"Adam, you need to eat something," said my housekeeper, Mrs. Kettle.

"I don't need to eat anything. And don't tell me what to do!" I yelled and pushed the plate off of the table. The plate shattered and the food went everywhere.

I got up and ran into my room.

It had been a year. I had two left until I could find someone to love me. Who was I kidding? No one would ever love me.

I looked up at my smashed mirror. My eyes were the only thing that were normal looking. They were icy blue. They were surrounded by brutal cuts that would never heal and brown hair growing from my head. I had patches on my head where hair wouldn't grow. The rest of my face looked like I had been in a brutal car accident and half of it looked like a burned victim's face. The rest of my body had scars and rashes along it. My voice was deep and terrifying. It was also a bit horse. I was a freak.

I growled and turned away. I looked over at the vase next to my bed. The rose that was given to me by that witch still looked the way it did when I received it a year ago. I don't have a green thumb, it was just there and it would probably never die.

I still couldn't believe this had happened to me. Why me? I'm sure there are much crueler people in the world. Why did this have to happen to me?

I heard someone knock at the front door. I perked up my ears.

"Is he here?" asked the visitor.

"He never leaves," said Mrs. Kettle.

"Upstairs?" asked the visitor.

"Yes, but be cautious. He is not in a good mood boys," warned Mrs. Kettle.

I heard them coming up the stairs. Then they knocked.

"Uh, Adam? It's us…Chandler and Clogs," said Chandler.

I opened the door and growled. "What took you so long?"

"Sorry, we were showing around this new girl, Belle. Then she needed a ride home so we gave it to her," said Chandler.

"I'm not paying you to come here late and dawdle with stupid girls," I snapped.

Clogs and Chandler looked at each other and sighed.

"Did you find any other information?" I asked.

"None that we haven't already told you. This spell seems airtight. I really don't see any scientific way to reverse what's been done," said Chandler.

"This isn't science. This is magic. You two are supposed to be helping me!" I snapped.

"Yeah, we got that when you took us," said Chandler.

"You were the ones who were trespassing," I growled. I was starting to lose my temper…again.

"We will keep looking Adam. Just please be patient," said Clogs.

"Do you know what it's like to be like this? To be hideous and hiding away from everyone?" I yelled and turned my back to them.

"Well, I mean, Karma right? Remember when you were best friends with Kevin and you made our high school life complete hell. I guess you're paying for it now," said Chandler.

I felt my anger reaching its peak. I took a few deep breaths and looked down at the rose.

"Get out," I said to the two of them.

"Ok sorry, that was rude. But Adam, listen, Clogs and I were thinking. Maybe we could help you get a girl. That seems to be the only way out of this curse," said Chandler.

"I don't need any help! Especially from either of you! Get out!" I yelled and then it turned into a terrifying roar.

Chandler and Clogs shrank back and quickly ran out of the door and down the stairs.

I punched another hole into my wall and smashed my headboard. I tore my entire room apart. Then when I finally calmed down, I looked over at the one thing I didn't dare lay a finger on. The rose. The one beautiful thing in my hideous life.


Later that night, after Clogs and Chandler left, a huge snowstorm happened. I sat in front of the huge fireplace and had some tea that Mrs. Kettle had gotten for me.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Mrs. Kettle appeared around the corner. "Adam, we should answer. It could be a hiker lost because of the storm," she said.

"No," I said shortly and I put the tea cup down and went upstairs into my room. I sat on my bed and put my head in my hands.

My life was miserable. I wasn't man enough to end it though.

"Thank you ma'am," I heard a stranger's voice downstairs.

"Not a problem dear," said Mrs. Kettle.

I spun around and felt my temper growing…again. What was that crazy woman doing? She really let him in strictly after I told her not to. This stranger was going to pay for trespassing into my home.

I grabbed my black hoodie and put the hood up.

I crept down the stairs and saw the trespasser standing beside the fire with a cup of tea. He looked around the same age as my father did before he died. His hair was brown but was noticeably graying. His eyes were brown too.

I hid in the shadows.

"What are you doing here?" I asked in my deep and powerful beastly voice.

The man jumped and the tea cup fell from his hands and shattered onto the floor.

"I-I'm sorry. I wasn't sure if anyone was home. I-it's just that, the snow storm came so suddenly and I lost my guides. I-I needed a place to stay," he stuttered and looked around for me.

"You aren't welcome here!" I yelled.

"I-I'm sorry. Please, I don't mean any harm. I-I will leave," he said.

"What are you doing in the mountains? Looking for the beast?" I sneered and crept closer to him.

"Y-yes," he said and shrank back.

"Well congratulations. You found him," I said and tore my hood off and roared. I grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him towards the basement.

"No! Please! Let me go!" he yelled.

I dragged him down the stairs and to a chair. I tied him up with rope. Then I left and slammed the door and locked it.

"Adam! You can't keep him here like a prisoner!" yelled Mrs. Kettle.

"Be grateful I'm not keeping you down there with him you traitor," I sneered at her and she backed away and looked down. Then she knelt next to the fire and started to pick up the broken tea cup.