Beauty And The Beast: The Story Untold

Chapter 2: The Eyes In The Woods

"Good bye father! Be safe!" Belle called after her father who rode of with Philip and his new invention for the fair. Belle felt a swell of pride rise in her. He was going to do so well then they could move on to a better life.

Belle walked back into her house after she saw her father ride away. Unsure of what to do next, she decided she would sit and read for a while. She grabbed her favorite book and curled up in her rocking chair. She didn't get to read for long before there was a knock at the door. She got up from her chair to see who it was. When she saw it was Gaston, she cringed but opened it anyways.

"Good morning Belle. I just thought you might like some company," he laughed, pushing his way past her and into the house.

"Gaston," Belle said sternly, folding her arms across her chest.

"My sweet Belle, don't be upset." He held a finger under her chin and she stepped back to put much needed distance between them. "Be happy for I have brought you a great surprise. All your dreams are about to come true." He dramatized his statement by extending his arms.

"What do you know about my dreams?" Belle asked, stepping around to the other side of the table.

Gaston brushed her comment off with a sick laugh. "Why Belle, don't be so silly. Every girl in town wants to marry me, but lucky for you, you're the only girl that I'm interested in." He flashed her a smile and stepped around to the other side of the table.

Belle forced a laugh as fear started to settle into her system. Gaston may be the most handsome man in the whole village, but he was mean and not for Belle. She backed away from him but he cornered her against the door.

"Why Gaston," she said startled by the close proximity of him and ran her hand across the door. "I'm sorry but I just don't deserve you." She suddenly found what she was looking for and turned. Gaston, having his weight against the door from his hand above her head, pushed the door open and he fell out.

Belle giggled as she shut the door behind him. What a monster that man could be. Sure he was handsome, but he was too rude and conceited for Belle to like.

Suddenly she felt suffocated in her house and needed fresh air. She stepped out the back, sure that Gaston had gone. She still had to feed the chickens. She had almost forgot!

How could he be so selfish as to force her to marry him when she didn't like him back? Shaking her head, she dropped the basket of chicken feed and dashed out to her favorite hill. In the spring it was sprinkled with blooming, beautiful flowers. And the view, oh the view! She felt like she could see the whole world.

She fell to her knees in the tall grass and took in a deep breath, taking the time to savor the smell of the flowers and the fresh air. If only there was someone out there who could see that she wanted so much more.

Suddenly Philip burst out of the woods nearby and whined, dashing towards Belle. She was instantly on her feet and alert. He still had Father's invention tied to him. Belle looked around the clearing quickly but didn't see her father. She felt panic start to rise in her chest. Philip stopped next to Belle but continued to cry. "Philip! Where is he? Where is Papa?" Belle asked, taking a hold of his reins.

He cried out as if to answer. Belle untied her fathers work and mounted Philip, urging him to take her to her father. When Belle realized they had to go through the Black Woods, she felt sick. She had been told tales when she was younger about people who would go in there and never come back, that there was a beast that roamed the woods.

Her surroundings became dark as they entered the forest. The sun was starting to set and a cold wind ran across Belle's skin, making her shiver involuntarily. The dark forest and the sound of crunching leaves under Philip's hooves reminded Belle of her past and she couldn't help the memory as it surfaced her mind. She tried pushing it back as she rode through the dark forest with Philip but it was too strong.