Finding Beauty

Chapter 44

~The Hunter~

I turn at the green light, my heart pounding in my chest. The street seems way too long, the minutes going by way too slowly. I step on the gas a bit harder going a tad faster than the speed limit.

Belle. Belle. Belle.

Her name thumps in the back of my mind matching the rhythm of my heart beat. My hands start shaking and I feel a bead of sweat trail down my forehead.

I had just finished my day at school when the police called me. School has been kind of mellow for me these past two months. I talk to some people, do most of my assignments, get okay grades and that's all. I've chosen to keep my Belle problems to myself and pretend that things are alright. This had proven to be effective because people actually do believe I am getting better. Even my parents. Everyone has seemed to lose interest in the whole Belle thing. To them, she's just old news.

I passed a poster in the school hall the other day. It was regarding Belle and how she's been missing for 5 months now. It had her student ID photo on it. She was wearing a rose colored tank top and matching lipstick, a small smile starting to form on the corners of her mouth. Below it, written in an innocent scripted font was a bunch of nonsense. It went on about how everyone was hoping and praying for her return when really almost everyone in the school gave Belle a hard time when she was here. I had just rolled my eyes at it and kept walking down the hallway, managing to keep my shortening temper.

All I wanted to do was scream. Scream, "If you all care so much, why don't you go out and help me find her?!" I wanted to tear it down. She deserved a whole a mural not just a lousy poster made my some nerds on the school newspaper team. I wanted everyone to realize just who they were missing.

Belle.

It was when I was already outside the building and unlocking the car that I got the call. My breath caught in my throat as the leading officer on the case, Officer Browns, told me to come down to the station. He didn't elaborate and I didn't ask him to. Instead, I quickly jumped in Pedro and drove away.

It's been awhile since the police have gotten any useful news on Belle or The Beast. The last time being when they interrogated the man at the masquerade. Apparently, his name was Tyler Daniels. All he told the police was he had some "unsettled business with The Beast" and that "the girl was just part of getting back at him." Those words have floated around in my brain day and night. No matter what I couldn't connect the dots. It seems can never connect the dots.

The Beast has some magical abilities to turn people into roses, Belle was in a castle at some point, then at a masquerade ball, and somehow this witch I found from an ad online has insight on all of it.

I had gone back to the witches shop a few weeks ago hoping she could spare some more answers. When I did the shop was gone. It was closed down and looked like it was being remodeled. A for sale sign hung on the front door was covered by a "Sold" stamp. She was gone, just like that. Almost like she was never there at all. It was convenient, too convenient.

Pedro slides right into a parking spot in front of the police station. Taking a breath, I climb out and head in.

Spring is slowly approaching and because of that all I wear over my shirt is a jean jacket. My thumb and index finger fiddle with the loose threading as I find my way to the front desk.

A woman in uniform stands there while filing some papers. She doesn't seem to notice me. I stand, frozen in place for a moment.

Why did they call me in today? Do they have a new lead? Do they have news? Is it good or bad news?