The older sister nodded furiously.
It looked like they were having a lot of fun at my expense, and I just couldn’t stand that. Not when I was about to die at a beast’s hands—or claws or mouth or whatever—for God’s sake.
Suddenly, I found the strength to stand. With my head held high, I marched toward them, which unsurprisingly, frightened them senseless. They even started screaming their heads off the moment they saw my murderously glinting eyes and my raised hand, ready to slap them.
But of course, their shrieks had drawn the attention of the two men guarding the room outside, and they banged the door open and rushed in immediately.
The moment they saw me, they came to a sudden stop and simply stared at me like they had never seen me before. Well, of course, they had never seen me before. I was locked up in the basement of the manor for eighteen years, after all.
I noted one was swallowing hard as his eyes trailed from my face down to my chest and lower. Suddenly, I felt a little sick to the stomach, and my head felt a little dizzy. My whole body started to shake when one started to come toward me, and then grabbed my wrist. He pulled me to him and I gasped in surprise. God, but the heat exuding from his body made me even sicker. I was so frightened that I struggled hard for him to release me, but he wouldn’t let me go. The other one came to grab my other wrist, too, and I screamed in reaction.
“Let me go! Let me go!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, tears in my eyes.
When they still refused, I bit into one hand, hard. The man yelped and released me instantly. When I was about to do the same to the other, he quickly let go of my hand before I could give him the same treatment. In the process, I found myself falling back and slipped on the wet marble floor. In the flick of an instant, I fell into the pool.
I struggled as I tried to regain my composure in the water, and once I did, I was completely wet again from head to toe.
The two men were still staring at me with those hungry eyes that scared me to my bones. I knew I looked very naked with this flimsy garment, all wet and clinging to my skin, so I hugged myself to cover as much as I could.
I was about to get out of the pool and find somewhere to hide, when my father and grandfather walked in, along with a beautiful woman and a few other people dressed in fine garments. I assumed they were of noble blood, here to attend the much-anticipated ceremony, an offering of a maiden to the magical beast.
Grandfather took one look at me and sneered in disgust. He shouted in rage, “Get her ready. The ceremony starts now.” He turned to glare at the two men and snapped, “Get yourself under control!”
With that, he was gone, followed by everyone else, except for the two maids who came toward me and dragged me out of the pool. Without even considering getting me a dry, decent garment to change into, they led me out the door.
The moment I stepped outside, a blast of cold air touched my wet skin and I sucked in my breath. As I tried to keep up with their hurried steps, I noticed a thick crowd of people down below in the immaculately kept courtyard.
In their hands were lit torches, pushing back the darkness of the night, while they cheered and sang at the sight of me. Obviously, they were happy to see me go. They were overjoyed, in fact, to sacrifice me to a beast.
When I came down the stairs, I noted the prison-like carriage that I assumed was for me. I wasn’t wrong and was roughly nudged to climb into the vehicle; as I was doing so, I didn’t miss the men’s eyes on me, leering at me like I was something out of this world, something they had never seen before. Again, their dark gazes made me feel sick to the stomach, and I felt disgusted.
Suddenly, I wanted to cry. Oh, God, how was I to escape this now? How was it that I could willingly go to my death in such a way? Where was my will to fight for survival? Mother would be very upset and saddened at my sudden weakness. I was supposed to be smart, and have a strong will. I was supposed to creatively come up with a way of escape in order to live my own life. But I couldn’t do any of those things, and I was very upset at my own incompetence.
Tears welled in my eyes as I heard the door of the carriage being shut and locked behind me. It wasn’t long until the parade started, moving along the main road of the village, with my grandfather and father on horseback, leading the crowd.
That journey toward the Forbidden Forest to the south of the village—a place I had heard of many times from Mother but had never seen—was both so short and so long at the same time.
