Beast within the Beauty || A Beauty and the Beast Retelling

Chapter Six || To Betray a Beast

The roses as well, they appeared dead and cold. It seemed they had snaked into the castle and were cleaving into the walls. It irked me, the vibrancy of the flowers in comparison to the bottomless darkness of the stems. They were such a bright red that a dull ache jabbed at me from behind my eyes. I stumbled, nearly bracing my hand against the walls laden with frost. But I pulled my hands towards me, pinching the bridge of my nose for a moment. I avoided stepping atop the decayed vines, placing my feet where the path was clear. I crossed my arms, gritting my teeth as to keep them chattering from the cold.

Skrrrrrrtt.

I nearly jumped from the nearness of the sound to my ears, whipping around to face the cause. Nothing moved and I had to squint in order to search for some change in my surroundings. The crust of dust and frost was my guide. Though I did not see any tracks, I spotted a set of marks on the wall. I did not dare go near it and determine its cause or confirm that it was indeed new.

With a thundering heart, I held a breath and continued—clutching imaginary daggers strapped at my wrists.

These rooms, along with the gardens, seemed to be omitted from the care of the housekeepers. I suspected the servants in charge of their upkeep had been killed on one premise or another. I crept further into the hall, wondering why that was. Farther and farther, deeper and deeper I walked, examining the torn walls which bore deep gashes. There were many a broken thing thrown throughout the hallway so I carefully stepped over or around any obstructions.

Eventually, I found a portrait that hung on the wall, though its canvas was torn into ribbons. I glanced around me, peering into the darkness on either side of me. Once I had made certain that no being had been stalking me, my eyes studied the visible bits of the painting. There was a person, perhaps a previous resident of the castle.

I extended my arm to lift the stiffened shreds as to match them to the rest of the portrait. My fingertip made contact with the tip of the minuscule ice crystals, cold enough that the ice was rigid and scraped against me.

The growls of an animal sounded through the hall, reverberating around the wall until they had crept into my ear. I froze.

Run. Run. Run.

Slowly, so very slowly, turned to face the creature that, with every passing moment, prowled closer towards me. It foamed at the mouth, muzzle wrinkled in angry snarls.

I was aware of the exact moment the slinking wolf-fiend ceased his growling and lunged off his hind legs.

I darted around it, escaping the corner in which it attempted to capture me. No sooner, I found a larger beast staring back at me with the same menacing stance. I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes flitting between the two creatures—glancing as two multiplied to four and increased to six and enlarged to numbers I did not want to know.

They did not attack me, only remained in their stances, their muscled hind legs folded beneath their hollow bodies. I was certain their bones have been broken for a great many of their limbs were twisted and folded in revolting angles. I fought to remain standing for my legs shook violently and my knees threatened to give way.

With a blood curling snarl, a creature lunged at me, its front legs embedding into my shoulders as I fell back and kicked it square in the stomach. I wasted no time in getting to my feet, sprinting past the wolf-beasts.

I felt the pressure against my back before I felt the warmth of my blood. I yelled my throat hoarse as I slammed into the ice-crusted floors, the air forced out of my lungs. The creature growled from above me, curling its claws into my back as to keep me from escaping. I squeezed my eyes shut, grinding my teeth to dust. The moment its paws dug further into my flesh, I knew it was about to bite down on my throat.