The Art of a Monster

CH. 29May/25/2016

Stefano carried Valeria and took her into his studio. It was 1:30 in the morning but Stefano wasn't tired. He gently placed her on a long steel table. He looked at her pale face before kissing her forehead.

"I will accept your request my dear Valeria. I will turn you into art. You will be my masterpiece" He said before he took out Valeria's black ruffled dress. He gently dressed her up before he carried her over to two chairs and positioned her to match the vision in his mind. He picked up multiple bloody styrofoam heads and put each in a bag before tying them shut before arranging them around the scene. Four of the heads were real. He made her hold a few before he set his camera. He was about to take the picture but couldn't bear to look at her face. He wanted to turn her into art many times before he actually knew her. And now he can, but doesn't want to. He stepped away from the camera and took a bag like the others.

"I can't do it. I have grown so close to you Valeria. I never wanted to hurt you since then. I don't want to hurt you now. But, this is what you want. I will do it for you my love, but it hurts me to see your face in my art." Stefano said as he walked up to her. He wished that she would wake and come back to life. He wanted to hear her voice again. He wanted her to hear his voice and call out to him. Stefano wanted Valeria, but he knew that death would never give her back.

"I have to do this, but know that you alone are a masterpiece." He finished as he put the bag over Valeria's head. He managed to convince himself to take the pictures of her. He wiped his tears away and looked over at a rack of clothes. He saw Valeria's Odette costume from the performance many years ago. He went over and ran his fingers gently along the smooth fabric.

"Six years ago, we got married, by the ocean at sunset. The sky was red by the sun and black further away with the silver full moon shining down on us. We met in two thousand nine, seven years ago, but I watched you longer than that. I've watched you dance with such perfection and grace since two thousand six." He said as he went back to Valeria and carried her to the table. He then grabbed her Odette costume and her swan mask. He dressed her up and put her mask on before taking her off the table.

"Your dancing gave me so much inspiration. I wanted you for almost every piece of art for many years. When you met me, in that coffee shop, I had so many chances to catch you. But, something held me back. I didn't know what at first. There were many that made sense to me. But the reason why, was because I unknowingly fell in love with you. It was the best feeling I've ever experienced when you loved me back." He said as he caressed her cheek while taking her to the next place for a second picture. He set her up in his desired position before adding small, white feathered wings on her back. He was careful to not pierce her skin as he attached them along with a scale. He took out two pictures of two women in ballerina costumes on what looked like music boxes. He held them up in front of each scale. He then looked at Valeria's face before setting down the pictures and grabbing a bag. He took her mask off and looked at her face.

"My art is nothing compared to you. My art doesn't deserve such beauty and perfection. These two pieces will be the closest to my heart. They will be my masterpieces." He said as he put the bag over her head and the mask back on. He took the pictures when he decided that it was perfect. Valeria deserved nothing but the best. He put Valeria's original clothes back on her before he laid her down on a couch next to his desk. He did a little bit of editing on his computer before he printed small and large pictures of the completed pieces and framed them. He looked at his work before he laid down next to Valeria and ran his hand through her soft hair and down her cold back and arms before caressing her cheek again as he continued to silently cry.

"Valeria, I promised you that I wouldn't hurt anyone innocent. The people I used for your pictures, they were not. They took your life away. There is one more bastard that I must take care of. When this is over, I will take your heart like you asked. I will bury you in the graveyard, on the hill, where you can watch the sunrise and sunset with your father. One day, I will join you and return your heart to you.       I love you, my dear    sweet Valeria." Stefano said before he kissed her one last time.