THE KEEPER [Beauty & The Beast retelling]

Bed for the Weary

The stairs went on and on till Mona felt she couldn't stand her muscles burning any longer. She wasn't the fittest of a person after all. Suddenly, the stairs fell as if collapsing right in front of her eyes and transformed into a long corridor with doors upon mahogany doors lined up like an old dorm wing of colleges dating back.

She stepped gingerly towards the corridor, remembering something about going to her room. And then it struck her, Lucifer had never said go back to her room, but simply go to her room. From the way the 'house' of the devil was working so far, Mona figured it only showed where she was allowed to go, or supposed to go. What awaited her in the room was anyone's guess really, but somehow it felt like the only thing she could do. Thus, she began trying out handle after handle on the doors of many a room that she eventually lost count. Then suddenly, as was a habit of the place, one door swung open at the mere touch.

Mona peered in, scared. Only to find that it was a very cozy room with a large four post bed that seemed definitely larger than king size. It was laid out with fresh red linen. The left wall of the room featured a fireplace almost as tall as her, and inside was a kindling just beginning to catch on. The opposite side from the fireplace was a smallish door in comparison, ajar. No windows, Mona noticed. Of course not. They were underground beneath tons and tons of dirt.

The old high backed fabric chair in front of the fireplace had something she recognized. Her satchel. The one she had been carrying the night in the tunnel. She ran to it to confirm that it was hers. Inside were her wallet, mobile phone, and other bits and bobs like a bottle of hand sanitizer and she found some comfort in them. No sooner had Mona sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching her bag that she felt drowsy. Her eyelids got heavy and she soon found herself curling up in bed. Asleep.

When she woke the next morning, at least she assumed it was the morning, there was a small breakfast trolley with a bountiful of food waiting. On the bed, just near her feet was a gorgeous teal dress laid out with a note on it. She reached for it and read.

'For the lady.'

Nothing more, nothing less. Just three little words in the most elegant handwriting she'd ever seen.

Mona had no other choice but to wear the teal dress. After all, it's not like she had had time to pack her own clothes. Not that clothes meant anything in hell. For all she knew, everyone could be simply walking around in their birthday suit. Mona couldn't do that, no. Hence the dress. Her only option besides the red gown she'd been wearing last night. Unfortunately for her, her cafe uniform was still back in the slab room. She would have happily gotten back into those if she could.

She was famished, so she finished the breakfast too. What the hell? It's not like she could really escape the place. At that moment, the room had no other doors but the one to the attached bathroom. Almost as if reading her mind, a tall, ornate door appeared as if a mirage right in front of her eyes. Mona leaped to her feet. Was she meant to leave the room, or had it just read her mind and given her something she'd hoped for? Curious, she tiptoed to it. Her hand shakily reaching for the handle when she suddenly stopped. She could hear whispers of people talking outside in the hallway. There were others! Other people like her maybe. Maybe other passengers waiting in the subway. Perhaps a train had derailed and they'd all died. Perhaps, the reason nothing made sense was cause she was in a coma in a hospital somewhere, and she was, unfortunately, having very lucid dreams. Perhaps.

Mona slowly pushed the handle down and pulled the door slightly open. She could hear a group of voices. At least three different individuals she figured. Two male, one female. She dared pull the door open wider and poke her head out, hoping to catch a glimpse of the people and determine if they were friendly or otherwise. As soon as Mona spied the corridor, the voices stopped. Mona looked both left and right of the corridor. To her surprise, the corridor was no longer a mile long but held only a handful of doors. There was nothing in the corridor but for two lamps hanging either side of the wall near her door, and a maintenance broom leaning against the wall opposite her door. Nothing there that had a voice, let alone speak. Unless...

The thought sent a shiver down her spine. Unless there were 'ghosts' Mona finished her thought in a shaky voice. Just like her. Another lost soul in Lucifer's beautiful but crafty home.

'Hello?' She inched her head further out into the corridor. 'Anybody there?'

She swore she caught the broom right in her line of sight give a short shake. So there were ghosts, Mona concluded. Ghosts that could make brooms shake and the lamps swing ever so slightly on their chains.

Mona swallowed and locked herself back up again in her room. She needed a plan. A way of getting out of wherever it was that she'd suddenly ended up.

Mona paced and paced the length of the room so much so that she knew it took her exactly 35 steps from the fireplace to the bathroom. She had continued hearing the voices for about an hour after having locked herself back in the room. But since then and now, hours had passed, and she was beginning to lose patience.

'What is this place?' She mumbled, her hands balling into fists. 'And why am I here?'

'Its my home,' suddenly, Lucifer was standing right in front of her that she had so little time to stop her marching. She bumped into him with enough force for her to be pushed back a step. He smiled. Not a smug smile, but a warm one. Not that Mona could keep looking at him. In this room, with its plenty light, Mona was terrified from the sheer size of him. 'And you are here because someone traded their own life for yours, Mona Belle.'

Mona's jaw dropped. 'How do you know my name?'

'I told you earlier. I know much more than that.'

'And where is here?'

Lucifer stared at her a while. 'Why aren't you asking who traded your life instead?'

Mona swallowed. She hadn't really had a peachy life and knew bad luck tended to follow her where she went. 'Because it's not like I can do anything about it here and now.'

Lucifer considered her. 'You're not scared?'

Mona shook her head defiantly but couldn't look him in the eye to make it convincing. 'You haven't harmed me yet.'

'I don't intend to.'

Mona suddenly looked up. What did he mean? She wanted to ask him, but she couldn't form those words. Besides, he's probably already read her thought. At this, the beast smiled. 'Why do you sneak up? Why not use the doors like a normal per...'

'Person,' he finished her word. 'I'm not really a person. At least not now.' He took a step back. 'But if it bothers you, then I shall use a door from now on.' He waved his hand and the door to the corridor appeared once more. He walked over, opened the door and stepped out. 'This house will do what you ask of it.'

'Will it let me out?' she couldn't help herself.

He turned and bowed his head ever so slightly. 'I'll be gone for a few days, so make yourself comfortable.'

Mona took that as a no. A moment later, the door was closed, and Lucifer was gone. But so was hope.