Chapter 8--Quick Decisions

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"A villain is just a victim whose story hasn't been told." --Chris Colfer
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Raul had been with me since he left the girl in her room

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Raul had been with me since he left the girl in her room. He helped me the best he could after I changed to my normal self again.

Well, as normal as I was anyway.

The transformation that time was more painful than it had ever been. I had changed, but the part of my mind that I always kept intact, the part that was me changed with me.

I couldn't remember what I did when I was in the forest. All I knew was that I woke up with blood on my hands. I had come back and didn't need to say a word to Raul, he had already known what had happened.

There wasn't much he could do, though. Since I hadn't had anyone in the castle with me for a long time, I forgot how to control my changing, seeing as I had no need to control it.

"Anything else for you, Sir?"

I looked up at Raul. I was in my room, sitting on my bed. My mind went blank.

"Yeah, you could get rid of this stupid curse."

As soon as the words left my mouth, I wished I could take them back. That wasn't fair. Raul's under the same enchantment I am, just with a few differences.

I watched his face fall, but within a second, he put up his usual bright mask.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

Silence followed my sentence. My gaze drifted back down to my hands as a wave of guilt washed over me. I had made the only person who could halfway stand to be around me mad.

Why do I always do this? Why can't I learn to stop myself? Why can't--

A rough hand laid itself on the top of my head. I looked up, snapping myself out of my thoughts. Raul stood over me, his creased face in a small smile--a true smile--not the ones that he used when I was being horrible. I started to open my mouth to say something, but he shook his head. I closed my eyes.

We stayed there, both knowing the unspoken words between us.

Sometimes forgiveness doesn't need words.

*****

I sat, carefully perched on a rafter as I watched her explore the room. I followed her when she thought she sneaked from her room. Really, I had asked Raul to unlock her door in the day, so if she felt even the slightest curiosity about where she was, she could explore.

I didn't know why I had asked. It seemed like a waste of time, but when I had thought of it, I liked the idea.

I suppose I still had that hope in me, that stupid sliver of hope. I should have given that up a long time ago.

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