Beast and Beatrice

Chapter one - Beatrice

An agonized gasp flew from her lips. Stabbing pain beneath her ribcage forced her headlong flight to a stumbling halt. With a shaking hand, she gripped her side, trying to relieve some of the pain as she leaned one shoulder against a wide tree-trunk. If only she could rest a moment. But she dare not.

He was out there somewhere. She knew it. Desperately her gaze skipped from tree to tree, searching, straining to pierce the darkness. There was no sign of him, yet she knew he was out there, somewhere. Slinking from shadow to shadow, dogging her every step. She had seen him through the trees. Like some demon wraith from out of the pit. A distorted, hulking beast, massive and lumbering. Grotesque in face and form. Not that she'd caught more than a glimpse of him, engulfed as he was in the shadowy folds of a hooded black cloak.

Her vision suddenly blurred and she blinked rapidly, trying to clear away the fog. She was so tired. Her head felt fuzzy, like it was stuffed with cotton. Her legs trembled with exhaustion, barely holding her upright even with the massive tree-trunk at her back. The heart beneath her breast was beating so hard, it felt like it would leap right out of her chest. Whether from fear or exertion, it was impossible to tell. A trickle of perspiration rolled down her forehead and she swiped the damp away with her palm. Licking dry lips, she tried to swallow but her throat was so scratchy and raw. A sudden racking cough had her bending in half, searching for air. The soggy heaviness in her lungs made it doubly difficult to breathe. Like a solid brick sitting on her chest.

Clearly she was unwell and shouldn't be out here. She should have been home in bed, cuddled up under the blankets with a hot cup of tea and lemon. But she wasn't home, safe. She was out here, hopelessly lost in the woods. It felt like she had been running forever and yet she didn't seem to be making any headway. Nothing looked even vaguely familiar. Not that she could see much more than shadowy wilderness. All was cloaked in darkness, making it doubly difficult to find her way. And the dense forest seemed determined to frustrate her progress. Skeleton-like limbs constantly caught at her clothes, snatching at her arms, leaving scratches and welts all over her tender skin. Ugly nobby roots jumped from underground, intent on tripping her. And all she longed to do was lay down and rest. But she couldn't stop. It was imperative she keep moving.

If only she could locate some kind of shelter. Surely there must be some friendly soul nearby who would offer sanctuary to a lost and weary woman. But there didn't seem to be anything remotely habitable among the trees. How had she come to be so far from home?

Home, where it was warm and cozy and safe. Home with the children, where she should be at this time of night. Seated on the bed, reading a bedtime story. The three darlings were so starved for affection. She struggled to fill in the gap left by her brother's untimely demise and their mother's lackluster attention. Showering them with all the love she had to give. She couldn't love them any more if they were her very own.

They would surely be missing her by now. She was certain young Teddy was coming down with something. He'd complained his head hurt this morning. He certainly should not have been taken out of the house but Sissy had insisted and, as she was their mother, there was nothing Beatrice could say about it. The moment Mr. Narwhal arrived, Sissy was ushering the children out the door, leaving Beatrice alone with the conceited, lecherous old man.

The elderly shopkeeper always made her feel extremely uneasy. He was forever undressing her with his eyes, leering at her bosom and constantly making lewd, suggestive remarks that confused and frightened her. Since the death of her brother, his advances had become increasingly aggressive and frightening. Nothing she did seemed to deter the man. Her reluctance only seemed to entice him to be more ardent in his pursuit.

She feared offending him by outright denying his advances. After all, they owed Mr. Narwhal a considerable debt. If he decided to call in all that was owed to him, they could all be out on the street in an instant. And Mr. Narwhal was fully capable of it.