Beautiful and Beastly
Chapter 1
Once upon a time, in a faraway place, lived a young boy in a beautiful academy. The boy was supremely talented, renowned far and wide for his singing abilities. But his talent soon led to arrogance, which became his downfall. As his admirers became disheartened by his newfound selfishness and cruelty, they abandoned him, one by one. Even his own parents no longer cared to be in his company. His heart, once loving and caring, became cold and unkind and he withdrew into the academy, seeking no one's company but his own. For years, he existed in his state of self-induced exile.
One night, a mysterious woman approached the academy. She was cold and hungry and begged to be allowed to stay the night. The young boy wouldn't hear of it. Repeatedly the woman asked to be allowed to stay and repeatedly he denied her request. She wasn't beautiful to look at and in his state of arrogance, the boy refused to be in the company of anyone that wasn't as talented or beautiful as he. In a final effort, the woman presented him with a beautiful golden microphone, a present should she be allowed to stay but one night.
But the boy saw her present as a mockery of the life he had one held and his face twisted with rage. He struck out, knocking away the woman and her gift. The microphone crashed on the ground and the once princely gift was left with a large crack running from end to end. Enraged, the woman's repulsive form melted away. A beautiful girl, not much older than the prince himself, stood on the doorstep. He tried to appease her, but she would hear nothing of it; she had seen into his heart and saw that there was nothing there but a love for himself and himself alone. She cast a spell on him, making his appearance as ugly as his heart. Before leaving, she warned the boy to take great care of her now ruined gift, for it would now play an integral part in his life. It would continue to sing its enchanted songs to him until his twenty-first birthday, but if he had not found someone who could love him in his current state, the microphone would stop singing and he would be stuck in his twisted new form.
Repulsed by his now hideous appearance and ashamed by the curse placed upon him, the boy withdrew back into the academy, scaring away any who came too close. Years passed and the boy sank into despair. Eventually stories were whispered around the nearby town, tales of a building in the forest where a once handsome boy now lived hidden deep inside the depths of the abandoned structure and of strange songs sung in the night.
ooc:/ Here it is, the first chapter. I hope everyone enjoys it. This idea has been bouncing around in my head for ages and I feel like it's time to get it out. The next chapter should be up soon, hopefully within a couple of days. Reviews would be amazing and feel free to include any suggestions. Thanks! 3