Beauty and Beastly | ✓

Chapter 1

The day had come where the beast would visit us. Worry had churned the minds of the villagers for weeks now. Nausea seemed contagious and fear seemed to spread like wildfire. And the worst part about wild fires are that they are difficult to stop. Fear etched into the faces of the villagers, sweat trickled down their faces and they all seemed to be in their own thoughts.

Fear was natural in this scenario, it was what had kept us all alive. We all took great precautions: investing in several locks; shutting all the windows; screwing wood against all the doors; spreading fear to keep one another safe; telling frightening stories of it and hiding before it would come.

Of course, it had brought us all closer as a community. We were more interwoven with one another. We cared for one another. But we cared more for ourselves. Fear can make a good man known, but it can make a man selfish.

The rich members among us invested in the best safety items, not caring to share. Silver was expensive these days, let alone for its use as jewellery. Unlike the rich families – or even the middle class - mine could not dip our locks or our physical barriers with silver, let alone use silver metal as they do.

Silver is a substance that burns us excruciatingly and heavily weakens us. I mean who knows if it would even affect the beast, but even if it did in just the smallest way, it made us feel a huge amount safer. The thought that it could provide some resistance was comforting. 

I was nervous to say the least. You always seem to be afraid of the things you don't know much about. They say ignorance is a bliss, but, in this scenario I beg to differ. I did not know whether these rumours were true or not. Was it a clever game of Chinese whispers, or was there solid truth in what everyone says? I mean we all hear stories or accounts of what has taken place on this very day years before, but, none of us have ever seen it. People claim to hear it; it's growls and movements. But they could be exaggerations or figments of their imagination. How much of what we hear is real? You don't know what people do for attention and fame these days. Not knowing things killed me. It wasn't a good trait of mine, but it wasn't something I could easily change. They say curiosity killed the cat. What they don't tell you is that satisfaction brought it back. Could you imagine that no beast exists? That it was originally some joke? That would be infuriating. The precautions we take are costly. 

They're so weak. 

They can't help it. 

That makes them more pathetic. 

I always silenced my wolf, it was habit. But now with my own thoughts overwhelming my head, I didn't have the mental capacity to continuously block her. To be honest, she could be a quiet creature, but I wouldn't know. I have spent most of my life pushing her away and silencing her, maybe I am doing it for nothing but I cannot be bothered to find out. She was eyeing the villages and mocking them. My wolf always felt more superior, I always felt it. 

I looked at the scrambling people, all hurriedly moving to their various destinations. Our village was small and dainty. Nothing interesting ever happened here. I pulled my scarf tighter around my neck and continued to make my way home. Upon reaching the door, I fished for the keys in my pocket and unlocked it. Whilst taking off my coat and scarf, I tried to call out to my parents. When I heard no reply and looked in some rooms I realised they weren't home. Perfect! I could go out again for just a bit and they wouldn't notice. I opened the front door immediately, my scarf and coat in my hands. I sped walked as I put on the items. My hands reached into my pockets, its depths of the fabric hiding them from the biting wind. I made my way into town again, leaving the greenery around my home. The shrubs were growing wildly in all the different crevices of the forest around it. The green grass oozed with vitality, and the trees that loomed over our little house groaned against the wind. I reached a cobbled pathway; my shoes pattered softly against them. I looked around, at the blocked windows and doors, at the usually lively town I lived in. Today was an exception. It was lifeless. It looked like it didn't have any inhabitants. I couldn't see anyone else in town. It was a frightful second, where I actually thought that everyone disappeared - leaving me alone in this desolate place. Then suddenly, someone exited the post office. I sighed in relief.