Morbid Bite

X :: Love and Affection

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MORBID BITE

Chapter Ten :: Love and Affection

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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The dawn sun shone through Belle's open windows. She lay sprawled across the white bed, wearing her tattered blue dress and her hair, a tangled mess, covering the pillows. She squinted against the bright sun and cursed under her breath for leaving the curtains undrawn. Heaving herself up from the soft inviting mattress, Belle dragged her feet over to the window. The mercury glass window panes distorted the world around her as she tried to order the events of last night; they came back to her in a wave of emotion that flooded her senses with heartbreak, fear and adventure. She looked down at the dirty damp dress that lay across her bony body. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled off the dress and threw it into the corner of the room not wanting to ever see it again.

As Belle washed herself in the basin standing by the wall in her room she contemplated how she would sort out the problems she had created for herself. She needed to fix things with Nicholas, she had thrown herself upon him without a thank you or appreciation. His sister had been right, she was using him as means to an unknown end and he was seemingly blind to it. The guilt was too much for her to bear. She had to sort it out before it was too late.

She splashed the cold water across her face and began to scrub the mud from the bridge of her slight nose. Belle thought of the night that had just passed and the terrifying secret that Raoul had unveiled to her. He was the beast. The pain gripped her like the unforgiving hand of death. Raul was the monster that had ripped apart her father and left him in unidentified pieces across the forest floor. But he was also the man who had saved her from the wolves, spared her the pain of self-wallow and been the hurt animal that needed protection from the cruel world.

Belle dried off her face and walked over to the wardrobe where she picked out a plain dress and heaved it on over her undergarments that she saw no point to change. She turned to look at the sun that was just making its appearance over the trees. In that instance she decided in what order she would sort out her life.

Grabbing her white hooded cloak, so not to make the same mistake as last night, she slipped out of her room and descended the stairs in absolute silence. Firstly, she was going to sort out the problem with Raoul because she feared that one could not wait.

The morning air smelt of damp leaves and heavy mist, a feeling there was a storm heading her way. A sudden loud chorus of voices heading her way on the dirt road made Belle look up to see a large group of farm labourers heading for the fields. Quickening her pace, she tried her best to hide her face from the men as they stared at her with remorseless curiosity. Belle recognised many of them from the gathering mob last night but luckily, they had been too drunk to remember her. As she drew closer to the village she noticed a few young boys come in and out of a small building in a constant flow. Then as the church came into view she spotted a pile of weapons from rusty spears and cumbersome maces to polished swords. Staring in horror at the war artilleries Belle went over to the side of the pile and kneeled down to pick up a small dagger that lay at her feet. One of the young boys came out of the small house and dropped his sword as he noticed Belle gaping at the weaponry.

"What you doing!?" he yelled as he ran towards Belle.

"Oh, sorry." Belle quickly hid the dagger under her cloak and gave the boy the sincerest smile she could muster.

"It's alright mademoiselle," he shakily replied as he averted his eyes turning pink when he realised how beautiful Belle was.

"What is this all for?" Belle asked as she tried her best to keep her innocent façade intact. The boy cheered up his eyes bubbling with exhilaration as he realised he could answer her question.