Beast

Piana

Centuries into the future, a world much different than ours now emerged from the remnants of Earth. Countless wars had taken their toll on the lands, forcing many countries into anarchy and starvation. To earn their daily meal, men, women, and even children were forced into slavery and tortured daily by those more fortunate than them. A few dozen, scattered around the world in the location of their choosing, were named the leaders. Being named one of the leaders passed similarly to a monarchy. Decades ago a man was named a leader and when he died-or was killed-his son took his place. These leaders had billions upon billions of dollars in their bank accounts, enough to give them power over the rest of the human population who was living on scraps. Leaders made all of the world's decisions, who to trust, who not to trust, who to kill. And if an argument broke out among the leaders, a war was declared, destroying more of what was left of Earth. The lower class people looked to the leaders for any hope in not dying of starvation. The majority of the leaders hired slaves to live in their mansions, serving their every whim. Some masters were cruel, others kind, but working as a slave was dangerous work. There was no way to tell if the master was an abusive one until one worked for him. And once one entered, they never came out.

The world was a horrible place to be in year 3999, and by the looks of it, the world was not going to become a much better place any time soon. But not all of it was bad. In central Europe, a city known to the world as Piana, was hidden behind tall walls. The barriers kept those from the cruel exterior world out, and the peaceful people in. No one had ever left Piana, and for good reasons. Inside the wall, there was no social status. Most of how the city worked shot back to the 1900s. Courtships, strong faith, and modest clothing was customary in Piana only, it was the only culture they had to hold onto. The countries outside of the wall were the complete opposite.

Those that were struggling were helped by their neighbors and everyone loved their mayor, Pierre Bonfils. He was an older man who ran the town justly and fair. His son, Gaston Bonfils, was almost as kind and caring as his elderly father. His sleek black hair and strong build caught everyone's attention and his bright blue eyes captured the ladies' stares. He spent most of his time in the town pub, where the men usually dawdled after work before going home to their families. Gaston would spend time behind the bar, pouring the poor men drinks before relaxing on his own by the fire in the corner.

Almost every girl in town had their eyes on him. But the only girl Gaston wanted was none other than the most beautiful girl in town, of whom he was courting. She walked through town each day, eager to help the children in the square as she passed. She loved books and as she should for her father owned a book shop in the center of town. And just as Gaston's good looks got everyone's attention, her long auburn hair and brown eyes were a sight to see. She dressed herself in various plain dresses as she never wanted to draw attention to herself, but it was not going according to her plan. Everyone knew who she was, she was the usual talk of the town. A girl this beautiful had a name to match, Belle Desrosiers.

Belle, although beloved and beautiful, was aloof in her community. She walked through the streets each day, wondering what was outside the wall. She did not share her wonderings with anyone else for that was just not done. Anything that needed to be known was presented in the books in her father's shop. And if it was not there, she trusted that Monsieur Pierre would keep them safe enough for them not to wonder. She did know that it was not the same as it was in her small haven of a town. She just could not decide if this was a good or a bad thing. Whether or not the world was like her own just outside the barriers, Belle was safe in Piana and she had many people who loved her enough to make her feel secure.

Belle dismissed the thoughts of the outside world as she walked through the streets, afraid that Gaston might notice that she was a bit off that day. He knew almost everything about her; they had been courting for almost two years now. She was madly in love with him, sure by the fact that even the mention of his name made her nervous. She believed that Gaston returned her feelings, though he only so often told her how much he cherished her. He wasn't as verbal with his feelings as she was so she was often left to guess his meaning behind his words. But as she stepped up into the pub, Belle was excited to see Gaston. She couldn't wait to tell him about the new book she read at work that day. He always loved to hear the plots, but never to read which was all well for Belle, she got to relive the story.