Once Upon Another Beast (#OnceUponNow)

Chapter Six

La Grande Vallée Psychiatric Hospital in Rochefort en Terre, France on 22 June 2016, 11:13 A.M.

It's been sixteen days. Sixteen days since my brother by blood came and visited me. In those sixteen days, Belle came to visit me twelve of those days.

"Best friend in middle school?" She asked curiously, unconsciously twirling a loose string on her dress.

"A girl named Maddy, but thinking about it now I think she was friends with me because of my looks," I said and surprised her and myself when I sent her a wink.

She giggled in response, covering her mouth with her hand to try to drown out the sound. I grabbed her wrist, stopping her from covering her mouth.

"Don't. You have a nice laugh." I told her and her cheeks tinted to a pink color.

"Oh, uh, thank you." She mumbled, tucking a piece of her brown hair behind her ear.

"Okay, it's my turn. Why weren't you ever afraid of me?" I asked and a guilty looked appeared on her face.

"I won't lie to you, Adam. I was apprehensive about meeting you due to a small amount of fear that the rumors and reading your file gave me, but once I met you all of it fell away. I wasn't afraid anymore because one look at you and I can tell you're not a killer and you were just a man who wanted to be free from this asylum." I stared at her for a long moment, unsure how to respond. I looked away from her apologetic face and turned my eyes to the window ledge where there was the red rose in a cup of water. Surprisingly the rose was still standing, but instead of its usual red color, it was now brown.

The rose was dying.

Along with my hope.

"I'm not crazy." I repeated the words I've said so many times in the past."This place is what's making me insane and until I get out of here I won't ever officially be sane."

She sent me a weak smile,"You will get out of here. I promise you that I'm working on it." She told me and I only gave her a short nod in response.

"But back to the game, I noticed you read, so who's your favorite author?" She asked curiously, her eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Stephen King. His books give even me chills." I said smiling slightly and her gentle smile turned wider.

"He is most definitely one of my favorites." She nodded eagerly.

"You like to read too?" I asked and surprisingly she laughed in response.

"I absolutely love it. During my free time, I can't ever put them down. Just when I'm brushing my teeth in the morning I'll be reading J.K Rowling and then next thing you know it's Nora Roberts while walking down the stairs. I have quite a few Robert Dugoni books in my car if you'd like to read some." She rambled. When I didn't respond right away; she looked over.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said awkwardly as she tucked a piece of stray hair behind her ear.

"You're fine, it's nothing to be ashamed of. I bet you would've loved my house. We had a whole library section." I said causing her eyes to light up.

"Now, what are your thoughts of Margaret Stohl's books?" I asked curiously and one again her excitement over the topic made her smile turn radiant.

I watched her carefully as she explained her love and hate relationship she had with Stohl's books.

Ba-dum, Ba-dum.

Ba-dum, Ba-dum.

Ba-dum, Ba-dum.

I placed my hand on my chest as I listened to her talk. I could hear my heart beating faster in my chest. The sound telling me the one thing I wasn't sure I was ready to hear.

I was falling in love with Belle.