~Beauty~
Grayson paced the room in silence for a minute. Then he paused, his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. "Do you know what this means?"
Beth sat, frozen. She had not even lifted a finger since hearing the diary entry. "That my mother's dead?"
The Beast was a serial killer bold enough to go after fellow criminals. He brought the saying pick on someone your own size to a whole new level. Beth could imagine that ending the life of a random trespassing drug addict who for all he knew was aware of his location would be no skin off his back.
Besides, the rumours about him were gruesome and ruthless. The bodies of his victims were never found, leaving conspiracy theorists a playground of possibilities. Some said that he was a cannibal and kept the bodies to eat them. Some said that he had his own plot of land where he would bury the bodies to create a graveyard of his own. People assumed that he went after criminals because of some superhero complex. He may have been some twisted copy of Batman. No one but the NYPD was that concerned though. He only went after criminals and as long as you weren't one you didn't have much to worry about. But after stealing from him . . . Beth's mother was a criminal.
"No. Gosh, no." Grayson took Beth's cold hands in his own, willing her to look him in the eyes. "The police have all the reason in the world to find your mother now! Wherever she is, the Beast is! We have to give this to the police immediately!"
"You're right," she said, willing herself to be present. Every second that passed increased the likelihood her mother was dead.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
"Who is it?" Grayson asked peering over her shoulder. He had been pretty protective over her throughout the day. He kept looking at her as if he was waiting for her to break. Beth wished he would have some faith in her strength. Beth had to remind him that there were things he didn't see. Times she had to hold her mother's hair back while she held her anger back. Times she had to scope out the apartment with a kitchen knife to make sure the dealers hadn't broken in to collect money. She didn't want to feel broken and sometimes that was how he made her feel.
"I don't recognize the number."
"You know what? You take that. I'll go call the police." He scrambled out of the room and Beth hurried to answer the phone. She wanted to join Grayson in talking to the cops as soon as possible. No one could fight for her mother as hard as she could.
"Hello?"
"Hey, sweetie." She knew that voice.
"Mom?" Relief and shock rushed over her.
Her reply was light and cracked, letting on that she had been crying. "Yeah, baby. It's me."
"Where are you? Are you okay? Mom, the police they-"
"Listen to me, Beth." Her mother sounded as sober as ever. "I stole from a bad man and I'm with him right now. He says he can let me go if I return what I took."
Beth remembered what she read. "You mean the rose?"
"Yes. You read my diary, didn't you?" She hated how disappointed her mother sounded. If only she knew how many times she had read it.
"I'm sorry. I had to so I could find out where-"
"Nevermind that. You didn't give it to the police, did you?" Something sinister crept through the phone and into Beth.
"Not yet . . ."
"Don't! I need you to get the rose and bring it here so he can let me go, okay? This is my only chance!"
"Why can't I just give it to the police?"
Her mother paused. She heard a deeper voice say something on the other line. "If you do that he'll kill me."
Her heart skipped a beat at the very thought. No, anything but that. She had already lost her father, she couldn't lose her mother too.
"Okay," Beth decided. She would do anything to ensure her mother's safe return. "Just tell me where the rose is."
Her mother instructed her on where to meet them and Beth found the rose tucked under her own pillow. She guessed that her mother had left it there as a surprise gift for Beth when she returned home. It made her heart sink. When was the last time her mother was able to afford to get her anything?
Beth was trying to move quickly but couldn't help but pause once she uncovered the rose. Her mother hadn't been exaggerating or tripping out because of the drugs. The rose was glowing. The petals were outlined by it, a quick touch at its petals was like sticking your finger in a socket, almost electric. And the way it's blossom bended did make it appear to be sad.
There was no time to ponder what made this rose so unique.
She placed it in a shoe box to protect it - if the Beast was making this much of a fuss over the flower it better come back in good condition.
Why was this flower so valuable to him? Belt wondered. How could it be worth my mother's life?
Unless this was all a sick game the Beast was playing for fun.
"Okay, I got it." She heard a shout from the other end of the line. Her mother sobbed.
"Alright, sweetie. See you soon?"
