Not What it Seems

A short story posted first to Wattpad.

She stepped out from behind the door, her white night dress buttoned all the way up her throat in a mound of ruffles. She was looking down, trying to figure out how to tuck her feet beneath the hem, out of sight and mind. It was inappropriate to show such things.

"My love, come here" he said from across the room.

Her heart quickened, not from anticipation but from fear of what was waiting in the dark. She knew not of this man she was gifted to by her parents. He was wealthy and paid well. That was all she needed to know. She had given them financial means of a better life. Slowly, she walked toward the voice.

"That's it. Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you."

Standing on the edge of darkness where the firelight danced with shadows, she paused. She couln't swallow. Her breath was fast and labored. Her pulse racing in her ears. She stepped forward, out of safety of the known and into the darkness where anything could be. She felt a hand on her arm.

"Come here" whispered a voice. "This way. I won't hurt you."

She followed the gentle pull of her arm forward, until her knees bumped against something. Putting her hands in front of her, she touched what she instantly knew to be a bed. She felt sick, tears rushed to her eyes, stinging, threatening to flood down her face in a rush of fear and misery. But she didn't let them fall. She wouldn't. Instead, she lifted her night dress with one hand, and slowly crawled onto the bed.

"My love, how beautiful you are. Skin as fair as snow. Hair as golden as the sun. A body to make a thousand men yearn. How beautiful indeed."

She wondered how this man who she had never met, could describe her looks. The thought was chased from her mind as she felt a breath on her face. Soft lips pressed gently to her cheek. She sat on her knees, still and frozen as a statue in a garden.

"Do not be afraid my love. I will not hurt you. Not more than needed. Relax, give yourself to me, let me show you that this is a union worth having."

Lips again touched her cheek, slowly moving down her neck. Something was... strange. She couldn't quite figure it out. But it was... odd. Slowly, soft lips got harder, more aggressive, more needy. She was gently laid back on the bed, and in an instant, the top of her night dress was grabbed and pulled roughly, sending the buttons shooting around the room. She gasped and covered herself in the dark as best as she could.

"No no my love, do not hide yourself from me. We are to be one. I paid a good price to see this beauty."

Her hands were gently pushed to her sides, and she again wondered how he was seeing anything in the dark. Lips were back at her throat in an instant, needy and wanting. Suddenly, the full weight of a man she had yet to see was on top of her, and she panicked, letting out a whimper.

"Oh love, was that a sign you wanted me as much as I want you. So we shall have this done."

Roughly he shoved her night dress above her hips, so quickly that she had time only to utter a gasp. A moment later, her legs were shoved apart, and lips roughly smashed down on hers as she felt herself lifted up as he plunged deep into her. A sob escaped her lips into his, and it seemed to make him mad with desire. Faster he stroked in and out of her, every sob seeming to increase his desire, make him more feverish for release. She broke from his kiss and sobbed aloud, begging him to stop. But he wouldn't. He couldn't.

Freeing her arms she pounded them into his chest in an attempt to get his attention, to get him off her. But it did no good. This was the price she paid for her family. She felt his breath quicken, his thrusts harder now and faster, and could tell he was getting close to the end. She threw her arms out and succumbed to him, and in the moment he started to howl in release, the full moon shone through the window, lighting up the features of the man she gave herself to.

As their eyes met in that final second of passion, fear shuttered through her body like she had never felt before. It made sense why he could see her in the dark. With a howl of release barely covering her own screams, she threw her head back as to not see him. And the monster she was sold to ripped out her throat with his teeth before collapsing on her in shear joy.

"Oh my love, how wonderful. How wonderful indeed. Now that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Crawling from the bed, he looked behind him, at blood splattered sheets and the blank stare of the woman now an empty shell. And as he walked away, the firelight lit his features, sending a horrific shadow across the floor of a beast standing on the edge of darkness where firelight danced with shadows...

Author's Note

***CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT! I don't have it marked as such, the site then doesn't allow my friends to read my work without creating an account.***

Reviews

[Chris]

The beauty of the Beast... a very good tale.