Prologue

Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young lad lived in a spacious mansion, over the hills and mountains, and deep within the woods. Although he had everything his heart desired, and everything he had ever asked for in life the boy was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old woman came to the mansion.

The boy had recently lost his parents, and other than the servants that looked after him he had never seen anyone else near his home before. He was confused by her presence and found her image unnerving. The boy was dreadfully honest and cared little for others feelings. He was very rich, and everyone he had ever known had worked for him, so they had never talked back to his harsh words and never asked him to do anything for anyone else.

The young boy was frustrated that he had to answer the door, but all of his servants somehow slept through the racket. He thought of waking them to answer the door, but he didn't want to waste his time going down to the servants' quarters. He just wanted the person knocking to go away and leave him alone.

So he answered the door. He wasn't pleased to see the old woman. He was less pleased that she dared come to his home when she looked as horrid as she did.

"What do you want?" he asked aggravated,

"Please, may I come in? My car broke down on the mountain road, I saw your house and I was wondering if I could spend the night. Or possibly, at least use your phone to call a tow truck. I'm afraid if I stay out in this storm I am sure to perish."

"Why should I let you do that?" he asked, "What can I gain from letting you in? You're more likely to harm than help me if you entered my home. You're a stranger! Why should I trust you?" He snapped, the old woman was starting to beg.

"Please sir, I mean you no harm! I am old and weak and defenceless! You could easily over power me yourself, let alone with your many servants! I don't ask for charity, I'll give you this rose. Please let me in, or else, I'll surely die." She argued,

He sneered at the gift, "A rose? That's your pathetic excuse for payment? Get out of my sight, you ugly old woman!" he shouted. The old woman stepped back in shock, but then composed herself and responded,

"Please reconsider, young man. You might be surprised, there is always more to a person than what meets the eye." She told him offering her rose once more. He was very annoyed now, and wondered why the woman was still there.

"I told you to go away!" he shouted at her, "You're ugly, you'll always be ugly, and nothing else matters to me than your disappearance from my life! Now get lost!"

He was about to slam the door on her when suddenly she was surrounded by a bright light. He threw back the door and gazed upon what was once an old woman, in her place stood a beautiful woman. The woman was tall and floated in the air in a ball of light. Her hair was now long and blew in the wind. She wore a long gown that blew in the wind as well. Her eyes shone with bright light as she gazed down upon him. In her hand, she held the rose she had offered.

"I tried to warn you, to give you a second chance..." she told him a silky voice that echoed through the wind.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know..." he started to say,

"Yet you turned me away. I was helpless, and I would've died, but you turned me away anyway because...you didn't like me, or how I looked."

"You shouldn't have lied!" He argued, "I would've let you in if-"

"-If I was beautiful?" She finished, "That shouldn't have made a difference." She told him, the boy fell to his knees and started to beg.

"Please, I'm sorry. I've learned my lesson, I swear!" he told her,

"You will..." she said, and suddenly he started to change. Fur sprouted all over his body, his face elongated into a snout, his teeth grew into fangs, and horns grew out of his head.

"You will know what it's like to be judged on appearance. You must change your personality. You must become someone who can be loved despite their appearance, since you no longer have that to assist you. Before you ask, it must be someone who DOES NOT WORK FOR YOU!"

"What are you...saying?" he asked as he body contorted,

"I place a curse on you... and all of your servants for making you who you are. Yet there is a way to break this spell. You may keep my rose, for it will show you your time. If you can learn to love someone and earn their love in return before the last petal falls, then the spell will be broken. If not, you will be doomed to remain a beast for all time. I also leave you this mirror. It should help you in your search."

She told him flatly, and with that, she vanished with little trace that she was ever there. The only difference was that now a beast stood where a boy once stood, and there was a mirror and a rose lying in the snow. The beast gently picked up the rose and the mirror, and almost dropped them upon seeing who he was now. He retreated back inside and locked the door. He bolted up all the windows, and smashed all the mirrors.

He first thought of cheating. That sorceress wouldn't know if a servant loved him, would she. Then, he was shocked to find that now he was alone. In the servants' beds, were material objects. In the kitchen there was cookware where people once stood. He was now truly alone.

He placed the rose in a bell jar in his room, where it hovered, suspended by magic. He placed the magic mirror nearby, so he could keep all the magical items in the same place.

The next day he was pleased to discover that his servants were still alive, but as objects. He feared that if he did not break the spell they too would remain that way forever. The servants were all terrified and confused when they came upon their new forms. They asked the boy to explain,

"She's making sure I don't cheat." He told them, to which he had to explain further. After explaining things to the servants he went through his photo album. He looked at the photos of him when he was younger, of whom he used to be. In all of the photos he was human, but he wasn't smiling. It reminded him of how he got cursed in the first place. He threw all of the photos in his fireplace. He didn't want a reminder of who he was.

The years passed, and the young boy grew into a young man, who saw himself as a young monster. He lived in the woods and hunted for his food. He looked like a monster, and acted like a monster. At first he tried to find love, but as much as he looked, he couldn't bring himself to leave and face the shame that the sorceress promised him.

After awhile, he knew it was hopeless. It was best to accept his new life. He fell into despair and lost all hope of ever regaining who he was. He knew that if he was in their position, he wouldn't feel the same. He knew no one could ever love him. No one could ever love a beast.