Handsome & the Hideous
IV
There was no path, all was overgrown,
wild, unforgiving. Bushes and branches
fought against him, ripping his clothes,
skin, hope. His blood soaked into the
ground. He could sense creatures watching,
sniffing at the tempting liquid and
feeding their appetite.
He heard the snap of jaws, the wisp
of air near his legs from a near-miss.
Panic fuelled his progress, barely feeling
the large gash down his right arm as
he wrenched his chained limbs from the
entangled growth’s grasp.
A hungry snarl haunted his steps, growing
bolder with each stumble. What little
light the moon had given was drowned
from view. All sense of direction was lost.
Was this the end?
He’d seen death and pain often,
inflicted it on others, fascinated
by its mystery and the power he
had over others. He ended things forever.
A howl, closer now but still distant
tore into him as his legs buckled.
A swell in his chest made him gasp,
barely noticing the lack of teeth
on his body. Whimpering?
He smiled, laughed heartily and with glee,
before sucking in a huge breath and
howling for his life.
V
Many of the castle’s occupants,
in the early days of the curse,
despaired, faded, invisible to all
even each other which was much, much worse.
The unfortunate guests staying in the castle
suffered the most. No escape, no motivation,
while the servants tried to stay positive,
they adjusted and planned for salvation.
They developed a new language using objects and sound,
forming a strategy to take control.
They left their mistress to her own devices
and set a schedule for patrols.
Some were in charge of the gardens,
growing fruit and vegetables in case a guest should appear,
they kept one wing of the castle liveable
fighting the effects of time, year after year.
The rest monitored the forest, keeping the
wolf population at bay.
They waited and searched for a human,
someone who would save them all, one day.
VI
Two were nearby to the human howl
and used sticks to communicate a plan.
Now like second nature they moved through the forest
and struck at the wolf pack surrounding him.
The first to land a kill was the male servant,
who’d long forgotten his name. Instead he
referred to himself as Protector, a clear
goal, a purpose, a reminder of what must be done.
The female remembered she was Mary, once timid,
shy, longing to be invisible…the irony.
Now she was bold, strong enough to crack a
wolf’s skull with a swinging branch.
Four wolves soon lay dead, and the rest fled.
The human sprang to his feet, dashing
forward. Mary followed while Protector circled
in front, clearing a path towards one of their own
routes through the forest. The closer he got
to the castle the more hope began to grow,
would the curse finally be broken?
Long ago she had stabbed herself through the
heart, but time did not acknowledge the wound.
If she were freed, she’d welcome death,
for how would she remember what
being human meant?
They travelled all night and all day,
stopping when the male did. They dropped what berries
they could find near him, knowing which weren’t
poisonous from years of observing wildlife.
He was startled and wary at first, but
grew used to his invisible saviours and
accepted what they brought with a curious:
‘What are you?’
He broke through the tangled trees into the
courtyard as the moon was waking.
The trickling sound of water led him to the
centre, Mary and Protector following, suddenly unsure.
She was waiting, growling in fear and excitement.
A new smell, an enemy?
They locked eyes, and buried memories made her whimper.
She’d looked that beautiful once.
‘Help me,’ he croaked, terrified. ‘I want to live.’
Then dropped to the ground.
Scribbled Thoughts 