Blind Beauty

Chapter 2: A New Beginning

The beast snarled as he stalked back inside of his castle to his new prisoner. A girl. How was it that a girl of all people stumbled into such a horrific place like this? Surely she saw the menacing gargoyles and blackened stone through the snow. Hell, the damned thing looked like like Satan's dwelling! Maybe she was just courageous. That would explain why she had not screamed whenever she looked at him. However, she would not make eye contact. Questions tied his brain in knots and his horns felt too big for his head.

"U-Uhm... master...?" A candelabra whispered as he lit the way up the spiral staircase to the dungeon. Sounds of soft weeping bounced off the stone walls and continued to travel. "What?" Growled the beast as he eyed Lumiere while he sat on a little shelf. Kneading his candlesticks nervously while he looked down. "W-Well you see... seeing as this girl will be with us for a while... m-maybe she should be a little more.... comfortable...?" He whispered with a slight flinch and a nervous smile.

The beast snarled a little loudly and growled. "She is a prisoner! Why would I need to make her comfortable? She traded places with her father despite knowing that she was going to be kept in a cell."

Lumiere would flinch. "Th-That is true master! But what if she is the one who can break the spell? You could be human again if she learns to love you!" He protested even though he knew the beast would be much more angry. "Please master Adam..." He mumbled while proceeding to knead his candlesticks the way humans would knead their hands together whenever they become anxious. This caused the beast to bare such large, sharp, tusk like teeth which looked like that of an orc. A very furry one.

"Fine..." Another growl before the enormous claw had snatched up the candelabra to light his way back up the stairs. He followed the hushed cries of the tiny girl in the cell. He didn't know why, but he actually felt pity upon the little one who had traded places with her father. Though meek, she had a very brave soul — he thought. Who on earth would sacrifice themselves to the beast? Normally when he had trespassers, they screamed and soiled themselves as they threw their own humanity away like an old banana peel. Friends become enemies as one leaves behind the other for the beast to maul if he so chose. That was when the true colors of humans would show through — when it was life and death.

Midnight had curled up with her knees in her face buried into the little bumps. She couldn't even feel how the cuts from the thorns stung so terribly. She hopes her father was okay at least as she proceeded to finally calm down as her tear ducts finally ran dry. The faint sound of footsteps coming closer and closer had startled her. The little flower petal had merely clung to the wall closer than before. Just then, that seven foot tall monster had come into full earshot. His silhouette was so large that it was very easy for midnight to make out the shape from his wolf-like feet to his tail to those enormous bear-like shoulders to the devilish horns. The beast grunted.

Midnight flinched in response and nervously pulled her braid over her shoulder in silence. "I'll.... I'll show you to your room..." Beast Adam mumbled reluctantly. Causing Midnight to wipe her purple and puffy eyes of the dried tears. "M-My room..?" She whispered back while slowly rising.

In response to his impatience, the beast motioned to the moldy tower. "Do you wanna stay in the tower?!"

"No."

"Well come then." He growled once more with Midnight swiftly stepping on her toes behind the beast. As she got closer to him, she noticed more details, but he was too far past her arm's reach which made it harder to see him. However, she could make out the thin cloak he wore along with the ripped pants. The matted fur reminded her of a dog that had recently rolled in mud, then grass, then mud again. It looked coarse as well. She wanted to touch it and see what it really felt like. After all, maybe it just has not been brushed in a few weeks?

Even still, it was hard going down the stairs and not bumping into things which had earned more than one growl or grunt of frustration from Adam. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Midnight mumbled against and again. Once they got to a straight hall which had railing on the right side, Midnight kept her head down with a tear running down the side of her nose and down her cheek. Sensing this despair, the beast looked back with an expression of genuine worry. Lumiere shakily tapped their shoulder of his master. "Say something to her!" He whispered. "She's scared out of her wits end and despair is radiating off of her." He snapped.

The beast cleared his throat nervously as he thought about what to say. Lumiere was right. Adam hated to admit it, but he really was right about the girl. He wondered what she was thinking of. Probably how horrible he was, but he could not help this as he thought more about how she could break the spell. There were several excuses as to why he should let her go. For example, he was no longer a prince, she had someone to take care of, and she seemed fairly young which meant that she most likely had her whole life planned ahead of her. "I.... I hope you like your new room..." The beast started.

Lumiere motioned for him to keep going as he noticed how Midnight looked up to follow the sound along with the light so she would not get lost. "Don't think you will be cooped up forever. You can go anywhere you want in the palace except the west wing." He instructed.

Midnight spoke out of curiosity. "Is it because it's not safe-?"

"It's forbidden." A stern threat from the creature accompanied by shiny white canines which had caused the young girl to flinch in response with her hands up in defense. Her dress was torn in a few spots and her hands were a bit dirty from being on the cold stone floor of the dungeon. "Hm..." The beast resumed his walk down the hall. "I'll send a servant to fix your room. They haven't been used in a while." He spoke after a while longer once they reached large double doors. A whisper from the candelabra followed. "Dinner. Ask her to dinner!"

The beast straightened. "I expect you downstairs for dinner in two hours. That's not a request!" He roughly nudged Midnight into the bedroom which had caused more tears to flow. She turned back to the door and then to the room. She merely collapsed on the white, flower covered canopy bed after nearly tripping. Snow fell in thin blankets throughout that quiet and grave night as she cried once more. Weeping into the thick blankets in the dark. Everything hurt. The added wounds on her body only hurt her so much more due to the intense emotional pain she was feeling. Her father and her freedom was all gone in one day. Less than a day in fact! Her light brown hair was scattered and tangled and she was dirty. Her dress was torn and her white purple cloak had been browned and blackened by the dirt it picked up in the tower as well as while walking around the castle.

Midnight had not yet known that this castle would not be so bad. She did not know that the most medical things were waiting to happen and that her life would soon be changed forever.