The rules for voting are simple. Don't vote for yourself, and don't vote for a story just because you know it was written by a friend.
Without further ado, on to the submissions!
Story 1:
The Mission: show
THE MISSION
The idea of what I was about to do gave me a thrill. It was such an audacious act that I had planned, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and so I found myself stood outside Docman’s store, building up the nerve to go inside and complete this mission.
Docman’s is a large homeware and furnishings store, located on a retail park on the outskirts of my town. I had walked just over a mile to get here, sometimes wondering why I was going to such lengths. What if I got caught? I am a grown man of twenty-seven years, from a respectable family. Why was I doing such a silly thing?
Putting my nerves and doubts aside, I entered the store. It was just gone 11am on a Tuesday morning, so it was reasonably quiet. That was good. I’d never have been able to get away with this if the store had been busy and crowded. I had at least picked a good moment. Now to make myself look like I was just an ordinary shopper, browsing around the store.
To build myself up to the act and to not arouse suspicion, I decided to have a good look around the store, as if I was an ordinary customer. I started downstairs in the kitchen department. I was looking for a decent new kettle anyway, so this was a good opportunity to see what was available and compare prices. I pulled out my phone, went on to my notes application and took note of a few model names and prices. I could treat myself to a new kettle at pay day and maybe even buy it from there, if I didn’t get caught today.
Next I found myself wandering around the pet department. I don’t even know why, because I don’t even have any pets, but I still went along each aisle of cat food, dog food, toys and treats. Garden furniture came next and then a couple of stands full of DVDs. I stopped there for a good few minutes, browsing through the titles.
I then took the escalator up the upper floor of the store. This had the stationary and arts and crafts departments as well as furnishings. I had a good look around arts and crafts. I used to love art at school, even though I was never particularly good, and I thought to myself that maybe it was time I took up painting again. The art equipment in here was very reasonably priced. Buying it though, was something that could wait for another day.
I was just about to head to the furnishings department, to complete the mission I had came here for, when suddenly I spotted a security guard patrolling the aisle that I was in. I told myself to act cool, don’t arouse suspicion. I picked up a pack of colouring pencils and pretended to be interested in them. I gave the security guard a respectable smile as he passed. I was just an ordinary shopper, browsing around the store, nothing to see here. The guard came to the end of the aisle. I put the colouring pencils down and followed slowly. I watched him walk off to a different part of the store.
The coast clear, it was time to put my plan in to action. I felt a little thrill, I was actually going to go through with it this time. I had been here a few weeks back, which was when the idea had first come to me, but I had lost my nerve. Not today though, today I was actually going to go through with it.
I entered the furnishings department and walked along aisles of bedding, curtains, towels, cushions and various decorative items. Finally I reached my ultimate destination, which was the aisle where the mirrors were. I was disappointed to find that the aisle was not quite empty. There were two older ladies at the far end of the aisle. I would need to wait for them to go before I could commit my act. Once again, I pretended to browse. Just an ordinary shopper looking to buy a mirror for his home. After what seemed like an eternity, the two ladies moved on. I was alone and it was now or never to do this.
I found my target – a full length standing mirror in a plain pine frame. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was looking good in my skinny jeans and plain white t-shirt. My hair had gotten a bit windswept on the walk down to the store, so I pulled my comb out of my pocket and quickly tidied it up. I looked up and down the aisle, I was still alone. I pulled out my phone, opened up the camera app and put on my best smile as I looked back at the mirror and pressed the photo button on my phone. Three pictures taken in quick succession.
And it was done with not a moment to spare. Seconds later a couple in their forties entered the aisle as I walked past them, pushing my phone back in to my pocket. I headed towards the escalator, passing the security guard from before as he headed back down the aisle. I got back down to the ground floor and, because I thought I owed the store something for my cheek, I purchased a bag of sweets from the till on my way out.
I got outside the store and pulled my phone out again. I looked through the three pictures that I had taken and picked my favourite. I looked good, I looked really good. There and then, I uploaded it to Facebook and set it as my profile picture. I chuckled to myself as I started to walk back home. Such extreme lengths to go to just to get a photograph, but I didn’t have a mirror large enough at home. It was silly, it was childish and it was vain, but I didn’t care because I had the perfect mirror selfie.
The idea of what I was about to do gave me a thrill. It was such an audacious act that I had planned, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and so I found myself stood outside Docman’s store, building up the nerve to go inside and complete this mission.
Docman’s is a large homeware and furnishings store, located on a retail park on the outskirts of my town. I had walked just over a mile to get here, sometimes wondering why I was going to such lengths. What if I got caught? I am a grown man of twenty-seven years, from a respectable family. Why was I doing such a silly thing?
Putting my nerves and doubts aside, I entered the store. It was just gone 11am on a Tuesday morning, so it was reasonably quiet. That was good. I’d never have been able to get away with this if the store had been busy and crowded. I had at least picked a good moment. Now to make myself look like I was just an ordinary shopper, browsing around the store.
To build myself up to the act and to not arouse suspicion, I decided to have a good look around the store, as if I was an ordinary customer. I started downstairs in the kitchen department. I was looking for a decent new kettle anyway, so this was a good opportunity to see what was available and compare prices. I pulled out my phone, went on to my notes application and took note of a few model names and prices. I could treat myself to a new kettle at pay day and maybe even buy it from there, if I didn’t get caught today.
Next I found myself wandering around the pet department. I don’t even know why, because I don’t even have any pets, but I still went along each aisle of cat food, dog food, toys and treats. Garden furniture came next and then a couple of stands full of DVDs. I stopped there for a good few minutes, browsing through the titles.
I then took the escalator up the upper floor of the store. This had the stationary and arts and crafts departments as well as furnishings. I had a good look around arts and crafts. I used to love art at school, even though I was never particularly good, and I thought to myself that maybe it was time I took up painting again. The art equipment in here was very reasonably priced. Buying it though, was something that could wait for another day.
I was just about to head to the furnishings department, to complete the mission I had came here for, when suddenly I spotted a security guard patrolling the aisle that I was in. I told myself to act cool, don’t arouse suspicion. I picked up a pack of colouring pencils and pretended to be interested in them. I gave the security guard a respectable smile as he passed. I was just an ordinary shopper, browsing around the store, nothing to see here. The guard came to the end of the aisle. I put the colouring pencils down and followed slowly. I watched him walk off to a different part of the store.
The coast clear, it was time to put my plan in to action. I felt a little thrill, I was actually going to go through with it this time. I had been here a few weeks back, which was when the idea had first come to me, but I had lost my nerve. Not today though, today I was actually going to go through with it.
I entered the furnishings department and walked along aisles of bedding, curtains, towels, cushions and various decorative items. Finally I reached my ultimate destination, which was the aisle where the mirrors were. I was disappointed to find that the aisle was not quite empty. There were two older ladies at the far end of the aisle. I would need to wait for them to go before I could commit my act. Once again, I pretended to browse. Just an ordinary shopper looking to buy a mirror for his home. After what seemed like an eternity, the two ladies moved on. I was alone and it was now or never to do this.
I found my target – a full length standing mirror in a plain pine frame. I looked at myself in the mirror. I was looking good in my skinny jeans and plain white t-shirt. My hair had gotten a bit windswept on the walk down to the store, so I pulled my comb out of my pocket and quickly tidied it up. I looked up and down the aisle, I was still alone. I pulled out my phone, opened up the camera app and put on my best smile as I looked back at the mirror and pressed the photo button on my phone. Three pictures taken in quick succession.
