The Glass Mask

by E L DuBois

  Beauty had known it would come to that. The Troll was determined to keep Mr. Knight and continue enjoying the life he gave her. But, Mr. Knight was the kind of man who needed to come to conclusions himself, so that is what Beauty let him do. He had tried to do things amicably and talk the Troll into leaving. He had a naïve notion or hope that she’d go away quietly, but Beauty had known. Madness and obsession were two emotions the Beast had made Beauty all too familiar with. Another trait of Mr. Knight that Beauty discovered was that once he had made up his mind, there was no swaying him from his decision.

  Somewhere along the way, amid all the madness, Mr. Knight had chosen Beauty and the Princess, and to him there could be no going back.

  Beauty was relieved and happy that he felt the way he did, but she was still stuck with the Beast until he could get the Troll out of the house. At this point, it had been months and she was still refusing to go. Mr. Knight was getting ready to file for divorce and force her out, when she pulled a fast one and served him with papers. Because the Troll served him, he was barred from going to his family home and was virtually homeless. Thankfully, the Queen had an apartment she could let him stay in. So, Mr. Knight moved into the apartment and shortly thereafter, so did Beauty and the Princess.

  The Beast had spent so much time at his sister’s, he started living there. The Princess and Beauty rarely saw him, and Beauty lived a quiet life with Mr. Knight. The Beast did not even come to help when she moved all the stuff out of the house. Nor did he question her actions. His attitude was so indifferent that Beauty started to let her guard down. Maybe her mind would not let her remember that when she had tried to leave before, the Beast had forced his way back in. Beauty was not stupid enough to clue the Beast into Mr. Knight’s existence or the fact that they were living together. As far as the Beast knew, she and the Princess lived with the Queen, and he got to live his life doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, with no attachments. He did not even offer financial support. He did not show any interest in Beauty or the Princess. That should have been Beauty’s first clue that something was off with the whole situation.

  This was the Beast she was dealing with. He could lie in wait for prolonged periods of times and strike without warning. Beauty foolishly dropped her guard because of his indifference and the Beast probably would have stayed indifferent had the Troll not decided that she needed to have a talk with the Beast.

  The vengeful woman blamed Beauty for the destruction of her marriage, even though it had been over long before Beauty came along. But like most spoiled narcissists, she could not take responsibility for her own actions or lack thereof. It was not enough that she was keeping Mr. Knight’s rightful home. Instead of trying to focus on making her own new life, she found out who the Beast was and contacted him through social media. Then, she told him everything she knew and purposefully set a monster after Beauty and the Princess. The hateful woman sealed Beauty’s death warrant with one phone conversation.

  Chapter 34

  She had it coming…

  SUMMER HAD JUST begun, and the days slowly turned into the sweltering heat only the South could supply. Beauty had a plan in motion. She and the Princess were going to disappear from the Beast’s life.

  It was the Friday before Father’s Day weekend. Knight had managed to get his property back for a brief time, and Beauty was tired of living her double life. She let the Beast believe that she and the Princess would be joining him at his vile sister’s for the holiday. Instead, they would hide at Knight’s property.

  That evening, she turned off her cell phone, packed their bags, and tried not to look back. The entire time, Beauty had an overwhelming sense of dread and anxiety, but she tried to put on a happy face for the Princess and Knight. The weekend started off well enough. The bond between her Knight and her daughter had grown so much that no one would’ve known he was not her biological father. There was a pure untainted love between the two. The Princess had Knight wrapped around her little finger and she thought the man hung the moon. It made Beauty’s heart swell every time she saw the love between them. Her daughter had never known a truly loving man until Knight came into the picture.

  Friday evening went well, and Beauty never turned her cell phone on. Saturday started out relaxing and anyone on the outside looking in on the three of them would think they looked like a happy little family. Then, Knight’s cell phone began to ring. It was the Queen calling.

  “Beauty needs to call the police and explain the situation, right now.”

  Beauty stared at the phone, perplexed.

  “The police? Why?”

  She could hear the urgency in her mother’s voice.

  “That idiot called the police and reported you and the Princess missing. He has been blowing up our phones, acting a fool and making threats.”

  Beauty could feel all the blood drain from her face. Her voice was barely audible when she spoke, “Yes, ma’am, I will do that right now.”

  Her hands were shaking as she dialed the number for the local law enforcement. The police had never helped Beauty before. When the dispatcher answered, and Beauty gave her name, she was immediately directed to an officer in charge of handling the report. He was kind to Beauty as she explained the situation. He even offered to help Beauty by calling the Beast and letting him know they were safe, but the relationship was over, and he was not to contact her. When the conversation was done, Beauty felt a modicum of relief, but she still could not shake that feeling of dread.

  The situation with Knight’s property was only temporary and she still had to work. Knight assured Beauty he would protect her and the Princess, but she knew that he had no real idea of what the Beast was truly capable of. Beauty prayed the Beast would let her go and she could really start a new life this time.

