A Beauty Among Beasts

by Melanie Gabrell

  “I see you eyeing that woman,” Walter jested. The two men were patrolling the square as they normally did; however, it wasn’t as enjoyable in the cold as it was in the springtime. The only thing that kept them going was the activity in the square. They could watch people come and go, and that’s how Walter became so good at reading people, and their secrets.

  “That’s Anna Klein’s sister, Gwen. I haven’t seen her around until lately. Normally it’s Anna who does the errands.” His answer was quick, and his flushed face gave him away.

  Gwen was walking towards the bakery, using the same route Anna usually took. Unlike Anna, she was covered in winter clothes—coat, hat, gloves, and scarf, making her resemble a cotton ball. She noticed them looking her way and suddenly her face grew red, and she turned away quickly with a brief wave.

  Walter knew of the Kleins, a previously wealthy family who had lost their fortunes. A common girl for a common man, he mused, with secrets to boot. “You should ask her out on a date if you fancy her,” he offered with a sly grin. As much as he wished Tolkien well, he also didn’t mind a good show.

  Henry took a step back, clearly embarrassed. “Well, uh, I already—”

  “Already asked her? And she said no? Come on, brother. I think she’s playing hard to get. When’s the last time you went out with a woman?” Walter asked.

  “Well, a few months. Not all of us can find a perfect girl right off the street like you,” Henry said with a laugh.

  “I’m also almost twice your age. Marriage isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be anyway,” Walter said, looking into the distance. “Love fades. You know what doesn’t fade? Money.” He grinned and knocked his elbow into Henry, almost sending him right over.

  Henry regained his footing. “You mean to say you would trade love for power?”

  “On the contrary, young man. I love power. I can be whatever I want to, and I am doing rather well with that. You can too if you put your eggs in the right basket. I did and now I have a promotion.”

  “Yet, here you are next to me!” Henry offered his own grin and Walter noticed his cleverness had boosted his confidence. “Regardless, I beg to differ,” Henry continued, speaking his mind—a rare occasion. “Love is life; isn’t having and raising a family the goal of life?”

  Walter scoffed but did not answer. They looked away from each other and back out into the town square, their patrol area. There was brotherhood between them, but Walter knew he was wiser, and better. He could hardly deal with all his nonsense.

  Henry would never reach Walter’s position, and that wasn’t an opinion, that was a fact. They represented their aspirations fairly; Walter, who volunteered for his family’s sake and found pleasure in his post, and Henry, doing what he believed was his duty to his nation. Pride and honor, respectfully. Their town, however, was too small to accommodate more officers, so any others were appropriately relocated to nearby cities. That left the two men to often patrol together.

  The only reason for which he did envy Henry, was in his contentment. Henry was happy where he was, to do his job and help others. Walter knew he wasn’t quite where he wanted to be, but he was making his way. His aspirations were high.

  Walter thought of his wife, Lina. She was dull to him. Over a decade of marriage and he failed to see her as he once had; though, he still cared for her in some ways. But Margot… She was something else. She was one of the few who knew the truths of the world. She had fire, passion, and a drive to create a better world—though she hadn’t told him her plans just yet. She said she would when the time was right, and so far she hadn’t steered him wrong. Together they could be great one day.

  It had all started for him when he discovered, against his better judgement, that he was good at killing. Margot was the first, and only one, he ever told. Instead of judging him, she encouraged him.

  A quick shot to the back of the neck was the best way to ensure a quick death, and Walter reveled in it. It was only for the deserving, and kind. His parents had not been spared quick deaths, and he watched them turn into shells of their being before their disease finally claimed them. Death was a powerful thing, and Walter was afraid of it; he was afraid of the pain. Becoming a master of death, though, that was something incredible.

  Now, he was a god amongst men, fertilizing the future of Germany for his children to thrive. Walter had been at the roundups before he was assigned to cleanse his hometown. Surely, more would die, but he would not.

