I'm not going to lie. I've always hated the stories that began with the tired cliché of "once upon a time" or "in a land far, far away". Typically these are the beginnings of fairy tales. Stories in which good triumphs over evil, the prince marries the princess and everyone lives happily ever after. However these happy ending don't exactly apply to everyone. Evil stepmothers and cantankerous old necromancers tend to get gypped for one. And I don't think that the wolf that ate Little Red Riding Hood's grandmother lived happily ever after at all.

Rather than telling you a nice pretty story with a perfect ending, I am going to tell a tale of adventure gone wrong. Weave a yarn that will make your blood run cold and the hairs on your neck tingle. This is the story of Beauty and the Beast, back when the Beast was truly a beast.

It began as any summer night. One of Anne's friends owned a cabin down by the lakeside (or her parents did anyways) so it was only natural that she would be holding a party. At first it was a quiet affair but more and more people showed up as the night went on. Some idiot had thought it would be hilarious to invite all of the Grade 9s and many of them were having difficulty holding their drinks. Spilt beer and cigarette smoke lent a sticky aura to the stifling heat of the tiny cabin. Ducking under the lanky arms of the weird guy who had dropped out last year and thought that his half-ass imitation of a dead rap artist was a huge turn on, she thought she might be able to make out the front door through the haze. Weaving through the throng of bodies moving mindlessly to the repetitive beat; Anne made a break for the door and fresh air.

Silvery moonbeams from a crescent moon danced merrily on the water's surface. A warm breeze rustled tree branches invitingly, calling to Anne's very soul. Drawn by the simple beauty she ventured farther and farther until the dull thumbing of the beat faded and only the gentle lapping of the water and the arrhythmic chirping of insects was left. A mischievous thought flitted through her mind and she stole a surreptitious glance at her surrounding. Finding no prying eyes hidden behind the bushes, she kicked off her shoes and hooked her flowered dress over a nearby tree branch.

Mud squished satisfying through her toes as she pushed off from the riverbank. Smooth movements carried her quickly from the shore and she reveled in the cool caress of the lake. Reluctantly she returned to shore and clambered back onto the slippery bank. Cursing her lack of a towel she wrung out her hair as best as she could before reaching for her abandoned clothing.

"Nice view" a voice drawled from the shadows.

Enraged at this unwelcome intrusion she whirled around and snapped back irritably "Wish I could say the same", clumsily fumbling with the icy fingers at the tiny buttons of her dress.

The owner of the deep voice shoved himself to his feet from behind the mountain ash. The clusters of berries shed strange shadows on his face, hiding his eyes from Anne's searching gaze. An arrogant smile revealed gleaming white teeth surrounded by tanned skin. He sauntered forward, eyes shamelessly lingering on the pale skin revealed by still-undone buttons.

Flushing uncomfortably, she turned all her attention to her dress and only looked up when she felt his breath on her cheek. Up close she could see that his features were ruggedly chiseled. He smelled of wood smoke and something she couldn't pin down, something feral. Instinctive steps backwards caused her to trip over a protruding tree root and almost fall back into lake she'd just left.

Lightning quick, a muscular arm flashed out and grabbed her around the waist. Effortlessly dangling her over the bank of the river, he tilted his head back and laughed; a sound that was disturbingly predatory. "Leaving so soon?"

"I do hate to disappoint you but my friend is expecting me back to help with the pizza." She smiled sweetly and turned back towards the house.

"What if I told you that your "friend" was in the upstairs bedroom and pizza was the last thing on her mind? I'd say that you'd be the one ending up disappointed, now wouldn't you princess?" An icy shiver wracked Anne's body and she quickly whirled around to hide her uneasiness.

"I'd say you were lying." Matter-of-factly. She refused to let him see she was scared, to let him know just how uncomfortable he made her feel. It was impossible to pinpoint but there was something about this man that terrified her.

"You think I'd lie to a beautiful stranger? I'm hurt. Good thing this is all hypothetical then." His egotistical smile and condescending sarcasm made her blood boil. All her willpower was concentrated into holding back both her snappy remarks and her hand. This was not someone that would allow anyone to lay a finger on them without a damn good reason. And anyone who did wouldn't enjoy the results.

