Giselle slowly opened her eyes; the bright lights stung her corneas as she tried to adjust quickly. Her head was pulsating and aching. There was a soreness in her body that began to spread, especially down to her wrists and ankles.  

     Giselle grunted as she tried to reorient herself. The light above her was causing her more agitation than it was worth; she tried to cover her eyes. However, as she tried to lift her arms, they refused to come from behind her body, and the more she struggled, the more pain she began to feel. 

     She became anxious, sweat beading down her forehead as she slowly realized she was tied to a pillar in the middle of a pure white room. Giselle began flailing, attempting to see if she could break whatever she was tied to, but again, pain stopped her movements. Panic was starting to set in until she heard a voice peek from behind a door.

      A clean, bare face, so uninteresting you could lose it in a crowd, but now, it stared at her with eyes so uncanny, she wasn't sure it was human. "Hey...you might not want to try so hard, ya might hurt yourself",  Valie whispered, the echo causing her voice to sound menacing.

.

       Rage and sadness swelled up inside Giseele the moment she realized who it was. Her body violently shook, and tears streamed down her cheeks as she cursed at the girl in front of her. "Valerian! You fucking bitch. LET ME GO! It's your fault! Your fucking fault. He's treating me like this, because of you, you fucking bitch!".

     Valie walked over to Giselle as more blood began to seep out of her. She always enjoyed seeing the bright red color, but Giselle's barking was ruining the mood.  Valerian began to look at her with a bit of disgust as she began to brainstorm on what to do with her new model's mouth. She looked around at what she could use, her eyes settling on the wire that was lying around.

      "Don't you fucking ignore me. You were always fucking jealous of my things!! I always knew it too!!". Giselle looked like an angry dog tied on a leash, and it was now beyond annoying to hear her spout nonsense. She almost found it funny how Giselle had'nt realized what a delicate state she was in.

     "Is that so? You might want to listen to me and not move around. I opened up your wrist pretty wide and pulled some pretty important parts out of your ankles. I suggest you get your head out of your ass and look at yourself".      Giselle grew confused, but when the stinging began to turn into burning.  Her eyes slowly fell down her body, then agony struck her as she saw what Valerian meant.

      Blood was splattered all around her as her feet dangled from a few pieces of skin and tendon. She was so mangled down there, it didn't look real. She struggled to comprehend what was happening. Vomit began to spew out of her as she was about to lose her mind.

     Her breath was becoming shallow and erratic as she looked up in horror. "Wha-what did you-", Giselle couldn't form a sentence as she tried to rationalize. However, something clicked as Valerian brought out a silver corset.            She looked up and down at the beautiful garment and then at the serial killer holding it.  At that moment, Giselle's life flashed before her eyes, and somehow, she saw how every decision she made led her to the single, miserable point where all her problems began. The summer night when she lost Rosalia to a nobody.

     Giselle's eyes trembled as she began to murmur something.

     "I shouldn't be here", Giselle shivered.

     "Is that what you really think?", Valie replied as she laid out her tools.

     "It's your fault...they left me because of you", Giselle's tears slowly fell as her eyes stared wide at Valie.

     "So you didn't leave them? Every person you had, you left each one hanging, Giselle".

     "You took away Rosalia...she was 'My' best friend".

     "You left her for a guy who was assaulting her".

     "You made Elis hate me."

     "That moron never liked you. He had two other girls behind your back. Everyone knew...well, except for you." 

     "You Made Everyone Hate Me, EVEN MY OWN PARENTS. BECAUSE OF YOU--!!!!!", Giselle screamed, her face becoming distorted and angry as her coughing fit cut off her words.

     

     Valie's patience had run its course after entertaining Giselle's tantrum, yet she waited for Giselle to finish her fit. 

     As Giselle caught her breath, Valie fully turned to Giselle. She stared at her ruined face, looking at Valie in pure disdain. 

