Blood and Roses- A Modern Retelling of Beauty and the Beast

Prologue

It was a dark and stormy night in December, the pale moon hid behind her dark veil of clouds as Andrew Hughes locked the last remnants of his birthday party out. A mischievous grin curled at the corner of his mouth as he turned to walk back to his room. A light gust of wind blew past Andrew's ears as he passed a partially open window.

He entered the darkened room. “What a wonderful party, Andrew,” came a voice from his bed. He flicked on the lights. On the bed, positioned like a model, lay his girlfriend Veronica, red hair streaming.

“Hey, babe,” Andrew responded.

“You know that I don't like being called that,” she pouted, throwing a pillow at his head. Andrew ducked.

“Sorry V, but you are one and I love that.”

Veronica rolled her eyes, “That's probably all you like about me! Okay, you pay no attention to the heart. Someone could be heartless and cruel, yet you'd never notice. You would only notice how beautiful or how disfigured they are.”

“Come on Veronica, you know that's not true,” Andrew insisted.

Veronica produced a pocketknife from her bra and pointed it at him, “You know it is.”

Andrew put his hands up in surrender, “Okay, maybe it is. Who knows maybe I'll change.” Veronica brought up the knife and slashed it across his nose. “Ouch!” he exclaimed, putting his hand up to ebb the flow.

“Andrew.”

“Yeah?”

“You currently have a chemical coursing through your veins that will cause immediate hair growth. Every night from 9:00 pm to 8:00 am you'll look like your dashing self. However, for the rest of the day, you'll be hairy and scarred.”

“Veronica, is there no hope for me?”

“Everyone has hope, even that ninth grader you made fun of the other day.”

“What hope do I have?” Andrew asked sadly.

“You'll learn in time.” Veronica turned back to face him, “By the way, what did you call her?”

“Ears,” he said.

“Hmm, maybe you'll see her again,” with that, Veronica disappeared. The moon, by now, had escaped her veil. Noting it, Andrew let out a scream of anguish that rang through the streets of New York.