A tear cascaded down Beth's cheek. It was always terrible to hear her mother cry. "See you soon." It was a promise she would keep.
She caught Grayson as he hung up the phone, ending his call to the police.
"Is everything okay?" His eyes searched hers in deep concern. He was going to hate her for doing this.
"Yeah. It was nothing." She lied as she made her way towards the diary. Then, in a swift movement she snatched it from the counter and ran back into her mother's room. She locked the door behind her, almost catching him in the nose. She opened the window and climbed out and onto the fire escape, hoping he hadn't caught on to what she was doing yet.
"Beth?!" The door knob jiggled. "What's wrong?"
The late autumn breeze made her shiver making her wish she had time to change into something more than her simple checkered flannel. Grayson's shouts faded as she ran down the narrow steps, almost falling off of them several times. The height wouldn't be enough to kill her but a fall would surely mean a broken bone or two. The ladder hanging from the last fire escape wouldn't open all the way so she had to hang and let herself drop the last few feet. Her ankle twisted a little awkwardly on the landing but the sound of an upstairs windowing opening rushed her into Pedro.
She started the engine as Grayson poked his head out. "Where are you going?"
She shouted an apology and took off, knowing he deserved better. His loyalty went beyond what a friend had to do. A friend didn't have to help you search for your mom in local jails and hospitals when she disappeared. A friend didn't have to call you up every night to make sure you were fed. A friend didn't have to pull all nighters with you to help you study and win a scholarship. Later, she would beat herself up for causing him to worry like this. Later, when her mom was back home.
Her phone chimed as she drove, following the directions her mother had given her. She glanced at the screen even though she knew it was Grayson. There were several missed calls followed by a few texts. She read one.
Your mom isn't worth this much trouble. She isn't worth putting your own life in danger.
She almost laughed. Beth's mother wasn't always like this and she knew that her old mom was still in there somewhere. In her mind, she wasn't saving the mom who neglected her. She was saving the mom who used to wake up early to make her breakfast.
As Beth continued to drive, she began to wonder. Something about it all seemed easy. Too easy. The Beast had basically assured them that he would just let her mother off the hook even though they now both knew his address.
Wait. There is no way he would do that.
She felt stupid. This was all a mistake and she was foolish for listening to the demands of a criminal. She was blinded by how desperate she was. But what could she do now? She was only across the street from the given location.
Her phone lit up. This time she answered Grayson's call on the first ring. "I think I made a mistake Gray-"
There was a smashing sound and then her entire windshield was shattering into a million pieces on top of her. She covered her face, letting the phone drop underneath her seat.
"Beth! What's going on?!" Grayson sounded helpless on the other end of the phone.
She choked on a gasp as she realized what had shattered her window - or rather who.
He was wearing his signature black mask that only displayed his icy blue eyes. She had once laughed at the Beast's get up when she saw it on the news. Apart from the mask, his costume of choice wasn't noteworthy. Batman, Daredevil, and all the other vigilantes would be highly disappointed in the Beast's black sweatshirt and joggers. She didn't find his outfit funny now - not when he was glowering at her.
She shouted the address into the emptiness of the car, hoping Grayson was still on the line and would hear.
The Beast walked over to the side of her car and ripped the door open. She had managed to unbuckle her seat belt and crawl into the passenger seat when he dragged her out by her foot. She screamed and kicked, none of her blows loosening his grip. With a sinking feeling, she noticed there was no one around these streets to hear her screams.
He held her inches away from his face, forcing her to gaze into his rageful eyes. He shouted - no roared - "Where is it?"
"Where is my mother?" she shouted back with as much venom as she could. She was aware she sounded nowhere near as threatening as he did. His figure loomed over her. With a foot and at least forty pounds on her, she had no idea why she had decided to get so brave.
The Beast's mask twitched near his mouth. Was he smirking?
"Would you like to see your mother?" he hissed, spitting out the word mother like it was dirty.
She didn't answer.
