Through artist eyes

A woman walked into the room. She wasn't very tall. She had long dark hair and green eyes. She was dressed in black leather pants and an emerald green tank top that matched her eyes. She was bare foot and wore a collar around her neck. The room itself was poorly lit. The floor was tiled and there were several painting hanging on the walls. She walked to the nearest one and examined it. Her expression thoughtful.

A man walked up and slid his arms around her waist as he looked at the painting. It was of a little girl trembling in some corner. She had her arms raised to defend herself from the formless shadow that was threatening her. She didn't look to be more than 5 years old.

The woman's fingers brushed the little girl in the painting. Her expression pained. The man stroked her hair. "Tell me." The woman shook her head. "I don't remember much of those days master. And from what I do remember I... I'm not sure I want to." He turned her around and forced her to look him in the eyes. "You're far away from them Kiara. They can't hurt you anymore. I won't allow it." He smiled gently at her. "Now tell me."

***
She was in hiding in the corner as they called her name. Who it was she didn't know. All she knew was that they mustn't find her. If they found her they would hurt her terribly. The voice was coming closer. It was a familiar voice that promised pain. Lot's of pain. They had hurt her before she knew. She couldn't remember exactly how they hurt her just that they did. And that they enjoyed it. Immensely.

She could hear the footsteps coming closer. "Kiara get over here. If you don't come out you'll just make it worse. Come here you stupid pétasse." She couldn't hold back the whimper as the voice stopped right outside the door. She curled up in the corner in fear. Hoping they missed her small form. She knew them. They were supposed to be her family. Which one she didn't know. Couldn't even remember if that person was male or female. Only that it wanted her hurt.

The door flew open. "There you are you connard. You're going to get it now." The shadow that stood in the door way moved closer. The smile widened. She raised her arms to defend her face as a hand stretched out to do something to her.

***
The woman looked away from the man and then walked to the second painting. The same little girl only older this time. She was standing in a hallway surrounded by a sea of other children but still apart from them. She looked on as they passed her. Her face full of longing, pain and loneliness.

***
She sat underneath a tree eating lunch. She always ate lunch here. She had no friends that sat with her. Never had. It was so lonely being by herself. Seeing others play and have fun. She wished she could join them but she knew she couldn't. They weren't like her. They were good children that weren't hurt at home. They didn't deserve to be hurt. Not like her.

***
The man walked over to the third painting and held out his hand to her. She walked towards him and took it. Lacing their fingers together. In the third painting the little girl had grown up. She was busy painting something and the shadows were trying to drag her away. The woman gave a deep sigh before speaking.

***
Her parents were looking at her. "We won't allow it." She looked at her parents with desperate eyes. "Why can't you let me have this one thing to myself? All I want to do is become a painter. I have the talent. Why can't you just support me just this once?" Her parents looked at her. Her mother was furious while her father merely looked indifferent at the moment. No. indifferent was the wrong word for it. He looked bored. Bored with the discussion. And agitated that they were still having it.

"We didn't waste money on you just to have it thrown away now. We have invested to much in you. You owe it to us to make something of yourself. I always knew you were a worthless girl but we still took care of you. Made sure you improved so you could be something of worth. And now that moment is here you want to throw our investment away to become a mere hobbyist" Her mother was still screeching in her ear. Why did she always have to do that.

***
Together they walked to the fourth painting. The girl is kneeling on the floor brokenly. She is reaching out to three other girls that are sneering at her in contempt. The woman looked at the painting in a mix of anger and pain. The man runs soothing circles over her back with his hand.

***
She had set out to become an artist despite her mothers threats and her fathers angry glares. She had gone and the had disowned her. Her three friends had left her when they learned that her substantial flow of money had been cut off. She had taken a job as waitress in the hopes of paying her way through college. It hadn't worked and she was forced to quit halfway through her first year.

She hadn't given up though. She still painted and after a while she had gotten a chance to show her work at a gallery together with a bunch of other amateurs. She went to the gallery in her best dress. It wasn't much but at least it wasn't raffled like her other clothes. She had stood there with pride.

