Beauty and the Beast // l.s

Chapter 13

"Jay,​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​want​ ​to​ ​be​ ​rude​ ​but​ ​hurry​ ​the​ ​fuck​ ​up​ ​will​ ​you?!"

Liam​ ​close​ ​to​ ​shouts​ ​through​ ​the​ ​cramped​ ​car.

"I​ ​would​ ​love​ ​to,​ ​but​ ​we're​ ​stuck​ ​in​ ​a​ ​mud​ ​puddle​ ​in​ ​the​ ​middle​ ​of​ ​a​ ​forest,​ ​honey.​ ​This'll​ ​take​ ​a while."

"Mum,​ ​we​ ​don't​ ​have​ ​a​ ​while,​ ​I​ ​got​ ​to​ ​go,​ ​what​ ​if​ ​something​ ​bad​ ​happens?"

"Either​ ​we​ ​pull​ ​out​ ​the​ ​car​ ​and​ ​carry​ ​on​ ​with​ ​our​ ​journey​ ​or​ ​we​ ​start​ ​walking,​ ​you​ ​pi-"

She's​ ​interrupted​ ​by​ ​the​ ​car​ ​door​ ​slamming​ ​shut​ ​and​ ​I​ ​start​ ​the​ ​walk​ ​towards​ ​the​ ​big​ ​castle​ ​that​ ​I  once​ ​found​ ​so​ ​scary​ ​and​ ​threatening​ ​but​ ​now,​ ​seeing​ ​one​ ​of​ ​the​ ​towers​ ​poke​ ​out​ ​above​ ​the​ ​trees in​ ​the​ ​distance,​ ​makes​ ​me​ ​feel​ ​like​ ​walking​ ​home.

I​ ​start​ ​running,​ ​I​ ​can't​ ​go​ ​fast​ ​enough.

"Please​ ​hold​ ​on,​ ​Harry."

________

"Harry,​ ​I'm​ ​not​ ​joking​ ​anymore,​ ​open​ ​this​ ​fucking​ ​door​ ​or​ ​I​ ​swear​ ​I'll​ ​knock​ ​it​ ​down!"

Niall​ ​yells​ ​through​ ​the​ ​door​ ​separating​ ​him​ ​from​ ​Harry's​ ​room​ ​in​ ​the​ ​West-wing.​ ​The​ ​beast-like man​ ​hasn't​ ​come​ ​out​ ​in​ ​days,​ ​ever​ ​since​ ​Louis​ ​left.​ ​He​ ​had​ ​spent​ ​days​ ​watching​ ​the​ ​enchanted mirror,​ ​looking​ ​for​ ​Louis,​ ​seeing​ ​him​ ​happy​ ​was​ ​the​ ​only​ ​thing​ ​that​ ​kept​ ​him​ ​together.​ ​Louis​ ​was happy,​ ​happier,​ ​there​ ​with​ ​his​ ​mother.

"Goddamnit​ ​Harry!​ ​Get​ ​your​ ​ass​ ​up​ ​and​ ​to​ ​this​ ​door​ ​this​ ​instant!"

"Harry!"

"HARRY!"

________

I​ ​pull​ ​open​ ​the​ ​large​ ​double​ ​doors​ ​at​ ​the​ ​front​ ​of​ ​the​ ​castle.​ ​The​ ​castle​ ​had​ ​always​ ​been​ ​quiet​ ​but now​ ​more​ ​than​ ​ever,​ ​the​ ​place​ ​sounds​ ​dead.​ ​Chills​ ​run​ ​down​ ​my​ ​back​ ​as​ ​I​ ​start​ ​running​ ​towards the​ ​big​ ​staircase.

"Harry?"

I​ ​walk​ ​up​ ​flight​ ​after​ ​flight​ ​of​ ​stairs​ ​and​ ​cross​ ​hallways​ ​as​ ​I​ ​chant​ ​his​ ​name,​ ​changed​ ​by​ ​the occasional​ ​shout​ ​for​ ​Niall,​ ​but​ ​neither​ ​return​ ​my​ ​pleads.

"Harry?"

"Haz,​ ​please."

"Niall?"

"Harry!"