And it was done with not a moment to spare. Seconds later a couple in their forties entered the aisle as I walked past them, pushing my phone back in to my pocket. I headed towards the escalator, passing the security guard from before as he headed back down the aisle. I got back down to the ground floor and, because I thought I owed the store something for my cheek, I purchased a bag of sweets from the till on my way out.
I got outside the store and pulled my phone out again. I looked through the three pictures that I had taken and picked my favourite. I looked good, I looked really good. There and then, I uploaded it to Facebook and set it as my profile picture. I chuckled to myself as I started to walk back home. Such extreme lengths to go to just to get a photograph, but I didn’t have a mirror large enough at home. It was silly, it was childish and it was vain, but I didn’t care because I had the perfect mirror selfie.
Story 2:
Silence: show
*Disclaimer: This story contains mild gore.*
The light flickered dimly, failing to illuminate much more than the loose silhouette of a hunched form in the center of the room. The form was doubled over, as if in pain, or some inner turmoil, the likes of which remained largely a mystery to the outside world. Not a thing stirred or twitched, the stillness of the shadow in the center of the room was unbroken; no gentle streams of wind nor gales of a storm disturbed the eerie and somber motionlessness and silence. The figure stirred, shoulders rocking back ever so slightly, only to slip back into their previous position. The light grew brighter for a second, before dimming again and flickering once more, in an ominous pattern with increasing periods of darkness between the faint glimpses of light.
It may have been better were there no light at all, for if a man, woman, or child had been there to witness what happened next, they may have very well been doomed to the same fate as the still warm, fleshy remnants of a human being that were being shredded by the abomination that was hunched over it. The living corpse picked at the dead one, much like a vulture at roadkill. It pulled something large and pink free from the cage of ribs at long last, raised it to its lipless mouth and sank in its teeth, spurting blood across its chin and maw.
It had been months since things had gotten to their lowest point. There had been no contact from the outside in weeks, maybe months, and it was clear that the dead owned this world now. A small group of people sat huddled together in an abandoned house, armaments about them, taking turns eating from cans. The house had not belonged to any of this motley crew, nor did they recognize the faces that smiled at them from the family portraits lining the walls. It was merely a refuge for this leg of the journey.
A tall dark skinned man stood watch at the door, a silenced rifle in his grip, as he watched the corpsemen stagger mindlessly up and down the street. His demeanor gave away his position as the alpha, the leader of this band of misfits, despite his ragged appearance in his tattered and dirty clothes, he carried himself with a certain amount of dignity, wits, and skill—this was precisely why he was looked up to within the group. He listened to the sounds of spoons raking the metal cans, watched through a slit in the blinds the outside world, and all the while, kept thinking ahead, planning their next move, hoping that no harm would come to his people.
Nearby sat two women, similar in appearance, indicating a blood relation of some kind, both with a hollow, haunted expression painted on their visages, both finished with their makeshift meal, holding hands and perhaps engaged in some silent prayer. Across the room a pale teenager in dark clothes scraped uselessly at an empty can of corn, hopelessly trying to gain a little bit more sustenance from it. An old man stood in the next room, brandishing a shovel in case one of the corpsemen somehow got in the back. He wore a stern but tired expression, and gave one the impression of weariness.
No one spoke. A mutual thought and feeling had settled over them long ago. They were fighting for their lives day and night. They survived, but they did not live. In the early days, their group had been larger. It had been comprised of their friends, family, neighbors… But things had changed. Their safety had been compromised, and they’d been forced to flee, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. Corpses of the enemy, and the corpses of their own. Many friends had met tragic and gruesome ends on their journey. They dropped sporadically, slowly at times, other times in large number very rapidly. It had become the reality these people lived with.
As they ate in silence, in the boarded up home miles from where their journey had begun, each member of the group was lost in thought. The two women, though they seemed too close in age for it, were mother and daughter. They had lost a husband and a father quite recently. Both remembered when things had been normal. Both remembered when he had loved them and cherished them and had shown it to the world. Yet they also remembered his last moments. They remembered the teeth of the undead sinking into his flesh, remembered his cries for help and their own shouts of anguish and misery. In this silence, they sat still, both hearing the raucous tumult of the legion of undead that had taken him away from them.
The angsty teenager across the room dropped the corn can to the floor with a clang, wiping a tear from his eye. He had lost his parents, his girlfriend, his younger sibling. He kept it to himself, bottled it up, but the aching in his heart made him physically nauseous. He was barely sleeping, with the knowledge those things were out there, and for thoughts and dreams of the ones he’d loved. Sometimes he wondered why he continued to fight. Sometimes he wanted to just give up, and let the pain fade away. However, he remained too cowardly to do it. He couldn’t bring himself to use a bullet on himself, and couldn’t imagine being eaten alive like his loved ones had been. Still, his chest felt empty, save for a deep rage that was building up inside, anger at himself, blaming himself for their deaths, for having failed to protect them, and anger at the world for having become so cruel. The anger bubbled over and he screamed internally, a sound only he could hear, one of pure agony and misery that echoed inside his head through the still silence of the drab walls around them.
The old man stood solemnly. He was tired, not physically, but mentally. He’d seen a lot in his days, and he liked to wonder what it would have been liked to have passed in his sleep before all of this started, or to have taken a bullet to the head during the war. He had been spared death, but he had a hard time seeing what for. His family had been nowhere to be found, and he could only imagine that his children and grandchildren had not made it, considering that he’d never found them. He held out some vague hope, but it wasn’t enough to keep him going. The only way he made it through each day was to live in the moment. He lived now to protect his group, to help them survive and to hope that one day, somehow, things would go back to normal. Deep in his heart he knew the world would never be the same again. Stoically, he remained at his position, weapon in hand, ready to die for the people he was with.
The leader, with his rifle at the door, despite planning ahead and preparing for what must be done, could not escape the past himself. His thoughts swirled around and around, showing him all of the deaths he’d been unable to prevent, reminding him of better leaders who’d given their lives for the group. People who had died so that he, and the four people behind him, could live. In the silence, he felt the weight of their sacrifices weighing down heavily on him. He felt the need to deliver these people safely from the ominous ever-present death.
He couldn’t let them down.
In the silence of the room they all spoke to each other, voicing their thoughts without words, without any sounds. They are gone. We are all that is left. They gave up everything for us. We miss them. We love them. When will it all end? It’s hard, but we must carry on. We have to fight on. Why? Why not quit while we’re ahead? ...
…
In the silence, they exchanged looks, their faces all telling the same truth, that none of them knew why they kept trying. They simply did what they could to survive. They did it, whether they understood it or not, for one another and the bonds they had made over the course of this journey. They had lost so much, yet they had become as family, and they continued to fight because none of them wanted to see any other one of them die.
All of this passed in silence, and concluded with a dull silence devoid of communication, devoid of hope. An intense, dull silence descended upon the group, solidifying in the air, and tightening their lungs from the intensity of it all. Soon they would sleep, alternating watch, and in the morning they would make their leave of this house, in search of something safer. Through all of this, silence would continue to reign supreme.
The light flickered dimly, failing to illuminate much more than the loose silhouette of a hunched form in the center of the room. The form was doubled over, as if in pain, or some inner turmoil, the likes of which remained largely a mystery to the outside world. Not a thing stirred or twitched, the stillness of the shadow in the center of the room was unbroken; no gentle streams of wind nor gales of a storm disturbed the eerie and somber motionlessness and silence. The figure stirred, shoulders rocking back ever so slightly, only to slip back into their previous position. The light grew brighter for a second, before dimming again and flickering once more, in an ominous pattern with increasing periods of darkness between the faint glimpses of light.
