"Sprig, you don't need to do this!-" Hop Pop started, but immediately started coughing.

"Hop Pop..you're sick..I can't have you rotting away in this dungeon.." I stand, and turn around, "so, 'beast'..you will let Hop Pop free if I stay here?" I asked.

"Yes." She said quietly, "in return for you staying here, I shall let him free."

I nod, "then I will stay.."

The beast came into the light of the dungeon, and opened the gate, picking up Hop Pop and dragging him out.

"I can't say goodbye?!" I cried out, but she continued to walk away.

I felt a few tears run down my face, but stayed still.

A few minutes pass, and she comes back up.

"I will show you to your room.." she said in a deep voice.

I slowly follow her to a room. It was large, with fancy furniture and big paintings.

"You will join me for dinner..." the beast said, before closing the door.

I was being shown around the castle at night, when I managed to lose the one that I was following, Polly.

I walked up the stairs to the east wing that was supposedly 'forbidden'. What is The Beast keeping up there?

I got to the top and into a room. The furniture was knocked over and broken. The painting on the wall was sliced, but I could make out some of it. At the bottom of the frame was engraved 'Anne'. Is that her name?

An odd glow came from the center of the room, drawing my attention.

I walked up to the glow, and saw a beautiful looking flower under a glass case.

"Wow.." I whispered, amazed by its beauty.

I slowly lifted the glass up, but when I went to touch it, The Beast, or 'Anne' appeared.

"I thought I told you not to come in here!" She growled.

I backed away quickly.

"Y-Yeah, I was just..curious!"

She put the glass over the flower, and started tossing the furniture around her.

"Get out of here! Now! Leave!" She roared.

My heart pounded a mile a minute as I ran out of the room, jumped down the stairs, and sprinted through the front door. I quickly hopped onto Bessie, and rode her to the woods.

We were only riding for about a minute, when giant hedgehogs came out and ran after us.

"Get away!" I yell at them, hitting them with a stick.

One of them spooked Bessie, and she threw me off.

We were then surrounded by more hedgehogs.

"B-Back off!" I said worriedly.

One of them took the stick I was wielding, which left me completely defenseless.

Is this how I'm gonna die?

Suddenly, I heard a different kind of growl.

Anne threw herself in front of me, and started beating back the hedgehogs.

But every time she hit one, another would replace it.

They kept jumping on her, but she managed to throw them and scare them away.

Once there was no more, she collapsed to the ground.

Do I..leave her?

No..

I walk over and lightly put my hand on her shoulder. I then lifted her up, and put her on the back of Bessie.

After being saved by her and dressing her wounds, I began to realize that Anne was actually friendly.

We ate together, played in the snow, and she gave me a whole room filled with stuffed animals!!

After a bit though, I began to get home sick..Anne brought me to the east wing, where she showed me an enchanted mirror.

"The mirror will let you see whatever you think of." She explained.

I picked up the mirror, "show me..Hop Pop." I say.

The mirror then glowed and a picture appeared on the glass.

I saw Hop Pop traveling through the woods. He was coughing, and collapsed to the ground.

"Oh no!" I gasped, "he's sick..he's going to die out there.."I teared up.

Anne sighed, "go to him."

"W-What?" I asked.

"Go to him. Bring the mirror with you." She said.

I nodded, and jogged out of the room. I got onto Bessie, and rode through the woods again, not being ambushed this time.

"Hop Pop??" I called out.

I searched for a bit, when I finally found him on the ground.

I quickly got off and lifted him up, getting him on Bessie.

We were back in town within a few minutes, and I got him home.

"Sprig?" He asked, becoming conscious, "h-how did you escape The Beast?!"

I shrugged, "Well...she's actually really sweat when you get to know her.." I blush.

There was suddenly a knock at the door. I opened it and saw Monroe.

"See? Hopadiah was lying! There is no Beast, which means that he is a senile old man!" Monroe came into the house and grabbed Hop Pop, dragging him outside, "he needs to be locked up!"

"What?! B-But there is a Beast!" I yelled.

They all looked back at me and laughed.

"Now he got his grandson crazy?" Monroe chuckled devilishly, continuing to drag Hop Pop away.

"No! I can prove it!" I quickly grabbed the mirror.

"Show me Anne." I said to it, and when it started to glow, I showed the townspeople.

"Don't lock Hop Pop up! He's not crazy!" I plead.

Monroe passed Hop Pop to someone besides him and walked up to me, grabbing the mirror.

"There is a Beast! If we don't do something soon, then it'll kill us all!"

"What?! No! She's not like that!" I said, trying to get the mirror back.

Monroe grabbed me by the arm and dragged me to the basement door, putting me down there. He did the same with Hop Pop.

"These two need to be locked up so they don't get in our way! Now let's go kill this beast!" Monroe said, locking the basement door.

"No! Don't hurt her!" I cried out.

But it was too late. He was already leading the crowd away from the house.

"No.." I said softly, feeling tears on my face.

I sat on the step of the stairs and put my face in my arms.

Hop Pop sat besides me.

"You really care about her..don't you?" He said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I lift my head up and nod.

A few minutes pass, and I heard a thud on the door.

"Huh?" Hop Pop and I stand up, standing back from the door.

Suddenly, a spike ball comes crashing through the wood.

I see Polly.

"Hey guys!" She chuckled.

"Polly?!" I say excitedly.

We get out of the basement.

"I have to go save her!" I say, looking off in the direction of the woods.

I run over to bessie and hop on, riding her quickly into the woods.

I finally got to the castle after a bit, and saw that the crowd was already trying to break in. Most were fleeing, but some were staying.

"Anne??" I called out.

I heard a sharp cry of pain from above. I looked up and saw Monroe holding a sword up to her.

"Anne!" I yell.

She suddenly gained the upper hand, and forcefully pushed Monroe back.

Monroe was hanging of the ledge.

"P-please.." Monroe pleaded.

Anne helped him back up, but Monroe pushed Anne off the side of the ledge. She fell three stories to the ground, landing a few feet away from me.

"Anne!" I gasped, running up to her.

She didn't move.

"Anne..Anne wake up!" I said, lightly shaking her.

After trying multiple times to wake her up, I cried into her shoulder.

"P-Please...I-I..lo-"