  By Monday morning, Beauty was on a razor’s edge. She had to go to work and knew without a doubt the Beast would be waiting for her. When she had finally turned on her cell phone, the night before, she had received hundreds of missed calls, texts, and her voicemail was full. The messages flip flopped between pleading and threatening. The most telling of the messages were the ones where the Beast told her he had spoken with the Troll and knew all the secrets Beauty had been keeping. Beauty contemplated calling in sick to work, but she did not want to be home alone and risk the Beast catching her there.

  That day, Beauty had chosen to carpool with Knight for her safety. She tried to work and focus on the tasks in front of her, but the growing fear inside her was becoming crippling. Then, she heard a familiar sound. It was an engine revving. The hairs on her arms stood up and a chill went down her spine. It was the Beast’s car. Beauty got up from her desk and went to her tiny sliver of a window. The Beast was parked just outside, staring at her. She did not want a scene at work. Beauty needed her job and could not afford to lose it. She knew the Beast would do whatever it took to get her attention, even if that action cost her the job she needed so badly. With her whole body shaking, she made her way outside, but stopped where she could still be seen by the people in the lobby. The Beast exited his car and approached her. With each step he took, she had to will her feet to stay rooted, so she would not run. Beauty could see the rage boiling just beneath the surface. This was not the detached Beast of the last few years. The monster walking toward her was the one she feared more than anything. He was the Beast of the past. A violent animal ready to rip her to shreds. He was only steps away when her resolve gave way to fear and she bolted back into the building. Her heart was pounding so loudly she could barely hear the screaming going on around her.

  Beauty crumpled into the nearest old vinyl chair in the lobby. She could see the chaos taking place outside. Knight must have been alerted to the Beast’s presence and had headed outside to confront him. Ever the cool and calm soldier, he stood towering over the Beast with arms crossed. It was a menacing stance that made the Beast stand back from him. One of the women she worked with was speaking to her, but she registered none of it. Beauty only ha
d eyes for the two men she could see through the grimy glass. The Beast was screaming and cursing at Knight, but none of the insanity seemed to faze him. He stood like a stone guard barring the Beast from entering the building. Beauty could sense the Beast’s cruel intentions. It all felt surreal to her. Watching the man she now loved standing guard against the monster she had feared for so many years. The Beast was acting like a raving lunatic until the police cars pulled up. Beauty watched with no surprise as the Beast morphed into the normal, calm, victim mask he liked to portray around authority. She could barely hear the conversation between the men and only caught snippets. But from what she could discern, the Beast was doing his best to spin a tale where he was the victim. He told the officers that his wife was “cheating” on him with Knight. Disgust dripped from the Beast every time he used the man’s name or looked in his direction. Still, Knight stood tall with no shame or remorse. The officer separated Knight and the Beast calmly, getting each side of the men’s stories. When it was all over, one of the officers patted Knight on the arm and he headed inside.

  Beauty watched as the officer went over to the Beast and clearly instructed him to leave. As the Beast scowled and turned, Beauty let out a sigh of relief. Until the Beast looked back and shot Beauty a killing look. She knew what that one look meant. He was telling her “this isn’t over,” Knight sat down beside Beauty and wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders. She was audibly shaking and barely keeping the tears stinging her eyes from falling.

  “It’s ok, baby. Shhhh, it’s ok. He isn’t coming back. I told you I would protect you.”

  Beauty let the tears spill then, because she knew it was not going to be ok. Nothing was ever going to be ok and no one, not even Knight, could protect her.”

  The officer approached them.

  “Ma’am, I have instructed your husband not to return to these premises again. We will be putting this building on close patrol and if he is caught here, he will be arrested.”

  Beauty nodded her acknowledgment and mustered a whispered thank you.

  The tears had slowed to mere trickles from the corners of her eyes. Embarrassment started to set in, as she looked around the room and saw everyone staring.

  Knight whispered in her ear and squeezed her shoulder.

  “I will be right back. I promise I am not going far.”

  He rose and escorted the officer to the double glass doors. Beauty peered at them through glassy eyes. Their conversation was muffled but ended in a handshake. Then, the officer was out the door and Knight was back at her side with his strong safe arms wrapped around her. She leaned her tear stained face into his chest and took a long deep breath of his calming scent. They stayed there in silence for a long time; her hiccupping from her crying fit, and he, rubbing circles on her back as he made soothing sounds.

  Eventually, everyone around them went back to what they had been doing before the confrontation. Beauty did not want to see any of the pitying glances or hear their whispers. She just wanted to run far away from all of it. A bone deep feeling of exhaustion started to set in. Her voice was a murmur as she spoke into Knight’s ear.

  “Please take me home.”

  He ran a warm hand down her hair and gently caressed her cheek.

  “Whatever you need, baby. Stay here and I will take care of everything.”

  When he rose, Beauty immediately felt the absence of his embrace and felt a weary chill. With each moment he was gone, her anxiety ramped up. She was a sitting duck. What if the Beast did not care about the police warnings? What if he was sitting in a nearby parking lot, waiting and watching for her to be alone. She began to fidget and look around nervously. It must have drawn the attention of one of the ladies in the lobby, because she came over and placed a soft wrinkled hand on Beauty’s trembling ones.

  “Are you ok, honey? Do you need anything?”