  “Maybe I will ask her out again,” Henry said, interrupting Walter’s thoughts.

  Henry was fiddling with his gloves, a habit he had picked up over their time together. Once the cold started to seep in, Henry became antsy.

  A familiar figure approached them with hips swaying side to side. Walter knew it well.

  “Guten morgen,” Margot said through bright red lips.

  “Margot, what a pleasant surprise,” Walter greeted her with a bow. Henry simply waved in her direction with a shy smile, clearly uncomfortable.

  “Hi, Henry, dear,” she sang. “Walter, what do you say to dinner tonight, to talk some business?” When Henry looked away, she placed a delicate hand on his arm and added, “You are welcome too, of course, Henry.”

  “Of course I’ll be there,” Walter replied quickly, slightly put off by the additional invitation to Henry. But to his delight, Henry shook his head and politely declined the invitation.

  “Well, Henry, you are welcome to join us any time.” Margot pinched his arm and looked to Walter. “What time will you be ready, Walt?”

  “As soon as I’m done, say five o’clock?”

  He was more than ready to tell his wife he would have another late night at the office.

  “So, what were you saying to your little friend that was getting him so worked up today?” Margot rested her head on her hands.

  The small restaurant Walter and Margot were in was surprisingly packed for a Wednesday, but it made them feel invisible in their little corner.

  “Oh, you heard that? He’s young and a bit delusional. He has a crush on a Klein twin. He recently asked out the curly-haired one and she said no.”

  “Ooh, how terrible. Tell me more,” she said, as expected. Always one for gossip.

  “Well, apparently the one, Anna—they don’t look identical by the way—used to come to market every morning but she got a job recently away at some castle with some creepy hermit, as Gwen described him the other day. And the—”

  “Creepy hermit? What do you mean by that?” Margot asked, intrigued.

  “Not my words, Gwen’s. She talks too much. I wish it was still the other girl who went around. Though I will say, Gwen hasn’t been stopping to talk as much lately. I think Henry did something stupid, they act all embarrassed when they see each other.”

  “Ooo, how interesting. Do tell me more about the twins love lives and the hermit who lives in a castle. Is this a real story or are you trying to trick me?”

  “Mar, you know I’m not in a joking mood,” Walter said, giving her a stern look. But her sly smile turned his stomach. “It’s true. There’s some old military man in the woods who no one talks to. I’ve even brought it up to my superiors. They say he’s okay but won’t give me any info. I think he’s paying someone off to leave him alone. He apparently took one of the girls in to help the Klein family. But he lives in some castle that Gwen swears is enchanted. Personally, I think they are all a little crazy. I’ve lived in this town forty years and never saw a giant castle in the woods, though I have heard of the guy. But, more importantly, I have dirt on the family. Their hiding something.”

  “What kind of something?”

  “That little one, her name is Effie. She is a Jew, as your records show. Remember I mentioned her back in the office? I believe they are hiding her, she’s not their real daughter. There was a rumor that the family’s youngest daughter died, and then just reappeared a few days after. It was when people started fleeing. You remember, right? I just need a reason to take her. Same
with the rest who are left.”

  “I think I know just the thing,” Margot smirked and took a sip of her drink. “But is your little friend going to miss his twins? We can’t leave them, you know; they will have to go too.”

  Walter thought for a moment. “He needs to learn at some point that his delusions will crumble. Besides, a family like that can’t be trusted.”

  Margot smiled.

  “And why do you care for Henry so much?” Walter didn’t care that his jealousy was showing.

  “I don’t know,” Margot shrugged, looking pleased with his concern.

  Chapter 12

  Leon

  No one else had ever had a penchant for Leon’s books, he mused, pouring himself a glass of wine and settling into the armchair in his study. Not that anyone had really had the opportunity to explore his books, or his castle, quite as much as Anna had.

