Beastly

by Alex Flinn

  All the nights I had spent trying to control my beastlike rages, to sheathe my claws and cover my fangs, were over now. My fangs were bared. My claws were uncovered. I lunged through the crowd. I was not a man, but a lion, a bear, a wolf. I was a beast. My roar shattered the subway station, covering every noise, the trains, the people. My claws met flesh, and crowds scattered. If I was caught, I would surely be killed. I pushed through the crowd and ran—no, bounded. Yes, bounded like an animal on four legs up the suddenly empty steps to the street.

  Outside, the air was quiet. It wouldn’t last. I took off, still on four legs because it was the fastest, surest way. There were few people on those streets at that hour, at near midnight. But even tough-looking gang members parted at the sight of me.

  I had no mirror to guide me, only a memory, memory and animal instinct. I remembered where Lindy had been. I remembered her screams. I heard them again in my ear. I followed them. A block. Another. I still felt like I was being chased. It didn’t matter. No one could catch me. I followed Lindy’s screams through an alley and down a side street, into a doorway, up a stair, and into a room.

  It was there that I stopped.

  8

  I stared at them. The man held her arm. “No money, huh?” he growled. “Your father said you’d be good for it. But if you don’t have money, there’s other ways to pay.”

  “No! Let me go!”

  “Lindy?”

  Man and victim turned. It was Lindy, all right. My instincts, animal though they were, had been true. The man—the monster—held her hair. He held a gun to her head.

  “Lindy!” I started toward her.

  “You’re here!”

  “Don’t move, or I’ll shoot.”

  He held the gun to her head. He could not hurt her. I hadn’t come this far to have him hurt her. Without knowing it, I let out a low growl, an animal about to spring.

  “I mean it,” he said. “Don’t—”

  He stopped. He saw me, and his beast eyes met my beast eyes, and the animal I was smelled his fear.

  “What the—?”

  “If you harm her,” I said in a voice more animal than human, “I will kill you.”

  “Don’t eat me!” he yelled.

  And he turned the gun from Lindy to me.

  That was all I needed. I lunged. My teeth were in his arm, my claws in his neck. A shot rang out. My teeth were in his neck.

  And then he stopped moving.

  I threw him off me and crumpled to the ground.

  I was bleeding. I wasn’t supposed to bleed. I looked away. The bleeding didn’t stop. Maybe my skin couldn’t heal over the wound if the wound held a bullet. That would make sense. But it hurt.

  Lindy was running to me, stumbling over the wounded gunman. “Adrian, you’re here.”

  “I’m here,” I agreed. The world was getting fuzzy, so fuzzy, fuzzy and dark, and clean and sweet-smelling as a rose.

  “But how did you know?” she said. “How’d you know where I was?”

  “I knew.” My stomach hurt where the bullet was. “I knew by…” Magic. Love. Animal instinct. As Jane knew of Rochester. “I just knew.” I reached for her.

  “I should call the police. Or an ambulance.” She started to go.

  I thought of the mob in the subway, of a police officer arriving here to find me, taking me away, of dying in a squad car, alone, of losing Lindy when I’d finally found her. I grabbed at her arm. “Please. Please, no. Stay with me. Be with me.”

  “I wanted to be with you.” She was sobbing now. “You told me to come back in the spring. And I wanted to. My father was screwed up like always, and he promised to go into rehab, get a job. He did for about a week. But then he quit. He said he didn’t have to work just because I wanted him to. It was the same sort of thing he always said, but now it was different.”

  “Why?” I tried to keep my voice normal. If she knew how hurt I was, she would leave, go for the police. I hurt so much. So much, like the life was seeping through my skin. I didn’t look down because I knew it would be a bloody mess.

  “Because I’d been with you. Before, I knew only what it was to be his daughter, to live day to day and wait for it to be over. But now I knew what it was to have someone talk to me, care for me…be with me…and…”

  “Love you?” The words were a gasp, and from the corner of my eye, I could see my watch hand move. 11:59. I’d set it that morning. It was over. But I was with Lindy. It was enough. “Why didn’t you come back?”