It may have been better were there no light at all, for if a man, woman, or child had been there to witness what happened next, they may have very well been doomed to the same fate as the still warm, fleshy remnants of a human being that were being shredded by the abomination that was hunched over it. The living corpse picked at the dead one, much like a vulture at roadkill. It pulled something large and pink free from the cage of ribs at long last, raised it to its lipless mouth and sank in its teeth, spurting blood across its chin and maw.
It had been months since things had gotten to their lowest point. There had been no contact from the outside in weeks, maybe months, and it was clear that the dead owned this world now. A small group of people sat huddled together in an abandoned house, armaments about them, taking turns eating from cans. The house had not belonged to any of this motley crew, nor did they recognize the faces that smiled at them from the family portraits lining the walls. It was merely a refuge for this leg of the journey.
A tall dark skinned man stood watch at the door, a silenced rifle in his grip, as he watched the corpsemen stagger mindlessly up and down the street. His demeanor gave away his position as the alpha, the leader of this band of misfits, despite his ragged appearance in his tattered and dirty clothes, he carried himself with a certain amount of dignity, wits, and skill—this was precisely why he was looked up to within the group. He listened to the sounds of spoons raking the metal cans, watched through a slit in the blinds the outside world, and all the while, kept thinking ahead, planning their next move, hoping that no harm would come to his people.
Nearby sat two women, similar in appearance, indicating a blood relation of some kind, both with a hollow, haunted expression painted on their visages, both finished with their makeshift meal, holding hands and perhaps engaged in some silent prayer. Across the room a pale teenager in dark clothes scraped uselessly at an empty can of corn, hopelessly trying to gain a little bit more sustenance from it. An old man stood in the next room, brandishing a shovel in case one of the corpsemen somehow got in the back. He wore a stern but tired expression, and gave one the impression of weariness.
No one spoke. A mutual thought and feeling had settled over them long ago. They were fighting for their lives day and night. They survived, but they did not live. In the early days, their group had been larger. It had been comprised of their friends, family, neighbors… But things had changed. Their safety had been compromised, and they’d been forced to flee, leaving a trail of corpses in their wake. Corpses of the enemy, and the corpses of their own. Many friends had met tragic and gruesome ends on their journey. They dropped sporadically, slowly at times, other times in large number very rapidly. It had become the reality these people lived with.
As they ate in silence, in the boarded up home miles from where their journey had begun, each member of the group was lost in thought. The two women, though they seemed too close in age for it, were mother and daughter. They had lost a husband and a father quite recently. Both remembered when things had been normal. Both remembered when he had loved them and cherished them and had shown it to the world. Yet they also remembered his last moments. They remembered the teeth of the undead sinking into his flesh, remembered his cries for help and their own shouts of anguish and misery. In this silence, they sat still, both hearing the raucous tumult of the legion of undead that had taken him away from them.
The angsty teenager across the room dropped the corn can to the floor with a clang, wiping a tear from his eye. He had lost his parents, his girlfriend, his younger sibling. He kept it to himself, bottled it up, but the aching in his heart made him physically nauseous. He was barely sleeping, with the knowledge those things were out there, and for thoughts and dreams of the ones he’d loved. Sometimes he wondered why he continued to fight. Sometimes he wanted to just give up, and let the pain fade away. However, he remained too cowardly to do it. He couldn’t bring himself to use a bullet on himself, and couldn’t imagine being eaten alive like his loved ones had been. Still, his chest felt empty, save for a deep rage that was building up inside, anger at himself, blaming himself for their deaths, for having failed to protect them, and anger at the world for having become so cruel. The anger bubbled over and he screamed internally, a sound only he could hear, one of pure agony and misery that echoed inside his head through the still silence of the drab walls around them.
The old man stood solemnly. He was tired, not physically, but mentally. He’d seen a lot in his days, and he liked to wonder what it would have been liked to have passed in his sleep before all of this started, or to have taken a bullet to the head during the war. He had been spared death, but he had a hard time seeing what for. His family had been nowhere to be found, and he could only imagine that his children and grandchildren had not made it, considering that he’d never found them. He held out some vague hope, but it wasn’t enough to keep him going. The only way he made it through each day was to live in the moment. He lived now to protect his group, to help them survive and to hope that one day, somehow, things would go back to normal. Deep in his heart he knew the world would never be the same again. Stoically, he remained at his position, weapon in hand, ready to die for the people he was with.
The leader, with his rifle at the door, despite planning ahead and preparing for what must be done, could not escape the past himself. His thoughts swirled around and around, showing him all of the deaths he’d been unable to prevent, reminding him of better leaders who’d given their lives for the group. People who had died so that he, and the four people behind him, could live. In the silence, he felt the weight of their sacrifices weighing down heavily on him. He felt the need to deliver these people safely from the ominous ever-present death.
He couldn’t let them down.
In the silence of the room they all spoke to each other, voicing their thoughts without words, without any sounds. They are gone. We are all that is left. They gave up everything for us. We miss them. We love them. When will it all end? It’s hard, but we must carry on. We have to fight on. Why? Why not quit while we’re ahead? ...
…
In the silence, they exchanged looks, their faces all telling the same truth, that none of them knew why they kept trying. They simply did what they could to survive. They did it, whether they understood it or not, for one another and the bonds they had made over the course of this journey. They had lost so much, yet they had become as family, and they continued to fight because none of them wanted to see any other one of them die.
All of this passed in silence, and concluded with a dull silence devoid of communication, devoid of hope. An intense, dull silence descended upon the group, solidifying in the air, and tightening their lungs from the intensity of it all. Soon they would sleep, alternating watch, and in the morning they would make their leave of this house, in search of something safer. Through all of this, silence would continue to reign supreme.
Story 3:
Marrying Gaston: show
"You came back," Beast said. I tilted my head into his paw and shut my eyes, enjoying the moment and glad he was safe. That moment quickly ended, though. Beast let out a roar, and I looked over to see that Gaston had stabbed his dagger into Beast's back. Beast writhed around a liittle bit, which gave Gaston the perfect opportunity to stab his paw that was keeping him on the balcony railing. Beast tried to grab on again, but failed. He scratched Gaston's side as he fell off of the castle.
"Beast!" I cried, but nothing could save him from that fall. I looked over to Gaston who, despite the cuts, was smiling and getting over the balcony railing with ease.
"Well, Belle, now that that monster is out of the way, we can finally have our happy ending. You being my wife, and those seven boys that we were talking about before," he said.
"What makes you think I would marry a monster like you?" I spat.
"Belle, Belle, Belle. Such a naïve little girl. Honestly, that beast down there was the real monster. And I would have you join him for saying such things about me, but I won't, because I want those seven boys, and you're the only one I'm willing to have them with," he said.
"I still don't want to marry you," I said, crossing my arms and looking away from him. He put his gloved hand under my chin, lifting it up and making me look at him. Then he leaned in and kissed me.
"You will marry me, Belle, or else I'll personally kill your father. But it'll be in private, and I'll tell all of them that you did it," he said. "And after what happened earlier, I think they'll all believe me over you."
I knew I had no choice now. If it was my life, then I would gladly have him kill me. But, just like when Beast was imprisoning my father, I'd rather be with someone I didn't like then have my father die.
