First Draft

Annabelle looked ahead and could see the air shimmering—almost like the glassy surface of the lake in the brilliant sunlight—although she could see through it all right. She knew instinctively that if what lay beyond did not wish to be found, it wasn’t. As she squinted in the morning glare she could still see the world around her as she always had, green and fresh and calling out to her, but she could feel it when she walked to through the gossamer wall that separated her world from this unknown one. It was a tiny electric shock, not painful exactly, but surprising nonetheless. It did make her stand somewhat dazed for a moment or two before coming to her senses and glancing around her to be sure she was still in the same beloved wood. Everything appeared as it had before. Annabelle smiled despite herself, grateful that her own wood was permitted behind the formidable wall after all. It still took her the better part of half an hour before she saw what she knew must be the Beast’s castle.

It wasn’t exactly what she expected, but then, she hadn’t known what to expect. It was somewhat of a miniature castle, still large of course, but not overwhelming. The walls were a light grey ancient stone with ivy growing comfortably up the east wall and tall trees pressed up against on north and west sides, making it look buried and only half dug out of its pine grave. There were five towers capped with great green spires rather unevenly spaced and scattered willy nilly peaking out from the grey walls and deep green background. As she neared she could see it was much bigger than she originally suspected, but still not as daunting as it might have been. Two watch towers complete with battlements framed the arching front door. She could see the castle was really U shaped as the west wing jetted out even with the front door and like a cat curled before the fire flicking it tail contentedly.

For a moment Annabelle gazed at the castle admiringly feeling at once that it would be comfortable inside despite being made of drafty stone and shadowed by wood. But with a pang she could also see in her mind’s eye her beloved sister’s face as she had walked away that morning and suddenly felt dull and heavy. Her throat felt tight and her legs tingled with the demand to sit down and sleep it all away, whatever it was inside that castle. She inhaled deeply and quickly through her nose and gave a little shudder to shake the ache away, pressed her lips together in a determined half smile, and kept her eyes on the uphill rocks and underbrush as she continued to climb. She was void of thought or emotion when she sensed the castle suddenly looming above her. She glanced up, not sure what was expected. She had come. Would the doors fly open and the monster greet her? Was she expected to knock? Would she, like her father, be merely accepted without sign or sigh until she did something undesirable? Fear pricking at her like a burr bush, she went and stood before the great wooden double door. . . .