  Beauty gazed up at the stranger. She was a sweet elderly woman with a flair for color. She was decked out in a menagerie of reds, golds, and oranges, her hair a wild, silvery mess sticking out in all directions. She looked like an eccentric patchwork quilt and Beauty could not shake the sense that she knew the woman. The lady felt familiar, like a favorite childhood blanket or worn jeans. In all the chaos, Beauty had never seen the woman come in. Had she been there the whole time? Beauty shuddered at the thought of this sweet lady witnessing such an embarrassment. Thankfully, when Beauty met the woman’s eyes, she found they showed no pity, only sympathy. Beauty managed a small smile.

  “No, Ma’am. Thank you though.”

  The woman sat down beside her and kept her hand clasped over Beauty’s. She patted them lightly as she spoke.

  “If you don’t mind, I think I will rest here a minute.”

  Beauty felt a rush of gratitude to the stranger.

  “Thank you, Ma’am, I would appreciate the company. But I don’t think I will be much for polite conversation.”

  The sweet, little Fairy Godmother of a woman just kept patting and smiling. Beauty almost missed the wink the woman gave her.

  “That’s fine with me, dearie. Silence isn’t always a terrible thing. Sometimes silence can be your best friend when you really need it.”

  Beauty nodded and bowed her head, studying her shoes and the floor. The two women sat in that bubble of silence until Knight returned. As he approached, the little woman rose and placed a finger under Beauty’s chin, lifting it until their eyes met.

  “This may all feel like the world is about to end, and I can see them troubles are weighing on you hard. Just remember, no matter what you face, in the end, it’s all going to work out just fine.”

  Beauty stared after the woman as she pivoted far too quickly for someone her age and headed out the doors, disappearing around the corner of the building. Knight placed an arm around Beauty and helped her to her feet.

  “Who was that?”

  Beauty just shook her head, still confused by the woman and her parting words.

  “I don’t know... but she was nice. Have you ever seen her before?”

  Knight furrowed his brows as if searching his brain. “No, I don’t think I have, but she seemed so familiar.”

  Now they were both staring at the spot where she had disappeared. Beauty leaned into Knight’s strong and warm body. Tucked under his shoulder was the only time she felt remotely safe. Her voice had a faraway cast to it.

  “I felt the same way, but I know I’ve never seen her before.”

  Knight looked down at her with pure love and protection in his eyes. “Let’s go home, baby. We have had enough excitement for the day. I took care of everything and cleared both our schedules.”

  Beauty leaned in closer to his warm body. Thank you, was all she could manage as they walked through the doors and out to the car.

  They were quiet on the ride home. The evil Troll had found out Beauty and the Princess were staying with Knight at his house, and threw a spoiled brat fit about it. Even going as far as to drive a truck through the locked gates at the end of the drive. In Beauty’s opinion, the Troll was as bat-shit crazy as the Beast.

  As the silence in the car allowed her to get lost in her ever-growing thoughts of their situation. the only solace she could find was in the strong but gentle grip of Knight’s hand over hers. Since they were no longer headed to the haven of Knight’s property, they had to go to the apartment. A place where Beauty did not feel safe since the Beast knew its location. She sighed heavily and placed her head against the glass of her window. She was staring wearily at the passing landscape when she glimpsed a car in the side mirror. It was the Beast and he was following them. Alarm set in as she shot up in her seat and gripped Knight’s hand.

  “He’s behind us.”

  Knight glanced in the rearview mirror then over his shoulder. A muttered curse escaped his lips. With a calm tone, he instructed Beauty.

  “Call the police. Tell them the make of his vehicle and ours. Explain the situation.”

  Beauty pulled out her cell phone with shaki
ng hands. When the dispatcher answered, Beauty did her best to explain, but was so frightened that Knight ended up taking the phone and relaying all the vital information.

  Knight kept calm and tried to soothe Beauty. “It’s ok, baby. The cops are on their way.”

  Beauty kept her eyes trained on the mirror, watching as the Beast accelerated. He was coming up behind them so fast, Beauty feared he would run into them or run them off the road.”

  With a panic-stricken face she turned to Knight. “I love you.”

  Knight stayed calm and squeezed her now clammy hands. “I love you too, baby. I told you it’s going to be ok.”

  Beauty was a jumble of fear and nerves as the Beast’s car grew so close his bumper was almost touching theirs. Knight did not speed up or try to evade the Beast. He stayed within the speed limit and kept watch in the rearview. Beauty was on the verge of screaming when they passed the police cruiser. She turned to peer through the back window and watched as the car swiftly turned with red and blue lights flashing. The cruiser quickly caught up to the Beast and he started to slow down, giving them some breathing room. Beauty could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Knight started slowing down as well.

  “What are you doing? Don’t stop!” Her voice had taken on a shrill tone with the last few words.

  Knight pulled over to the side of the road, not far, just in front of where the officer had the Beast pulled over. Beauty watched in dismay as the officer spoke with the Beast and another police cruiser pulled up behind the other cruiser. The new officer walked pass the Beast’s vehicle and toward theirs. Knight rolled down the window and greeted the officer. The officer was pleasant, but stern, with a deep, heavily accented twang.