"Okay, fine," I said. "I'll marry you."
"Great!" he exclaimed. "Then we will get married tomorrow!" He began to run back into the castle when he turned around and said, "You're too kind, Belle. But that's one of the things I love about you."
"And what are the other things?" I challenged.
"Why, your beauty of course. That's how I fell in love with you in the first place," he said.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"What else could one guy possibly need from his wife?" he asked. It was a rhetorical question, but I was still going to answer it if he hadn't start running into the castle and out of sight. I looked back over the balcony, to where Beast had fallen. I thought about throwing myself off, but then Gaston would probably kill my father, so I didn't. Instead, I fell to my knees, hands covering my face as I cried, my whole body shaking with each sob.
"Don't worry, child," Mrs. Potts said. "I know losing him is hard, but we have to move on with life. Everything will turn out better, you'll see." I moved my hands from my face and had to bite my lip to stop myself from screaming or balling.
"How, Mrs. Potts? How will everything turn better? I have to marry that one man who I absolutely hate, and you guys will have to stay like that forever now because of me," I said.
"Sweetie, this has nothing to do with you. You didn't cause this on us," she said.
"Yes I did," I said. "The village people were calling my father crazy for believing there was a beast, so I showed them him with the mirror, and they immediately came marching here. If I hadn't said anything, Beast would probably still be alive. Things would be a whole lot better for all of us. I'm so sorry."
"Don't blame yourself for this. You were just trying to help your father," Mrs. Potts said.
"Belle!" I heard my father call.
"Speaking of your father, you should probably go join him. Don't worry about us, child. Go live your life," Mrs. Potts said.
"Belle!" It was Gaston now. "Come down here! The sooner we get back, the sooner we can get married!" I sighed.
"I know it may be hard for you, being that man's wife. But find ways to find good in it. Does he like reading?" Mrs. Potts asked.
"No. He absolutely hates it," I said.
"Then do it all of the time! Make him know what it feels like to do something you don't like or want to do," Mrs. Potts said. I gave her a small smile.
"Thanks, Mrs. Potts," I said, before standing up and running through the castle one last time. I thought about the giant library, and all of the books I would be leaving behind. But I didn't want to take any of them, because I felt like that may be stealing. Maybe one day, while Gaston was out on one of his hunting trips, I could come here and read for a little bit. That sounded good to me.
"About time you joined us," Gaston said. "Come on. Let's go back home." I hopped onto Philippe, with my father coming on behind me. Gaston grabbed Philippe's rein and pulled us back to the village. I pulled the hood of my cape over my head and ducked my head down so that I could cry without Gaston seeing. That was the last thing I needed or wanted.
***
Gaston hadn't been joking when he said we would get married the next day. Everyone was invited, including those three Mrs. Gaston wannabes. I wished Gaston had fallen for one of them instead of me, because then my life would have been a whole lot better.
The wedding was held at noon near the river. It lasted about five hours, but I was done by the third hour. Gaston hadn't allowed me to go to any of the houses, so I was stuck just sitting around, watching everyone else - except the three girls, of course - have the time of their lives and celebrate.
My father wasn't here because he was still recovering from his sickness. Gaston had no problem with him staying at home, but I didn't think he cared much about his health as much as his "craziness." I wondered if anyone in this little town would realize that he wasn't crazy.
The sun was beginning to set when I finally made it back home. Well, actually to Gaston's home now. His house was full of a lot of animal furs, heads, and antlers hanging on the walls. I knew I would have to get used to that, and get used to the fact that I may have to watch him hunt down those animals, and others.
The bedroom was small, with one small window to provide us with some light. The little amount of light didn't help much, because I tripped over the leg of the chair.
"All right. Get dressed out of that now," Gaston instructed as he walked towards the bed.
"Into what?" I asked. Instead of responding, something hit my head which gave me my answer. It was a blue nightgown that showed my shoulders, but would cover my feet when I put it on. I set the nightgown on the chair and reached behind me to unzip the dress. But halfway down, it got stuck. "Uh, Gaston?"
"What?" he asked in an aggravated tone.
"I can't get this off," I said.
"So?" he asked.
"So could you help me?" I asked.
"Just rip it. I don't care," he said. I rolled my eyes and messed with the zipper a little bit more, getting it to go down a few more notches so I could push it off without ripping it too much. I slipped on the nightgown and then carefully walked over to the bed, ready to climb into it.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.
"Uh, getting into bed?" I answered, starting to crawl in.
"I don't think so," he said, and pushed me down onto the ground. I hissed in pain from the impact but didn't say anything. "That's going to be where you sleep until I say otherwise."
I sighed and laid on my side, trying to go to sleep. But sleeping on wood was not comfortable, and the wood was cold since it was wintertime, so that didn't help either. For many hours I just laid there, thinking about all that had happened in the past 24 hours, wishing I could go back and do something to change it so that I wasn't in this position. But now I was stuck with this new beginning of a life, and things were probably going to get worse from here.
****
THREE YEARS LATER
We had four kids now: one girl and three boys. The boys were identical twins, so it was often hard to tell the difference between them. Gaston Junior was the oldest by a whole minute, then there was Maxime, followed by Pierre. Laura was the oldest child, and I was happy about that because at least I had a daughter and there weren't all boys. Gaston, on the other hand, wasn't so happy about that. I remembered when she was born and we found out she was a girl. Gaston wanted to get ride of her, but I refused, and threatened to run away if she didn't stay with us.
The triplets were still babies, but Gaston was already planning out their future hunting trips and everything. Laura was two years old, and she knew a little bit about her dad's hunting trips. But Gaston told me long ago he would never take her on a trip because "hunting was for boys." I knew that wasn't the real reason, though, because he had taken me on a couple of hunting trips shortly after we got married. I hoped someday he would love Laura as much as he loved his sons, but I knew deep down that may never happen.
"I think I'll take them out with me three days in the week," Gaston proposed. "Then that will leave me two days for hunting by myself, and two days to stay here and spend time with you."
"And Laura," I inputted.
"Right. And Laura," he said, but I knew he would probably only give her a few minutes of attention. I would have to spend as much time as I could with Laura so she didn't feel unloved by her whole family.
"Why does she have that?" Gaston asked me, pointing behind me. I turned to see Laura looking through a children's book. Gaston had forbidden me from bringing any books with me, but I did anyways. I just kept them well hidden from him, and only read them when he was out on hunting trips. Children's books were on the top of my list, so that the children could get some real education.
"I thought you didn't mind picture books?" I countered. "And what do you care? It's not like you care about her."
"I care about her plenty!" Gaston shot back.
"Oh, really? Then take her out on a hunting trip when she's old enough," I challenged.
"I already told you-," he began, but I stopped him.
"If it's only for males, then why did you take me on some shortly after we got married?" I asked. Instead of a response, Gaston led me into the kitchen and then slapped me across the face.
"I'll do what I want to do, and you can't tell me what to do. Laura will never go hunting, and if I ever see her with another book, I'll ground her. Do you understand?" Gaston ordered.
"Yes, Gaston," I said, rubbing that sore spot on my cheek.
"Good. Now get that book out of her hands, and burn it in the fireplace tonight, along with all of the other books you have," he commanded. I opened my mouth, but he stopped me. "Don't you dare deny having books. I found your bag of books while you were in town a few days ago. I just wanted to wait and tell you to burn them yourself." He turned and walked out of the kitchen and into our bedroom. I slowly walked over to Laura, who was smiling at all of the pictures in the book, and I felt like disobeying Gaston again just so she - so we - could have our fun time. But I didn't want to find out what he would do if he found them again.
