The Beauty, The Brains, & The Beasts

Chapter 4

Sorry it took so long. Science projects and a flipping take home test. Oh and did i mention my band test on Monday? Nu, i don't think i did. Screwy, right? Okay well here's chapter 4. You learn more about Belle's personality and lifestyle. eh well, i'll shut up now and let you read the chapter!                                                        ~lotusssss c;

                                                               CHAPTER 4

Daniel took the rag and got as much blood as he could then took a plastic bag and put it in it. He set that aside and started to mop the blood off the floor. The footprints were in random arrays and abruptly stopped in the middle of nowhere. As if the someone had just disappeared. He poured bleach all over the floor, opened the small window above the sink, and blocked the entrance to the kitchen so Murphy couldn’t get in and wreak havoc in there.

Belle was laying on the couch, Murphy laying in the small alcove of her stomach. Her chest moved rhythmically; she was asleep. Daniel sighed, I should be too. He walked through Belle’s tiny apartment; he wasn’t joking when he meant tiny. Belle’s apartment only contained the small living room, the small kitchen, and a miniscule bathroom. Where’s her bed at, he thought walking back to the living room. His eyes ran over Belle’s fragile self, asleep on the couch. Ah, the couch turned into her bed.

Daniel snuck a look in the trunk/coffee table. Finding a blanket, he laid it across Belle. Murphy crawled out from under the blanket, walked onto it, and laid right back where he had been under it. Daniel had to admit, Murphy was the cutest thing ever. Aside from Belle.

Daniel shook his head. What the hell was he doing? He was in someone’s apartment thinking about them while they slept. Someone he had only just met that day.

He sat in the small recliner next to the small heater. He took in the whole room. Small paintings hung on the wall next to the door. They were very detailed and looked like they had actually been hand-painted and not like the print off canvas most people bought.

Daniel thought back to his own suite, not too far from Belle’s apartment. He bought a Van Gogh painting at an auction he had gone to with his foster parents, James and Jessica.

The deep brown trunk/coffee table had a crystal vase of daisies and lavender. A small dish of little trinkets sat next to it. Small little lights hung from one corner to the other along all the walls. The window had pale, blue curtains hanging from the small, silver curtain rod. A palm tree plant sat in a thatched basket in the corner next to him. A wooden bookcase stood along the wall with the door, filled with books.

It’s so… quaint. It was Belle’s personality. Plain, simple, but secretive. There were no pictures of family or friends. Daniel stood and walked over to the bookshelf. He scanned his eyes over the spines of the books. They rested on a book with no title. Carefully slipping it out of the shelf, he then walked back to the recliner.

He flipped the switch on the heater, pulled his scarf closer around his neck, and opened the little book. Belle’s Journal. NOT DIARY. Oh, maybe he shouldn’t be reading this, Daniel thought, almost closing the book. He peeked at Belle. Still fast asleep. Eh what the heck.

Daniel opened the journal and began to read.

                                                              -------

Belle woke up to the light snoring of someone and the purr of Murphy and her small space heater. She opened her eyes in alarm. Daniel. Daniel was asleep in her recliner. He looked so peaceful. Belle noticed a book in his lap. Her journal.

Rage grew, crawling from the pit of her stomach to her fists. She stomped over to Daniel and grabbed the journal out of his hands. Then she took the journal and smacked him upside his head. Daniel woke with a startled look on his face. His eyes, large with shock, glanced from Belle’s angry expression to the journal in her hand. His mouth shaped an o.

“WHY DID YOU READ MY JOURNAL!?” Belle shrieked. Daniel winced as if she had slapped him with her bare hand. “I didn’t! I mean, I did but..” Daniel sputtered. “THAT’S NO EXCUSE! THAT’S NOT EVEN A REASON!” Belle recoiled. Daniel’s face registered pain and Belle’s anger subsided. He looked like an abused puppy. Considering his childhood, he practically was.

“I’m sorry. It’s just I have everything in here. Ever since this accident I had. Something traumatic happened, but I don’t remember much.” Belle said, plopping down onto the couch to start her story.

PS: Erm, yeah. So what's Belle's story? You'll just have to wait for Chapter 5. And i'll try harder this time to upload it faster. It's a good thing word has spell and grammar check or heck, it'd take a whole lot longer. Ahh, Daniel and Belle. They know a lot about each other and now Daniel gets to learn about this hole in her past. And Belle, she's opening up to Daniel; something she hasn't done in almost 10 years. Well yeah (: and the song to the right is like my favorite song right now cause its so sweet and there's another reason but heck most of the people that read this story could guess why. I mean, y'all are smart (;                   ~lotusssss c;