Belle And Beast

Ch:8 The Man Of My Dreams

My eyes were as big as saucers and my heart thumped within my ribcage. They were real. The beasts I read of, I dreamed of, were real. Not only were they real, but they were protecting me. They were standing in front of my home with their giant paws and gigantic stature. My eyes strained to focus on the showdown taking place in my front lawn. The small and flickering porch light did little to illuminate the scene before me, but I could see the shadows of the beasts.

I was still in a state of awe and shock until a chilling howl ripped through the cold night air. It came from the bigger, scarier looking wolf standing in front of my house. I'm glad he's on my side. The adrenaline seemed to be having a different effect on me now. I was no longer struck with awe, rather a sense of needing to protect myself. Although I was safely tucked away in the confines of these four walls, I had the sudden urge to attack. My fists clenched in a white-knuckled grip when I had an idea.

"Stay here, boy," I whispered to Zeus while dashing up the stairs to my bedroom. The light bedroom door swung open with a crash as I spotted the small chest in the corner of my room. Breathing in shallowly, my small feet thunderously stomped toward my target. It's dark wood and rusted, brass lock gleamed in the moonlight that poured through my open curtains. With a huff, I unlatched the lock and its hinges moaned as the lid opened wide like the mouth of some beast.

Another howl ripped through the night sky, ripping my once calm state of an adrenaline high to that of a paced and urgent rush. I let out a deep and shaky breath as my hands involuntarily shook with fear. "Come on, where is it?" My hands grasped at the contents of the box hoping to find what I was in search for.

Finally, my cold hand brushed up against a warm and soft material. I had found it. Chills ran up and down my body and I could not decide what caused them, the cold of the house, the beasts on my door step, or the power that I held in my hands. My small fingers latched onto the small and slender package as my eyes narrowed to behold it in the little moonlight that shrouded the bedroom. A lump formed in the back of my throat as I unraveled the package my father had given me when I was young. I hadn't opened it since he had died and the sight left me forlorn.

The silver blade glinted in the moonlight as it left the last of the velvet cover. It was a truly gorgeous weapon. With a perfectly crafted blade and an ornate handle that resembled vines growing and protruding from it with a single, large emerald at the very base of the handle. My eyes welled with emotion as the hum of the blade filled my body.

As I gripped the cold, steely handle I was filled with an immense warmth unlike ever before. My heart thumped loudly as my breathing slowed and became deeper. The world seemed sharper, every sense heightened. Goosebumps lined my arms and my shoulders squared as I stood to my full height. It was like seeing the world for the first time. I smiled, I had somehow always known I would need this blade someday and today was that day.

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I can't tell you my final words to my father. Hell, I can't tell you many things about either of my parents, but I can tell you that my father knew about werewolves and he knew how to stop them. I tied the blade's sheath to my leg as I laced up my combat boots. I was no sitting duck and I was no idiot. I knew I was outmatched but I'd be damned if I was going to sit around in this creepy ass house and wait to be torn to pieces. "Come, Zeus. " I had planned my escape within the moments it took me to collect my things. I would leave out the back door with Zeus and run until I found a road. It wasn't foolproof but it was something.

Zeus whimpered, backing away from the door. "Zeus, we have to go! We can't stay here! We have to warn someone!" No matter how I tried, Zeus would not comply. "Fine," I huffed while kneeling on the ground to take his large head in my small hands. "I will be back for you, I promise." More growls and animalistic noises came from the front yard as I slipped through the back door.