The Dreamer and the Hunter - A Beauty and the Beast Story

The Town Hero

"...So there I was, rifle ready, crouched behind some bushes.  The forest had grown quiet, strangely quiet.  That's when I heard it, a faint rustle behind me – you'd have to have good, trained ears to pick it up. Sensing something I slowly turned around and there, standing behind me on its hind legs, was a great, huge bear! ROAR!" Gaston held up his hands like claws and made the sound for added effect.  The triplets squealed and jumped before dissolving into a fit of giggles.

            He grinned and continued with the story.  "He was easily two feet taller than I am, with big teeth and sharp claws."

            "Oh Gaston," cried one of the sisters, Adrienne.   Or was it Adeline?  He could hardly tell them apart. It also didn't help that they looked and dressed practically the same. "Were you scared?"

            "Of course not! I'd faced worse than this!" he boasted.

            "Oh, of course you had! I would have been scared though," said the one with the ponytail.  Arielle? "But not if you were there with me," she added with a giggle, her cheeks flushing madly, becoming as pink as her dress.

            "Oh shut up!" snapped her sister who wore her hair down.  No that was Adrienne, he was sure of it.   "And let Gaston finish the story!" She turned back to him, her face immediately softening, batting her long eyelashes at him.  "Go on Gaston, what happened next?!"

            "There I was, the bear standing over me, ready to strike.  I would have been dead, had I not had the reflexes I do.  I quickly held up my rifle and shot him–" He mimed the gesture of holding his familiar rifle.  "–And bam bam bam! I shot him three times in the chest!"

            The girls were now huddled together, their already big eyes wide as they waited for him to continue. 

            "And he fell to the ground, dead.  And now he makes a mighty fine rug if I must say."

            The girls squealed again and began furiously applauding.  Gaston gave an exaggerated bow.  "Thank you, thank you!"

            "Oh Gaston, you tell the most wonderful stories," Arielle gushed as she and her sisters fell to his side. 

            He put his arms around them.  "Well yes, I do, don't I."

"Goodnight Gaston! See you tomorrow!"

            "Goodnight ladies!" The exaggerated grin he was wearing fell from his face as soon as they were out the door. It was exhausting pretending to enjoy their company – they were terribly clingy, and he could only stand to be with them for a short time before they began to grow on his nerves.  They knew he had his eye on Belle and because of it they seemed to take every opportunity to try and make him forget her and pay attention to them.  That's what made Belle so appealing to him – she didn't act like that. Unlike some...

            "You look like you could use a drink," said LeFou as Gaston joined him at the counter, sliding a mug of beer towards him.

            "You know me too well old friend." Gaston took a long swig.

A few minutes later three men, other village hunters, entered the tavern after a venture out into the woods.

"Ah, how was the hunt today gentlemen?" asked Gaston.

"Not good I'm afraid," said one of the men. "Game is scarce these days."

"It's strange," added one of the others. "It's like all the deer have just vanished. The woods are now an eerie, desolate place." The three sat down at a nearby table and Madame LeBlanc, the woman who worked behind the counter, brought them drinks.

"Think it has something to do with those rumours going around?" asked the third, taking a sip of his drink.

"Of the creature running wild from town to town, wreaking havoc?" LeFou scoffed and shook his head, taking another gulp of beer.

Gaston shook his head too. "Oh not this again. The, 'horrible, monstrous beast'. What are they saying now?"

"Well the blacksmith told me that the baker told him, who heard it from the seamstress that farmers are finding their livestock disappearing, gone without a trace until a few days later when they find their mutilated carcasses in the woods, torn apart like nothing they've ever seen before." The first man shuddered.

Gaston chuckled. "It was only wolves. Those farmers are just trying to get attention and make up something exciting. Overreacting is what it is."

"But that's just it, wolves have been scarce in the area as well, we've noticed, which is strange. What would cause them to leave their habitat?"

"The lack of food. You said it yourself, the deer are scarce."

"Yes, but the question is why?"

"Well I'm sure it's completely reasonable, not some silly story of a made-up creature." Gaston shook his head and set down his now empty mug. "Madame LeBlanc, another round."

(Hmmm, mysterious ☺️ Thanks for reading hope you're enjoying! Bye for now!)