enigma's petals

 

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Introduction

I was inspired by a dream one morning to write my own modern version of my favorite childhood fairy-tale Beauty & The Beast. I started writing along with NaNoWriMo, and begun late. Better late than never! 

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Chapter 1

"Cold as the northern winds in December mornings, Cold is the cry that rings from this far distant shore.Winter has come too late too close beside me. How can I chase away all these fears deep inside? I'll wait the signs to come. I'll find a way I will wait the time to come. I'll find a way home. My light shall be the moon and my path - the ocean. My guide the morning star as I sail home to you." ---From Exile by Enya

The rose in dilapidated dallying state near the entrance to the Catholic cathedral, was waiting for the hand she'd seen in vision - that would come rescue her and her twins from their fate - a demise of water thirsting veins, stem reaching to heaven, "Abba Father why have you abandoned me and my children?" Came the tanned hand with crescent moon in her aura brimming with light. Oh how splendid, you have gathered me one of the Lord's lame, He hasn't forgotten us after all, says Sister Rose. I asked the Lord for a rose and here you are! The Lord really works in little mysterious ways.

 

Ohmygosh,  sister Rose and her children are dying, I forgot to put her in water! Alara retrieved the svelt shaped vase she'd come across on her way home inside of a tattered box, full of remnants of someone else's no-longer-good-enough-stuff. 

 

I fill the vase til a quarter of water reinvigorates the family of Sister Rose, almost dead; yet they manage to breathe in and soak in this Jacuzzi of sorts. Immediately it reminds her of the Beauty and the Beast's enchanted rose trapped or conserved within time, memory, behind a mini cupola of glass.

 

 

Somewhere along these sands my assignment Bella realizes that something is missing in her bag. She brought her arugula salad, her diary, pen, tissue paper, but she forgot the romance she was reading at home. She wanders along the shore and decides to pick up seashells and interesting, little rocks; I inspired her to. I'm especially happy when she listens.

An old woman wanders like a lost wind becoming vagabond as Bella kneels to draw on the sand the tree that I wanted her to sketch: a sacred tree with the Hand of Time guiding her. Inside the tree the old woman observes that Bella is drawing a bird, inside the bird's breast she goes on to mark a simple four petal rose. The old woman holds her breath to not interrupt, but she feels she must. "Who does she think she is to collect the tears of the ocean here glazed as seashells and rocks special as stars in her bag: a thief, a collector or perhaps she is just a dreamer, like me? The old woman carries a blue velvet and chiffon on the inside bag. Seagulls fight for morsels of leftover hot-dogs, damp nachos, and even seafood drying in a Styrofoam cup. Children ranging from two and half to seven wet their toes, crawl-swim in the water's edge, pick their nose, and one certain girl reads a book, as another little boy draws a map on the sand and paper. A certain woman tans her body not wanting to be noticed, while another woman reads a cookbook hoping to learn to cook delicacies and so woo the stomach and heart of her man, instead of wetting her violet tresses. You're missing out I tell them and their Guardians smile, wink, and glow. One woman looks up sensing our conversation, she is a newbie visionary; doesn't know she is yet. 

