BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Chapter 3

JUSTIN'S APARTMENTS and the Courtyard

   The next morning Justin awoke from a deep but restless sleep. He had dreamed erotica all night long. He had a straining woody that was almost painful. He figured it had to do with that un-fucking-believable kiss the Beast had planted on him just before he fell asleep. He swore he even felt the fangs at one point...(well two points!) but instead of being afraid of them Justin had boldly forced his tongue between them and he remembered the Beast's sharp intake of excitement.

   "Oh! Oh Shit!" he yelled. He had been languidly stroking himself, remembering and that last bit had been enough to just...wham! He climaxed hard, with so much pleasure he arched back on his shoulders and heels. Then he collapsed back, breathing hard.

   Shit! What was happening to him? Here he was, in a strange place, in a strange bed with an ugly and scary man as his only benefactor and here he was beating off like a horny teenager! Of course...he was a horny teenager but still...

   The next thing he noticed was that he was lying on rumpled, black, silk sheets. He gasped. They looked just the way they did in his imagination yesterday. He gave himself a mental shake. It was a coincidence. It had to be.

   He threw off the covers and jumped out of bed, energized by the climax and now feeling the need to clean off and pee. He wondered if there was a place to do that near here.

   There was a creak.

   A door to the left was ajar and swung open a few inches. Justin checked. Yup, a bathroom. Damn! What a bathroom!

   The floor was shining white tile. The sink, toilet, tub and shower all were porcelain white but the fixtures: toilet handle, taps, spouts...were golden. The shower was a walk in.  The bathtub was big enough for four people.

   Justin used the toilet and then stepped into the shower. The taps and shower spout were golden (plated, he was sure...weren't they?) He snickered as he turned on the water and washed his stickiness away. It gave a wicked double meaning to the phrase: golden showers...

   Justin gave himself a shake. He wasn't that kinky....was he?

   Suddenly a vivid image of him lying on the floor of that very shower with four muscled bodybuilders standing over him assaulted his mind. Then one more figure, taller than all of them wearing leather pants and an executioner mask joined them. Entranced, Justin looked up into the eyes of the masked man...God that was hot! He couldn't look away.

   And then all the men nodded to each other and with one accord...they all peed on him! It was disgusting and revolting and yet...In the dream, Justin tried to resist, get away and found he was restrained somehow. He couldn't get away. He was totally at their mercy, helpless. They could do anything they wanted to him...and they were. And that...that was the erotic jolt flashed through Justin like electricity. There was a splash of urine on his face and...

   Justin gasped and shook himself. It was just the stream from the shower. That was the water splashing on his face. Thank goodness!

   And yet...there was an element of disappointment as well. And his cock was hard again.

   Justin gave himself another shake both mentally and physically. He finished the shower and got out. Something was happening to him. Something weird. Maybe it was all the leather and silk and masks and...the Beast. Something about him was bringing out the dark side in his normally sunshine-ey nature. I mean he grew up WASP for Chrissakes! He was as conservative as his father and his father before him.

   But then, Justin mused, he wasn't around his fellow WASPs  any longer. He was with the Beast. And he had no desire to be anything like his father. (mayGodhavemercyonhissoul)

   He finished toweling off and went to get dressed. He decided to put this train of thought on the back burner as it was in danger of giving him a serious complex.

   The first thing that caught his notice was that his bed was made.

   He had definitely not done that. He was definitely going to have a serious talk...

   His eyes widened and all thought sort of ground to a halt as he stared around him at what the morning light was now revealing to him...his entire bedroom.

   It was long room with a vaulted ceiling. The floor was shining hardwood. It was sectioned off into three portions. As Justin stepped out of the bathroom he was stepping out of a short end of the rectangle that was his room. To his left was the door to the hall, bookshelves, hooks on the wall that had yet to be filled or just paneled wall. There were no windows along this side as it was facing inside the house.

   The other wall, however, was a different story. There were four huge windows with curved tops along this wall, two on the right and two on the left of this wall. Separating the windows into the two groups was a huge fireplace with a mantle made out of dark wood.

