Chapter 37: Beauty and the Beast Part 1

There was a little fire in the middle of the cave..Bo saw the girl and she was unconscious and was covered in some sort of worn out cloth. She tried to touch her but her hands right through her.

"What the hell?" Bo said under her breath. Suddenly a roar echoed through the cave. Bo prepared herself to attack it as she felt her heart beat louder and louder. A yellow, spiked monster with a bald head and yellow glowing eyes revealed itself from the shadows. Its claws were large and had a long tail. Its skin was scaly and dry. Bo waited for it to attack but it never moved from its spot.

The monster never noticed her and kept its eyes on the passed out blonde. Bo didn't know how much time was pass as she just stood still in fear that if she moved the creature would notice. The unconscious girl started move and getting up slowly making the creature to go back into the shadows

She was beautiful with red, rosy cheeks and sky blue eyes. She looked around frightened as mouse taking her surroundings.

"Don't worry I'll help you!" Bo said to the girl. The girl didn't see to hear as she kept looking around.

"Hello? Is someone here?" the girl called out. Her voice was so elegant and soft like a bird.

"Hey over here." Bo called out to her again but,no avail, the girl didn't even noticed that she was even there.

"My name is Arial, I want to thank the person who saved me." the girl spoke softly.

"Saved you? Are you stupid? Your food!" Bo said jumping in front of her. The girl went through her making Bo surprised. "Does that mean...I am not real?" she whispered to herself.

"Hello," Arial called out again.

"Are you alright now?" a low voice asked her. The voice frightened the girl more but she seemed the stand on her feet collecting confidence.

"Yes, very. I would like to know who saved me from that mob. Was that you?" She asked hesitantly. Whoever was talking didn't say anything for a moment. It was dead quiet quiet only hearing the water drops hiring the puddles.

"Yes now leave. I have saved you and now you live your life." it said.

"No I want to meet you, see you, please. I want to take your properly face to face."

"We are face to face."

"No we aren't. I can't see yours. If I can't see yours then it is not face to face."

"Wow, what a clever girl…" Bo whistled. "I feel like I've seen her before…" Bo whispered to herself watching the girl.

"Leave now!" the voice roared.

"No!" the girl yelled back and sat right on the ground. "I'm not leaving until I see you!"

"Clever and stubborn...that funny." Bo snickered.

"Alright fine but you'll regret it." the voice said. It took a deep breath and stepped out into the light of the fire. The girl gasped but didn't run or scream.

"You're a…" she said trailing off.

"A monster? A beast? Either one is fine." the monster said.

"No...a merman?" the girl said.

"Merman? Are you stupid?"

"Well a monster would have eaten me by now don't you think?" she said leaning over.

"Who's says I won't eat you? Maybe I'm just waiting for you to awake because I like my prey to squirm."

"You would have done it by now anyway. I'm awake and waiting."

"What kind of a girl are you?"

"Just one who is determined to meet her saviour." she smiled. The monster stared at her expressionless like it was thinking.

"Well I'm hungry!" she said getting up. "Let's get some fish to fill me up and then you can eat me. Maybe you like to fatten up your prey before you eat." she laughed exiting the cave.

"Wow...she's brave…" Bo said shocked by this strange girl. She looked over to the monster who continued to sit there. Bo slowly went up to it and touched its skin. She went through it like she did with Arial. "I guess I'm not real then. Then what am I doing here? How did I even get here?" she questioned herself as she followed Arial outside.

The girl seemed to be catching fish with her bare hands in the tidepools. She seemed to have trouble catching them as the slipped through her long fingers. Bo caught a better look at her as she fished. She was dressed poorly. Her dress was stitched up with other fabrics and short to as if someone ripped it. Then the monster came out of the cave and stabbed a fish with his index claw.

"Wow your good! Can you do it again?" she said amazed by the creature. The creature reluctantly did it three more times while the girl cheered him on. Afterwards they put the fish on sticks and roast it over the fire inside the cave. Arial offered the fish to the creature but it rejected and headed out. It was gone for awhile and then when it came back it had a large flounder in its mouth and he ate it raw while the girl watched in fascination.

Arial fell asleep and the monster put the cloth over her. There was a hint of smile but it was quick and went back to its frown. It went towards way into the darkness away from the fire's light.

"What am I supposed to do!?" Bo screamed. "I can't touch anything! Nobody can hear me! What the actual hell!" her voice echoed through the caved but no response was given to her questions.