  “I wanted to come, but I’d lost the address. My father had taken me to your house by force, and now he wouldn’t tell me where it was. He lied when I asked him, or said he didn’t know. But I remembered your house was near a subway station. I could see it from the window, remember?”

  I nodded.

  “So I decided to go to every station in Brooklyn, then look for a house nearby with a greenhouse. I went to a different one, every day after school. But it was going too slowly, and tonight I decided I would find you. If I had to walk through every inch of Brooklyn, calling your name, I’d find you.”

  “Calling my name?”

  “Like Jane Eyre. I just reread it last week, and I thought of you—how the lovers were separated, and—”

  “Lovers?”

  It was so hard to keep my eyes open. She was with me. I could just stop now.

  “No! I should get an ambulance. If anything happened to you, I—”

  With difficulty, I pushed myself up. “I love you, Lindy.”

  It was midnight. It was over. I would be a beast always. But Lindy was back. She was here.

  “I know I’m too ugly for you to love,” I said. “But I’ll always…”

  “I love you too, Adrian. But please, let me—”

  I grabbed her arm back. “Then kiss me. Let me have the memory of your kiss, even if I die.”

  It was too late. It was too late, but she leaned forward anyway, and kissed me, my eyes, my cheeks, and finally on my lipless mouth. I was fading away, but I tasted her, felt her. This was all I wanted. Lindy. Now I could die happy.

  And in the corner, I saw a shadow, moving.

  “Watch out, Lindy!” I said with suddenly renewed strength. The air smelled funny all of a sudden, like roses. But it must have been my imagination. “Behind you!” I yelled.

  I saw the man. I tried to make for him, to go after him and bite him as I had before. But my whole body felt numb and tingling, heavy, as if I already had died. I saw Lindy lunge for the gun on the floor. Then, struggling, four hands grabbing for one object. Gunfire, glass shattering. Then the shadow ran for the door.

  Lindy turned to me. She held the smoking gun.

  “Adrian?” She stared into the darkness like she couldn’t see me. The world was black and spinning. The air smelled heavy with roses now. And under my hands, I felt something. Rose petals. They were everywhere, under my hands and on my body, and even in Lindy’s hair. Where had they come from?

  “I’m here, my love.” Did I say my love? Me? But my body felt so nice, like nothing could ever hurt me again. I didn’t hurt anymore. Was I already dead?

  Still, she stared strangely. Finally, she spoke.

  “Kyle Kingsbury? But…where’s Adrian?”

  I’d misheard. “I’m here. But what did you call me?”

  “Kyle Kingsbury, right? From Tuttle School. Maybe you don’t remember me, but you once gave me a rose.” She stopped, looking side to side. “A rose…Adrian!”

  “Lindy…” I put my hand before my eyes, and it was a human hand. A man’s hand. So perfect. A man’s arm. I touched my face. A man’s face! “Lindy, it’s me.”

  “I don’t understand. Where is the boy who was here before? His name was Adrian, and he was—”

  “Ugly? Hideous.”

  “No! He was hurt. I have to find him!” She started for the door.

  “Lindy!” I struggled to my feet. My strength was returning, and when I looked down, there was no blood, no pain. I was healed in every
way. Lindy ran to the door, and I ran after her, for I was better. I was alive and well, and I caught her hand in mine. “Please wait.”

  “I can’t, Kyle. You don’t understand. There was a boy here, and he was—”

  “Me.” I grabbed her other hand. “He was me.”

  “No!” She struggled to get free, but I held her hands. “No, he wasn’t you.”

  “Please.” I pulled her toward me. I was taller than Kyle had been before, and strong. I pulled her toward me so she couldn’t leave. She thrashed against me, hitting and kicking. “Please, Lindy, just close your eyes, and you’ll know that what I say is true.” I wrapped my arm around her and put the other hand over her eyes.

  In a second, she gave up, mostly. I said, “One night, there was a lightning storm. You came downstairs, frightened, and we made popcorn—two bags—and watched The Princess Bride.” I stopped. She was frozen. “Do you know my voice, Lindy? When the movie was over, you’d fallen asleep. I picked you up and carried you to your room.”

  She leaned against me now, like she needed me for support.

