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30 DAY BEAUTY AND THE BEAST WRITING CHALLENGE
DAY 1 - MORNING
Belle began to wake from tormented dreams just as dawn broke. Her nightgown and sheets were damp with sweat, twisted around her body like binding ropes. Her heart hammered hard and fast in her chest and her breath came in bursting gasps. Struggling to free herself, Belle twisted and panted, on the verge of panic, visions of gunfire, screaming and blood still filling her fevered imagination.
Gasping and sobbing, she kicked and squirmed, part of her still trapped in the nightmare, oblivious to her surroundings. She was reliving the horrors of Gaston’s attack on the castle, her desperate attempt to reach Beast before he could murder him. She knew she wasn’t going to make it in time, Beast would die and it would be all her fault.
She would be responsible for the death of her love.
And he would never know.
She could still feel the bite of the icy wind at her skin, could still see the flaming torches of the mob, could hear Beast calling her name.
And the shot ringing out into the night.
The smell of powder had assaulted her nostrils as she watched Beast fall, blood spurting and seeping through his white shirt.
The scream that was wrenched from her throat echoed through the turrets.
He heard, at least he heard her cry and knew she had come back for him.
The events spun in her head in a confusing whirl of blood, light, tears and roses. As her body tried to twist into wakefulness, Belle was unaware that the cries she remembered had manifested in the real world and ringing through the deserted passages of the palace.
Adam was roused first by the unusual sensation of sunlight on his face and then was sent bolt upright in his bed by a frantic scream. His heart jumped into his throat as another cry came, recognizing it to be Belle’s. In a flash he was on his feet, dragging breeches up his legs as he stumbled out the door toward her room.
He flung open her door in terror, half expecting to see Gaston, alive and threatening his love. Instead he saw her writhing, caught in a nightmare, crying out at unseen horrors.
He could well imagine was she was reliving.
He rushed over to the bed in a panic.
“Belle, my darling! Wake up!”
His fingers worked at the sheets tangled around her legs as he watched her begin to struggle into consciousness.
“It’s only a dream love, everything is well.”
Pulling the sheets away, Adam smoothed his hands over Belle’s arms and hair to try and soothe her. Slowly her movements began to still and her breathing evened out. He whispered softly in her ear, his heart aching for her distress until finally her eyes opened, brimming with tears.
Belle came awake to the sight of a man kneeling beside her bed, blonde hair falling over his brow, shirt open and wrinkled. For a moment she started, her mind still fuzzy, but his eyes held her captive.
“Adam.” she whispered, reaching to brush the hair from his face.
He smiled, catching her hand and bringing her fingers to his lips.
“Nightmare?”
She nodded, curling her fingers around his and drinking in the sight of him. His face was so new to her, it was still strange to see those piercing blue eyes staring at her from a man’s face rather than the Beast’s. But what a gorgeous face it was.
“It’s really over then, isn’t it?” she whispered.
“Yes it is. We are all safe and sound.”
“And the curse is really broken, you are a man again.”
“As you see.” he chuckled lightly.
She did indeed see, and had seen in the hours since the curse was broken. They had talked all day, surrounded by the other castle inhabitants and she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him the entire time.
Saying goodnight had been a torment, she didn’t want to be out of his sight, fearful that she would wake and find the whole thing had just been a dream. And naturally she had had a nightmare.
But he was there, right now, beside her, fingers dancing softly on her skin.
“You left me. You died.”
“No, love, never. I will never leave you again.” He repeated the words she had used that night as he slipped away in oblivion, when they thought all hope was lost.
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
He leaned over, kissing her gently.
“Stay Adam, please.”
With a nod he rose, sliding onto the bed beside her. He scooted her body close, the heat of him warming every part of her that touched him. His arm came tight around her middle, his face nuzzling hair hair where it spread over his arm and shoulder. Her fingers stroked the back of his hand as the dawn light drenched them.
“I love you.” Adam murmured, bringing his legs up behind hers and cocooning her safely within his body. “I love you so much.”
But she was already asleep, her deep even breaths caressing skin of his arm. With a smile he closed his eyes against the dawn and joined her in slumber.