Fur

Final Ball Pt 2

"I am very sorry to have to say this..."

"What are you talking about?" Armelle laughed.

"I have had the most wonderful time this past few days with you, but..."

Christopher suddenly burst into tears.

"There is someone else I am entitled to that I choose to stay with for the rest of my life," he said, choked up.

All of Armelle's insides deflated. She had no idea who this girl was. She nodded against her will and pasted a smile on her face.

"I wish you all imaginable happiness, Christopher," she said politely.

What am I even saying??

The clock abruptly struck twelve. Excusing herself, she flew through the porch doors, through the ballroom to the corridors. That was when Christopher saw "Bear Princess" flash across her torso when she whipped around to run.

"Bear Princess?" he murmured in confusion.

***

Lucille did not know how to control the tears. Armelle just could not stop crying. Lucille found it best to leave people as they are and let them comfort themselves.

Armelle bent her head over the kitchen counter as two tears slid down her chin and into a soup bowl.

***

She passed out the bowls for each guest in an orderly fashion. Unknowingly, she placed the soup with the two tears in front of the king.

Christopher sat, stiff as a soldier, but smiled warmly when Armelle gave him his meal. The smile faded, however, in realization when he saw the golden ring shimmering on her finger. She had not noticed it and took no attention to remove it.

Just as she was leaving his side, he grabbed her by the wrist, shouting in delight, "Armelle, it was you!!!!!"

Armelle gasped at the ring. The ring suddenly faded and changed to a rusty brown. But no one else witnessed this, for they were worried about the groaning king.

The king looked pale. His face stretched and became fuzzy. His back grew twice its size by the second, making him hunch over like an animal. The iris of his eyes melded into a solid black, and he savagely roared.

He was a bear.

The dining hall burst into hysteria as guests fled. Christopher screamed, "Father!!" and attempted to catch him, but failed when the beast flung his claws at him.

Suddenly, Christopher remembered he had something valuable. It was something the Future had given him when he was 13.

He had a set of bow and arrows. But they weren't your typical kind. They zapped nightmarish evil and changed whatever it hit to its true body.

They were called dream catchers.