Dollmaker

Chapter 9 ~ Belle ~

Belle was very beautiful. Or at least, that's what she'd always been told by her lover, Daniel. Well, not always. Whenever Belle would get hungry and eat, she became a fat pig. That's also what she's been told by Daniel. So Belle hardly ever ate, to maintain her beauty, as well as Daniel's love.

Today also, after she awoke and sat up, her head spun ever so slightly, and she felt like vomiting a little, but stood anyway. All around her room were mirrors of all shapes and sizes, decorated with rose buds. The smell of the roses had become a daily part of her life, and she'd learned to enjoy it, despite it's been making her feel sick lately. They were, after all, gifts from Daniel. When he had given them to her, he told her it was so that she could always admire her beauty and remember not to eat. Sometimes, Belle did indeed feel beautiful. Other times, however, she was far too hungry to care.

When Belle heard a loud knock on her door, her light-headedness went away, and she smiled weakly as Daniel's perfect, corpulent body pushed itself through the door. He smiled as well, revealing a row of brilliantly yellow teeth, graced with some sort of dark dirt. A bushy mustache, which had always made Belle's heart flutter, rested upon his top lip.

"Good morning, angel," Daniel said, the nice rotten smell of his breath reaching her, " You look beautiful today, as well, my sweet."

"Thank you," she said, her voice tiny and feeble. Happiness and pride filled her heart at his kind words. Today, her handsome prince was in a good mood.

"I brought you breakfast, little angel," Daniel said cheerfully, his tiny black eyes smiling with him. "You mustn't eat it all, however, or you won't be beautiful anymore, and that would disappoint me very much."

"I promise I won't," Belle answered, and meant it. She could only admire his pretty, fat fingers as he handed her a plate with two spoonfuls of porridge. She was so, so hungry. But she decided to obey him, only because he loved her so dearly, and disobeying him would hurt him. To cause pain to Daniel; Belle would rather die. She picked up her spoon and took a little bit of porridge to her mouth, savouring every moment of it, knowing she wouldn't get more food until the evening. Daniel nodded as she swallowed and then took the bowl away from her.

"Good, very good. It'd be best not to eat at all, but then you'd be sick. Still, look at how pretty your bones are, dear. They're simply gorgeous," he exclaimed, brimming over with enthusiasm as his scruffy hand glided across Belle's naked body, pausing at every bone which stuck out more. She shuddered and waited for a kiss, but it never came.

He stood up with some difficulty, huffed a little, and left the room, not before telling her to get dressed. She watched his large, wrinkled body leave her alone yet again, and felt a strong pang of dissatisfaction. He could've at least played with her a little. She deserved a reward for staying pretty. A spontaneous anger welled up inside her, and she suddenly wanted to punish Daniel for paying so little attention to her otherworldly beauty.

Her decision was reckless, and she'd risk becoming hideous. Hunger took over her frail body, and she quickly got dressed and ready to tiptoe into the kitchen. She had decided to eat some more, as punishment for Daniel. When she thought of his possible reactions, she couldn't help but snort. Like a pig.

She steadied herself, still dizzy, and began her interminable walk down the stairs. Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Don't fall! Right foot.

By the time she had arrived in the kitchen, which lay just under the staircase, Belle was leaking with fatigue and anticipation. A single apple stood on a plate in the middle of the counter, and Belle could no longer hold back, jumping on it like a starving dog. Tears fell from her eyes as she bit into the succulent fruit, it's sweet juice spraying her mouth. She took back what she had thought before. She didn't care, in that moment, if she'd cause Daniel pain and disappointment for this, because this feeling of freedom was so much better than anything she'd ever known. The feeling of knowing that she could have more than one bite. Belle felt unstoppable. And she was.

That is, she was until he stepped in and saw her feasting. In that moment, Belle froze in place, and could only gape at Daniel's features, scrunched up in rage. Before she could say anything, he moved toward her with a speed she hadn't known his oversized body could handle. Every step of his was like thunder and she was shaking.

He grabbed her throat first.

"HOW DARE YOU?" she could not speak up, so she just made a choking sound in her defense. He squeezed harder, his strength picking her from the ground. Her feet dangled in the air as she struggled to be set free, but with no use.

"YOUR BONES! YOUR BEAUTY! IT'LL BE GONE! YOU FAT, UGLY GIRL! LOOK AT THAT!" he screamed as he ripped open her dress to reveal a ribcage nearly popping through her thin, greenish skin. He wrapped his other hand around her upper body and squeezed. Belle coughed and let out a choked scream of pain. It was excruciating; like her body was being ripped apart. And the cracking sounds as he squeezed her even harder were undeniably the worst she had ever heard. With every forced breath, she was losing her strength. Slowly, her eyes closed and darkness surrounded her. All she could do was wait for the horrible cracking sounds and aching to grow fainter and fainter, until it went away completely.

Her body lie broken and swollen, more so than she had ever been, on the kitchen tiles. The beast who had been holding her had left to dine and Belle was, once again, alone.

Mini Author's Note: I felt so gross writing this chapter...it's so horrible. I also find Belle oddly unlikeable, despite her circumstances. Let me know what you think. (Also, the violence was necessary and don't worry, there will be plenty more violence against men, too ;) )