"Laura," I said. She immediately looked up at me, and her smile widened.
"Hi, Mama," she said.
"Hey. It's time for your nap," I said.
"But I'm not tired," she complained, but her yawn betrayed her.
"Yes you are. Come on, little one," I said, picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom to lie her down in the crib. She fell asleep rather quickly with a smile on her face, and I couldn't help but smile with her. I just wished she had been able to grow up in a better home than this one.
***
FIVE YEARS LATER
"I'll be back in three days' time, Belle," Gaston said, finishing packing everything. He and the triplets were about to go on a hunting trip - the triplets' first one. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, like reading books."
"Reading is not stupid!" I retorted.
"Belle, I've told you this a million times already: whatever I say goes. If I say reading is stupid, then it is. If I tell you not to do something, then you don't do it. You know what the consequences are if you disobey me," he said.
"You would still do that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Two years ago, Gaston told me that if I ever once disobeyed him, he would take Laura out into the middle of nowhere and leave her there with nothing to protect her.
"Yes, I would. And if you don't think I will, then try me," he said. "Alright boys, are you ready?"
"Yes, Papa!" They said in unison.
"Okay. Let's go. We're wasting hunting time," he said. "Bye, Belle. Take care of Lucas, and don't hurt yourself or the baby in any way." He touched my round belly as he kissed me on the cheek. "We'll be back soon."
"Bye, Papa!" Laura called as the four boys walked out of the door, but Gaston ignored her and closed the door behind him. I turned to see her smile slowly turn into a frown, and her shoulders slumped. "Why doesn't he ever talk to me?"
"He did talk to you. When you were still in the womb," I said. Realization shined in her eyes, and she briefly looked at me before looking down at the ground.
"While you didn't know what I was. When he thought I was a boy. He hates me because I'm not a boy," she said, and I saw a tear stream down her cheek. I wanted to tell her that wasn't true, but I knew I would only be lying to her.
"I'm sorry, Laura. But he always had it in his mind that we would have seven sons. He never pictured a daughter to be part of the family," I said.
"Mama... do you love me?" she asked.
"Of course I do, Laura," I said, walking over to her and pulling her close.
"I'll never be able to go on a hunting trip with them, will I?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not," I said. "But we have something better to do." She looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. "Let's go shopping!" She grinned and ran into her bedroom to change into some day clothes. I walked over to Lucas, who was just beginning to wake up, and I picked him up, grabbing his diaper bag as well. Laura came out two minutes later, and we were ready to go.
We were heading back home when Laura spotted the bookstore.
"Mama, why don't we ever read books anymore?" she asked.
"Because your father doesn't like it," I said. "He forbids us to read any books, sadly."
"Oh," Laura said, frowning and looking down at the ground.
"I'm sorry, Laura. I really wish you could experience the adventures you find in books," I said.
"Tell me," Laura said.
"What?" I asked.
"Tell me all of the stories you read before you marrried Papa. He didn't forbid that, did he?" Laura questioned.
"No," I said with a small smile. "No, he didn't. And that's what I'll do every day the boys are out hunting." She grinned and jumped up and down excitedly. I was pretty excited, too. I missed those stories, and maybe retelling them would be good enough, since we would never be able to read them. This was going to be fun.
***
TWO YEARS LATER
Gaston kicked the chair, making it crack. He kicked it repeatedly as I just sat on the bed, trying not to make him angrier. I made sure the kids were all outside playing before I talked to Gaston, because I didn't want them to see this.
"There must be some other way," he said. "Some other way for us to have more kids."
"I'm sorry, Gaston, but the doctor clearly stated that I probably wasn't going to have anymore after Julienne," I said.
"So only five boys instead of seven? That's what I'm stuck with?" he asked.
"Hey, at least you have sons!" I countered. "And three of them are triplets!"
"Well at least six would have been better than five!" he shouted.
"Don't you dare bring Laura into this," I said. "This has nothing to do with her."
"Belle, would you stop treating the girl like a princess? She's useless, just like you now," he said.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Girls are good for only one thing: bearing children. You say that you can't bear anymore, and Laura's not allowed to for awhile," he said.
"Girls are also good for cooking meals and cleaning the house," I said.
"No. Those are pointless. Men can cook the meals because they're the ones who got the meat. As for cleaning the house, that's simple to do as well," he said.
"So what are you going to do to her?" I asked, my voice quivering.
"To her? I think you mean what am I going to do to the both of you," he said. My eyes widened, and I felt tears begin to form. "I'm going to exile you both. You must leave this town and never, ever come back. If I ever see your faces again, you'll wish you were dead."
"Gaston, you can't exile me. Julienne still needs me!" I said.
"Oh, no. You are not taking any of my sons. They will all stay with me. And I'll find someone to take care of Julienne. Who knows? Maybe that girl will be my new wife, and bear me all the sons I want," he said. "Now, pack up yours and Laura's things, and I want you out of the house by dusk." With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door. I sighed and slumped down on the bed, taking deep breaths to relax myself. Once I was calm, I stood up and worked on packing the few things Laura and I had.
***
It was an hour before sunset when I pulled Lauara aside to talk to her.
"Laura, we have to go," I said.
"All of us?" she asked.
"No. Just us," I replied.
"Why?" she questioned.
"Because if we stay... well, your father may do some horrid things to us. He doesn't want either of us around anymore," I explained. Laura nodded. She knew just as well as I did that Gaston never loved her, and never would love her.
"So when do we leave?" she asked.
"As soon as we're done saying goodbye," I responded. She nodded, and we walked back into the house. I walked over to the triplets and hugged them first.
"You all be good for your father now," I said. "Help him take care of Lucas and Julienne."
"Where are you going?" Pierre asked.
"Laura and I are going to go away for awhile. Ask your father why later, and he might tell you," I said. "Just be good for me."
"Yes, Mama," the three said simultaneously. I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead.
"I love you," I said. "Never forget that."
Next was three-year-old Lucas. He hugged me tightly, and I hugged him back just as tight.
"Bye, Mama. Have a safe trip," he said.
"Be good to your father and brothers," I instructed.
"I will," he promised. I kissed him on the forehead before continuing on to Julienne. He probably didn't understand what was going on, but that was probably for the best. I gave him a quick hug and kiss before standing up and walking over to the door. Laura came a few seconds later, and we headed out.
"So where are we going, Mama?" Laura asked.
"To a place where I lived for a little bit before I married your father," I said. "It may seem like a scary place at first, but it's really quite wonderful." She nodded and stayed silent for most of the trip.
When we arrived, the sun was just starting to rise again. But the shadows still loomed over the castle, making it look like a horrible place.
"You lived here before you married Papa?" she asked. "How did you manage that?"
"Well, it started out as me being the prisoner of the man who used to live here, because he had taken my father captive, and I was taking his place so he could get better back home," I explained as we walked through the gates. "But then he turned out to be a really nice guy, and I started to fall in love with him."
"So why did you marry Papa over him?" she asked.
"Because your father killed him before then," I explained. "Everyone thought he was a monster who needed to be killed before he killed them. Gaston was the one to kill him, and after that, he threatened to kill my father if I didn't marry him."
"I'm surprised you stayed with Papa that long," she said.
