Come Wayward Souls

Chapter 3: Nightmare

"Beast!" I called, hoisting myself over the wall. "I'm back!"

Unfortunately, I landed badly, and my foot came out from under me. I slipped backwards, hearing a ringing in my ear as my head banged violently against the stone. I felt the sticky warmth of blood and blacked out immediately after.

Blurry images swam before my eyes.

I had a nightmare.

I dreamed that the Beast was walking towards me, silhouetted against the sky. "Wh-what am I doing here?" I asked.

The Beast chuckled softly. "Wirt, my servant. You are so much like me. You hunger for wisdom. You thirst for power. And is there anything you wouldn't do for someone's loyalty?"

"I'm nothing like you," I insisted through gritted teeth. "You're a monster. You turn people into trees, for crying out loud! All to keep a stupid lantern lit! You killed my brother! YOU KILLED GREG! AND YOU CALL ME 'LIKE YOU'?!" I flew towards the Beast, wanting to hurt him...to kill him. But then I realized.

If I did what I wanted, all I would do was prove the Beast right. I would be a monster. 

"Good boy, Walter." The Beast said.

The dream ended.

I woke up covered in blood. My head hurt worse than ever before, and I was fairly sure I had broken something, likely my leg. The same leg broken three years ago. I crawled to the nearest tree and curled up beside it, shivering and in pain.

A blurry, black figure came up to me. The Beast. He touched my arm, and I recoiled at his cold fingers, hugging my arms around myself.

"Come on, boy, I'm trying to help you," the Beast growled. "Sit up." 

With nothing else to do, I obeyed. The Beast touched my arm again, and it was followed my an immense pain everywhere. I blacked out.

I opened my eyes, feeling cold. The Beast was gone, replaced by someone else.

"Wirt!" Beatrice cried. I looked up and saw her crouching over me. "I'm so glad you're okay! And...you're a sight."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"See for yourself..." Beatrice handed me a compact mirror.

I looked into it and dropped the compact.

My entire body was wrapped in edelwood. My irises were no longer brown, like normal, but an inky, creepy black. And the worst part?

Antlers wrapped in edelwood, exactly like the ones the Beast had, came right from my head. I ran my shaking fingers over them, feeling sick.

"What have I become?" I asked softly, my throat tightening. Beatrice frowned and motioned for me to sit with her.

"I don't care what you've become," she said. "I'm not one to judge. Shoot, I was a bluebird for six months. But I know that as long as you're still you, nothing that happens to your physical form will change anything." Beatrice stared into my eyes. "What's up here," she said, drumming her fingertips against the stupid antler, "doesn't matter as long as what's in here doesn't change. I still love you, y'know, right?"

"Love?" I asked. "How could anyone love me?"

"A true friend is going to know that outward appearance doesn't matter. You're Wirt. That hasn't changed."

"Yes, it has," I said, curling my knees to my chest. "I'm a...a monster now. The Beast's little puppet. No one can love me."

Beatrice leaned her head against my shoulder, tracing circles on my knee. "I love you," she said, so quietly I thought I imagined it. She stood up to leave. On instinct, I stood up too.

I pulled her into a hug, tears falling down my face. "Thank you," I told her. Beatrice gave me a small smile. Quietly, I added, "I love you too."

The hug turned into a kiss.

I didn't know how long we stayed there, but I was smiling now. Beatrice was smiling, too.

It was both a long time and too short, but when it was over, Beatrice looked at me. "Your eyes," she said. "They're normal again."

I picked up the fallen compact and studied myself. Beatrice was right. It was a huge relief, but I wished it had been the antlers.