  He couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes lit up when she entered the room for the first time, before she’d noticed him. He dared to let himself steal a glance in her direction just once and found it had become a habit. As a man of the shadows, he took pleasure in those stolen moments that belonged to the individual. He used to feel guilty, but her passion for books sparked something within him, something from the past. His sister loved books.

  It was her eyes that had somehow persuaded him to desire her company, there was life in those bright green eyes, life that he longed for. Do I want to destroy it? He asked himself bitterly. Or am I so bold as to think that I want to be part of it? He had left human life behind; though he desired the substance that makes life. Since Anna arrived, he was beginning to feel revived. He felt strong, attractive, and capable. It was a new feeling.

  There was something else about life, something he could no longer quite put his finger on. To take life? To have life? To join life? What is it I want? It was the first time he had questioned it in years.

  He had vague memories of love, and the thing he felt when her eyes lit up reminded him of that. Did he want to join her life? Did he want to love her?

  That’s ridiculous, he told himself, taking a sip. He did not know love anymore, nor would he ever. He was cursed.

  His curse had been set by a creature of myth—a Mare of Norse folklore. Only a handful of individuals were privileged to ever see proof of its existence, and Leon was one of those unlucky few, for to see a Mare never ended well; it meant death, or worse, a curse.

  Why had he even asked Anna there anyway? He might’ve lied to himself about the reason, that he wanted to cheer the place up and have some company, but it didn’t matter anymore. He had other motives, and she was there regardless.

  He took another large gulp of his drink. He was thinking too much. He stared at the crystal glass and its intoxicating contents. It was a deep red wine—a special blend—locally made from a seller he met a few years back. That was the first time he invited someone to stay. He thought about the liquor store owner, then. Leon had single handedly made sure his store stayed afloat during those rough years, for a price, of course. The price, he eventually discovered, mixed well with the wine, creating a decadent blend of wine and blood.

  Leon swished the liquid around the glass as a shadow moved into the room. It was his dog, Luna, with fur black as night and steps just as quiet.

  Luna would never judge him, no matter what he was. She was the same—a monster.

  Leon knew he was nothing more than a monster with a human face and she a monster with a dog’s face. Anna wouldn’t last long, they never did; the monster within him always resurfaced.

  Chapter 13

  Anna

  “Hey! Anna! How are you doing?” Gwen yelled down the hall. It was the first time she had reached out to Anna in weeks, outside of a wave. Truly, Anna had been talking to Joe more, which was shocking considering how busy he was. He often caught her in the hall, as he’d done a few minutes prior, and stood beside her as Gwen called out.

  “Ah, the princess remembers you, I see.” Joe shook his head.

  “Give her a break, Joe,” Anna said and elbowed him.

  “Ow! I was just joking.”

  “And I was just elbowing.” Anna grinned.

  The halls were crowded, and Anna could barely see Gwen from where she stood. She pushed her way through to her sister, leaving Joe to go about his business.

  “Hey!” Anna gave a warm smile.

  “So? How is it, the castle?”

  “It’s ... good,” Anna replied, but as the words came out of her mouth, something caught in her throat. The words didn’t taste right, sour almost. Strangely, she realized in that moment she had never said anything specific about it to Joe either.

  “Are you sure about that? Your face says otherwise.”

  “Yea, but something’s weird. I just ... can’t place my finger on it.” Anna shook her head. “Just ignore me.” Gwen was pretty good at that anyway.

  “They are treating you okay, right?” Gwen asked, switching her books to the other arm and pointing. “By the way, you’ve got something on your neck, just there.”

  “Yea, it’s just ... very quiet, I guess.” Anna wasn’t even sure what she was getting at. She could only remember the castle, its beauty, the food—the library. It felt like there was something more, though, but that was all she could come up with. She raised her hand to her neck to feel for anything strange.

  Elizabeth shouted then from afar, bringing Anna back to school, away from Gwen and away from her neck.

