Belle

1.

The Blizzard.

Belle walked back from the town's library and towards the woods, as she did everyday. Ever since she was young she would collect a book from the library and go to the woods to visit her ill grandmother, and read to her. She's gotten worse every day and her time was fading rather sudden, Belle had already lost her parents to the beast that haunts the north part of the woods. Good thing the small town she lived in was at south, and her grandmother lived in the east woods. When she reached the age of fourteen her parents gave her a red cloak, her mother and father told her that no matter what don't take the cloak off when she is out. The only people who can see her are her grandmother and close friends. Even then Belle was too scared to show her face to anyone besides family, and when she had the rare slip up, the people seemed in a trance of some kind, they began to call her Beauty and would always offer her their possessions. It frightened Belle how just a glimpse at her face could change a person, so from then on she never took off her cloak, only for one person; her grandmother. It was when her parents gave her the cloak that they were put on patrol for the so-called beast of the north forest. It was the last thing they said to her, and she will never forget it. Now five years later she is about to lose the last person she can actually talk too, and she knows that when her grandmother passes she will go crazy. She will be alone, and won't know what to do on her own. Her grandmother has promised her the cabin after she is gone. Belle wipes the tears away from her face, she looks up from her hood, she looks around to make sure no one has followed her.

When she sees the area is clear, she raises her hood slightly and kicks her foot on the wooden porch, the snow falling off her lambskin boots. She knocks and walks inside, the fireplace heating up her body instantly. She sees her grandmother on her bed, she's coughing slightly. Belle sets down the library book on her bedside table, and kneels on the floor next to her bed. Belle pats a wet cloth on her grandmother's forehead. Her grandmother looks over and weakly smiles at Belle. Belle grasps her grandmother's hand, Belle realizes this is it, this is the moment that her grandmother is going to die.

"Belle"

Her grandmother wheezes out. Belle leans closer so she won't have to speak so loud.

"Read to me as I go. Please"

Belle nods her head, she knows it will be difficult to read while crying but she will do it. She open the book at a random page, she wipes away her tears even though they come back each time as she reads. Her grandmother closes her eyes and listens to Belle's graceful voice as she reads, The Rabbit. It was always her favorite when she was child when her parents would read to her, as did her grandmother. Belle heard the breath leave her grandmother's body. Belle looked up and saw that her grandmother was in fact, gone. Belle lost it, she waled and cried. She hugged her grandmother's lifeless body. Belle was alone, and afraid just like she was when her parents died.

It's been several months since Belle's grandmother had died. Belle hasn't said a word since, she just points at the things she wants or buys. She has moved into her grandmother's cabin, at night she eats her soup next to the fireplace and thinks to herself. She bought the book The Rabbit from the library, it's placed on the night stand next to her bed. Belle collects the red roses she bought and places them in a vase. She stands and fixes her cloak and slowly places the hood over her head so that it will cover her face. She steps out of the cabin and locks the door. She begins to walk to the north forest, that's where her grandmother is buried, Belle was afraid to grant her grandmother's wishes of where she wanted to be buried but knew that she couldn't deny her that wish. It takes Belle about an hour when she walks from the east to the north forest. When Belle sees her grandmother's grave she kneels down and wipes away the snow from the stone. She places the roses in the hole for the flowers. She rests back on her legs and begins to talk to her grandmother's spirit.

"I miss you grandmother and I love you, I didn't know that this -life- would be so hard. I never thought I would be alone, my parents were gone and you were all I had and now your gone. I haven't spoken to anyone in over two months, only you. I don't know if I can live like this anymore".

Belle stands and wipes away the snow from her dress and cloak. She turns around and looks up to see the one thing she feared since she was a child. The beast, a massive pitch black wolf with red eyes.

She didn't move, in shock she thought. If the wolf moves, run, Belle thought to herself. But neither of them moved, it had been about five mintues but felt like an eternity to Belle. The wolf took a small step and that's all it took for Belle to turn and run as fast as she can. She ran, her cloak flapping in the wind, the snow was coming down harder and began to blow harder every second. Soon she was just struggling to walk in the snow. She pushed against the wind but it was no use, Belle wasn't strong enough. She fell onto the ground, her body was shaking from hypothermia, and she couldn't do anything. She was going to die in the north forest, and no one would save her or miss her. Slowly her eyes began to close and the last thing she saw was a hand reaching for her before she went into unconsciousness.