Hidden within the shadows

Chapter 2

-unedited

-Beauty
Chills rack my body despite being swathed in what feels like furs and quilts, I bury myself further under them desperately seeking warmth that I cannot seem to find. I know that It isn't my bed or my house, the smell is different and we do not have enough coin to purchase such fine furs. I do not open my eyes because if I do then I can't pretend this is a dream any longer and I so much want to avoid the truth of my circumstances.

I hear the chamber door open and footsteps approaching as panic seizes hold of me unable to lie still as the shivers continue to violently rack my small form. My eyes snap open and I desperately try to scramble away as the beastly man from last night comes closer, however, I find that's my body is too weak move and I let out a desperate whimper. What is it he wants with me? I am to consumed by my fear to ask. He stops "I know you have no reason to trust me, but I just came to bring you some food," he says in a gruff voice. I make no move toward the plate he sets down and he lets out a small growl in irritation and I abruptly flinch back.  

A look I cannot decipher crosses scared face, I hadn't taken notice before but as I do I see a large scare that looks as if someone has held a torch to the left side of his face, the scar stretching from  temple to chin slightly reaching past the corner of his mouth. He sees me starring and retreats into the shadows of the chamber. "Eat" he says coldly and abruptly leaves closing the heavy looking mahogany door with more force than necessary.

I wait for a moment not wanting to move lest he comes back but after a few minutes I work up the energy to stumble out of the lavish bed pulling the furs with me and drag my body not to the food the beastly man left but over to the chaise by the burning fireplace and I oh so ungracefully fall into the chair and I wince with the effort of pulling my legs up and under my chin wrapping the furs tighter around myself and slowly ever so slowly do the shivers start to subside and the warmth of the fire takes its place.

However, as I sit here in the quiet there is nothing to prevent me from being subjected to the confines of my own mind. I am left here to wallow in my regret and devastation that is the cause of my own cowardice. An endless stream of tears trickle down my face as the dam of my grief breaks loose. These are not sobbing tears for they are the tears of someone who has given up and no longer has the energy required left.

How could I have left him? My Father. The man who has loved and raised me with incomprehensible strength and asked for nothing in return. And I just...left him. How terrible a daughter must I be to abandon him? I could have saved him, I could have but I just...ran. And now here I am in this beast's Castle with no certainty of my fate. Perhaps this is the Gods way of punishing me for my weakness, weakness is the greatest sin; perhaps this is what I deserve. With this thought I slowly let the relief of sleep pull me into the sweet bliss of unconsciousness because I'm too weak to continue facing reality.

-Beast
Pacing back and forth across my private library, the darkness of the room reflects my mood. How could I have let myself be subjected to this weakness? For some reason I allowed myself to be blinded. Blinded by what, her beauty? No that's not it, though she is quite beautiful, it was the expression on her face. The look of being completely defeated, the look of giving up, the look that reflected my own soul.

I should have just left her there instead of bringing her into this mess that I have created, death probably would have been a kinder fate. In bringing her here I have saved her from a premature death but in doing so I have subjected her to the curse that haunts me and everyone under the roof of this castle. In trying to save her I will just cause her more pain, more pain than someone so innocent can possibly handle. I don't want to break her but that fate is no longer mine to hold.

***

Authors note:

Finally an update!!! Hey I'm sorry I haven't updated in like years but I've injured my back and am currently bedridden so to keep me from total boredom I decided that I might as well be useful and update this story.

What is up with the beast and why does he believe that he will end up breaking her more? Read to find out.

Don't forget to rate, comment, vote and follow it motivates me to update plus it just makes me feel good hehe! :)