Beauty and the Beast | Fillie

A New Beginning

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"So... we are here." David began, opening the back of the old yellow car, where the luggage of his daughter were.

The man stared at her suitcases, incapable to move. It was the moment; everything happened so fast. It was already Monday and he was about to say goodbye to the only person he didn't want to let go; not in such way. Not when the fault was his.

Millie smiled in a silly way and simply hugged him tightly. She loved embracing her dad; she always felt protected when David held her in his arms. His scent was of mint and tobacco, and she remembered smelling it every time they played the piano together, sitting side by side, when she was younger.

"Dad, it's not like I'm going to war. You're going to see me again next week. Our home in just two hours from here!"

If she only knew, he thought. He caressed her long hair gently and gave her a small kiss on the top of her head.

"I know... but I don't like goodbyes."

It was hard letting the hold go. He felt so guilty; so insincere; like she was happy going to heaven without knowing that was, in reality, just hell.

"It's not a goodbye. It's a see you next weekend!" she giggled, winking at him jokingly.

David tried to hold back his tears; it was hard. It was not a simple goodbye or something he should felt proud of; it was something horrible. He was condemning her to live... with him.

"Yeah, next weekend, kiddo. Just get in that palace and call me when you have time, okay?"

"Sure!" she said, quickly taking her suitcase from the car.

"I love you dad!" Millie finally said, smiling in an adorable way, showing him her usual silly teeth.

"I love you more."

And once David went away, he knew that was too late to come back anyway.

She was gone.

It was eight in the morning, and Millie was ready to say "hello" to her new house. She was alone at last, with the suitcase in her hand, a backpack on her back, and all the dreams she could think of.

Standing before the gates of that immense mansion, she could see the garden surrounding it; the flowers and the trees were still there, colorful, magnificent, although it was October. Everything seemed like never aged, like a spell was on it and everything remained intact and perfect despite the days, the weeks, the months...

She took a step forward and pressed the button on the enormous gate. She didn't even know how to enter it. She curiously looked around when a voice came out of the speaker next to the security camera placed strategically on the top of the steel gate.

"Oh, we were waiting for you, Miss Brown."

A female voice said, softly. And Millie, of course, jumped back, scared.

"Uhm, who just talked?"

"I'm in the camera, Miss. The camera. They told us you were about to come here at eight a.m."

"Oh, nice. Where do I have to go?" she looked up, smiling shyly.

"Just follow the path through the garden, Miss Brown. I will wait for you at the entrance."