As we got closer, I stared mindlessly ahead of me at the beautiful aurora that blazed across the sky just above the forest itself. I was going to die soon, and despite that I wanted to escape, both my body and brain were paralyzed in fear.
We were at the edge of the forest now, and as the crowd slowed, I noticed that the aurora was part of a barrier between the village land and that of the forest. It looked as though it was acting like a gate between two worlds; this prosperous village and the Forbidden Forest where the magical beast ruled.
During my childhood I had heard people gossiping that in that forest was more than just the magical beast, who was over a thousand years old, with a wolf-like body, and a frightening, menacing demonic face. In that forest, there were many other monsters and unknown creatures, too. If a human of the village were to wander aimlessly into that world and get caught, he would be killed and devoured for sure.
Beast. Monsters. Unknown creatures. The very words only managed to incite more fear into my being.
When we came to a stop, I found myself shaking with anxiety. Oh, God. Oh, God. I was going to be eaten by a beast any moment now.
I stayed in the prison of the carriage as my grandfather performed some sort of ceremony, praying quietly and then chanting loudly. When he was done some moments later, the crowd cheered and shouted, “Prosperity and wealth for the village! Prosperity and wealth for the village!”
Suddenly, the carriage door was unlocked and then opened with a clang, which made me jump in fright. A stern-looking elderly man caught me by the arm and roughly pulled me out. I stumbled down and fell onto my knees, scraping my skin against the rough earth in the process. He pulled me up and snapped, “Get moving!”
I stumbled on my feet a couple more times because I was so scared; my mind was numb, and my body couldn’t move properly. When I found myself in front of my so-called grandfather and father, I regained some of my senses.
I just didn’t know what to say or think, but I did know that I didn’t want these people to prosper, the people who had never been kind to me or my mother. The people who had always treated us like rubbish.
I said, tears in my eyes, “I hope you all rot in hell.”
My so-called grandfather said, “This village will prosper. We will prosper, and now off with you.” He raised his hands up to the heavens and shouted, “Beast, take our offering and give us wealth and prosperity!”
Suddenly, the sky above us rumbled and lightning flashed. The aurora behind me burned even brighter, in brilliant colors. I didn’t miss the many expectant pairs of eyes on me, as Grandfather leaned toward me and shoved me, offering me without my consent to the magical beast of the Forbidden Forest.
The Beast
I was falling backward, and I thought I was going to die at that instant, but then I felt a pair of strong, muscular hands around my waist. Behind me, I felt a body enveloping me, embracing me. All around me was darkness, and the night air was cool on my skin as I kept falling into the abyss. To me, it seemed like forever, and I suddenly wondered if perhaps I was falling deep into the underworld where the devil himself resided.
Just when I thought this was going to be endless, I suddenly felt the speed slow. It was as if I were floating now, as if I were being levitated in midair. Then I landed softly on the cool grass beneath me. Just as instantly, the warmth of a body and the arms around my waist disappeared, and replacing those were emptiness and cold air.
I shivered and wanted the heat back. I wanted to be hugged and bask in the warmth of that m
uscular body which had felt so welcoming and comforting, like I had been embraced in Mother’s arms during the night.
Feeling abandoned, I sat up, my heart starting to race as I darted my gaze from left to right, and then behind me, wondering where I was. Surely, I was in the Forbidden Forest, the home of the magical beast? Surely, I wasn’t in hell where the devil resided?
I clutched the flimsy material of my garment about my middle, my body shivering from both the cold and fear.
“Hello?” I managed to squeak out into the endless darkness that surrounded me. “Anyone here? Hello?”
My own voice echoed back at me, which was followed by a complete and utter silence, which scared the living daylights out of me.
I waited as I inhaled and exhaled deeply, my heart pounding fast and furious in my chest, and my body shaking like a leaf in the storm.
“Hello?” I raised my voice this time, though it was very shaky. When there was no reply, I assumed no one was around, and I started walking.
God, I had no idea which way I was going nor did I know what was in front of me, but I kept going, nonetheless.
