. Valeria turned a corner and finally found the door out. She felt a wave of hope and relief as she reached for the handle. It wouldn't budge.

"Come on. Please don't do this." Valeria begged quietly as she tried harder and harder to get it open. Suddenly, she felt two leather hands grab her shoulders. She screamed as Stefano pinned her wrists down with her back touching the cold wood floor. She used all of her remaining strength to try and escape his grip to no avail. The thought of what Stefano was going to do to her made her terrified. She couldn't help but start crying quietly as her last bit of strength and will to escape faded away. She was going to die by the hands of the man she fell for.