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  UNSIGHTLY

  A MODERN-DAY RETELLING

  OF BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

  AMBER GARZA

  Cover: Kris Pittman, Breakaway Designs

  Copyright © 2017 Amber Garza

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.

  For information: ambergarza.com

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  1

  THE FOREST

  2

  THE HOUSE

  3

  THE MASK

  4

  THE BEASTLY

  BOY

  5

  THE PLAN

  6

  THE PIANO

  7

  THE GARDEN

  8

  THE STREAM

  9

  THE CAR

  10

  THE RETURN

  11

  THE INVESTIGATION

  12

  THE BETRAYAL

  13

  THE STATION

  14

  THE MOB

  15

  THE CURSE

  16

  THE MIRROR

  17

  THE MANSION

  18

  THE WITCH

  19

  THE DATE

  20

  THE EVER AFTER

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  To all those who need to be reminded of the beauty within.

  1

  THE FOREST

  MY PARENTS WARNED me not to drive through the forest, but I didn’t listen. It had already been a long day, starting with my high school graduation in the morning and ending with an elaborate party out at my grandparents’ cabin.

  Most of my family had decided to stay overnight, but I didn’t want to. I preferred my comfortable mattress and fluffy pillow at home rather than the flat pillows and hard mattresses at the cabin. Plus, I’d always found the cabin eerie at night. During the day, I loved the rustic atmosphere, the green trees, and the smell of pine needles floating on the wind. But at night it morphed into something sinister. It was too cold, too dark, and too mysterious. I never got a good night’s rest there. And after the crazy day I’d had, I needed a good night’s rest.

  Cutting through the forest was the quickest route home, and it seemed silly to go the long route simply because of some ridiculous rumors. However, as I entered the tunnel of trees and long, dark stretch of road, all the theories I’d heard over the years rattled around inside my head.

  Be careful, there’s a beastly boy who lives in the forest, and he preys on pretty girls.

  People say he has the body of a human and the face of an animal.

  He’s quick like lightning.

  His eyes glow like a cat’s, so he can see in the dark.

  He doesn’t eat food like humans. His diet consists of human flesh.

  Ever since I was a little girl, I’d heard stories of the animal-like boy who lived in the forest. Some called him a beast. Some called him a monster. Some called him a warlock. But whatever they called him, they all agreed that he was dangerous. Fear of him had kept most of the townspeople from ever nearing the forest.

  It was said that one Halloween, a group of boys trekked into the woods to try to find him. Only one boy made it back, and he was so traumatized he never spoke another word again. Finally, his parents admitted him into a nuthouse where he lived out the remainder of his days mutely staring into space.

  It sounded too far-fetched to be true. Then again, I’d always been practical. My dad said that I was the levelheaded one in the family. My two older brothers were firm believers in all the stories. They knew everything about the beastly boy. By the way they talked, you would think they’d encountered him. But they hadn’t. No one that I knew had. That’s why I found the entire thing so unbelievable. I mean, if he were real, wouldn’t someone have seen him? Someone who could talk?

  There were a couple of women in town who had sworn for years that they saw him when he was a small child. But they had conflicting ideas about what he looked like. Plus, both were elderly and possibly senile. So, I’d never put much stock into their story.

  That’s why I’d never been scared to cut through the forest. I wasn’t going to let some silly urban legend dictate my life the way the rest of the town did.

  Wind whistled through the trees like a woman moaning. It caused an involuntary shudder to run through me. Reaching out, I cranked up the heater. Warm air spilled through the vents, skating over the skin on my hands and face. Even though it was springtime, it was chilly. It was colder in this part of town. The forest was always crisp. Perhaps it was all the trees blocking the sun from getting in that kept it that way.

  Something dark shot into my line of vision. Startled, I slammed my foot down on the brakes and squealed. My head snapped back, smacking the seat behind me. Looking around, I saw nothing. Not in front of me or on either side of the road. In fact, there wasn’t a car, person, or animal for miles. There was only the trees, the dirt, the dark night sky and the full moon that followed me. Not that I could see much of it through the thick foliage of leaves. I shivered, despite the heat that now filled the car.

  Reaching forward, I turned on the radio. A familiar pop song streamed out of the speakers. Pressing my foot on the gas, I continued down the road while singing along to the music. When the song changed, a myriad of memories assaulted me causing my heart to pinch. Lifting my free arm, I switched the station. I wondered if Henry did the same when he heard the song, but I doubted it. Our breakup hadn’t hit him as hard as it hit me. Maybe because he’d fallen right into Ella Montgomery’s arms.

  Frowning, I perused the stations until I found a song that didn’t remind me of my ex-boyfriend. It was the night of my high school graduation, I shouldn’t be wallowing in self-pity. Instead, I should be looking forward to the future. I’d been accepted into my dream school and was heading there in the fall. Finally, all the hard work of the past four years would pay off.

  Up ahead the road narrowed, the trees crowding around me. I fought against the claustrophobia kicking in by turning up the volume on the radio and singing along. Belting out the tune, I drove a little faster, the nerves I felt earlier vanishing with every note. Music was my first love. I’d sang and played piano for years.

