Through The Rabbit Hole

Chapter Two: Ryan

I flicked a pebble next to me and watched it skitter out of the bars. It was in freedom, unlike me. After Alissa had run off, Maurice and I were scooped up by the monster and thrown into a cell. It was cold up here and I couldn't stop shivering. Neither could Maurice. He started to cough and sneeze like crazy. This wasn't okay. It wasn't okay that we were falsely imprisoned and that the beast wouldn't bother to even care for an old man. It wasn't okay that Alissa had just ran off and abandoned us here.

"Hey! Crazy monster thing! You can't leave us here! This guy is super sick and he needs to get better!" I shouted at the top of my lungs hoping the beast could hear from wherever he was in the castle. It was hopeless though because the walls just echoed everything back. I slumped into a heap on the ground, having no energy left. After a minute or two of laying there, I heard a faint noise. It sounded like footsteps and started to get anxious that the beast guy was going to punish me.

"They are up here," I heard the familiar french candle coming up the stairs. I felt hope fill me up as I stood and rattled the bars.

"Lumiere? Lumiere, is that you?" I yelled. I picked up on his name pretty quickly.

"Oui, oui, it is me monsieur!" he yelled back. This was great. Maybe he could get the keys and free us. Even if he was talking furniture. That's when I heard a familiar voice. Alissa. I felt my heart flutter and I tried to present myself a little better. I don't know why her being here made things different, but it did. When they reached the top I noticed Belle was there, too. Maurice perked up and crawled to the bars to talk to Belle. Alissa walked over to me and she smiled as if she was holding back a laugh.

"What? What's so funny?" I teased.

"It's just, you look like shit," she laughed. I looked down and noticed my dirty legs and hands, along with my crumpled clothes. I laughed too. She didn't look much better. She had dried dirt on her, along with scratches and bruises, with the occasional blood stain.

"Oh, I'm sorry. After I tried so hard to look nice for you," I joked. Well, at least she thought it was joke because she didn't know I tried to clean up a bit when I heard her voice. She laughed and turned to Lumiere.

"How are we supposed to get them out?" she asked. She didn't get an answer though. Or she did, but not the one she was looking for.

"Never," the loud voice was back and at the top of the stairs. Belle flinched at his exterior and had a horrified look. This only seemed to fuel his anger. Alissa didn't move an inch, though. She stood firm in her place and didn't blink even as his voice grew louder. She must be calmer now. Not as jumpy as before when she fell asleep on the horse.

"Let them go!" Belle yelled. It seemed she was able to muster up enough courage to actually say something.

"Never! They trespassed and now they are my prisoners," the beast replied. That wasn't suitable for her. She was about to protest more when Maurice stopped her.

"Go, Belle. It's okay just leave me here," he whispered out. Tears started to form in the corners of Belle's eyes.

"I could never do that! You're sick, you need help," she gripped the cell bars tightly, trying to hold back emotion. She released a little when she thought of something.

"Keep me as prisoner instead," she said firmly. Alissa was taken back and started to freak out.

"What? Belle no!" she tried to knock some sense into Belle, but it wasn't going to work. Alissa was just trying to save herself as if Belle got thrown in, so did she. This solution seemed to be okay with the monster because he released some of his tension.

"Hm, okay fine. I'll let them go but you two have to stay here," he replied pulling out a key. Alissa panicked a bit more. She threw her hands up in defeat.

"Wait, me? What?" she stuttered out curse words as he proceeded to open the cell and shove Belle and her into it. "You can't do this!" she shouted and looked at me for an answer as I walked out of the cell. When I didn't respond she gave me a look as if she had lost hope in me. "Ryan, you ass!" she yelled through a cracked voice. I could feel the hurt in it and it felt like a blow to my stomach.

"Alissa, it's okay! Don't worry, things will be okay. Just believe me!" I yelled as the beast started to pick me up along with Maurice. She didn't buy it and started to get more and more angry.

"Shut up! You don't know anything! I was wrong to trust you!" she continued on as tears welled up and she lost track of what she was saying. "You're the reason we're here in the first place! If you would've just minded your own damn business!" she screeched. That hit me hard. Too hard.

"Well, you know what? Sorry for caring about you, you stupid, spoiled brat!" I blurted out through my own hurt voice. After that I was being carried down the stairs and escorted out of the castle. It took me a minute to compose myself before getting on my horse. I regretted what I had said and thought about it the whole way back to town.

I sat in a crowded bar, trying to keep track of some type of conversation. It was hard when everyone else was drunk and loud. This bar seemed like something that would never exist in real life. Candles on the walls cast a warm glow on the beheaded animals scattered about. It was mostly deer but an occasional bear was there. Lots of men sat on stools, drinking as much beer as their stomachs would hold, and singing tunes to amuse each other. The only person who didn't seem to be smashed was Gaston. Who for some reason was the first person I could think to come for help.
"Well, boy? What was it you needed?" his voice boomed over me as he threw an arm around my shoulders. I pushed his arm off and scooted away a little.
"I'll tell you in a few minutes, I'm waiting for someone," I informed him. It wasn't a lie, I was really waiting for someone. Specifically, Maurice. We had split up, I went to go find someone to help at the bar, and he went to get some supplies from his house. We would then meet up later. Well, it was later, and Maurice was still nowhere to be seen.

"Whoever it is, they can't be more important than me," he boasted. He may not have been drunk but the smell of alcohol was very prominent in his breath. At that moment a freezing gust of wind chilled the inside of the tavern, quieting most of the noise. Maurice stood in the doorway not moving for a few seconds before yelling.

"Someone! Anyone! Help! My daughter has been trapped by a beast! We need someone to go slay him!" he ran around the bar begging anyone who would lock eyes with him. I sat, amazed at the way he was going about this. I thought we were just going to be quiet and less dramatic. Instead of getting the help he wanted, Maurice got all of the men in the bar laughing. Well, except for me.

"Oh really now, Maurice? And what do you suppose this beast looks like?" Gaston mocked. All the men were waiting anxiously to hear the answer. An answer they got.

"He was tall and very hairy! He had teeth that could cut through anything and claws that could pierce solid brick!" Maurice went on and on, sending all the drunkards hooting. As everyone was losing it over the story, I turned to Gaston.

"Can you believe him, Ryan?" Gaston wiped the tears from his eyes and continued a low chuckle.

"Yeah, actually, I can," I said in a hard tone. Gaston stopped laughing and gave me an amused smile.

"Oh, come on boy. you can't believe what crazy old maurice says, can you?" He spoke to me like a child.

"Well, I agree he is old, but he is not crazy. That's what I came here for, to see if you could help us get belle back," I informed. Gaston lost the smile and seemed to believe the story more coming from me.

"So, Belle is really in trouble?" he asked. When I nodded my head he sat thinking for a minute. He seemed to get a thought in his head and called his short, plump friend over. He whispered in his ear and they both gave each other devilish grins. I started to think that maybe asking him for help wasn't such a good idea when they both stood up.

"We'll help good 'ol maurice!" Gaston shouted. His change in attitude made me uneasy about the plan he had. "We can't just have a terrible beast terrorizing our women!" he continued on. I didn't need to hear anymore to know that I needed to go back and make sure Gaston didn't screw things up.