Chapter 1: A Troubling Life
Fleeing from sector 4 of the St. Dymphna Psychiatric Hospital in Central London, Athena Renee Eaton raced for her life. This was ludicrous, Athena had to get free and out of this mad house! But how? Every door required either a pass code or a key, and every window was barred shut. Keeping the crazies in while the world around them kept on.
Athena's body trembled as she forced her legs to keep running. What would she do if she ran into Dr. Kyan? Or worse, what would she do if she ran into Dr. Kyan Sr? The president of this establishment? He would throw her into the deepest, darkest cell of the hospital and leave her to starve with no hesitation.
Pushing that thought from her mind, she continued running. Her greasy, coffee colored hair lay plastered against her scalp. Stains of urine and feces lingered on her tattered old hospital gown. She looked anything, but desirable.
Soon she came to an unlocked supply closet. After letting herself in, she flipped the lock and leaned against the door. Her heart beat in her chest as the sound of blood rushed through her ears. Sweat streamed from her forehead and seeped along her temples. It stung! Just as the marks remained a constant reminder of her time spent in this horrible place. No matter how bad it hurt, Athena knew the next several moments would be far worse.
Lifting her gown, she pulled out a scalpel from the makeshift garter she had created and prepared herself. She must get rid of the ID chip. She dragged the silver object across her lower arm and sucked a breath in between her teeth. While holding in a blood curdling scream, tears seeped from her forest green eyes as, Athena dug the scalpel deeper. When the tip met the foreign object she removed it. As soon as it was out, she dropped the medical equipment and ran to get the gauze. Wrapping it tightly around her arm several times, she ripped the remaining material off with her teeth. With no time to spare, Athena once again ran.
Rounding a corner, Athena gasped as she came face to face with a man so vile it made her sick to look at him. Kyan. He truly resembled a beast standing in front of her. At six-foot-six, he toward over Athena's small five foot-three-frame. The doctor stood between Athena and her freedom.
With heavy breathes, she pleaded with her eyes as she peered into the doctors ice blue ones. "Don't be the beast everyone thinks you are." She wiped her mattered hair from her brow. "Don't be like you're father."
"I am nothing like my father. He's a crude and heartless monster." He noted the girl's accent was not that of a poacher one, but of the upper class of London.
"What does that make you?" Athena glared at her personal doctor, a man commonly referred to as the beast. Blessed with strikingly good looks, his soul lacked warmth and compassion.
"Why the beast's son, of course." Dr. Kyan's deep laugh echoed in the hallway as he placed his hand on his phone. Athena quickly caught his limb.
"Please, don't. Your father will commit me to some heinous experiment, and that's more than I can endure."
Dr. Kyan didn't shutter at her touch. Never had he allowed a patient to land a hand on him. Why now? How was this girl different? Gazing into the girls dark green eyes, he saw her terror. Raking his free hand through his-honey colored locks, the doctor sighed. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful. Even in her dirty and critical state, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
Athena peered into his eyes as the muscles in his jaw tensed. Even though they were covered by his white lab coat, she knew that Dr. Kyan had the muscles to drag her back to her cell and lock her in to await her punishment.
"Follow me."
A few seconds later, Dr. Kyan rummaged through a bag of clothes until he found a suitable garment for the girl. "Here, put this on." he tossed the dress to Athena.
As she caught it, she admired the garment. As yellow as the summer sun, the sundress took her by surprise. "Uh…"
"Don't look so startled. It belonged to my sisters."
"Belonged?"
"Belongs. Sorry. This was once owned by the one that isn't dead." Athena arched an eyebrow at him. "My father admitted her to keep a watchful eye and make sure she didn't hurt anyone…again."
Athena bit her lip and darted behind a medicine cabinet to put on the dress.
"Oh and here is a bottle of water to use on your face and body, some perfume, a hair tie and some other essentials you may need."
After grabbing them, Athena used them all before placing each object in the brown satchel. Moments later, she emerged transformed. No longer the pitiful mental patient everyone feared for, now she'd become a well read, well-bred young woman.
Dr. Kyan stared in awe at the transformation. No longer dirty, smelling of rat urine and other hospital aromas. Athena looked to be young and healthy. A twenty-two year old girl. A yellow hair tie held back half of her recently brushed hair as the scent of roses lingered on her skin.
Shaking his head, he took hold of her arm. She glanced at him in alarm, and tried to jerk away.
"Bite this," he instructed.
"Why?"
"Just do it."
Doing as he asked, Athena bit down on the cloth, unaware of what was about to happen. After whipping out his scalpel, Dr. Kyan sliced into her right shoulder. Athena screamed and tried not to pass out. As soon as he had finished, Dr. Kyan wrapped her shoulder with gauze.
"What was that for?" Athena demanded.
"You removed only one of the two ID chips."
"Two?"
"Yes, we implant two on each patient."
Athena pulled away from the man. "You knew exactly where I was…when I ran into you."
"Precisely." Dr. Kyan lifted a pair of black ballet flats into her line of sight.
After slipping them on her dirty feet, and before she could utter another word, Dr. Kyan was already headed for the door. "Grab those dresses and follow me." He inclined his head toward the pile of clothes.
Picking up the blue, green, and pink dress and an extra pair of shoes, Athena crammed them into her bag.
"In five minutes the alarm will sound, alerting every one of your escape. We need to get to the hover craft before then." Running down a set of stairs, he led her to the basement.
"We? You're coming with me?" Athena couldn't hide the shock in her questions.
"Why, of course. You didn't think I would let you leave unaccompanied, did you? Besides if I don't get you out of here, you'll be found before night fall and at my father's mercy."
Within a few minutes they were boarding the hover-craft and flying to Beijing, China. This journey promised to be grueling.
…..
"You are quite a horrid man you know." Athena spoke when they were a little over halfway to Beijing.
"How so?" Dr. Kyan glanced at his patient.
"You did some heinous experiments on me."
"It was only one."
"Giving me ECT is not a cruel and horrible act? All because my crazed father told yours to give them to me? To drive the madness from me."
If only he could take it all back and protect her, he would. But he didn't dare. Instead of commenting, he dismissed the subject.
A little while later they arrived at their destination. "We must hurry to my home in the woods. I'm certain father has alerted everyone in London and in every single surrounding country you have escaped by now. He will be putting a warrant out for your arrest and possibly mine for aiding you."
"Dr. Kyan, why did you do it?"
"You're a young woman who was at my father's mercy. I couldn't let him hurt you any longer."
As they raced through the streets of Beijing, looking to refill their hover craft, they stumbled upon a girl in a wet, silver dress. She nearly tumbled down a flight of stairs in front of them.
"How awful." Athena watched the poor and disheveled girl.
"I suppose someone is either late for a ball or not going at all."
"Ball?"
"Yes, Emperor Kai's is throwing a ball tonight. But never mind that, she's probably just a fan and got trampled by a group of crazed girls."
Athena sighed. It must be nice to attend a ball at least one time.
"What's wrong?" Dr. Kyan stepped onto the hover craft.
Athena shook her head and glanced up at him towering over her. "My shoulder aches."
"Once we get settled and take off, I'll give you some medicine." Dr. Kyan offered Athena his hand and helped her onto the ship.
At the touch of his warm hand, Athena wanted to jump back, at the current that ran into her hand, but she didn't dare react. Instead, she held on tighter and climbed inside before they headed to the doctors grand home in the woods.
A/N: Hello everyone! It has been a long time since I last posted a story. While reading Lunar Chronicles I often wondered what it would be like to read a Beauty and the Beast story set in the future. Since reading her books I have decided to post my own B&B story. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. R&R.