  The further I drove, the darker it got. Squinting, I had a hard time seeing in front of me, so I flicked on my high beams.

  A splatter hit my windshield, causing me to flinch. Is it raining? Furrowing my brows, I looked upward the minute another raindrop hit. And then another and another. Soon, my entire windshield was covered in them. Turning on the wipers, they squeaked as they swiped back and forth.

  I hated driving in the rain, and I was starting to regret my decision to head home tonight. A flash of lightning strobed across the sky, and thunder sounded in the distance. I stiffened, my shoulders tense. Gripping the steering wheel tighter, I ground my teeth together. If I’d stayed at the cabin, I would be sleeping by now. Instead, I was stuck in the forest amid a storm.

  Liquid pelted the top of my car, competing with the song on the radio. Singing out even louder, I increased my speed, anxious to get home.

  I was coming up on a corner, and I turned the steering wheel to maneuver around it. I had almost made it all the way around when the tires squealed, pulling in the other direction. Shrieking, I grabbed onto the steering wheel, attempting to straighten out the car. Only it was too late. The car spun, careening off the road.

  They say that right before an accident your life flashes before your eyes.

  But they’re wrong.

&nb
sp; The only thing that flashed before my eyes was a giant tree trunk right before my car smashed into it.

  2

  THE HOUSE

  THE FIRST THING I noticed when I awoke was that I had a pounding headache. The second was that I wasn’t at home. Panicked, I attempted to sit up. But the pulsing pain in my head made it impossible. Wincing, I lie back down. The bed beneath me creaked. Turning my head as far as I could, I studied the room I was in. It was dark, the walls painted in a muted brown. The thick curtains and the wooden furniture had an old-fashioned style, as if they had come from a different era.

  Why was I here?

  My arms and hands were covered in bandages. When I reached up, I found that my forehead was too. What happened? Fear snaked up my spine as my heart picked up speed. Closing my eyes, I forced a calming breath. But it was no use. It came out shaky and scared. And that’s when it hit me. I remembered the storm, the rain, taking the corner too fast and spinning off the road.

  But how did I end up in this place?

  Racking my brain, I tried to recall what happened after my car careened off the road. But nothing came to me. My last memory was heading straight for that tree. I shivered, my entire body hurting with the motion. Looking down at the end of the bed, I wriggled my toes. At least I could move them. That meant I wasn’t paralyzed. Still, I was certain I didn’t walk here on my own. When I’d been driving, I hadn’t seen any houses nearby. And in this condition, there was no way I would’ve made it anywhere.

  Which means, I had help.

  The thought caused a shudder to run through me.

  Above me was a window, but it seemed to be closed, curtains covering it. The door to the bedroom was closed as well. Not that I’d make it out of here. I could barely move. Still, I had to try. Placing my bandaged palms on the bed, I attempted to hoist myself up, but it was a losing battle.

  “Oww.” Cringing, I dropped back down on the bed.

  The door popped open, bright light spilling inside. I squinted against it. After being in the dimly lit room, it was a little much for me.

  “You’re awake,” A gruff male voice said.

  “Seems like it,” I answered dryly.

  “How do you feel?”

  With the light still blinding me, I couldn’t see his face. But he was massive, his impressive frame coming toward me. Involuntarily, I scooted back a bit, the springs on the bed screaming in protest. The sudden movement exacerbated the pain I felt. Grunting, I bit down on my lip.

  “Stay still,” the man demanded.

  This time when I glanced up my eyes had adjusted, and I got a good view of him. Not that it mattered. He was wearing a black mask over his face. It looked like a mask someone would wear to rob a house, and it made me uneasy. The fear that had taken root in my gut from the moment I woke up sprouted into a stem of terror. It shook me to my core.

  “W-where am I?”

  “You’re at my house.” The man said, lowering himself down onto the edge of my bed. In his hand, he held a cup of water. I didn’t bother trying to move away this time. I knew it was futile. But the fear lingered, manifesting itself in a deep tremor that rippled through my body.

  “How did I get here?”

  “You were in an accident, and you were hurt badly. I found you and brought you back here.” His words sounded nice, admirable even. But it didn’t sit right with me.

  “Why here? Why not the hospital?”

  “The hospital’s too far,” he said, and I watched his mouth through the cutout of his mask. It wasn’t the real reason. He could’ve called an ambulance. And I opened my mouth to point it out, when he continued, “I brought you some medicine.” Opening his palm, he held out a tiny white pill.

  “What is it?”

  “Something for the pain.”

  My head felt like it was going to explode, so I chose to believe he was telling the truth. With a shaky hand, I reached out and took the pill from his hand. Then I popped it in my mouth. He handed me the glass of water, and I threw back what I was hoping was pain medication. It slid down my throat, leaving a bitter trail in its wake.

  The bed creaked as he stood. He took the empty glass from me. “Nina’s making you something to eat. She’ll bring it in soon.”

  “Nina?”

  “Yes,” he said with a note of finality. Clearly, I wouldn’t be getting any further answers from him.

