Chapter 15

A streak of red gets carved into his canvas, destroying the beautiful landscape underneath. “No good,” the artist says, wanting to start from scratch.

He grabs a different knife, this one wider, and runs it across his canvas. “A sea that stretches along the horizon. Maybe that’s what it needs.”

As he finishes, he steps back. His hands are covered in red, but that doesn’t stop him from rubbing them against his stubbled chin as he thinks. “No. No, it’s all wrong.” He gets angry, “IT’S STILL WRONG!” He yells, kicking the naked girl, knocking her to the ground. “THIS IS YOUR FAULT, YOU STUPID CANVAS!”

The artist calls out, “BRING ME ANOTHER!”

The door behind him opens, two men appearing. They pick the bloodied girl up off the floor and drag her out. Another two men enter, bringing in a new girl, naked and clean. They stand her in front of the painter, then leave the room.

“Ah yes.” He spins the girl, staring at her back. “This is what I need.” He grabs a knife from his tray and starts to carve along the small of her back. “Just like this. Oh yes, I see it now!” He moves to her shoulder blade, carving out the shape of the sun.

The girl lets out a soft whimper.

The artist stops, his eyes wide with rage. He waits, listening.

The girl holds her breath. She knows what’ll happen if the artist throws her away. Her best chance of surviving is to become the perfect canvas. Maybe then he’ll let her live.

The painter takes a deep breath and continues carving. Red falls down the canvas with each cut. He doesn’t care. He sees his masterpiece in this one and nothing will stop him from creating it.

He slashes and stabs. He cuts and scratches. As painful as it is, after the first whimper, the girl remains silent.

“It’s done.” The painter says, taking a step back to admire his work. The blood runs down the back of the girl’s legs, creating a puddle on the floor, but none of that bothers the artist. He’s solely focused on his canvas. He’s created a breathtaking landscape that reflects the sun shining across the sea. Along the shoreline, he carved a harbour for ships, with a small village behind it.

“It’s perfect.” He steps closer to the girl. “You’re the canvas that I’ve been looking for.” He grabs her shoulders, guiding her back to the door. He opens it and nudges her along, making sure his canvas remains perfect.

As the two walk through the hallway, they pass many rooms from which the stench of blood can be felt. The girl once more holds her breath, just glad that she didn’t end up as another body in one of his rooms.

The artist guides her through the doorway at the end of the hall. The mumbled sounds of talking grows louder as they walk toward it. Through one more door, they make their way out onto a stage. The bright light shines in the girl’s face, blinding her. She doesn’t raise her arm for fear that she might be punished, so she squeezes her eyes shut instead. She is brought to the center of the stage and turned around, revealing her back to the audience. A loud gasp emanates from the people, then applause. Cheering and clapping come from all the different seats and balconies.

A man in the audience shouts a number. “FIFTEEN!”

The artist points at the man, “We have fifteen!”

A woman from the opposite side of the room yells out, “TWENTY FIVE!”

The artist then points at her, “Twenty five, from the lady in red!”

People start shouting numbers one after the next, getting higher and higher. “THIRTY!” “FIFTY!” “SEVENTY FIVE!” Then, silently, a man in the back of the room raises his hand, holding three fingers up in the air.

The artist spots it, his heart racing! “We have three hundred from the gentleman in the suit! Three hundred going once, three hundred going twice… SOLD, FOR THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS!”

The crowd gasps as applause erupts, throwing the theatre into a loud chaos.

The artist ushers his canvas off stage where the man in the suit awaits them. On either side of the suit stands a man. Both are giants, big enough to wrestle an elephant, and win. The suit holds out a briefcase, revealing the most beautiful diamonds the artist has ever seen.

The artist smiles, gently nudging the naked girl forward, exchanging her for the suitcase full of diamonds. He shakes the suit’s hand, then heads back to his room.

The girl, not knowing what to expect, thinks to herself, Am I free from that monster? Did he really just sell me?

The suit smiles, “Come with me, let’s get you home.”

The girl raises her head, her eyes meeting his. He looks like a nicer man. Maybe my life won’t be so bad.

One of the two giants steps behind the girl, placing a rag over her mouth, knocking her unconscious.

–

The girl wakes, feeling drowsy. Where am I? Her eyes adjust and she’s suddenly terrified by what she sees. She wants to scream but her body won’t let her. Are those… people? All around her are body parts in glass cases, on display for all to see. Some are missing limbs, others missing heads. None of them are fully intact. She gags, wanting to throw up, the sight of all the mutilated bodies making her sick. As she looks down, she sees the glass case around her own body. Her eyes widen with fear as she notices. MY ARMS! MY LEGS!

The suit walks into the room. “Oh, you’re awake. I told them not to kill you, but I didn’t think you’d ever wake back up.”

Barely staying awake, she tries to form a question. “What have you done to me?” 

“Think of yourself as a piece of art. I simply put you in a frame.”

She drifts off, then comes back. “You cut me up…”

The suit shrugs, “Some pieces wouldn’t fit. I did however wish to keep the beautiful head of yours. Your hair really accentuates the art on your back.”

He walks over, brushing her hair from her face. She can no longer stay awake, her mind wanting nothing more than to fall asleep forever. She forces her eyes open, staring at the suit.

He smiles, “This will probably be the last time we ever get to talk, so I’ll let you in on a little secret.” He whispers in her ear, “I’m never letting you go.”

Her eyes close, her anger fading as she slips away.

The suit kisses her on the forehead, then spins her torso, wanting to see her back. He lifts her up, placing her on a marble pedestal. He then steps back, admiring his canvas. “Perfect.”