"Well, I didn't really have a choice," I said. It's just how it was." We reached the doors to the castle, and I slowly began opening them. "Hello? Is anyone here?" I called. "It's me, Belle."
I gestured for Laura to follow me and told her to close the door behind her. I walked around, looking around for everyone.
"Mrs. Potts?" I called. "Lumiere? Cogsworth?"
"Mama, Mama! She's back!" I heard someone shout. A voice I recognized all too well.
"Now Chip," I heard Mrs. Potts say. "Stop telling lies."
"But it's the truth! Come on!" Chip said. I watched as they both hopped out into the open.
"Mama?" Laura whispered to me. "Why are they moving?"
"You'll get used to it. Don't worry. They won't hurt you," I said. "Hello, Mrs. Potts. Hi, Chip."
"Welcome back, sweetie. I was wondering how long it would be before you returned," Mrs. Potts said. "Now, how long are you staying?"
"I guess forever," I said.
"Really? What happened to that Gas fellow?" Mrs. Potts asked. Laura and I laughed at her comment, but stifled it.
"His name's Gaston. And he exiled us for reasons I'll have to explain later," I said.
"Oh my!" Mrs. Potts said. "Well you are welcome to stay here for as long as you want." Laura cleared her throat, and Mrs. Potts turned to her. "And who might you be?"
"Mrs. Potts, Chip, this is Laura. She is my eldest child and my only daughter," I said.
"Nice to meet you," Laura said meekly.
"It's wonderful to meet you as well," Mrs. Potts said. "And welcome to your new home. I'm sure you'll love it here. If you need anything, just call for us."
"Thank you," Laura said.
"Hey Chip, would you mind showing Laura the library?" I asked.
"There's a library?" Laura asked.
"Yes. With more books than you could ever imagine," I said.
"Yeah! It's huge! Come follow me!" Chip said, hopping towards the stairs to the library.
"I know this may be hard for you," Mrs. Potts said. "But just know we're here for you. Make this your home. If you want, we can completely remove everything in the West Wing."
"No, that won't be necessary," I said. "But thank you. In fact, I'm going to go visit that room." I walked past Mrs. Potts and climbed up the stairs, remembering so many things that happened while I was here. They all came back in flashes, and I tried to push them away as soon as they came.
The room was still a mess, just as it was the last time I was in here. The only difference was the rose. All of the petals had fallen off and long since died, but the glass case was still over it like it was protecting it. I put my hands on top of it, but didn't move it. Instead, I let a few tears fall.
"I miss you," I whispered as the tears fell. "I miss you more than anything, and I wish you were here right now. I know that will never happen, and I know that this place will give me memories of what happened while I was here, when you were still alive. But I will do my best to make this place my home, as it was starting to become long ago. I love you, and forever will, and I hope you knew that before. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you. I wish I was, because then we could have both lived happily ever after. But I'll make a new happy ending here with my daughter. And you will always be in my thoughts and in my heart. Thank you for everything you did for me when you were alive. I will never forget it."
I stood upright, wiped the tears from my eyes, and walked over into the library. I grabbed Laura's hand and smiled at her.
"Welcome to your new home, Laura," I said. And so it was, and we never again went out of the castle gates.
"Beast!" I cried, but nothing could save him from that fall. I looked over to Gaston who, despite the cuts, was smiling and getting over the balcony railing with ease.
"Well, Belle, now that that monster is out of the way, we can finally have our happy ending. You being my wife, and those seven boys that we were talking about before," he said.
"What makes you think I would marry a monster like you?" I spat.
"Belle, Belle, Belle. Such a naïve little girl. Honestly, that beast down there was the real monster. And I would have you join him for saying such things about me, but I won't, because I want those seven boys, and you're the only one I'm willing to have them with," he said.
"I still don't want to marry you," I said, crossing my arms and looking away from him. He put his gloved hand under my chin, lifting it up and making me look at him. Then he leaned in and kissed me.
"You will marry me, Belle, or else I'll personally kill your father. But it'll be in private, and I'll tell all of them that you did it," he said. "And after what happened earlier, I think they'll all believe me over you."
I knew I had no choice now. If it was my life, then I would gladly have him kill me. But, just like when Beast was imprisoning my father, I'd rather be with someone I didn't like then have my father die.
"Okay, fine," I said. "I'll marry you."
"Great!" he exclaimed. "Then we will get married tomorrow!" He began to run back into the castle when he turned around and said, "You're too kind, Belle. But that's one of the things I love about you."
"And what are the other things?" I challenged.
"Why, your beauty of course. That's how I fell in love with you in the first place," he said.
"Anything else?" I asked.
"What else could one guy possibly need from his wife?" he asked. It was a rhetorical question, but I was still going to answer it if he hadn't start running into the castle and out of sight. I looked back over the balcony, to where Beast had fallen. I thought about throwing myself off, but then Gaston would probably kill my father, so I didn't. Instead, I fell to my knees, hands covering my face as I cried, my whole body shaking with each sob.
"Don't worry, child," Mrs. Potts said. "I know losing him is hard, but we have to move on with life. Everything will turn out better, you'll see." I moved my hands from my face and had to bite my lip to stop myself from screaming or balling.
"How, Mrs. Potts? How will everything turn better? I have to marry that one man who I absolutely hate, and you guys will have to stay like that forever now because of me," I said.
"Sweetie, this has nothing to do with you. You didn't cause this on us," she said.
"Yes I did," I said. "The village people were calling my father crazy for believing there was a beast, so I showed them him with the mirror, and they immediately came marching here. If I hadn't said anything, Beast would probably still be alive. Things would be a whole lot better for all of us. I'm so sorry."
"Don't blame yourself for this. You were just trying to help your father," Mrs. Potts said.
"Belle!" I heard my father call.
"Speaking of your father, you should probably go join him. Don't worry about us, child. Go live your life," Mrs. Potts said.
"Belle!" It was Gaston now. "Come down here! The sooner we get back, the sooner we can get married!" I sighed.
"I know it may be hard for you, being that man's wife. But find ways to find good in it. Does he like reading?" Mrs. Potts asked.
"No. He absolutely hates it," I said.
"Then do it all of the time! Make him know what it feels like to do something you don't like or want to do," Mrs. Potts said. I gave her a small smile.
"Thanks, Mrs. Potts," I said, before standing up and running through the castle one last time. I thought about the giant library, and all of the books I would be leaving behind. But I didn't want to take any of them, because I felt like that may be stealing. Maybe one day, while Gaston was out on one of his hunting trips, I could come here and read for a little bit. That sounded good to me.
"About time you joined us," Gaston said. "Come on. Let's go back home." I hopped onto Philippe, with my father coming on behind me. Gaston grabbed Philippe's rein and pulled us back to the village. I pulled the hood of my cape over my head and ducked my head down so that I could cry without Gaston seeing. That was the last thing I needed or wanted.
***
Gaston hadn't been joking when he said we would get married the next day. Everyone was invited, including those three Mrs. Gaston wannabes. I wished Gaston had fallen for one of them instead of me, because then my life would have been a whole lot better.
The wedding was held at noon near the river. It lasted about five hours, but I was done by the third hour. Gaston hadn't allowed me to go to any of the houses, so I was stuck just sitting around, watching everyone else - except the three girls, of course - have the time of their lives and celebrate.
My father wasn't here because he was still recovering from his sickness. Gaston had no problem with him staying at home, but I didn't think he cared much about his health as much as his "craziness." I wondered if anyone in this little town would realize that he wasn't crazy.
