The Redeemed Soul [Dorian Gray]

A Monster

"I've checked the entire living room. She is not there." Alice informed her as they entered the living room.

"Have you checked outside? She might have gone to admire the rose bushes like she did one time." Rosemary reminded her of the one time when they had searched for Celia the same way.

"You're right. I'll go do that. Can you check the rooms upstairs? I'll meet you in the dressing room once I've finished checking outside."

"You read my mind."

The two women went their separate ways in search of the young girl. Rosemary checked the hallway once again, just to be sure and the cellar before she walked towards her brother.

"Have you seen Celia?" She asked him. Basil looked shocked at that question and the feeling of something being wrong grew. "Basil, have you seen her?" She asked once again. "She is nowhere to be found. Alice is getting worried."

Basil had been a part of Celia's sudden disappearance. He knew who she was with and wondered if he should tell his sister the same without breaking her heart.

"Neither is your Dorian Gray to be found anywhere." Henry's voice spoke from behind as he drank his wine, interrupting Basil as he was about to speak.

"Oh no." She mumbled, realising what he had meant and hurried up the stairs. Basil touched her arm to stop her. "Don't!" She shouted.

After everything she had heard from people in the past month about his behaviour, if what Lord Henry meant became true, he had truly gone astray. "Celia?" She shouted, opening door to door on the top floor. "Celia?"

She couldn't help but imagine the terror that Henry had meant when he said that Dorian was missing as well. If what she was thinking came true, she would definitely throw some punches, despite what people thought of her.

She found herself in front of the room where she had helped Celia get ready. "Celia?" She opened the door and stormed into the room to find a man tying the buttons of his shirt.

He turned around and had an expressionless face put on. "Rosemary." He brushed the hair from his eyes.

"Dorian." She snarled, finding the room to be a mess. "Where is Celia?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, putting the button into the hole on his right sleeve.

"Don't play with me." She threatened him. She had never shown her angry side to anyone before, but she couldn't control herself.

"I don't know what you are talking about." He smiled, making her want to break his stupid nose.

"Then you wouldn't mind if I check the room, will you?"

"Actually I will."

"Screw you then." She moved across the room and checked behind the drapes.

"There is no one here." He smirked.

"Celia!" She called out one more time in hope of a response.

"Rose?" She heard a low voice from under the bed.

She looked horrified at Dorian and helped Celia from under the bed. "No!" She gasped as she saw the ripped off sleeves and scratches on Celia's arms.

"Rose." The young girl hugged her and started crying.

"Ssh, it's okay. I've got you." She assured her, still not being able to believe her eyes. "Did something happen?" She inquired, praying for a denial.

"No." She wept. "You came right when..."

"Ssh, I'm here now." She looked angrily at Dorian as she got up. "I'm going to take you to your room, okay?" She tried to talk in a calm voice as she wrapped the bedspread around Celia's shoulders.

"Rosemary." Dorian whispered.

"Don't." She snarled. "Just don't."

"Just listen to me-"

"Don't you dare talk to me! Do you have any idea what you were about to do? What you could have done?"

"It wasn't like that-" He felt a sharp pain on his left jaw as Rosemary punched him across the face and heard her groan in pain.

"Ow!" She exclaimed. "How could you?" She asked, being on the extreme side of her anger and nothing could bring her back.

Dorian had his eyes closed, his mind coming back to its correct place. "What?" He mumbled to himself, realising that his behavior all that time was wrong.

Rosemary.

He remembered. He had broken her heart. Everything that he had done in the past month flashed before his eyes - the trips to the parlours with Henry, the multiple gatherings, the rotting of his painting, the lies that he told Basil, the hurt in Rosemary's eyes for his betrayal...

She turned her face away and was going to head out of the room, but changed her mind just for a second when she turned around. "You told me that Kelso abused you because he blamed you for your parents' death? Well, you listen to me very clearly." She said. "You are a monster!" She spitted out.

He couldn't believe his ears. "What?" He whispered.

"You are the worst creature to walk this planet and I wish you dead for what you tried to do tonight." She revealed before walking out of the room, holding Celia by the shoulders.

Lady Radley was walking up the stairs and gasped when she saw her daughter's condition. "What happened?" She asked.

"Don't ask her anything. Help her have a bath and get her dressed." The words were coming out of her mouth without her having to speak.

"She wasn't..." Lady Radley asked with a worry in her voice.

"No. I entered the room before anything could happen." She brushed the tangles from Celia's hair.

"Thank you, Rosemary!" Lady Radley breathed out in relief as she held her daughter. "Thank you very much. I can never repay-"

"Not the time. Let's help Celia first." She stated and Alice nodded.

"Rosemary!" She heard Dorian shout in the room. "Wait!" He was running out.

"I'll come back tomorrow. I have to get out of here." She spoke quickly as she headed down the stairs.

"Rosemary, wait!" He shouted as he held onto the bars of the staircase.

She shook her head, tears flowing down her face. She never thought that she would have to scream at someone like that. Maybe he deserved it but she shouldn't have been the one to do so. She had to get out of the Radley mansion and she had only one place in her mind where she had to go.

"Rosemary." He hurried down the stairs but she was quick.

"Rosemary." Basil whispered as she reached the living room.

"I'm leaving." She told him, holding her bruising hand to keep from tearing up.

"Did you find the young girl?" Henry asked mockingly and she threw a punch across his face as well and stamped his foot before her brother could stop her.

"Rose!" Basil exclaimed.

"Stay away from me." She threatened Lord Henry before heading towards the front door. She grabbed her coat from the hanger and walked out into the cold darkness.