"I'll take you to see your mother." There was nothing she could do as the Beast dragged her across the street, into an apartment building, and up a couple flights of stairs. She stumbled behind him and into a cheap apartment. The door slammed behind them. She was left to fall into the ground in front of the Beast. Her eyes landed on a huddled form in the corner of the room. It shook with sobs and only paused when she saw her.
"Mom?"
Her brown hair was tangled and frizzy, face wet with tears. "Beth!"
She crawled across the floor and pulled her mother close. Her mom pushed her away, scanning Beth's person for something. "Did you bring it?"
She nodded. "I have it. Don't worry."
The Beast stood over us with balled fists. "Where is the rose?!"
The two women jumped.
"Wait!"
His head turned to the side. "Did you just tell me to wait?"
Beth swallowed. "Yes. I need to know that if I give you the rose back you will let us both go unharmed."
He chuckled. To her surprise, it didn't sound as dark as she imagined it would. "I'm getting back my rose either way."
As he snatched up her bag and searched around for the flower, Beth felt a weird sense of relief wash over her. He pulled out the rose with a satisfied sigh, placed it back into the box, and into his hoodie's pocket. Crossing his arms over his chest, the wanted killer stared at them for a long moment. Beth could feel her mother shaking beside her but for some reason Beth felt fine. She felt brave.
The silence was deafening.
"What to do with you?" he wondered out loud.
"Let us go! That's what you said you would do." She knew holding a killer up to moral standards was a strange thing to do.
Another round of deafening silence. Again, she thought she could see his mask shift with a smirk.
Then the sirens sounded. Police sirens that were fast approaching.
He was peeking out behind the window's thick curtains in seconds. "What did you do?!"
He looked back at Beth. "I told you not to call the cops! I told you what would happen! You said you wouldn't!"
All she could do was blink at him.
Her own mother was staring at her with eyes almost as wild as the Beast's.
"Here's what we are going to do," he announced, picking up her mother from the floor. "You are coming with me."
She shrieked but did little to get away. The woman resembled a possum trying to play dead.
"Listen to me lady, you are going to go out there and tell the police that if they try anything, your daughter is going to die. Do you understand me?"
Beth was frozen again and so was her mother. Her eyes found their way back to Beth and then she let out a string of final words that made her daughter want to wilt like a dying flower. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'm just glad it isn't me." She didn't even need the Beast to push her out. She ran without another glance back.
Tears rolled down Beth's cheeks as she tried to wrap her head around what had happened. "Mom?"
She left her. Her mother left her. And was glad.
All the bravery and fight was knocked out of her.
The Beast paused for a moment and then shook his head. "There's no time."
The hooded figure gazed out the window again and then turned back to Beth, holding her in place. "I'm not going to hurt you. All you need to do is give me a ten second head start and then you can run to the cops, alright?"
Maybe it was the trauma of the whole situation but she could have sworn his voice was almost gentle.
"Okay."
But again, their plans were thrown off course by the sound of feet stomping up the apartment buildings steps.
"Nevermind." The Beast lowered himself in front of her. "Get on my back."
"Huh?"
"Now!" He was going to get his way one way or another so she complied. He took off.
Out the window.
Her stomach lurched.
Thankfully, there was a fire escape she hadn't seen. He climbed up the steps with ease, like the added weight had to affect him. She clung onto him even tighter as he jumped from the last fire escape and onto the roof. Below them she heard the apartment door being kicked open.
"You can let me go now," she said, trying to crawl off his back and onto the roof's floor.
He almost did. He would have if it wasn't for the officers bursting through the door leading towards the roof, guns pointed.
She was his shield, she thought. As long as she was around him the police couldn't do anything rash in risk of getting her hurt in the process, or so she hoped. They could shoot at him anyways if they were that desperate.
Still, it was a bit comforting to know there would be a ton of cops soon. He would be outnumbered and she would inevitably have to be released.
She thought wrong. The Beast didn't wait for the police to surround him. He was charging.
Beth let out a yelp because there was nowhere for them to run except the edge of the roof. Was he going to kill them both? Let them both fall to their deaths?
"I'm going to jump," he said. He was aiming for the neighboring building's roof. "Scream and I'll let you fall."