Thorn in the Rose {Book 1 Of The Once Upon A Time Chronicles}

Chapter 10: The Beast

A part of me can't believe what I am seeing but at the same time, I do. Seven feet tall, covered in fur, claws, sharp fangs that are almost curling out of its mouth, and menacing eyes. Just like the story said. Just like Gaston said.

We both stand our ground and stare each other down. I am studying it, and it is studying me. Both of us are frozen, unable to do anything but stare. I want to raise my bow and take a shot but I can't. It's like my arms have been turned to stone.

After what felt like an eternity of looking at each other the beast leaps down the staircase to the floor beneath. It trembles as he lands. When he was at the top of the stairs shadows were hiding most of his body. I could make out the basics but that was it now I can see him in full view. And he is wearing clothes. A beast wearing clothes. Now I've seen it all. Seriously what more could happen?

He opens his mouth baring his pointed teeth. I expect him to let out an animalistic roar but instead, he does something I never expected. "What are you doing in my house?" he yells at me. His voice booms off the walls.

My eyes widen in shock. He wears clothes and he speaks. This unexpected occurrence breaks the daze I seem to be in and I do what I have been wanting to do since I saw him. I raise my bow and fire.

The arrow zips through the air and before the beast can react it digs into his shoulder and he lets out a pain-filled roar. He reaches his paw up and grips his now bleeding arm. He quickly pulls the arrow out and tosses it to the floor. I reach behind me to grab another arrow but I can't move quick enough before the beast lets out another roar and starts to run at me.

Turning quickly on my heels, I start to run towards the door but the beast gets there first. I turn around and run to the staircase, but with a few springs of his strong legs, he reaches it before I can even blink my eyes.

I need to get out of here. There has to be another entrance somewhere so instead of heading to the door where I came in I rush into the nearest hallway, the beast following swiftly behind me.

The deeper into the hallway I go the more I'm devoured by shadows which if I use them correctly will help me escape. I might not know this castle but if I can find my way around a forest I'm sure this place won't be so difficult.

I can hear the pounding of the beast's feet smacking the wooden floor until suddenly everything goes quiet and I'm the only one making a sound. I can't stop to look behind me, stopping now will only give him an opportunity to get me, and well... I don't want to know what he will do.

Keeping my breaths long so that I don't get tired I slow my pace slightly so that I don't make too much noise. There has to be a door around here somewhere. There has to be a way out. As soon as I see a door that remotely looks like a way out I push it open and step through.

It's not a way out, it just leads me to a staircase that goes deep down into the Earth. Towards a dungeon possibly? A place where the servants lived? Or by some small chance an opportunity to escape.

I rush down the stairs hoping that my third possibility of where this leads is the right answer. Only it isn't. It's the servant's quarters. And they aren't empty.

A man is standing by what I would assume is his bed, and a nearly completely folded pair of trousers are hanging in his hands. He stares at me with wide eyes, as if he hasn't seen another human for years.

"My apologies for staring miss but who are you?" he asks me still in shock.

"Shh!" I hiss at him worrying that his voice will attract the beast.

"Well, I know for a fact that shh is not your name," he laughs.

I rush over to him and put my hand over his mouth. He tries to speak but it comes out muffled and he looks at me even more confused than he was before.