Chapter One

Klaribelle is my name. I prefer to go by Klari, though. I was only ten years old when my grandmother told me the story of the monster and my great grandmother, the first Klaribelle. At such a young age, I didn't really understand the story very well and did not truly realize what it meant, what she was asking of me. All I knew was that it was a fairy tale come true, and I was somehow a part of it. 

So, far quite a while, several years, actually, I would pretend that I was both the Monster and the one that would save him from my Great Grandmother's curse. 

But in my imaginings and my pretend games, the Monster was a kind, sweet, caring man trapped in a Bestial form. I pretended that his soul was so sweet and kind that I could love him without his pretty face. My games and dreams usually ended with both the Monster and I declaring our love, which ended my Great Grandmother's curse. Though, there was one time that we both died horrible deaths, but that's because I had brought my cousins into the game, and Azaela had a rather morbid sense of humor. But most of the time, I preferred to play on my own. I was always like that, a lonely child. Other children thought I was strange, with my fae green eyes and unstable health. So, I was usually alone. 

But I didn't mind. I had my Gramma, and I had my dreams and imaginings. As long as I had those, I was fine. 

But then Gramma got sick and died. Being only thirteen at the time, I was placed in the care of a distant Uncle who already had too many children to begin with. 

I had lost my Gramma, but I still had my dreams, so I was okay. I told myself that I would be okay. 

But then I lost my dreams, too. 

I lost them because Uncle Ben could not afford to keep me, so he was paid forty crowns by a man that was paid to have his girls clean houses and his boys repair homes and other such things. After that, I had no time for dreams or games. 

Andre, the man that hired us out, was short, fat, and balding. His son, Searlus, was his opposite. Tall, dark-haired and well built, he was every girl's dream. 

Except mine. 

I think that's what started off our unusual friendship, that I didn't swoon or giggle when he spoke to me. I was different, and that sparked his interest. 

I didn't mind him trying to make nice with me, for he brought me extra food and kept me company while I was working. His constant chatter helped pass my day by slightly faster. 

However, his special treatment of me made the other girls jealous of me, so I had no other friends. But that didn't matter to me. Not much did. 

At the age of fifteen, I was rising well before dawn, going to work without breakfast, and working for several hours Then I would scarf down half a bowl of porridge, and then go back to work. After that, I would stop in the late afternoon to eat bread, cheese, and water, then back to work again until past midnight. Then I would wolf down soup, then to bed again until the next morning. 

I did that everyday until the day I turned 18. 

In that time, I lost my dreams. I lost my love for stories and romance and humor. 

In that time, I lost myself. 

On the day of my 18th birthday, I rose and went to work like any other day. I didn't bother acknowledging my change in age. It didn't matter to someone like me. 

"Up, up, up, come on, girls, time to get up," Huani woke us like that every morning, banging her walking stick on the ends of our beds. There were twenty of us girls, twenty one counting Huani. But Huani was useless at helping clean with her crippled leg and gnarled fingers. 

The others and I rose grumbling and yawning occasionally being sharply poked by Huani's stick to hurry us along. 

I could hear Searlus tipping the fifteen boys out of bed next door. 

I shuffled in line with the others out of our little shack off the main house and started down the streets. 

The little town of Istaba was right on the edge of the dark and dangerous Wood. I only lived there because Andre believed that all the little old ladies and old men would pay ridiculous prices to have young, energized people clean and repair things for them. 

Searlus trotted to catch up to me. 

"Heya, Klari," he grinned at me, and I yawned in response. "Happy Birthday," he leaned over to whisper into my ear, his breath tickling my skin. 

"How did you know?" I demanded, staring at him. I was sure that I had not told him when my birthday was. He grinned even wider. 

"I asked Father." he explained and I scowled. 

"I don't want you making a fuss over it," I hissed, "The others won't like it." 

The town was barely starting to stir as the Sun began to peek over the horizon. 

"Bah, the others can get over it," he waved a hand, but didn't say anything for a few minutes. 

There was a light spring mist over everything, and the buildings had a ghostly look to them. Most of us didn't talk, for our voices echoed back strangely, warped and slightly sinister. 

As Huani prodded us along, Searlus suddenly leaned towards me and spoke quietly into my ear. 

"Hey, Klari, what would you say if I asked you to be my wife?" he breathed. 

"Hurry it up, girls, hurry-" Huani poked someone in the back, but suddenly froze, staring  at something. I looked sharply at Searlus, wondering if he was joking, before following Huani's fearful stare. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw it. 

It looked faintly like a monkey, the ones I'd seen in picture books as a child. It was about three feet tall and greyish in color, but completely hairless. It had a head that was too big for its body, and a long tail ending in a spade. Its back was lumpy and malformed looking because of a pair of crumpled, leathery wings. It was digging through a pile of rubbish, muttering and grumbling to itself in displeasure when it over balanced and had to flutter its wings to stay upright. Its bat like ears perked up with pleasure as it straightened up with a half eaten, browned apple. It began to munch on it happily. 

Our ragged group straggled to a stop as we each spotted the creature in turn. We were all silent for a moment. 

Then, the littlest of us, Addy, shrieked and startled the thing. It screeched right back, dropping its prize to fly at her, clawed talons extended towards her petrified face. 

"No!" I shouted, diving forward to knock the child out of the way. Instead of hitting her, the creature grabbed me and lifted me up with unnatural strength. I screamed as it lifted me from the ground, flapping its wings wildly and screeching madly. Its claws shredded my arm, causing rivers of blood to run over my elbow and stain the sleeve of my tattered gown. I could hear the others screaming below me, the girls in a panic, some trying to reach me. But the creature had dragged me far beyond where their fingers stretched and strained. 

I could hear Huani screaming and Searlus bellowing my name, "Klari! Klari!" over and over, as if it would make the thing let me go. 

With another defiant screech, the creature straightened out its batish wings, and turned sharply around, carrying me towards the Wood.