Why Not Pretend

Chapter 4: Heading Towards Danger

Beatrice and I walked together towards the forest clearing where I knew the Beast would be. We talked as we walked.

"I still don't want to kill you," Beatrice said. She shook her head. "There really must be another way."

"I promise, there isn't," I replied.

"Well, then, we have to figure one out. We're heading towards danger!" Beatrice ran a few steps ahead of me. I caught up to her, and slowed her down. 

"This is stupid, Bea," I said. "It's the ONLY way, and nothing will change that."

Beatrice whipped around to face me. "Okay. It's the only way. Now what? I'm just supposed to...live with you being dead? With no one?"

"It's better than you being dead," I murmured. Beatrice got up in my face.

"No," she said, and I groaned at her stubbornness. "No one should be dead, except the Beast. Please Wirt. You trust me, don't you?"

"You're the only person I trust," I promised. "But that doesn't change anything."

Beatrice stopped. She ran her fingers down my face. "Wirt, I can't do it. I can't kill you."

"Then don't look at it like you're killing me. Look at it like you're saving everyone."

"I don't know if I can look at it like that."

I placed my hands on her shoulders. "Bea. Listen. It's got to be you. It's got to be me."

Beatrice sighed and hugged me, then turned around and kept walking.

We really had come a long way, from the small, sarcastic bluebird Greg found in a bush; to this brave, beautiful woman whom I could trust with my life. It made me happy to know that, if it really did kill me, the last moments would be with her. I took Beatrice's hand and squeezed it, and together, we "headed towards danger".