  When he reached the door, panicked seized me. “Wait. You’re leaving?” When he first came into the room, I’d feared him. But now I realized I was more scared of being alone.

  He nodded, his fingers folding around the doorknob. “Like I said, Nina will be in soon.”

  Again, with Nina. That name meant nothing to me, but he kept mentioning her like it was supposed to make me feel better. He pressed open the door and stepped into the hall, the light blinding me once again.

  “What’s your name?” I asked him.

  The response was the door slamming behind him after he’d walked out of the room. Blowing out a quivering breath, I stared up at the ceiling. The medicine was starting to kick in, the pain waning a little. At least he had been telling the truth about that. I still didn’t know why I was here and what he wanted from me, but I was determined to find out.

  The door flung open a few minutes later. This time a woman entered the room carrying a tray of food. She wasn’t wearing a mask, so I stared at her face, memorizing her features. I figured I might need to recall them later. She appeared to be in her fifties, with a slight dusting of white in her brown strands. Clearly, she hadn’t cut her hair in years, based on how thick her bun was. And she wore no makeup on her wrinkled skin.

  Without a word, she set the tray down on the table next to my bed.

  “You must be Nina,” I said, my voice wavering.

  Her gaze flickered to the doorway, as if she was looking for approval. As if she was looking for him. Then she slowly nodded.

  “Where am I?” I asked softly, acutely aware of the fact that the door was open. But I couldn’t let the opportunity pass. If I had to guess, I’d say the masked man was in charge. If I was going to get information out of anyone, it would most likely be this lady.

  “Can I get you anything else?” The woman asked.

  “My stuff. Purse. Phone.” I knew it was a long shot. If she wasn’t going to tell me where I was, she probably wouldn’t tell me where my stuff was either.

  She nodded her head toward the dresser across from the bed. “He put your stuff in here.”

  My heart leapt. Sure enough, my purse and keys were strewn across the top of the dresser. I couldn’t mask the surprise I felt.

  Nina must have noticed it. “You’re not a prisoner. He brought you here because you were hurt.”

  “Where is he now?”

  “Working on your car.”

  Stunned, I stared up at her. “My car?”

  “Yes. It’s not in working condition. But as soon as you’re better and it’s running, you can be on your way.”

  It seemed too good to be true, but I grabbed a hold of her words, desperate to believe them. When she left, I stared at the plate of food she’d left me, which consisted of a sandwich and some grapes. My stomach soured. Between the accident and the pain meds, food was the last thing I wanted. Still, I knew I needed to eat so I could heal and get out of here. The pain was a little better now, and I was able to sit up slightly. Reaching out, I picked up a grape and popped it in my mouth. The sweet juices ran down my throat after biting into it. As I ate, my gaze landed on my purse and keys.

  Hushed voices sounded from outside the door, catching my attention.

  “What were you thinking bringing her here?” Nina said in an agitated tone.

  “It was impulsive, I know. But she needed help,” the masked man responded.

  “It wasn’t just impulsive. It was stupid,” Nina responded. “What will happen when we let her go? What if she tells people about you?”

  My heart lurched. I didn’t like the way this conversation w
as going.

  “We’ll have to cross that bridge when we get there. The important thing is that she recovers.” Stomping ensued, retreated, and then there was nothing but silence.

  Body numbing, I dropped the grapes down on the plate. I didn’t like the sound of Nina’s voice. She was desperate and worried. People did crazy things when they felt that way. Besides, what were they hiding? Who were they? All I knew was that I wasn’t waiting around to find out. Injured or not, I was getting out of here.

  First, I needed to reach my purse and keys. They were only a few feet away, but in my condition that felt like miles. Using all my strength, I pushed myself up to a seated position. My side ached as if I’d broken my ribs. Perhaps I had. Reaching down, I clutched my middle. Even though the pain medication had helped a little, the headache still pricked at the backs of my eyes. But at least it was bearable.

  Biting down on my tongue, I scooted forward in the bed. It moaned beneath me, and I prayed my captors didn’t hear it. There was no sound on the other side of the door. I wasn’t sure how large the house was, but I would soon find out. Forcing my legs over the edge of the bed, I allowed my feet to touch the ground.

  That’s when I noticed I wasn’t wearing my party dress. Someone had changed me into sweatpants, a t-shirt and fuzzy Christmas socks. Santa smiled up at me from my toes. It felt weird to be wearing Christmas socks in May. But what was even weirder was knowing that a stranger had changed me. It caused a shudder to run through my body, and it made me even more determined to get out of here.

  Holding firmly to the bedpost, I drew myself up onto my legs. They were wobbly beneath me, and I worried they wouldn’t hold me. I had no idea how long I’d been here. How long I’d been out cold, unmoving, in that bed. But judging by how weak I was, I was guessing it had been awhile. Dizziness swept over me, but I fought against it, clutching the bed post tighter. Once I felt like I had my bearings, I took a couple of deliberate steps forward. The socks were slick against the floor, and that didn’t make things easier. Still, I reached the dresser. Barely, but I did. Taking deep breaths, I gripped onto the side with one hand while reaching for my purse with the other.