Belle

“Papa?” I called into the depths of the darkened castle hallway. My footsteps echoed softly as I walked cautiously down the towering corridor. A shiver trickled down my spine as I continued my decent. “Papa are you here?” Eyes watching me, I could feel it. Something scampered across the floor to the left. “Is there anyone there?” I called again slightly more desperately. I could hear my own voice shaking. Just find Papa and I can get out of here. I glanced around carefully, admiring the grandeur pictures lining the walls. In daylight, the place really could be beautiful, but now in the menacing hours of night shadows crept up hauntingly onto the withering stone walls. My heart began to pound in my ears as blood rushed towards my brain.

Somewhere behind me the shuffling of footsteps sounded. I whipped myself around my heart trying to burst through the confines of my dress. Nothing. No one there, and if they were, nearly impossible to see in the dim lighting of the candles. “Who- Who’s there?” I asked barley louder than a whisper, too frightened to move, too scared to think. After hearing nothing but my racing heart and heavy breathing in the cold castle air I slowly began to turn around again to continue my search. I know he’s here, he has to be. His coach is mangled out front and his cloak lying on the floor near the entry. If I never get to see my papa again... Don’t think that way! He’s all I have left, keep being brave, I mustn’t give up. I took in another ragged breathe and began to move even quicker down the hallway. Finally at the end of the passage I saw a large oak doorway. He could be in there, he could be hurt! I began a swift jog, my skirts billowing out around me, “Pa-“

“Who goes there,” from directly behind me. Not a shout, just a calm, yet beautifully musical male voice. I stopped, my breathe caught in my throat, not turning around or daring to move. A ringing sensation sounded in my ears, and I could feel myself swaying slightly. Slowly I turned to face the man of whose home I most likely just intruded. What I saw made my knees want to buckle; dark shoulder length hair, smouldering black eyes, an exquisitely defined jaw line and high predominant cheek bones. A handsome man to say the least. If not for the frighteningly calm expression he had on, I would have willingly melted into his arms. However, no trace of emotion what so ever was apparent. Anger I could handle, but this disturbing blank look shook me more then I had ever imagined. He continued to stare at me, patiently waiting for my response as I began to think of what to say. My mind jumbled around, I couldn’t compose a clear sentence if I had wanted to. Caught right in the act, you really thought this one through.

“I-“the words died in my throat before I could get out a coherent sentence. My voice sounded ridiculously childish and scared. He began to walk towards me in deliberate graceful steps, his face never resigning from the cold hard mask he wore. Soon he was just inches away and towering over me. The dark brown rings of his eyes were hardly noticeable under his dilated pupils. Feral, that was exactly how he appeared to be. Another shiver rocked my body and I silently cursed myself for being such a speechless coward. Anger flashed again through his eyes, and I felt myself shrink further away from him.

“What are you doing here,” He said again, this time raising his voice. It was more of a statement, as if he didn’t really care as to my reason for being in his home, only the fact that I was intruding on his property. Breathe, and answer the question. You might be able to talk your way out of this.

“I- I- I’m s-sorry. My papa he- well his carriage- and- and his cloak- I- I need to find him. I d-d-didn’t mean to intrude,” I stumbled on, his face never changing with each word. My voice echoed through the deafeningly silent hallway. He watched me for a minute. He seemed to study my face slowly inspecting each aspect; his eyes coming to rest on my trembling lips. Then without hesitation he reached out and grabbed my upper arm in a vice like grip, dragging me towards the foreboding oak door.

“What do you think you’re doing?!” I asked momentarily forgetting my fear as we approached the door. Without so much as a grunt to respond he shoved the door open and hauled me through. I could feel his fingers dig deeper into my arm, the bruises already forming on my fare skin. “Let go of me!” I shouted, trying to dig my heels in the ground to prevent his further capture of me with no avail. His only response was to pull harder walking straight through a sitting room were flames danced in an open fire place. When he had cleared the room still dragging my struggling self behind him, he entered through a similar wooden door and we began to descend down a spiralling stone stair case into the depths of the castle.

After many floors of hard steps and much stumbling on my part down the darkened stairwell, we finally emerged into a dark, dank room. I wanted to scream, to do something, but his brutal grip forced me to bite my lower lip to keep from breaking down hysterically. Just as I thought my arm was about to snap, he pulled open an iron barred door at the far end of the room. The realization dawned on me then, a dungeon. He pushed me through the door into the cage and I fell roughly onto the freezing floor. I heard the sound of the rusted door closing with a loud clang behind me, then the sound of a lock twisting into place. I didn’t dare turn around to look at the man; instead I remained on my hands and knees, back to him, afraid to see my captor. I could sense him standing behind the bars watching me; could feel the pierce as those molten eyes tear holes into my back. And then just as quickly he was gone, the sound of his shoes shuffling almost noiselessly back towards the stone stair case. When I heard the unmistakeable echo of the oak door being slammed shut I finally realized I was completely alone.

I allowed myself to carefully sit up then, my hand rubbing gently on the spot where he had bruised my arm. I looked around, trying to see through the almost pitch black lighting within my cell. I felt hot tears welling up in my eyes and my body begin to shake as sobs took control of me.

I cried quietly for some time. He will not have the satisfaction of hearing me cry, of sensing even more fear then I have already shown him. Besides I have to calm down, find Papa, and get out of here. I sniffled and wiped my eyes roughly with the ends of my cloak. I hadn’t realized how cold I was until I was no longer shaking from fear and sorrow, but from frozen and aching bones. How long will I remain down here? Is he just going to leave me to die? I shook my head then moved carefully into a corner, wrapping myself in my cloak and tucking my head into my propped knees. Think of warm places, the bakery, a warm kitchen with a good book, warm woollen quilts on my bed back home. Oh how I wish I were home. I felt my eyes began to close and my mind drift slowly away into the land of sleep for a well needed rest.

Gabriel

I shouldn’t have done that. It was rash, and cruel. Maybe I really am a beast. But that look in her eyes, her body movements, full of fear. He hated that she could see it, the monster within him. It drove him to an unspeakable rage to see how she cowered before him. Saw his dark, empty soul. The solitude he had lived in for so long because of who he was. How she had trembled before him. And her beauty, not that he hadn’t seen pretty girls before, no; she had a beauty that shone out of her through a veil of innocence. Dark long locks of hair and golden warm eyes. Eyes that were haunted with a paralyzing fear. He shook in front of the warm fire place as anger poured itself viciously back into him.

Calm yourself, and then face her again. She will see me for what I am, and she will learn to live with it. The old man will work as sufficient bate. I will not be alone again.