  I continued. “You woke in the darkness and spoke to me. You said my voice sounded familiar. It was familiar. It was me. Kyle. Adrian. We’re the same. I will always remember that day because it was the first time I had hope, the first time I spoke to you without you noticing how hideous, how less than human I was. The first time I thought that maybe you could love me.”

  She turned to me. “Adrian? But how?”

  “Magic. A witch put me under a spell—I would say a cruel spell, but it really wasn’t because it led me to you.”

  “How was the spell broken?”

  “Magic. It was magic, and the magic is called love. I love you, Lindy.” I leaned and kissed her. She kissed me back.

  “Adrian!”

  “Yes.” I was laughing. I couldn’t help it.

  “Can you take me home now?” she said. “Your home.”

  I nodded. “We’ll take the subway.” I looked down at my clothes, my too-large beast clothes. “I know I look a little strange, but probably no one will notice.”

  * * *

  Mr. Anderson: Welcome to tonight’s chat.

  Grizzlyguy: Hey, everyone. There’s some people I’d like you to meet.

  SnowGirl: Hi, I’m Snow White. But not *that* Snow White.

  RoseRed: You always say that. It sounds dumb.

  SnowGirl: You’re just mad bc I got the guy!

  Mr. Anderson: Ladies, ladies…

  Grizzlyguy: Anyway, this is Snow White. We’re engaged.

  BeastNYC: Hi, every1. There’s someone I wanted every1 2 meet also. This is Lindy. She broke my curse. I’m not a beast anymore!!!

  LilLindarose: Hi, everyone. Nice 2 be here.

  SnowGirl: Congratz

  RoseRed: That’s great.

  Mr. Anderson: I’ve been wanting to talk to you, Beast. I heard about a beast loose in the subway system. Was that you?

  BeastNYC: Of course not!

  LilLindarose: Figment of everyone’s imagination;)

  BeastNYC: But we did happen 2 get 2gether on that exact day.

  LilLindarose: Draw your own conclusions.

  Froggie: I hv sum news 2

  BeastNYC: What is it, Froggie?

  Froggie: Iv met a princes

  Grizzlyguy: Really? Did she kiss you or whatever you needed to break the spell?

  Froggie: Nt so far bt she sez she will.

  BeastNYC: That’s great, Frog. How’d you meet?

  Froggie: She ws playin w her GameBoy & she dropd it in my pond. I dryd it of 4 her & she sed shed kiss me.

  Mr. Anderson: Wonderful, Froggie!

  Froggie: im not getting my hops up. princeses can B unreliable.

  Mr. Anderson: So this is interesting. It seems like everyone’s finding true love.

  BeastNYC: Not everyone.

  Grizzlyguy: He means SilentMaid. V sad.

  BeastNYC: Yeah. I miss her.

  Mr. Anderson: As I was saying…

  Froggie: OMG princes is heer GG wish me luk

  Froggie has left the chat.

  Mr. Anderson: Well, maybe we all should call it a night. Congrats to the happy couples. Will there be wedding bells soon?

  SnowGirl: Definitely. I mean, if you help a guy kill a dwarf, he should marry you.

  RoseRed: She was always like that, out to get something for herself.

  BeastNYC: Not for us right now. We’re still in hs. But someday….

  LilLindarose: Someday….

  BeastNYC: Anyway, night. And thanks for the support.

  BeastNYC has left the chat.

  * * *

  PART 6

  Happily Ever After

  1

  A minute later, when we stepped from the building, we saw the police cars surrounding the place. A crowd of people and news reporters from every station including my dad’s were there. And there was the guy, the lowlife pusher who’d been holding Lindy. He was talking to them.

  “It’s him!” he shouted when he saw us. “The beast that attacked me.”

  A buzz came from the crowd as they saw me, then saw I was no beast.

  “That’s the beast?” the female reporter from my dad’s station exclaimed.

  “He was different before. He had fangs and claws and…hair all over him.”

  The reporter turned to Lindy, obviously hoping to salvage her story. “Miss, did you see a beast?”

