#debete

 WHAT a peculiar place she happened upon, frozen fingers  finding themselves to her mouth as she breathed warm air  into them, blue eyes gazing about the place. Eyes filled with  WONDER as she gazed upon her surroundings. How  romantic, the place must’ve been a wondrous castle. Her  imagination couldn’t help but wander, filling in the darkened  spaces with bright, warm light and fancy dressed people.  The child twirled about the entrance, eager to find out   more. What kind of castle did this place use to be? Was it  filled with princesses and kings, or merely wealthy  bureaucrats? Pulling her coat closer to her, her feet began  to move as she climbed the staircase, pale fingers tracing  along the railing.

          Why is this place so cold? She’s been wandering the woods for some time and what was once green and lush now seems dead and powdered white with snow. She isn’t dressed for this weather and pulls her red leather tighter around her despite it’s inability to trap any heat. She can hear the wolves, the sound of twigs snapping and she has never wanted to run more in her life but the cold is seeping into her joints and making it hard for her to move.           Imagine her surprise and delight when she sees a structure in the distance and she uses what energy she has to run to the gate, pushing through and entering the grounds. So strange how dead everything looks but these roses continue to bloom in the garden. She reaches out to let her fingers graze against the soft petals before feeling the overwhelming sense that she is being watched. Bounty hunter instincts kick in and she’s quick to grab the largest stick she can find, arms screaming in protest at her movements. ⊰ Show yourself! ⊱

              and so she took his hand, SMILING  -—  hopeful. she had not expected the blow which followed the daring move. she feels him pulling his hand from hers, and she frowns. he’s been looking for a wife for some time now, a handsome party for any girl worthy of his attention  -—  and they are scarce. they are either not attractive enough or, when they are, they turn out to be plain stupid. but she, she is the combination of both, and surely by now he has noticed. she would make a magnificent queen, no doubt. 

               but of course                    he crushes these hopes when he removes his hand and steps away from her, and she is left with a stupid expression on her face. " what do you mean, anything ? " she is thinking out loud, dumbed by the shock of his declaration and the MOCKERY she thinks she hears in his voice ( is she wrong ? she has heard that same tone employed over and over again, except it was always for other people and she never cared )

               " don’t you CARE for me at all ? " perhaps she misheard his words, perhaps it wasn’t his meaning to hurt her like this  -—  she is holding onto air, onto long-wilted words of kindness he might have had when she first came into the castle. secretly she knows he doesn’t arbour any feeling for her ; but she does, and shouldn’t it be enough ? she is beautiful and intelligent and he should be happy to have her by his side  -—  not against him, for he might be the most regretful of the two. 

GASTON HAS A WEE BAGUETTE. PASS IT ON.