It wasn’t long before I saw the glittering of lights, like tiny dots of stars, a little distance in front of me. Feeling like there was hope, I started running toward it, and as I got closer, I realized that it was the aurora barrier separating this world from the village.
Or was it the village on the other side? I didn’t know and I didn’t care, just as long as I could get myself out of this side and away from the beast that was expecting me.
I started running, my bare feet cold on the grass and dirt. Oh, God, yes, I was getting closer. Soon, I’d be saved. Soon, I’d be able to escape, not only from the harsh treatment of the village people and its leader, my blood-relatives, but from the beast as well. Soon, I’d be free.
My heart soared with a renewed sense of hope, and for the first time in a very long time, I smiled.
In a few more steps, I’d reach the aurora barrier. In a few more steps, I’d reach my new world, my new life.
But then…
Then the sound of a deeply timbred voice came, echoing all around me. His chuckle of amusement made my body shiver in trepidation, and I found myself collapsing onto my knees right there on the dirty ground, with the barrier mere inches from me.
Suddenly, I felt a strong, powerful presence behind me, getting closer. I couldn’t hear his footsteps, but I just knew he was right there, inches from me, watching me with his monster-like eyes.
I felt so much fear within me that I was petrified. Oh, God, was he going to eat me now?
“Hmm… What have we here? It seems my prize is trying to run away?” His voice echoed around me like some magical force that paralyzed me in my spot. He chuckled in amusement, as if he found my dire situation entertaining. “That won’t do.”
Suddenly, I felt the wind swoosh around me. I held my breath as I felt his hand touching the strands of my hair.
“Hmm? Silver?”
I shut my eyes and prayed for courage. I knew I had to act fast if I didn’t want to be killed. Eaten.
When I opened my eyes again, the beast was edging ever closer to me, my hair still in his hand. Then I acted. I leaped up and started running like the devil was chasing after me. Indeed, a beast was chasing after me.
Despite the lack of sounds of his footsteps, I felt the movement of his powerful being behind me, and the echoing of his deep voice that seemed to be teasing me. He was chuckling again, his voice getting louder behind me, which told me that he was getting closer.
Blindly I ran, my feet fast and light. God, I had no idea where I was going but I knew I had to escape this beast’s claws if I wanted to survive. If I wanted to live.
I sprinted past bushes and trees, with only the moon and aurora light above me as guidance. I even did a twist and turn route to confuse him, but this only seemed to amuse him even more.
Suddenly I tripped, and found myself tumbling, and then I fell.
I. Just. Fell.
Down the cliff—I knew I was going to die.
How stupid could I get? I was falling down a cliff while trying to escape a beast. Perhaps it was meant to be that I was supposed to die tonight? If it wasn’t due to a beast eating me, then it would be falling down a cliff.
As I fell, I screamed until I couldn’t scream anymore, until my voice died by itself. As tears burned in my eyes, I thought that at least now I would get to see Mother up in heaven.
And then whop! A manly body caught me, his powerful arms around my small waist as he pulled me against him.
God, I could feel the strength of him and his muscular body against me as I stared at this masked man before me.
Instead of falling, I was floating up toward the sky, the male embracing me. As we got higher, the light from both the moon and the aurora was brighter, shining on us, on this person in front of me.
I could only stare at him, both in fear and fascination. I noted that he had dark hair, and he was wearing a demonic mask that frightened me to my bones. And yet…
Yet, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I decided then that it was his eyes, the color of a leaf I had seen in summer, that fascinated me, that held me mesmerized. Those eyes, they glinted and shone with amusement as they gazed at me.
When I realized that I was so high up and that I might fall if he were to let me go, I hastily wrapped my arms around his neck, which only incited another chuckle of amusement from him.
His skin beneath my touch was firm, toned, and warm, which suddenly made me feel self-conscious.