When Bella gets up throwing the heart shaped rock aside, shaking sand from her hands, she feels a chill sweep through her body when she sees the old woman. Emaciated, thinks Bella. Hello, says the woman, I'm ashamed to have to bother you, but... and Bella steps back two steps....I'm hungry and haven't anything to eat ... Oh, Bella thinks, should I give her my Baby Arugula salad with Ahi Tuna? But it's all I have! Bella goes on to say: Sure...you can have this, and the old woman reaches inside her bag to reveal a fresh red rose. Have it, as a token of my appreciation! No worries, Ma'am, I don't really need a rose right now. The witch in disguise kneels as if getting ready to invoke Darkness himself. She begins to write with the heart stone that Bella had thrown away. Bella burns with curiosity and returns to observe what the old woman has drawn. Come, what do you see, the old woman points to her drawing in the sand. Bella creeps towards her reluctantly and says, it's... and points...a heart... with cracks. You're right. That...and she points... is your heart! Wait, what are you talking about, says Bella. The old woman continues: What I'm talking about is this: Bella... you fear... that your emotions... will overflow... you fear to love... and you have established dams: obstacles, traps, and barricades... so that no man may win your heart and therefore you'll never be hurt again. When she rises, the old woman reveals her true nature: I am an enchantress and bows; not an old woman like you thought. Bella cringes, saying, What? Like you heard, an Enchantress. Reserve your questions. From now on, for not knowing how to love and be loved, I cast this spell on you - a woman-wolf you'll be, a wolf devoid of beauty, you will remain this wolf yet never wrinkle if in the twinkle of an eye you find no love inside and hide. You have no power over me, you can't do this, Bella's feet start sinking in sand. Don't be too sure, the Enchantress goes on, You're a beast and you haven't even noticed! Go on, look at your tail! What, what the fuck, Bella is now chasing her tail.

The day a man learns to love you for who you are... inside, you shall be woman again; good luck and good riddance! Bella now Wolf realizes the old witch is beautiful on the outside with arched eyebrows and silky black hair, but on the inside Bella can see her soul - a wormy mess. Aniron bites the edge of her lip proud of her dark mess.

The old witch thinks Bella is unprotected but she hasn't seen that her Father in heaven, her Savior Jesus the Christ, the Holy Ghost and I her Guardian are all present. The Father is permitting this evil for a higher purpose.

Keep this rose as a token of your test, guard it like the pupil of your eye for when its last petal falls - if you have not learned to love and be loved in return, you will be a bound apprentice of mine 'til the end of days. The witch with the serpentine smile dematerializes.

Bella collapses to the sands and lets her first howl escape sounding like the chorus for the song "Somebody Save Me" by Remy Zero. She then rises, like a resurrected Eric Draven from the Crow on the hunt for revenge, and rose in her bite, looks around, strangely finds the few humans beings left lingering on the beach are packing their things to go home; as the sun like a cigarette that has been extinguished in the ash tray of the sea also goes home for the day. I must be invisible, Bella concludes. She takes her first leap as a wolf in the sand and runs like she's never before. Why, she thinks to herself as she weeps leaping through the sand. This can't be! I'm hallucinating; I stopped my Abilify! That must be it. If not, what? God does not punish like this! Is it... the Evil One? 

Bella opens the door to her apartment and is surprised to see her paws work as if her hands are hidden beneath her wool. I’ll never go out like this. Now my home will be my lair, she thinks. Suspended Bella’s thoughts that once ran in circles as she paced the sands stop for a moment, they now resurface: how will I ever find Love? If I do find someone - he would have to keep our love hidden and located thousands of leagues under the sea, that is the sea of humanity’s eyes, and she chuckles sending auras of white light like a ripple of water through her apartment and into the sky. My Bella hasn’t lost her keen sense of humor, thank Goodness. Eyeing her half lit kitchen we decide to cook. I whisper “How's Cream of Mushroom sound?” Her stomach growls too audibly. Yes that sounds good, she replies to me without actually acknowledging me.

Mushroom cream it is, she says! Yes! I love how calm she becomes after eating her creamy soup, sent from heaven. I miss my smooth tummy she thinks caressing her now furry belly. But this fur sure is warm, it'll come in handy with the lonely nights to come! She reaches for unsalted butter, an onion, half-and-half, chicken broth, and mushrooms. At least I haven't lost my mind, thinks Bella as she sips on the carton of half-and-half.

