Always a Beast

The Beast Doesn't Know

Note: Up to the "I should tidy up" part, that was written in Dec 14, 2012. Everything else I literally just wrote whatever came to mind. I'm not planning this story, but rathering writing as things come to me in the moment. Let's see where that takes us :)

Alaric's dark brown eyes watched her intently as she made his favorite breakfast: scrambled eggs with cheese and extra crispy bacon. He smiled because today was a good day. Today he loved her despite how ragged she looked. Not one of her features favored her. Once pink cheeks were now greatly lacking in any color. He had loved that most about her.

When he married her he was sure it would be different from all the others. He had hardly been able to spend a month with a girl, but when she came along she thrilled him, and time with her was never enough; weeks turned to months. She wasn't the woman he had married though, but he didn't want to believe that his marriage would be so short lived. Why was he worried about such superficial things? And how could he be letting them ruin his love for her?

He patted the chair next to him, motioning Irina to join him. She managed a faint smile and sat.

"Delicious meal Irina."

"Thank you," she responded meekly.

She had run out of energy. She could barely get through an entire day without stumbling about on one thing or another. Everything tired her, but especially being around Alaric, it was almost repugnant to her- something she was trying very hard to hide from him.

"I really should tidy up, why don't you finish eating." Irina got up slowly and went out into the garden. Something was amiss, but she had no idea what. It seemed like Alaric and her were just going through the motions of their relationship. She had loved him dearly, and even now there was a part of her that couldn't let go of him, but that part was at conflict with the one that screamed to get away from him.

Irina was pulling out weeds from her garden, they seemed to grow the minute she plucked them out. It was tedious work, but it got her away from Alaric as he couldn't stand the smell of the plants that grew there. She smiled as she spotted the pretty green flower that had grown from one of the seeds that a nice lady had given her at the farmer's market. She remembered that day very vividly.

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"Oh pretty one, come here, come here." The lady had tugged at her sleeve. "Yes ma'am?"

"HAHA! I am no ma'am, just a wanderer in this world. I've seen beautiful things and ugly things. You are beautiful, and I have a beautiful thing for you." Irina really didn't want to buy anything, but before a word came out of her lips that lady was stuffing Irina's hand with a small pouch. "Go pretty one," the lady practically whispered as she shoved Irina away.

Irina forgot everything else she had planned to buy. She didn't even open the pouch until she got home. Once she did, she saw three seeds. She stored the pouch away in a drawer and planted the three seeds near each other, but with plenty of room to grow. After that, she forgot about the lady and did not give much thought to what she had planted in her garden.

                                                                                       ***

She gently touched the small, bright flower. "So peculiar. I don't even know what it is. I should prob-" All Irina heard was the breaking of glass. She jolted up and ran to find that Alaric was on the floor. "Alaric!" As her hand touched his, Alaric yelped. His eyes had the glow of fury as he grabbed her hand, and looking at her palm, snarled, "What have you done?"