  “Of course not.” Lindy looked up at me. She touched my hair. “I never saw a beast. But that man…” She turned to the pusher. “He attacked me. He might have killed me, but this guy burst in and saved me.”

  “I told you,” the pusher yelled. “He’s the beast. It’s magic that changed him.”

  “Magic.” Lindy’s laugh was a little forced, a little fake. The crowd laughed too. “Magic and beasts only exist in fairy tales—or maybe drug-induced hallucinations. But heroes and villains are real.”

  Now the mic was in my face. “Did you see a beast?”

  “No. I didn’t see a beast.” I took the mic from the reporter, authoritative, like my dad would have been. “But if there’s a beast, maybe he’s just a regular guy with a skin condition or something. Maybe he just needs some understanding. Maybe we judge people too much by their looks because it’s easier than seeing what’s really important.”

  The reporter snatched the microphone back. “Well, that was sappy.” She turned away from me and spoke to the camera. “No leads in the mysterious case of a beastlike individual who terrorized subway passengers in Brooklyn tonight.”

  The crowd began to disperse. An officer grabbed the pusher. “Not so fast, buddy. I ran your ID. It seems you got a warrant outstanding…and we found that gun she was talking about.” He turned to Lindy and me. “Would you mind coming down to the station to give a statement about what happened?”

  “Not at all, officer,” I said, thinking how much that would piss off my father, not to mention how freaked he must have been by the whole “Beast in the Subway” story, especially when he saw coverage on his own station. He was probably sitting in my living room already.

  “I’ll go anywhere,” Lindy said, “as long as he goes with me.”

  The officer rolled his eyes. “Kids in love. Crazy.”

  He might have muttered something more, but I didn’t hear him. We were too busy, kissing.

  2

  It was hours before we returned home, but when we did, Dad was there, watching CBS Morning News. The slide behind the reporter said, BEAST IN THE SUBWAY?, and showed a wolflike creature. Dad’s tie was off. He looked rumpled.

  “You know anything about this, Kyle?” He gestured toward the television set, not seeming to notice the change in me.

  “Why would I?” I shrugged. “Obviously, I’m not a beast.”

  He looked up then. “No, you’re not, are you? When did that happen?”

  He meant did it happen before or after the news story. I didn’t answer his question. “Dad, this is Lin
dy.”

  “Nice to meet you, Lindy.” He gave her his best newscaster smile, at once managing to take in her Jane Austen T-shirt, old sneakers, and off-brand jeans while completely missing her face. Typical. Would it have killed him to make eye contact with her? “Well, this calls for a celebration. Shall I take you out for breakfast?”

  Also typical. Now that I was normal, he was all about spending time with me. I glanced at Lindy. She wrinkled her nose.

  “I don’t think so,” I said. “I have to go talk to Will and Magda since they’ve been with me the whole time. And then I’m gonna crash. I’ve been out all night.” I enjoyed the look on his face when I said that. “But hey, we’ll have to do it real soon.” Like, in a year or so.

  After he left, I went up to find Will.

  It was barely five, so of course Will was asleep when I knocked on the door. I knocked louder.

  “Adrian, maybe this should wait until later. He’s asleep.” Lindy leaned toward me. “And I can think of other ways to kill time. I missed you so much.”

  “Me too.” I kissed her. I thought of the winter. I’d been as dead as one of my roses, but I hadn’t wanted to admit it to myself. “But I need to talk to Will right now. It’s important. I think you’ll see why. I know he will.”

  I knocked harder. “Open up, sleepyhead.”

  From inside the door came a muffled voice. “Time’s it?”

  “Time to see the light. Open up!”

  “I’ll sic Pilot on you.”

  “He’s a helper dog, not a watchdog. Open the door.”

  At first, there was no other sound, and I thought he had gone back to sleep. Then, just as I was ready to bang on the door again, I heard footsteps. The door opened.

  I watched as the light hit Will’s eyes.

  “What the—” He looked left, then right, his eyes focusing on me like they never had before. “But how…who are you?”

  “It’s me, Adrian. And this is Lindy. Can you see us, bud?”

  “Yes. At least I think I can. But maybe it’s all a dream. You led me to believe you were hideous, a monster.”