Was he the magical beast of the Forbidden Forest? I wondered. The one I was supposed to be sacrificed to? But he had human form, and was certainly not ghastly terrifying, with a beastly wolf-body as I had imagined him to be. The villagers must be wrong, then? I mean, he looked just like any normal man. Well, except for that mask. The villagers certainly had that right. The word grotesque didn’t even begin to describe the thing. Most would surely be terrified at seeing such a bloodcurdling mask of a face.
I had to admit also, that he wasn’t just like any normal man. Yes, physically, he was big and very masculine, with strong arms and body, but deep within his being there was this powerful aura, like a sort of magic, that I could sense. I had no idea how I could have felt or known this, but I did.
I licked my lower lip, my eyes still fixed on his demonic mask. I finally mustered the courage to speak and asked, “Are you the beast?”
His gaze intent on my face, he nodded his head. “Yes, I am. The beast of the Forbidden Forest.”
His deep voice made me shiver in an odd way that made my body warm.
I swallowed hard at his answer. Then I said, “But you don’t look like a beast. You don’t even have the beastly body you’re supposed to have…like the villagers said.”
I thought I heard a chuckle from him, but I could be wrong. I mean, I was rather busy being terrified, especially regarding the beast himself and the height at which we were currently at. We were high up in the sky, after all. If we were to fall? God, I just didn’t want to think about it.
I tightened my arms around his shoulders and begged, “Please don’t kill me.”
I noted that his eyes were still intent on my face. God, I wanted to know what his expression was. Then again, could I even tell what his expression was if he were to take off his mask? He was a beast, after all, and surely, a beast had no emotion? Let alone expression. But what about that amused tone? The amused laughter I had heard earlier?
He released one arm from my waist and I panicked, gasping in fright. I tightened my arms around his neck again so that I wouldn’t fall.
Suddenly, he touched my small chin with his free hand and tilted my face toward the light. He seemed to be staring at me for a while, and once again, I wanted to know what his expression was. More importantly, I wanted to know what his thoughts were.
Was he now deciding how best to eat me? Was that why he was scrutinizing me so intensely?
&n
bsp; God, I didn’t want to be killed, and I swallowed hard at the very thought of my death. I pleaded again, my voice shaking in trepidation, “Please don’t kill me; I beg you. Spare my life.”
He leaned his face toward me then, and asked, “Do you wish to live?”
I nodded furiously. “Yes. Yes, I do wish to live. Will you spare my life?”
He leaned his face even closer now and my heart pounded even harder in my chest. Suddenly, I was aware that his thumb was on my lip, pressing hard against it, rubbing it. I blinked, wondering what he was doing. Why was he touching my lips like that?
Though it was quite painful with the way he applied pressure on my lips and poked his finger into my mouth, I held back the whimper and groan that was desperate to come out.
“Very well,” he said at last, releasing my lips and mouth. “I will spare your life.”
His wonderful words sang all around me like the warmth of the sunshine, and I smiled gratefully at him. Happy tears of joy welled in my eyes as I nodded my head. I couldn’t believe it. The beast was letting me go. He wasn’t going to kill me. He wasn’t going to eat me.
“Thank you so much, my lord beast,” I said. “I…I don’t know how to thank you.”
I was so happy that my mind started wandering off, thinking of my freedom, of the things that I didn’t have to do anymore, but more so of the things that I could do and accomplish. I could travel to another village or town, or even city and kingdom. I could meet new people and find work that didn’t require me to be locked up in a basement. I could do so many things.
“However,” he said, which drew my attention to him again. “You are an offer made to me. I am a magical beast, sweetheart.”
I blinked. Did the beast just refer to me as “sweetheart”? Only my mother called me that. Only she and no one else, so why was this beast calling me that?
He continued, “I will not kill you, my sweet, but I will have your beautiful body at my every command. I will have your nectar whenever I desire.”
The Beast and I: Volume 1 Page 2