Plot Twisted

Beauty and the Beast

[Bella to side]

Bella was the most beautiful girl in her town.  But she had one flaw that sent every suitor running; she was a bibliophile.  She cared more about fictional characters than she did normal people.  No one wanted her except one man, Nolan Adel.  Unfortunately for him, Bella didn't want him.  In her opinion, he was a pompous fool who cared only for himself.  Yes, he was handsome, she'd give him that, but his ego drowned out all his perks. 

                Speak of the devil, he was walking toward her.  "Bella!"

                She quickened her pace towards home.  But he was fit, so he easily caught up to her.  "Bella!  How's your day been?"

                "Well, it was going great until you came," she said, rolling her eyes.

                If her eyes weren't playing tricks on her, he looked hurt.  He quickly masked his emotions.  "Now, that's no way to treat your future husband."

                Bella scoffed, "Yeah, in your dreams."

                He leaned over.  She paused in her step.  "I actually dream about it often," he whispered in her ear.  Her breath caught.  She took a deep breath and stepped back.

                "I'm sure you do," she nodded curtly. 

                His eyes latched onto something behind her.  "I have to go, Bella.  I'll... see you around," he said absently.  Without another word, he ran off. 

                She shrugged. 

                "Father!" she called, waltzing in the door of their small cottage, "I'm back from the library!" No response came. "Father?" She searched the house for him.  He rarely left the house.  Where could he be? She decided to wait and read until her father came home. 

Two hours later, he was still not back.  She left the house and went to herneighbor's. One said that they had seen her dad passing through themarket.  Another said he was passing bythe local farm.  Another said they sawhim heading up the hill.  But all theirstories said the same thing; he was headed toward Winchester's Castle.  Winchester's Castle was rumored to behaunted.  Four years ago it was happilyinhabited by a lovely couple, Dean and Castielle Winchester.  One day the mailman went to deliver theirmail, but they weren't answering.  Hewent inside (they always left it unlocked, probably the cause of their demise)and found their bodies on the ceiling. The poor man was never the same.  (Neitherwas the man that had to take them down...) Ever since, the castle was said to behaunted by evil spirits.  Some people saythey've even seen shadows in the window. Bella didn't believe a lick of it. Yeah, their bodies were on the ceiling... she calls it a creativemurderer.  Yeah, people say they've seenshadows... she calls it hallucinations or people that just want attention.  Supernatural things weren't real.  You died and either went to heaven orhell.  No in between.  Bella headed up the hill her father had goneup until she got to the mansion.  Sheknocked on the door, two heavy thuds against the hollow oak.  Her hand trembled a bit (what? She was at theplace where two people had died. Anyone wouldbe slightly frightened.), and she shivered from the passing breeze.  On the third floor, a curtain twitched.  Bella's eyes widened.  It was probably a trick of the light, ormaybe it was her father.  She heard acrash come from behind the house.  If shewas in a movie, she knew the audience would be yelling at her not to go there.  But she just had to.  The curiosity was killing her.  She grabbed a big stick for protection and tip-toed to the back.  There, she saw a shattered clay pot, the source of the noise.  Out of the corner of her eye, she saw two shadows headed deeper into the forest.  One was stout and pudgy and the other was tall and lean.  Bella was positive that the first was her father.  The other one? She had no clue.  She followed them; stick clutched tightly in both hands.  They came to a small building and the tall one threw her father in.  He turned back to where Bella was, and she ducked behind a tree.  He started walking back to the mansion.  Bella made a battle plan.  When he passes, she would hit him with the stick, grab her father and high-tail it out of there.  He came closer and she readied herself.  Just as he passed by, she swung... and he caught it.  He pulled it out of her hands and turned to face her.  He was wearing a silver mask and had rumpled, jet-black hair.