A man had come to her. There had been something off about him. Something that just seemed wrong. She shook the feeling off. He had looked at her paintings with care and had smiled at her. "You have quite a bit of talent Miss..." She looked at him with distrust then. She no longer trusted people that tried to be nice to her. Nobody really cared about her. Why would they? She knew she wasn't lovable. Her friends had shown her that. No. No human being would ever care for her.

"Kiara." She looked away then. Studying the other people around her. Dismissing him. He had stayed and talked to her and she had answered in monosyllables and short sentences.

***
The woman looked at the fifth painting. The girl was sitting on a roof. She was being held by a man. The same man that stood with her now. The girl in the painting was crying brokenly. Her face showing pure anguish. She had a knife in one hand. The man had covered her hand with one of his own.

"I remember how you looked then. When you broke down after I stopped you. It was then I decided to take you with me. You had already captured my interest in the gallery but it was that night that I knew you had to be with me." The woman nodded. "I am glad you took me with you master. I don't think I would've survived much longer on my own." The man stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "You never did tell me how you came to be there." The woman took a calming breath and leaned into the other man.

***
She walked to the roof of the building. She felt strange. After a while she realized that she felt calm and peaceful. She had never felt either of those before. She smiled slightly as she sat down on the roof. Soon nobody would be able to hurt her anymore.

She had come to this decision after another failed relationship. All he had wanted from her was sex. She hadn't even enjoyed that. He had constantly belittled her. She knew she was unlovable and deeply flawed in many aspects but it hurt to have them thrown in her face so often.

She had had a few relationships but they never lasted. Even sex never did anything for her. She had thought that maybe she was gay and had kissed several women but they didn't do anything for her either. Maybe he was right and she was simply frigid.

She had nothing in this life. Yes her paintings had brought up a reasonable amount of money at the gallery and this might be the start of a promising career but other than that she had nothing. Or more accurately no one.

She needed someone to love her. Like her. She'd settle for anything right now. She had been alone for so long. She knew that would never happen though. After al no living human being on this earth could love her. That fact had been thrown in her face too many times for her to believe otherwise.

She smiled as she placed the knife on her wrist. It wouldn't matter anymore after this. She was shocked when a hand closed over the hand that was holding the knife. She was embraced from behind and pulled into someone's chest. She shuddered as warm air tickled her ear as he whispered to her. "This isn't the answer you know."

She looked up at the man. He was the one from the gallery. What was he doing here. He smiled gently at her and brushed his lips against her brow. "Shhh. It'll be all right now. I'll take care of you."

Suddenly she felt a wetness on her hand. She frowned and touched her cheek. It was wet too. She was crying. Suddenly it was as if a d*mn had broken through and she collapsed against him. She knew it wouldn't work. He would get to know her and hate her too. But she could still go through with her plan when he did. Until then she would have this.

***
He smiled at her. His finger stroking the collar around her neck. "Remember the night I made you mine." The woman smiled. "Yes master I do. I kissed you and was so disappointed when I didn't feel anything. I tried to leave and you commanded me to come back. It was the first time you had used that voice with me and it made my stomach flutter. I walked up to you and you kissed me. It was so different and it felt so good. I tried to gain control but you bit my lip and I surrendered to you. It felt so good."

The man leaned in and kissed her. It was deep and passionate. She moaned and leaned in closer. He pulled back licking her lips as he did. She gasped and struggled to get her breathing under control again. "You were so passionate and so confused. I pulled you onto my lap and explained things to you. And after wards you all but surrendered yourself to me. Your eyes begging me so beautifully. I made you mine then and there."

He smiled, his eyes gleaming with the memory. "I'm proud of you. I know tonight wasn't easy for you. You'll never be free of your nightmares unless you confront them however." She smiled sadly at him. "I know. Thank you for being here with me." He embraced her and kissed her forehead. "You're welcome." He smiled at her and took her hand before guiding her out of the room.