  “I’ve got to go,” Gwen said and gave Anna a quick hug with her open arm. “We will catch up later!”

  “When?” Anna asked excitedly.

  “Well, actually, not later ... I’m meeting up with Liza. But soon! You can tell me all about it.” Gwen hugged her again before running off with her friend.

  The bell rang, and the halls began to empty, leaving Anna alone. She didn’t move. She stood, against the wall, subtly aware of her surroundings and a dull ache in her neck. Why couldn’t she remember?

  There was the castle, immaculate meals, Leon. But she could only remember the sights and the sounds of the day. Details about him, about the castle, they were hazy. What color were his eyes? He was tall with dark hair, the rugs were beautiful, but what about the rest? Then there was the night ... every night, was gone.

  How had she not thought of it before? It had already been two weeks. She had been coming to school, but no one had really asked about it in detail. Or if they did, she dodged the question. Though, not too many people really knew where she had been or the job she had taken. It wasn’t like she had told anyone other than her family and Joe.

  Anna turned to her locker and grabbed her books. She was the last one to leave the building.

  The main school building was an old structure from the 1800s. Many of the buildings in their small town were built by the families who still resided there, whose ancestors built what they needed. Families carried down the traditions and trades of their fathers before them. The Nazi paraphernalia that had begun to cover it looked out of place. Even the sports field next to the school didn’t quite complement its old appeal.

  It was rare to see the field empty, but there were no sports in session that time of year. It was the rare pause they had, but it was the last day before a short break.

  There was no rush for Anna to return to the castle. She walked towards the empty field. On the other side was a patch of trees, and beyond that the town square, and then her home. There would be no harm in taking a detour to see her father and Effie, even when Gwen wasn’t there.

  The lack of students running through the track was reminiscent of another time, before the regime, before the rigorous obsession with purity and physique. The snow blanketed the field, erasing the markers that even identified what it was. All that was left, was a large beautiful school of old stone next to a white field against the woods beyond.

  Anna’s stomach gurgled as she walked. She hadn’t eaten much that day, she realized. She could wait to eat, though. Th
ere were shops nearby and she would pass them to get home, but she decided that when she got back to the castle she would have something to eat.

  It was starting to snow again, which covered the tracks of those who had walked the snow before her. Even her own tracks had begun to disappear beneath the fresh powder. It was serene.

  She found the small path that lead home between the trees and made her way through. The snowfall dulled the sounds of the town in the strange way a fresh snow does, but the trees created an even more solid barrier between Anna and the real world.

  The trees, too, were of another time. They had large trunks that reached up to the sky and branches that weaved in and out of each other, making room for their family which over the many years grew intertwined. It made her feel suddenly very small.

  Her breath came out in puffs and she could feel the rosiness in her cheeks. Walking felt good; it reminded her of her morning walks. It hadn’t been long, but she felt different than she had when she lived at home. Now that she thought about it, her body felt different, too.

  The color in her cheeks grew stronger and the heat radiated through her body. She lifted her hands to warm them with her breath. They were the only thing still cold, and she noticed there was a slight shake to them. When she held them out in front of her and the fingers on her right hand quivered.

  The trees seemed to loom over her more menacingly than serene, and her path no longer appeared clear. She felt strange—what was wrong with her? She was weak and leaned on the tree next to her for support before she began to see black spots.

  Her knees collapsed beneath her and she closed her eyes. It felt better and relieved some of her dizziness, but before she could think to open them once more, the darkness spread to consume her consciousness.

  Chapter 14

  Gwen

  Gwen stood by the door of the restaurant, searching for her friend Liza, who was nowhere to be seen. She wondered if she had gotten the day or the time wrong. She had been quite busy lately, after all, but that was the reason she so desired to meet with Liza that night. She hadn’t been able to go out with a friend in a while, and her time had been even more restricted as of late, if that were even possible. She’d received so many new and wonderful things from her father’s client, but nowhere to wear them.