 

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Chapter 2

A heavenly woman whose spirits surpassing unknown sublimity and whose perfumes leave us the Angels agape has managed to maneuver her way through the crowd at Venice Beach unsuspected. In reality she is homeless yet still worthy of a warm home she thinks to herself as she gazes at Orion’s Belt in the night sky. Lord, have you abandoned me? No, he hasn’t, her Guardian whispers in her ear wiping her tear. She perceives a veiled indescribable beauty, strangely presenting itself as a guiding light from the moon. It must be my mind foolishly baffled, she thinks. She looks back yet decides to follow it nonetheless. Marina finds herself drawn to a certain building when her Guardian prompts her to enter a vague opportunity a door slightly left open. The cold breeze rushes by her face and subsides inside the now dazzling palace. A palace inside an apartment? How quaint and peculiar, yet cozy. Look there is a dinner set out on the table. It seems a banquet. But where are the guests? I’m so hungry. I wonder if I could have just a bite of that piece of pie. As Marina sits down without thinking she is transfixed by the Cream of Mushroom Soup, lemon pie, and Baby Arugula with Ahi Tuna salad as she is transported in her mind she begins to feel like royalty. She sighs settling into her chair and begins having a conversation with herself: it seems wrong to eat excessively, yet it is understood how depressing it can be to not eat and how necessary it is to feed oneself. Marina first notices the manuscripts when she is taking the last sip of wine. This is the palace of a writer! No wonder they’re so well off. She rises saying, Pardon me, Sir or Madam it wasn’t my intention to barge in your home and eat your food like this, well I mean it was my dream to find a place like this to shelter me but I know I am intruding and I’ll be on my way just need to see who wrote these books in progress first. Oh Marina curiosity killed the cat. No curiosity is gonna kill me if I don’t read. Once upon a time in an impenetrable kaleidoscopic kingdom there lived a girl named Ella who saddened in soul even conscience hastened to find a newborn baby boy to replace the one she had inadvertently lost one day in the marketplace. There are reflections as if magically appearing on the manuscript - they’re twin embryos. What sort of sortilege is this, Marina asks. A miracle and a hidden scent of softened pine and honey lingers in the air. I must be on my way, says. When she remembers she left her own book waiting to be written in a cart beneath the bridge where she sleeps. She realizes once outside again that there is a mysterious dream - a unique garden with soil like molten lace and an enormous theatre of fruits, vegetables and kisses of the unusual forms: flowers of passable purpose. This pink rose is better than rosemary, but deserves a better home most definitely; you’ll forgive me, Lord, if I pluck it for my son Austin. A scar upon the rose’s stem inwardly is imprinted as it is snapped for Marina’s son. She then goes on to remove the thorns. Minutes pass. A shadow appears. You dare trespass my property, and on top of this - you kill a rose from my unknown and delicate garden? Marina turns her back and puts the rose inside her black coat. I...I am sorry ma’am, I know I am trespassing on your property but why would I cut one of your roses? I wouldn't steal from a garden so exquisite and ethereal. Don’t smart talk me and Bella steps into the light. Marina stutters when Bella's reveals her fangs, You’re a, a...Wolf says Bella feeling entitled nodding. What would be a just punishment, Bella asks, How about a life for a life? You can’t be serious, says Marina. By the way, a little late to introduce myself I acknowledge but I am Edmund - I am Bella’s Guardian Angel, assigned by the Most High God. I whisper in Bella’s ear though imperceptible to her, her spirit captures my words and she ceases to think of murder. Where are these blood thirsty thoughts coming from she thinks, oh I’m a wolf, right. No excuses, I whisper - Bella hears me and feels uneasy as well as tired. I’ll pardon your life but tell me - what is it you want with the rose; I know you took it! Marina thinks twice, removes the rose from her pants’ waistline and says, I want it for my son. Billy, my son, is not doing well. He's been in a car accident and is now in... in coma. Oh, Bella’s heart sinks. Take the rose, but can you keep a secret and make a promise? Yes, anything, Marina says. Keep in secret what I am for the time being, Bella tugs at her wolf’s tail beneath her dress and says, this beast, also promise me - when your son gets well - for indeed he will - you’ll send him here to meet me? 

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