The sun was beginning to set when I finally made it back home. Well, actually to Gaston's home now. His house was full of a lot of animal furs, heads, and antlers hanging on the walls. I knew I would have to get used to that, and get used to the fact that I may have to watch him hunt down those animals, and others.
The bedroom was small, with one small window to provide us with some light. The little amount of light didn't help much, because I tripped over the leg of the chair.
"All right. Get dressed out of that now," Gaston instructed as he walked towards the bed.
"Into what?" I asked. Instead of responding, something hit my head which gave me my answer. It was a blue nightgown that showed my shoulders, but would cover my feet when I put it on. I set the nightgown on the chair and reached behind me to unzip the dress. But halfway down, it got stuck. "Uh, Gaston?"
"What?" he asked in an aggravated tone.
"I can't get this off," I said.
"So?" he asked.
"So could you help me?" I asked.
"Just rip it. I don't care," he said. I rolled my eyes and messed with the zipper a little bit more, getting it to go down a few more notches so I could push it off without ripping it too much. I slipped on the nightgown and then carefully walked over to the bed, ready to climb into it.
"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.
"Uh, getting into bed?" I answered, starting to crawl in.
"I don't think so," he said, and pushed me down onto the ground. I hissed in pain from the impact but didn't say anything. "That's going to be where you sleep until I say otherwise."
I sighed and laid on my side, trying to go to sleep. But sleeping on wood was not comfortable, and the wood was cold since it was wintertime, so that didn't help either. For many hours I just laid there, thinking about all that had happened in the past 24 hours, wishing I could go back and do something to change it so that I wasn't in this position. But now I was stuck with this new beginning of a life, and things were probably going to get worse from here.
****
THREE YEARS LATER
We had four kids now: one girl and three boys. The boys were identical twins, so it was often hard to tell the difference between them. Gaston Junior was the oldest by a whole minute, then there was Maxime, followed by Pierre. Laura was the oldest child, and I was happy about that because at least I had a daughter and there weren't all boys. Gaston, on the other hand, wasn't so happy about that. I remembered when she was born and we found out she was a girl. Gaston wanted to get ride of her, but I refused, and threatened to run away if she didn't stay with us.
The triplets were still babies, but Gaston was already planning out their future hunting trips and everything. Laura was two years old, and she knew a little bit about her dad's hunting trips. But Gaston told me long ago he would never take her on a trip because "hunting was for boys." I knew that wasn't the real reason, though, because he had taken me on a couple of hunting trips shortly after we got married. I hoped someday he would love Laura as much as he loved his sons, but I knew deep down that may never happen.
"I think I'll take them out with me three days in the week," Gaston proposed. "Then that will leave me two days for hunting by myself, and two days to stay here and spend time with you."
"And Laura," I inputted.
"Right. And Laura," he said, but I knew he would probably only give her a few minutes of attention. I would have to spend as much time as I could with Laura so she didn't feel unloved by her whole family.
"Why does she have that?" Gaston asked me, pointing behind me. I turned to see Laura looking through a children's book. Gaston had forbidden me from bringing any books with me, but I did anyways. I just kept them well hidden from him, and only read them when he was out on hunting trips. Children's books were on the top of my list, so that the children could get some real education.
"I thought you didn't mind picture books?" I countered. "And what do you care? It's not like you care about her."
"I care about her plenty!" Gaston shot back.
"Oh, really? Then take her out on a hunting trip when she's old enough," I challenged.
"I already told you-," he began, but I stopped him.
"If it's only for males, then why did you take me on some shortly after we got married?" I asked. Instead of a response, Gaston led me into the kitchen and then slapped me across the face.
"I'll do what I want to do, and you can't tell me what to do. Laura will never go hunting, and if I ever see her with another book, I'll ground her. Do you understand?" Gaston ordered.
"Yes, Gaston," I said, rubbing that sore spot on my cheek.
"Good. Now get that book out of her hands, and burn it in the fireplace tonight, along with all of the other books you have," he commanded. I opened my mouth, but he stopped me. "Don't you dare deny having books. I found your bag of books while you were in town a few days ago. I just wanted to wait and tell you to burn them yourself." He turned and walked out of the kitchen and into our bedroom. I slowly walked over to Laura, who was smiling at all of the pictures in the book, and I felt like disobeying Gaston again just so she - so we - could have our fun time. But I didn't want to find out what he would do if he found them again.
"Laura," I said. She immediately looked up at me, and her smile widened.
"Hi, Mama," she said.
"Hey. It's time for your nap," I said.
"But I'm not tired," she complained, but her yawn betrayed her.
"Yes you are. Come on, little one," I said, picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom to lie her down in the crib. She fell asleep rather quickly with a smile on her face, and I couldn't help but smile with her. I just wished she had been able to grow up in a better home than this one.
***
FIVE YEARS LATER
"I'll be back in three days' time, Belle," Gaston said, finishing packing everything. He and the triplets were about to go on a hunting trip - the triplets' first one. "Don't do anything stupid while I'm gone, like reading books."
"Reading is not stupid!" I retorted.
"Belle, I've told you this a million times already: whatever I say goes. If I say reading is stupid, then it is. If I tell you not to do something, then you don't do it. You know what the consequences are if you disobey me," he said.
"You would still do that?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Two years ago, Gaston told me that if I ever once disobeyed him, he would take Laura out into the middle of nowhere and leave her there with nothing to protect her.
"Yes, I would. And if you don't think I will, then try me," he said. "Alright boys, are you ready?"
"Yes, Papa!" They said in unison.
"Okay. Let's go. We're wasting hunting time," he said. "Bye, Belle. Take care of Lucas, and don't hurt yourself or the baby in any way." He touched my round belly as he kissed me on the cheek. "We'll be back soon."
"Bye, Papa!" Laura called as the four boys walked out of the door, but Gaston ignored her and closed the door behind him. I turned to see her smile slowly turn into a frown, and her shoulders slumped. "Why doesn't he ever talk to me?"
"He did talk to you. When you were still in the womb," I said. Realization shined in her eyes, and she briefly looked at me before looking down at the ground.
"While you didn't know what I was. When he thought I was a boy. He hates me because I'm not a boy," she said, and I saw a tear stream down her cheek. I wanted to tell her that wasn't true, but I knew I would only be lying to her.
"I'm sorry, Laura. But he always had it in his mind that we would have seven sons. He never pictured a daughter to be part of the family," I said.
"Mama... do you love me?" she asked.
"Of course I do, Laura," I said, walking over to her and pulling her close.
"I'll never be able to go on a hunting trip with them, will I?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not," I said. "But we have something better to do." She looked up at me, raising an eyebrow. "Let's go shopping!" She grinned and ran into her bedroom to change into some day clothes. I walked over to Lucas, who was just beginning to wake up, and I picked him up, grabbing his diaper bag as well. Laura came out two minutes later, and we were ready to go.
We were heading back home when Laura spotted the bookstore.
"Mama, why don't we ever read books anymore?" she asked.
"Because your father doesn't like it," I said. "He forbids us to read any books, sadly."
"Oh," Laura said, frowning and looking down at the ground.
"I'm sorry, Laura. I really wish you could experience the adventures you find in books," I said.
"Tell me," Laura said.
"What?" I asked.
"Tell me all of the stories you read before you marrried Papa. He didn't forbid that, did he?" Laura questioned.
