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Chapter Five

Chapter Five

“Hello?” I called, not exactly loudly. “Papa?” The long, dark hall was beautiful, yet frightening. Shadow, dust, and cobwebs filled every corner. “Papa?” The hall seemed to never end. I started walking just a little faster. “Papa?” “Belle?” His voice seemed to come from the wall. “Papa!!” “Belle!!” I gently pushed the stone. It opened like a door, revealing a secret passage of some sort. “Papa?” “Over here, Belle!!” I turned to what I had thought was a painting. “Papa!! Who did this to you?” He was locked in a dull, dank, dark, cold room. It seemed that a spell had been put upon it to where the objects, and people, inside looked like they’d been painted there, and moved slowly -- one second here, the next a few feet away, then a few more, and so on. Eventually he was standing by the glass frame. “A monster, Belle. A beast,” he replied solemnly. “Well, I’m going to get you out of here, monster or no--” “RRRRRRRRR.” I screamed. The growling noise had come from one of the shadowed corners, behind what seemed like a broken gargoyle. I composed myself - slightly - and in a voice a bit higher than it normally was, questioned, “Who are you? Why have you done this to my father? And how could I convince you to let him go?” I gasped as the gargoyle stood up. Then it clicked - the gargoyle was the beast who imprisoned my father. “You hate to look upon me. My hideousness frightens you.” His low, rumbling voice wasn’t asking. I hastily replied, “No, no!! You only surprised me.” He growled again, though less loudly. “To answer your questions, I am the master of this castle. Your father trespassed here,” he sneered. “I only needed a place to stay. Your servants invited me in, otherwise I never would’ve stepped past the doorframe,” Papa argued. “There,” I said angrily, “He meant no harm!! You punish him for something that you should blame your servants for!!” The beast roared. A terrible roar that emitted in my bones, rattling them. I thought that I was surely deaf, for the hall, the castle, even the entire world seemed silent. But then the monster spoke again - “Allow me to finish. If you find someone to take his place, I will let him go.” Both Papa and I froze. “That’s it?” I asked. He had a confused expression on his face, but nodded. “Then, if you please, I’ll take his place,” I declared. Papa was shocked. “No, Belle!!!” “Belle?” the beast whispered, “The very name means ‘beautiful’.” “Yes, she was named Belle after her lovely mother, you horrid, hideous beast!!!” Another roar, far more terrible than the last, echoed through the castle. Papa grabbed my arm and ran for our lives. “No, Papa!!!” I shouted over the noise, “I promised I’d stay!!!” “You never promised!!!” Papa yelled back. “Now that she said she did, she will!!!” The beast bellowed, grabbed me around the waist, and yanked me back. The silence that followed was awful. “Get out,” the beast muttered, quiet and low. Papa looked outraged. “I’m not leaving without my--” “GET OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!” the monster shouted, scaring Papa all the way out the door, thinking I was following. I tried, but the beast still had hold of me. Goodbye Papa, I thought, I’ll never see him again.