"Ooh the pussy has claws." No amount of willpower could prevent her from forming her long fingers into tight fists. Glancing down at her white knuckles even she had to admit they weren't very intimidating. Her fingers were more accustomed to holding a paintbrush or caressing the keys of a piano than to being wielded as weapons. But there was only so much taunting Anne could take before her temper took over.

"Now you listen here…" She began angrily.

"No sweetheart, how about you do the listening." He leaned forward menacingly and grabbed her by the elbow. "We are going to walk away quietly. No running, no screaming." The chill of the night air combined with the realization of danger suddenly struck Anne and she began to tremble like a leaf. The man sarcastically held out his arm for her and she grasped it, grateful for any means of support.

"W-what are you doing?" Cursing her own clumsy tongue she looked up at the impassive face of the strange man who was ushering her away from the lake side.

"Oh we're just going for a nice little walk. Don't worry, I won't hurt you." A casual passerby would have taken them as a lovelorn couple, so casual were the tones of his voice. There was not hint of a threat in his voice or manner but he still held tightly to her elbow. Quick darting glances revealed no drunken partygoer hiding in the bushes, just waiting to spring out at her and yell "Surprise!" They were completely alone. Anne looked the stranger up and down and was dismayed to find him unusually muscular. Usually this was a trait that would not have gone unappreciated but in these particular circumstances it meant that her chances of outrunning him were slim.

Some sort of a plan was necessary but she couldn't come up with anything. Thoughts of murder and rape flashed through her mind leaving no room for planning. She could picture herself dying here in these woods, alone—all because she wanted to go for a swim. Such a small choice and such a stupid one.

Almost as if he could read the thoughts running around in her brain, the man slowed down and came to a stop in a small clearing. Anne couldn't even begin to guess how long they had been walking. He had been walking at least. She had been dragged almost every step of the way, willing her legs to carry her away from this macabre moonlit walk.

As if in response to her silent prayers he released her arm and sat down on a moss-covered tree stump. Placing his chin on his hand he looked up at her slender form silhouetted in the dim light. Shadows highlighted a round face framed by damp, tangled locks of long brown hair. Despite her bedraggled appearance and the fear in her eyes, he couldn't help but think she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Then she turned and ran.

He stood there in shock as her feet pounded the ground, taking her as far away from him as she could manage in a short time. Blood sang in her veins, exhilarated at the prospect of freedom. Her spirits lifted she began to run faster and faster, ducking and weaving through the interlocking tree branches. A brief glance behind told her she wasn't being followed. Slowing to a quick jog she searched for an indication of where she had come from. Running further from civilization would have been pointless. Peering through the forest she thought she could see some semblance of a trail.

It seemed to be an old animal trail but there was at least a slim chance that it would lead back to the lake. Now the only problem was which way to go. Direction finding had never been Anne's strong point. Hers had been the only Girl Guide troupe to get lost on the compass course. They had had to send a leader after them. The possibility of pursuit ruled out any long term planning. As detrimental to her goal as it would be, even being lost would be better than being in the company of a madman.

A frantic game of eeny-meeney-miney-moe indicated that the left branch of the trail was the preferred option so off she went. The thin path allowed her to resume her previous tempo and soon she launched herself back into an adrenaline-fuelled sprint. Hours could have passed or it could have been only minutes. Time became irrelevant with nothing to measure it against. Vanity had caused her to leave behind both her old watch and to choose decorative footwear.

Sandals were not designed for madcap sprints through the woods and Anne's feet were beginning to remind her of the unhappy fact. Soon she began to notice a pointed thickening in the woods. The trail dwindled away until every step was a battle with the trees. On the bright side at least she would be able to hear anyone coming after her. Slowing down to a walk she took a moment to breathe, her head down against her chest for a few moments.

The pounding of her heart was audible now, eclipsed only by her gasps for breath. Leaning against a tree she closed her eyes in an attempt to block out the bizarreness of the evening. Rough tree bark felt comforting under her fingertips; a reminder that she was still awake. Suddenly her nostrils were assaulted with a disturbingly familiar feral smell and warm hands clasped themselves about her tiny waist. Eyelids snapped open frantically to find the madman she had escaped from resting his chin on her shoulder.

Throwing off his embrace she whirled around to find a new escape route. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she could see a low hanging tree branch aimed right at her forehead. Pain blossomed throughout her body as she crumpled to the forest floor. The approaching darkness seemed to welcome her with open arms and swallowed her whole.