The Beast of Rose Castle

-= 14 =-

Annelie could only feel fear. It was the same exact fear she had felt in the closet when the Beast's raging side had been first shown to her. This time, there was no clothes that could hide her. Instead, she was trapped beneath the Beast who pressed his body down against hers, pinning her with his weight. 

His strength was too much to fight. If he could lift her with one arm, she didn't doubt he could easily knock her out. At least when she was awake, she could try to reason with him. 

"Plese! Th-This isn't like you!" she begged as soon as he leaned back to look down at her. "This... it- it isn't you! Please... please stop," she whimpered. 

Under his harsh gaze, her mind was freezing. Her heart pounded in her chest as if she was sprinting towards something... or away from something. 

Each breath was painful, as it felt like there was a boulder on her chest, pressing down to try and squeeze the life out of her. Except, it was the Beast and he was not a boulder, but a raging man. 

"Please..." she whispered, tear tracks making their way from the corners of her eyes. Wet splotches stained the blankets on the bed. It was yet another sign of her fear and sorrow towards everything that was going on. 

The Beast stared down at her, searching for something he expected to find. Yet, whatever he had been looking for wasn't there. It was just Annelie's face. It was just her tear-stained, scared eyes that stared up at him. Slowly, reality came back to him, sinking into his bones and making him stare down at what he had been about to do, what he had wanted to do. 

With a single, quick movement, she was freed. Her chest rose and fell as she sucked in greedy gulps of air. Her lungs expanded as she easily breathed once again. 

Annelie carefully sat up, feeling far too vulnerable lying back on the bed. Her eyes caught on the stiff back of the Beast who seemed to be lost in his own mind. She watched him for another long moment before she dredged up the courage to finally speak. 

"Beast?" she murmured questioningly in a hushed tone. As if she had yelled, he spun to face her once more. Emotions were in conflict on his face. One fought another for dominance and control. It was an all out war. 

Annelie walked over, her steps slow, controlled. While part of her wanted to run or hide from the Beast, the other half wanted to comfort the large man. He looked so lost, unable to come to any conclusion. He looked so tied up on the inside. So, she gently pressed her hand to his arm, unable to stop herself from trying to comfort the Beast. 

He jolted as if she was made of electricity. His dark eyes zeroed in on the hand she had laid on him. "What?" he snapped out with a glare towards her, instantly turning harsh once more. 

"I'm sorry for what happened to you... before... all those years ago. That, and for reading what you wrote. When I saw the book on my bed... I... I just didn't think it was yours," Annelie explained calmly, finding that it was hard not to grow soft towards a man who had lost everything. He had lost his title, his parents, his life, and his only hope of being relatively human. 

She could tell by his expression that he regretted what he had once done. After all, why would he have written the Prince as if he was someone else if he was still the same man? Perhaps the woman's curse had changed him, made him see things differently. Yet, after such a long time, it was just becoming excessive torture for him. 

How many people did he scare away? How many times did he refuse to see people just because he didn't want anyone to get hurt, Annelie questioned herself. The answer made her soften even further towards the Beast. 

Yes, the Beast could become a monster, dragging everyone else down in his episodes of insanity, but he was a human too. He lived through harsh treatment and ridicule by those around him for such a long time. The loneliness he dealt with must have driven him around the bend a few times before he found himself once more.