"No," I said with a small smile. "No, he didn't. And that's what I'll do every day the boys are out hunting." She grinned and jumped up and down excitedly. I was pretty excited, too. I missed those stories, and maybe retelling them would be good enough, since we would never be able to read them. This was going to be fun.
***
TWO YEARS LATER
Gaston kicked the chair, making it crack. He kicked it repeatedly as I just sat on the bed, trying not to make him angrier. I made sure the kids were all outside playing before I talked to Gaston, because I didn't want them to see this.
"There must be some other way," he said. "Some other way for us to have more kids."
"I'm sorry, Gaston, but the doctor clearly stated that I probably wasn't going to have anymore after Julienne," I said.
"So only five boys instead of seven? That's what I'm stuck with?" he asked.
"Hey, at least you have sons!" I countered. "And three of them are triplets!"
"Well at least six would have been better than five!" he shouted.
"Don't you dare bring Laura into this," I said. "This has nothing to do with her."
"Belle, would you stop treating the girl like a princess? She's useless, just like you now," he said.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked.
"Girls are good for only one thing: bearing children. You say that you can't bear anymore, and Laura's not allowed to for awhile," he said.
"Girls are also good for cooking meals and cleaning the house," I said.
"No. Those are pointless. Men can cook the meals because they're the ones who got the meat. As for cleaning the house, that's simple to do as well," he said.
"So what are you going to do to her?" I asked, my voice quivering.
"To her? I think you mean what am I going to do to the both of you," he said. My eyes widened, and I felt tears begin to form. "I'm going to exile you both. You must leave this town and never, ever come back. If I ever see your faces again, you'll wish you were dead."
"Gaston, you can't exile me. Julienne still needs me!" I said.
"Oh, no. You are not taking any of my sons. They will all stay with me. And I'll find someone to take care of Julienne. Who knows? Maybe that girl will be my new wife, and bear me all the sons I want," he said. "Now, pack up yours and Laura's things, and I want you out of the house by dusk." With that, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door. I sighed and slumped down on the bed, taking deep breaths to relax myself. Once I was calm, I stood up and worked on packing the few things Laura and I had.
***
It was an hour before sunset when I pulled Lauara aside to talk to her.
"Laura, we have to go," I said.
"All of us?" she asked.
"No. Just us," I replied.
"Why?" she questioned.
"Because if we stay... well, your father may do some horrid things to us. He doesn't want either of us around anymore," I explained. Laura nodded. She knew just as well as I did that Gaston never loved her, and never would love her.
"So when do we leave?" she asked.
"As soon as we're done saying goodbye," I responded. She nodded, and we walked back into the house. I walked over to the triplets and hugged them first.
"You all be good for your father now," I said. "Help him take care of Lucas and Julienne."
"Where are you going?" Pierre asked.
"Laura and I are going to go away for awhile. Ask your father why later, and he might tell you," I said. "Just be good for me."
"Yes, Mama," the three said simultaneously. I smiled and kissed each of them on the forehead.
"I love you," I said. "Never forget that."
Next was three-year-old Lucas. He hugged me tightly, and I hugged him back just as tight.
"Bye, Mama. Have a safe trip," he said.
"Be good to your father and brothers," I instructed.
"I will," he promised. I kissed him on the forehead before continuing on to Julienne. He probably didn't understand what was going on, but that was probably for the best. I gave him a quick hug and kiss before standing up and walking over to the door. Laura came a few seconds later, and we headed out.
"So where are we going, Mama?" Laura asked.
"To a place where I lived for a little bit before I married your father," I said. "It may seem like a scary place at first, but it's really quite wonderful." She nodded and stayed silent for most of the trip.
When we arrived, the sun was just starting to rise again. But the shadows still loomed over the castle, making it look like a horrible place.
"You lived here before you married Papa?" she asked. "How did you manage that?"
"Well, it started out as me being the prisoner of the man who used to live here, because he had taken my father captive, and I was taking his place so he could get better back home," I explained as we walked through the gates. "But then he turned out to be a really nice guy, and I started to fall in love with him."
"So why did you marry Papa over him?" she asked.
"Because your father killed him before then," I explained. "Everyone thought he was a monster who needed to be killed before he killed them. Gaston was the one to kill him, and after that, he threatened to kill my father if I didn't marry him."
"I'm surprised you stayed with Papa that long," she said.
"Well, I didn't really have a choice," I said. It's just how it was." We reached the doors to the castle, and I slowly began opening them. "Hello? Is anyone here?" I called. "It's me, Belle."
I gestured for Laura to follow me and told her to close the door behind her. I walked around, looking around for everyone.
"Mrs. Potts?" I called. "Lumiere? Cogsworth?"
"Mama, Mama! She's back!" I heard someone shout. A voice I recognized all too well.
"Now Chip," I heard Mrs. Potts say. "Stop telling lies."
"But it's the truth! Come on!" Chip said. I watched as they both hopped out into the open.
"Mama?" Laura whispered to me. "Why are they moving?"
"You'll get used to it. Don't worry. They won't hurt you," I said. "Hello, Mrs. Potts. Hi, Chip."
"Welcome back, sweetie. I was wondering how long it would be before you returned," Mrs. Potts said. "Now, how long are you staying?"
"I guess forever," I said.
"Really? What happened to that Gas fellow?" Mrs. Potts asked. Laura and I laughed at her comment, but stifled it.
"His name's Gaston. And he exiled us for reasons I'll have to explain later," I said.
"Oh my!" Mrs. Potts said. "Well you are welcome to stay here for as long as you want." Laura cleared her throat, and Mrs. Potts turned to her. "And who might you be?"
"Mrs. Potts, Chip, this is Laura. She is my eldest child and my only daughter," I said.
"Nice to meet you," Laura said meekly.
"It's wonderful to meet you as well," Mrs. Potts said. "And welcome to your new home. I'm sure you'll love it here. If you need anything, just call for us."
"Thank you," Laura said.
"Hey Chip, would you mind showing Laura the library?" I asked.
"There's a library?" Laura asked.
"Yes. With more books than you could ever imagine," I said.
"Yeah! It's huge! Come follow me!" Chip said, hopping towards the stairs to the library.
"I know this may be hard for you," Mrs. Potts said. "But just know we're here for you. Make this your home. If you want, we can completely remove everything in the West Wing."
"No, that won't be necessary," I said. "But thank you. In fact, I'm going to go visit that room." I walked past Mrs. Potts and climbed up the stairs, remembering so many things that happened while I was here. They all came back in flashes, and I tried to push them away as soon as they came.
The room was still a mess, just as it was the last time I was in here. The only difference was the rose. All of the petals had fallen off and long since died, but the glass case was still over it like it was protecting it. I put my hands on top of it, but didn't move it. Instead, I let a few tears fall.
"I miss you," I whispered as the tears fell. "I miss you more than anything, and I wish you were here right now. I know that will never happen, and I know that this place will give me memories of what happened while I was here, when you were still alive. But I will do my best to make this place my home, as it was starting to become long ago. I love you, and forever will, and I hope you knew that before. I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you. I wish I was, because then we could have both lived happily ever after. But I'll make a new happy ending here with my daughter. And you will always be in my thoughts and in my heart. Thank you for everything you did for me when you were alive. I will never forget it."
I stood upright, wiped the tears from my eyes, and walked over into the library. I grabbed Laura's hand and smiled at her.
"Welcome to your new home, Laura," I said. And so it was, and we never again went out of the castle gates.