That's​ ​when​ ​I​ ​step​ ​onto​ ​the​ ​last​ ​hallway​ ​and​ ​I​ ​look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​room​ ​on​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​the​ ​dusty,​ ​dark​ ​hall. The​ ​door​ ​is​ ​opened​ ​and​ ​hanging​ ​on​ ​it's​ ​hinges.

"Harry?"

I​ ​barely​ ​whisper​ ​it.

I​ ​start​ ​walking,​ ​the​ ​air​ ​feels​ ​thick​ ​and​ ​as​ ​I​ ​come​ ​to​ ​the​ ​door,​ ​looking​ ​into​ ​the​ ​room,​ ​I​ ​can't​ ​do​ ​much except​ ​gasp.

The​ ​messy​ ​room,​ ​with​ ​it's​ ​broken,​ ​dirty​ ​furniture​ ​and​ ​ripped​ ​paintings​ ​is​ ​still​ ​just​ ​that,​ ​but​ ​only now​ ​do​ ​I​ ​notice​ ​the​ ​rose.​ ​A​ ​rose​ ​as​ ​red​ ​as​ ​blood​ ​seems​ ​to​ ​be​ ​magically​ ​hanging​ ​inside​ ​a​ ​glass jar,​ ​the​ ​rose​ ​though​ ​only​ ​has​ ​one​ ​petal​ ​hanging​ ​on.

"Louis?"

"Niall?"

I​ ​ask​ ​as​ ​I​ ​turn​ ​around​ ​and​ ​see​ ​him,​ ​hovering​ ​over​ ​a​ ​body,​ ​his​ ​body.

"No!"

I​ ​run​ ​over,​ ​Niall​ ​scrambles​ ​away​ ​quick​ ​enough​ ​for​ ​me​ ​to​ ​take​ ​his​ ​place.

"No,​ ​no,​ ​no,​ ​no,​ ​no,​ ​no."

I'm​ ​stuck​ ​in​ ​a​ ​mantra​ ​of​ ​the​ ​word​ ​as​ ​I​ ​grab​ ​Harry's​ ​face,​ ​turning​ ​his​ ​head​ ​to​ ​me.​ ​He​ ​is​ ​pale​ ​and​ ​it seems​ ​like​ ​blue​ ​bruises​ ​are​ ​forming​ ​on​ ​the​ ​skin,​ ​the​ ​cuts​ ​on​ ​his​ ​arms​ ​and​ ​chest​ ​are​ ​getting deeper​ ​with​ ​the​ ​second.

"Harry?"

"It's​ ​getting​ ​worse,​ ​Louis."

"What?​ ​Niall,​ ​I​ ​don't​ ​understand,​ ​what​ ​is​ ​all​ ​this?"

"The​ ​curse,​ ​he's​ ​becoming​ ​more​ ​of​ ​a​ ​monster."

"No!​ ​No,​ ​he​ ​isn't,​ ​how​ ​can​ ​someone​ ​as​ ​beautiful​ ​as​ ​him​ ​ever​ ​be​ ​called​ ​a​ ​monster?​ ​Someone​ ​as sweet,​ ​soft,​ ​smart,​ ​someone​ ​like​ ​him,​ ​would​ ​never​ ​come​ ​close​ ​to​ ​a​ ​beast."

"Louis?"

Niall​ ​asks​ ​but​ ​as​ ​I​ ​turn​ ​my​ ​head​ ​up​ ​towards​ ​where​ ​he​ ​stands​ ​a​ ​bright​ ​light​ ​flashes​ ​into​ ​my​ ​eyes as​ ​the​ ​last​ ​petal​ ​drops​ ​from​ ​its​ ​stem.

"We're​ ​too​ ​late."

______________

Hello everybody!

Excuse me for this sucky chapter, I ain't proud. It's something about endings, I just can't write those all too well.

Anyway, Slight change from what I said last chapter: The next chapter will be the end!

Maybe I'll do a epilogue but idk prolly not.

Questions:

- How bad was this chapter?

- Shall I let Harold die?

- Do you have instagram?

(Follow my personal @emma_snijders and comment here, so I can follow you back!)

X Emma