*Dog and Butterfly book 2*
Celine "Cece" Rose returns to Woodson Creek at the time our lovely Cara Rose-Anders left for college, right when the fairytales are coming to life. In her old life she was truly the bell of the ball. Now, back with her ol...
The second I started researching the various forms of beauty and the beast, I regret it. The true story is of Pedro and Catherine, Pedro was a "wild-man", he had a medical condition where hair grew thickly all on his face, he was used as a living and breathing joke among the aristocracy. He was their personal freak show. Catherine was the daughter of a loyal servant who was forced by the Queen to marry Pedro. They had seven children; three of the kids had the same medical condition as their father. The family was treated as property of the royals and lived as pets. There was no roses, happily ever after or singing dishes and furniture. If I was destined to be modeled after Beauty, this is not the life I want to live...this isn't the life I will lead. Discouraged by the truth, I logged off the library computer and started for home. I pass the fortune teller "Madam Tawny's", but as I do so, the door to it flies open and stops me in my tracks. Curious, I walk into the dark fortune store and begin to wander around.
"Hello?" I ask the dark. The temperature in the store seems to plummet to where my breath is visible. Something behind me illuminates the room. I turn around to see a single rose glowing in a glass vessel.
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I approach the delicate table and lift the glass vessel, freeing the rose to float in mid air. I take the vulnerable rose into my hands. A thorn on the stem pricks my finger and the rose begins to glow a simmering crimson as it fills the room with voices:
"Princess Belle"
"Cece....Celine Belle Rose"
"Cece, be warned, the town is not safe from the curse. Time is withering away. If you have not completed the fairytale by the time the last petal falls from the rose stem. Woodson Creek will giveaway to the spell...Cece, complete the fairytale and save us all!"
I watch as a single petal falls from the rose and shrivels up on the floor. I drop the rose and run out of the shop in a whirl. I trip on the curb of the sidewalk and fall into someone's arms. The gleam from the sun, blinds my eyes from seeing the person's face.
"Cece? You okay?" The person helps me back onto my feet. I turn to see none other than Noah.
"I'm f-fine." I shudder.
"Hey, you're bleeding." He points to my right thumb which blood has streamed from down my hand and drips to the sidewalk.
"Yeah it's just a scratch." I shrug as Noah pulls a bandaid out from his pocket.
"Town Sheriff, always prepared." He chuckles and hands me the bandaid.
"Thank you." I nod and accept the bandaid.
"Madam Tawny's fortune shop huh? Don't tell me the tea leaves told you, you only have a week left." He stares at the sign on the shop.
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