Beauty And The Beast (bxb)

Chapter 31

It was in the depths of the night when crickets too had ceased their prayers that the grounds of the mansion where disturbed by a slight breeze by silhouette as it passed by. The mammoth of a main gate moved silently into the night, a skill that could mesmerise a thief. The cold glint of the moon escaped the clouds  for a brief moment and fell over Ivan's face. But the eyes showed something different. There was no emotion in them. The curse was running it's course.

Slipping out with no one awakened, Ivan headed towards the town easily avoiding any predators that roamed the night. The bitter chill brought along a brief smell of charred wood as the town appeared over hill. Covering himself with the cloak, he descended into the town.

The place of news and gossip, the place where fights began and marriage usually ended. The place where alcohol flowed freely. The bar.
That was where he was heading to. The drink of alcohol hit his senses before he even made it to the door and Ivan reeled back trapped in the confines of his mind. The person was Ivan and still not him. The major parts of his conscience was trapped whole he saw the curse move his body without his will. It was a hard feeling to explain. It was like only the deadly part of him remained in control.

The tinkling of the bell was lost at the cacophony of noise hit his ear. Slowly he twisted his way through the mass of twisted bodies that squirmed and writhed in the the local music that almost faded in the background of the tavern. There was absolutely no connection between the music and their dance. It was like people here came only for two things. Getting drunk and finding a partner for the night.

"Ooh hello mister! Wanna kiss? I kiss reallyyyy gooooddd." A drunk woman came on to him before promptly throwing up on the side on some poor man's head. The man got up and tried to shout but got slapped instead. Ivan could only raise his eyes. Martha was hundred times, no a million times better than all the woman combined here. The throught of Martha brought a fresh wave of grief and sorrow to him. Would she accept him after this? He had found love just to loose it. And all because his mother couldn't hold on to her's.

Sliding around her, he headed straight to the bartender. The person with the best news in town. The bartenders were usually better informed about the secret than the father of the Church. Alcohol did that with everyone. Perhaps the father even confessed to the bartender too.

(No offense to the Catholics. This is just for the book)

"What can I get you today?" The man asked him without looking up. He was surprisingly well kept in the chaos that reigned just a few steps away and so was the bar around him.
"A shot of the strongest you have here and some information."
The bartender looked up from wiping the counter at the man in front. Tall, well built and handsome. The blond mop of his hair looked like it had been carefully styled but the truth was it that it hadn't been touched even once.

"It'll cost you." He replied leaning in interest.

"How much."

"Depends."

"A man called Beauty."

The bartender made a sad face at remembrance. He was a good lad. Nice to those he deserved it and had survived even in the darkness of the town.

"That'll cost ya 10."

Ivan handed over the money without any further questions while the real part of him cried in dismay.

"Well, he was a good lad. Born to Jeremy and Nathalia. She died during birth,god bless her soul and he remarried to a lady known as Creena. They live down town at 23 with her two daughters Daphne and Jenny. "
The bartender paused to pour the drink.
"A few months ago, Jeremy took the boy to the woods to visit his mother's grave, but the lad ran away, presumed dead. Noone can survive the frigid winters in the mountains without proper preparation." He sighed in the tragic story.

"His admirer, Clarissa wept for days and was inconvincible. Poor laddy. Rejected all the proposals that were sent in hope.And his best friend Martha..."

Ivan's ears perked up in interest.

"She ran away from her husband a few weeks ago and he is on the warpath. She had almost killed him with a knife." He sighed as he shook is head. It appeared to him that the lad was covered in misfortune, bringing it along to others near him.
A commotion near the door had them both looking up.

"There he is. The town's butcher and Martha's husband." The bartender nodded and the massive man that had entered, now his arms full of woman. Ivan smiled and turned to the bartender again.

"Where does this Clarissa stay?"

The bartender looked at the man warily but told him the information either way. Ivan's smile streched wider and the bartender shuddered as a cold finger ran down his back.

Getting up Ivan's cursed part neared to his first prey that night. A means to end his mission, while Ivan struggled to get out the prison of his own head as he saw the scene in horror.