     "You sure like shifting the blame to others. I am willing to bet that if I weren't here... you would be blaming Rosie".

     " That-"Giselle tried to deny it, but Valie quickly cut her off.

      "SHUT UP! You were even trying to put your strained relationship with your parents on me, weren't you?!". Giselle flinched and curled up, acting like a scared animal being scolded by its owner. Valie could only stare in awe and disgust. 

       "It's like I'm talking to an idiot, an ignorant, naive, gullible, inept, brainless idiot. Yeah, just blame me. It's my fault, right?", Valie mocked, " I made you pick every stupid choice, and you are just the victim in all this. I hope someone can help this blameless victim? Why don't we all apologize? I have an idea, let's have Rosie apologize for almost getting raped at a place you dragged her to. Also, let's ask Elis to apologize for fucking every girl out there except you. Does that sound good? No? Wait, where are my manners? I should start by apologizing to your parents for having a fucking morron for a daughter who snuck out to a party she wasn't invited to because her whore of a boyfriend was making her look like a moron!? How's that sound?! That sound good?!". 

     Valie stood over Giselle, imposing a helpless feeling in her as her words took root in her mind. "No wonder no one could stand you. I bet even your own parents will be glad you're gone", Valie said intensely as Giselle looked at Valie with a loss for words, looking down to hide her tears.

     Valie held up Giselle's chin and made her stare into those infinite voids she called eyes. The more she stared at that enraged face, the more Giselle's self-esteem plummeted.

      "Admit it, Giselle. This is where you are supposed to be. And trust me, even this place is too good for you. Call me a saint for bringing you here, because you might have ended up someplace so much worse.", Valie smiled as she let go of Giselle's chin. 

     Her head slumped down as she felt her soul was torn to pieces. "Was she right?", was all Giselle could think of as her face went numb. 

     Valie sighed as she felt herself calm down. Her model was no longer struggling or talking. Her expression grew more vacant, and Valie finally began to feel pity for her model. Giselle had already lost an immense amount of blood, her cheeks were pale, her lips blue, and her body was as cold as could be. She didn't have much time left, but the process was slow and agonizing.

      Valie grabbed some warm water and washed away all the blood and vomit from Giselle and her surroundings, the filth going down the drainage in the center of the room. She then untied Giselle. As Giselle finally brought her arms forward, she saw deep cuts on her wrists spewing out blood, but it no longer meant anything to her. Yet, it somehow reminded her of Rosie.

      Valie knelt and showed her a glass of water and a white pill, "I know you're in pain, and you know that it's only going to get worse from here. So, you have two choices: continue with the pain and die slowly, or take this and sleep". 

     Giselle looked up, a deep, sad look was directed at Valie for a second, then her head leaned towards the glass of water. 

     Valie wrapped Giselle in a warm blanket and sat next to her. Giselle felt relief as the pain went away and all she could feel was warmth. She leaned on Valie's shoulder and began to whisper her final words. 

     "This...is the calmest...I've ever felt", she said slowly.

     "Is that so?", Valie exhaled.

     "I...don't want...to die", Giselle said somberly.

     "I think it's too late for that now. But I won't let anyone forget you. I even bet everyone will adore you after you are on display. People will cry for you and only remember you as beautiful."

      "Everyone...will adore me. That...sounds nice."

  Giselle's eyes grew heavy, but she still smiled at what Valerian said. She thought of how people would react when they looked at her again. Would they be horrified or astonished? Either way, she would be beautiful in the end, but why did that statement feel empty?

      She didn't want to die; she wanted to apologize to so many people, she wanted to talk to her mom again, but it was impossible now. 

     Giselle, with the last of her strength, looked at Valerian to see what she looked like, and to her horrified surprise, Valerian looked elated. There was no remorse, no guilt, just perfect Valerian looking back at her with the most unforgiving gleam in her black eyes. 

       The last image Giselle saw as she passed was an empty void laughing at her, taking away her last light of peace.