Beauty and the Beast

Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine:

  "Cogsworth! I need tofind Cogsworth!" Isabelle said frantically to Cecile who slept in the adjoining room, "And you have to get out of here, there's a fire in my bedroom!"  

Cecile was up very quickly, dragging Isabelle down a myriad of halls. She suddenly stopped and knocked on Cogsworth's door. "Coggy! There is a fire and Master Adam says you know what to do!"  

A very disheveled but very alaert Cogsworth opened the door a ffew seconds later, "Where is Master Adam?"  

"He stayed to try to smother the fire," Isabelle answered. 

  "Cecile go get Lumiere to help him and make sure he doesn't get himself killed," Cogsworth said and pulled Isabelle into his private quarters.    

Isabelle stood there, and she knew she was shaking. Cogsworth got on what Isabelle barely recognized as a phone and was talking very very quickly.  

She stood there, feeling very helpless, wishing she could do something to help. Thoughts and images of the Master burned, or worse, dead haunted her and she brought her hand up to her lips. If only, she thought, she had eaten at dinner instead of fought with him, she wouldn't have been out of bed with a candle, enraging him to knock it out of her hand. He was right: her own stupid stubborness made a mess of everything.   

And he was trying to smother the fire that was consumming the bed he so willingly made available for her use. Isabelle couldn't stand to not do anything. She eyed Cogsworth, who seemed very enraptured with whatever phone calls he was making. She took the opportunity and snuck out.   Isabelle ran down the hallways, hoping she could find her way back to her chambers. When she encountered smoke she was relieved she hadn't gone in the complete opposite direction. She saw flames licking from underneath her door.  

"Izabelle! No!" Cecile's voice was faint, and Lumiere was beside her. 

"No! Isabelle! Let me help," Lumiere ran and approached her. "Do not go in there. Go with Cecile outside with the rest of the servants! Go on!"  

Isabelle was not very aware that she was crying, but Cecile grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away.  

"Cecile," Lumiere groaned, "I have to get in there to help! Get her out of the way and yourselves to safety!"   

As if the puncuate Lumiere's plea a horrific sound emerged from Isabelle's bedchamber and she heard a man yelp in pain.   

"No!" Isabelle screamed and wiggled out of Cecile's grasp. She opened the door and Lumiere grabbed her from behind.

“If you want to help, get yourself outside so I can help him!” Lumiere had to lift her off her feet. Isabelle kicked, trying to get to Adam. Her elbows were flying everywhere, and she noticed Lumiere having to grunt in his efforts to keep her under control.

She saw Adam across the room, trapped against a wall. Pieces of her bed and the ceiling blocked him in.

“No!” Isabelle wiggled and kicked, eventually coming into contact with Lumiere’s leg. He yelped in pain and she was able to free herself from his hold.

Adam saw her and yelled, “Belle, no! Go outside! Please, go outside!” He started coughing and Isabelle’s panic grew.

All she wanted was for him to hold her. That was the only way she would know he was alive, and that she was safe. Even if it meant they were both in the room while it was blazing away into destruction.

“No!” Isabelle screamed, again, voice full of tears and smoke. She coughed a little and noticed one of her bed pillars was about to fall into the pile blocking Adam in. She ran a few steps and jumped over the flames and landed precariously close to him.