Once Upon Another Beast (#OnceUponNow)

Prologue

An abandoned warehouse located on the outskirts of Rochefort en Terre, France on 6 June 2005, 8:26 P.M.

Death. Death was an interesting thing. It's just like love and makes you succumb to its every demand. Death takes your heart and crushes it. Therefore, this pronounces you officially dead to the world and says that you're never coming back. Never.

Blood was quite interesting as well. You don't ever think about the metallic smelling liquid until the redness is spreading all over your body. Covering you, swallowing you, drowning you. The blood suddenly turns into a pool and instead of drowning in it, you are swimming in it. You try to leave the pool and somehow more blood appears. Why? I wasn't sure, but maybe it's because the blood wasn't mine.

"Adam?" My brother called making my eyes snap to him. "What have you done?" He asked slowly. My eyes looked around the room. It was covered in red. Blood red.

"I don't know what happened," I whispered before looking down to see I joined that red. I was covered in blood. Alexis Madison's blood. There she laid directly in front of me. Her long, straight, red hair was spread out on the concrete floor. Her blue eyes wide open, staring lifelessly up at the ceiling. Her body still leaking what little blood it contained.

"Brother, you killed a girl." He accused bending down in front of me.

"I'm only thirteen. I've never even held a gun before." I said looking at the gun that sat beside me."I wouldn't kill her. I-I loved her."

"You did, didn't you?" Gaston asked turning his head to the side."I guess that makes a great story headline. Future heir to Bruskin Inc. killed girlfriend, Alexis Madison. Hm, that will surely get you in trouble, won't it?" My brother let out a sinister laugh, one I've never heard before.

"Looks like you've gone crazy, little bro." He said smirking.

"I'm not crazy. I didn't kill her." I insisted. I wasn't sure how I ended up at this scene, but I know I didn't kill her.

"The blood on your hands say otherwise." He responded before taking a handkerchief out of the front pocket of his suit. He picked up the gun with it and placed it in my hands."Fits like a charm."

"I- Gaston! You know I wouldn't do this! I didn't!" I yelled watching as he headed to the door he came in at.

"Yes, I know you wouldn't, but they need someone to blame, so why not let it be you?"Gaston said chuckling.

"They need to find the killer! They need to-" I stopped talking. My eyes caught sight of Alexis's diamond necklace hanging out of his suit pocket. My eyes ran up his body and saw that splatters of blood covered him too.

"You have blood on you," I stated calmly causing him to pause. I watched as he turned around, looking at my figure still on the ground in a pool of blood.

"Do I?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, looking down at his figure.

"You have her necklace in your pocket. She never takes that off. It was her mother's you know that. She wouldn't even let me touch it." I snapped as the pieces started to fit together. Scenes flashed through my head, the gun shots sounding through the room, Alexis's body falling to the ground. I wasn't holding the gun.

"You killed her," I said standing up.

"Ah, did I? Hm, well let's see what the officers believe, a thirteen-year-old little boy or the seventeen-year-old man." He said with a sinful look as he tapped his cheek in a mocking way."Guess our parents will have to rethink giving the company to you. After all, I am the original heir."

The scene was complete. It all came together. "You did this, you killed an innocent girl because you wanted to be the heir?" I couldn't breathe. He was my older brother, I looked up to him and here he was a killer. A killer that was trying to pin his sins on me.

"I am the heir!" Gaston yelled taking steps closer to me."You are nothing but a little boy! The oldest is suppose to take over the company. I am the oldest. You do not deserve my company!" His body was shaking, his fists clenched.

"Maybe this is why. They both knew you were unfit and crazy. That's why they didn't want you to take over." I snapped, going in for the dig. He was not sane if he thought that he could kill someone and put the blame on me all for a stupid company.

"It doesn't matter. The blood's on you, little brother. Her death is on you. You killed her and you told her to meet you here." He said before tossing me something. I caught it and quickly noticed it was my phone. I immediately saw the name on the top in bold letters, Alexis. I read the messages on the screen.

"You had my phone. You took it and told her to meet her here. It was all you!" I yelled feeling the anger start to consume me.

"You see that's the funny thing in this situation, Adam. Her blood is covering you, the gun is in your hands, you're holding the phone that got her to come here. And I? I am just a mere witness. A witness to your insanity and injustice." He said no longer looking angry as a smile appeared on his face.

Wee-woo. Wee-woo. Wee-woo.

"Oh, do you hear that, little brother? That's the sound that marks the fact that you are a killer. That you are facing insanity. That you are a murderer, a beast."

"Stop right there! Put your hands where I can see them!" An officer yelled running in, officially placing the insanity bounty onto me.

Officially marking me the beast.