Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 11

Two days passed until my brother's fever finally broke and he felt well again. I slumped back in my seat in the library as relief flowed through my body. Suddenly, I was in need of a very long nap since I hadn't gotten much sleep on the floor in front of the fireplace. Leaving my brothers side to go sleep in a bed upstairs just seemed wrong and he couldn't stand long enough on his own to go into the bed himself. I cursed my weakened arms from years of reading instead of doing any type of physical activity.

I sighed as I realized it had been two day since I had last seen Beast. Though he hadn't been in my line of view, I knew that he was never too far gone. Each day I would wake up with a rose next to my head and a blanket covering my recently uncovered body. No matter who I had asked, everyone had sworn that they weren't the ones who had done such wonderful things. Bringing the roses that I kept in the library in Pride and Prejudice, up to my nose I took in its heavenly scent that still lingered on its soft and beautiful red petals.

How could this man possibly see himself as a beast? He had seemed to be the most kind and caring that I have ever been lucky enough to meet. I urged to go upstairs and thank him for everything he had ever done for me, but either Charlie, Francis, Margret or Luis had always stopped me. I understood why Charlie wouldn't let me near, to him Beast was still the monster that had locked the both of us up in chains to die; it was the other three that had struck my curiosity. Why would they stop me from being near him? Was he truly so hurt by seeing Charlie that he refuses to see me anymore?

I closed my eyes as I rubbed my soring temples. This was all just too confusing and bewildering. One minute I was hating him and then the next I was hoping to even get a glimpse of his brilliant eyes. I groaned in annoyance as I got up to go see Charlie. Though he had been here for two days, we had yet to talk about anything.

"Charlie." I called out softly, just in case he was sleeping.

As I turned the corner, I saw him sitting up with Tina in his hands. "Hey, Ella, did you realize that this teacup can talk?" He laughed. "I must really be out of it." A shake of his head told me that he thought he was still delusional from his fever.

"I promise you that you're not imagining anything. Tina really can talk and yes, she is a teacup." I sat down at the other side of the couch as I stared at his widened eyes.

"Extraordinary, who invented you?" He asked as he looked under the cup in hopes for a name.

I giggled as he spilled tea all over the place while flipping her around; Tina laughed the whole time. "That tickles!" She squealed.

"Oh!" He stopped at once. "Sorry, little one." He said to the cup before putting her down. Tina laughed as she hopped down towards the kitchen. Charlie turned his gaze so that it was directed to me.

"How long were you out in the woods?" I asked without waiting for him to say something about the talking appliances. It was something that even I was still trying to wrap my head around.

He took in a deep breath before letting it out. "Not long. I found my way home and went straight to Ashton's house to demand an army to come here. I'm only here to get you before they come for that monster."

I stared at him in horror. "You what?" I whispered, my breathing turning into hollow pants as what he said sunk in.

Clammy hands held my face as I flinched away from his touch. "I was so worried about you, Ella. I'm just glad that you're not hurt worse than the few scratches that I see now. Don't worry, that beast won't be able to harm either of us anymore and you will be free."

I flinched when he called him 'beast'. Sure, that was the very name that I used for him but that was only with the permission of Beast himself. That and because I hadn't gotten the chance to will his true name out of him yet. The realization that I'd never get that chance was like a stab to the chest.

"No!" I screamed before pulling out of his grasp. "Ashton will kill him if he gets here." I yelled at him before pacing the room. How could he do this?

"Ella, that beast threatened to kill me and then locked both of us in some kind of dungeon. What was I supposed to do?" He looked at me as if I were crazy as he stepped in front of my pacing path. I only pushed past him.

"You don't even know him." I said through glaring eyes.

He walked up to me cautiously, as though I was an animal about to attack. At that moment, though, that's exactly what I felt like; an animal. Sure, I had saved my brother by forcing myself to stay but I would be the cause of Beast's death in the process. A sob racked through my chest.

"Ella, what has this beast done to you?" He asked, sounding truly torn.

"Don't call him that!" I snapped at him. "You don't get the right to call him such names. Don't you get it, Charlie? We're the monsters, not him. We broke into his home and demanded he take care of you as if we deserved his kindness. What kind of people are we that we forget such manners as to asking a man his name before calling him a beast?" My voice cracked at the last word. This very 'beast' was the same man who worried for me as I told him about the bruises coming from the very man who's after to kill him.

Suddenly, there were sound at the door that sounded more like a kick than a simple knock.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

With each echoing sound, my heart sunk further down. Ashton was here to take away the only man that had truly welcomed me. Gasping, I ran towards the stairs. If I couldn't stop Ashton from breaking down the door and coming in, I at least had to warn Beast. Ignoring the sounds of my brother yelling after me, I took the stairs two at a time until I reached the top and ran towards the broken hallway.