Beauty & the Beast: The Tale Continues

Chapter 24 - A Real Monster

Author's Note: All rights go to Disney, while I only own the story. Also, I apologize for the dark turn if this story.

"Adam?"

Belle's eyes were barely open, and even though it was dark, she figured that he was in the room right now.

"Oh... Adam, I have a serious headache right now, and-"

"Shhhh..."

Belle felt a finger touch her lips, and she closed her eyes, muttering, "Okay, Adam, okay... I'll go to sleep... I love you..."

"I know you do."

The next morning, Adam was in the library, wondering on what book he would choose to read next when his thoughts were interrupted by Belle's father.

"Adam? Have you seen Belle?"

"Not since last night," replied Adam, with a smirk on his face. "But I presume that she is in her room, resting after drinking so much wine last night."

Maurice began to chuckle, and he said, "Ah, yes, of course... I did tell you about that. Was she knocked out?"

"Like an extinguished candelight," replied Adam. "Was, um, your wife the-"

"Let's just say that I always had to spend the next morning trying to find the right drink to cure her headache."

The young man smiled, and as Maurice walked away, Adam wondered if he should be doing the same for Belle.

"Mrs. Potts!"

When Belle finally woke up, the first thing she said to herself was, "I am never drinking wine that tastes like that ever again."

"Yeah... wine can do that to a pretty girl such as yourself."

Belle was about to give her special someone a sarcastic remark when she realized that it wasn't Adam who had spoken.

"Um, who are-"

"Oh, you'll know my name in a moment, sweetheart. Just do yourself a favor, and go back to sleep."

Once Mrs. Potts had finished mixing a special kind of tea for Belle to drink, Adam said, "I certainly hope this works for her."

"Oh, not to worry, Master, this will be just the thing that she needs after drinking several glasses of wine," assured Mrs. Potts, as she prepared to hand him the cup of tea. "Would you like for me to be the-"

"Thank you, but I think I'd prefer if I were the one who gave it to her," replied Adam, accepting the cup.

Mrs. Potts smiled at the young man, and said, "Oh, she is so lucky to have someone like you, Master."

Nodding his head in agreement, Adam walked out of the kitchen, and headed over to Belle's room.

Figuring that she was still asleep, the young prince opened the bedroom door, and said, "Well, then, look who chose to..."

However, to his surprise, Belle was not lying underneath the bed covers.

She's not even in the room, thought Adam, a frown on his face. Where could she have gone?

When Belle opened her eyes again, she could still feel her headache, but while looking around, the young girl realized that she was no longer in her bedroom.

"You woke up just in time, sweetheart."

Belle turned her head to the side, and saw a person who was hiding himself in the shadows of wherever she was at.

"W-who are you? Where am I?"

The stranger let out a chuckle, and he replied, "Oh, we're a long way from your village, mademoiselle... as well as your handsome prince... and welcome to your new cell."

Mrs. Potts had just finished cleaning up the mess that she'd made from creating Belle's special tea when she noticed Adam walking down the hall. "Oh, hello, Master... did she enjoy the tea?"

"Uh... not yet, I'm afraid," replied Adam, looking a little concerned. "She wasn't in her room."

"Well, she must have gone looking for you, then, Master," said Mrs. Potts. "Where else could she be?"

"My... cell?" questioned Belle. "Like I'm a prisoner? What did I-"

"Oh, you know exactly what you did," interrupted the newcomer, with Belle noticing that he had an accent. "You and Adam..."

If this person is trying to scare me, thought Belle. I've honestly seen scarier.

"I am not afraid of whoever you are," exclaimed Belle, with an edge in her voice. "So do yourself a favor, and let me go before-"

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted up to her feet by a pair of hands, which also pinned her against the wall, and not in a very gentle way. "What in God's name are-"

"You and Adam took away someone very special from me," said the stranger, in a dark and sinister tone. "So, in return... I plan on doing the same to him... but I'm currently wondering what to do with you."

So, now, Adam was walking around the castle, searching for Belle, but she couldn't find any sign of her.

Perhaps she is already outside, then.

He walked towards the front doors, opening them, and ventured outside to continue his search for Belle.

While the stranger's left hand had Belle pinned against the wall, his right hand began moving down the side of her body.

"Now, I could take something that must mean a lot to you..."

Once he had reached her right leg, Belle prepared to kick him in his private part, but the stranger swiftly blocked her leg by grabbing ahold of it.

"But I'm not that heartless," said the stranger, whose face was hardly being shown to Belle, due to the flickering candlelights. "However, I am being tempted by your beauty, sweetheart."

Belle gritted her teeth, in frustration, and she growled, "I swear, if you even touch me in that way, I will personally- aaah!"

Suddenly, her fear level increased to maximum, and the stranger said, "Let's consider that a warning, mademoiselle... after all, I was very close to reaching that particular spot."

As Belle gulped, the stranger moved his hand away from her body, and added, "Soon, both you and Adam will learn to never mess with another man's family."

"What are you-" Belle started to say, but all of a sudden, she started to feel extremely tired, and was now trying to stay awake. "You... can't... Adam will..."

"There is no way that your prince can ever find this place," said the stranger. "Not as long as I have his enchanted book... but if you want to see him so badly, then use this."

He released Belle from his grasp, watching her collapse to the floor, and she saw that the Enchanted Mirror was by her feet.

"You... are not... going to..."

"Oh, don't be so sure of yourself, sweetheart," said the stranger, and Belle could feel his hand on her body again. "Also, like I said before... your beauty is very tempting."

Even though she couldn't physically stop this person from touching her, Belle was still able to speak. "When I am able to move again, I swear on my-"

"Ah, don't swear on something important as that," said the stranger, stopping his hand on her derrière. "You know, Belle, since I'm currently feeling generous right now, I think I'll leave this... [pat-pat-pat] for your handsome prince."

To Belle's somewhat relief, she felt his hand move away, but not before giving her a 'playful' rub. "Who... are you?"

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, and then, the stranger said, "I'm Gaston's half-brother, sweetheart... and I don't care if it is you... him... or even the both of you... someone is going to die before your wedding... if it even happens."

Feeling her eyes start to close, Belle tried to shake her head. "The only one who will die is you, just like how Gaston died when-"

Suddenly, she felt something sharp against her chest, and Gaston's half-brother said, "You mention his death again, and I'll make sure that the ending of your favorite book becomes reality. Is that understood?"

Belle didn't give a response, and the sinister person got up to his feet, walked away, leaving the young woman alone in the darkness.

Before she ended up falling back asleep, Belle moved her head towards the Enchanted Mirror, and she said, "Show me... the... show me..."

Her eyes were now closed, and she could feel the weight of her sleepiness getting heavier.

"Adam... help... me... please..."