   The first section of his bedroom (the one nearest to him) was his bedroom. There was his king size bed, a wardrobe to his direct right, along the short wall, so as not to obscure any window. His bags were standing in front of the wardrobe but unpacked and untouched.

   Justin's eyes followed along the room and he felt like he was in a dream. He was going to wrap the towel around his waist but now he felt like he wanted...nay, needed to experience this room in a way that was as free and unfettered as possible. His towel dropped on the floor and he walked forth as free and naked as he imagined, still semi hard.

   The middle section of the room was a living space. There was a Persian carpet on the floor and a leather couch and two matching armchairs facing each other at an angle, just like downstairs in Beast's den. The furniture was in front of the fireplace but far enough away from it that the heat would not be too intense if it was lit. There was a Grizzly bear rug in front of the fireplace. Justin smirked and rolled his eyes. In his dreams.

   To the left of the fireplace and in front of a window was a small four person breakfast table with four chairs. Along the wall to the hall at about this section, and to the right of the door to the hall was a small fridge, stove and sink with golden fixtures. There were counters to the left and right of the sink and three cupboards under each counter. There were shelves above them all. Justin checked them. One had pots and frying pans nesting each other. One had dishes and one was empty, presumably for dry goods. He checked the drawers. One had silverware in a nesting tray. The next had gadgets; a grater, slotted spoons, turkey baster, ladle, potato masher, and the like. The others were empty to be filled, as he liked, he supposed. There was a knife block on one counter and a toaster oven on the other. There was a percolator on the stove.

   Justin checked everything over, looked at the living room furniture and sort of...rubbed up against it. The leather cushions did things to his cock that should have been illegal.

   The third section and farthest along was seemingly the most simple but it was so profound it brought tears to Justin's eyes. The end of the room and the other short "width" of the rectangle were three sides of floor to nearly ceiling glass windows that let in as much natural light as possible. There was a large easel and a stool in the midst of this space. That was all.

   Justin sat on the stool and closed his eyes and imagined there was a huge canvas in front of his and that he had a whole array of paints and a palette and a brush. He mimed brushing a stroke. Oh, this would be wonderful! It was still only morning and this space was already bright. He could feel the light hot against his eyelids. He could tell from the position from the sun that it would stay like this until it set in the west. And it was quiet and so private that...that he could paint just as he was if it took his fancy. He could paint nude. And he could paint as many men as he wanted without fear of being kicked out, without fear of censorship. Justin took a long, slow breath of pure contentment. He made another miming stab. And hit something. He froze. Slowly he opened his eyes.

   There was a brush in his hand. There was an empty palette on his lap. There was a giant canvas on the easel, just as he had imagined. To the right of the easel a table had appeared. On this table, was a semicircle of tubes of paint, each one marked with their color. There was a rainbow of colors, just as he had imagined.

   Justin was so startled he jumped a foot and fell off the stool and onto his ass. The palette fell to the floor with a crash. He got up, wide-eyed with wonder. But he was beginning to get an idea but it was so ridiculous he thought he was going mad. He closed his eyes and imagined a semicircle of brushes, all the different sizes. Slowly, he opened his eyes. And there they were; each one next to a different tube of paint.

   Justin righted the stool, put the palette on the table with the paints and brushes and rushed the whole length of the room back to get dressed. He now had a feeling what was going on but he needed confirmation.

   There was a change of clothes on the footboard of his bed. The towel he had dropped on the floor was gone.

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   In what seemed like no time Justin was dressed and ready.

   He opened the door to the hall and saw on the outside of his doors, JUSTIN'S APARTMENTS in gold. Apartments was right! Not just a room but a living space! Justin figured if he was set up there with provisions, he could live there for quite a while, much like he had lived in the secret wing at home.

   No. He couldn't do that either. He didn't want to squirrel himself away like that after the Beast had brought him so far to be kind and loving to him and even...gulp...fall in love with him.

   Justin still didn't know how to feel about that. He was so young and inexperienced. He wanted to live, really live a bit before settling down especially with one guy, and yes, Justin had to admit it to himself, he didn't know if he could settle down for the rest of his life with someone so ugly that he was forbidden to look at his face. Could it really be that bad? Maybe he was exaggerating. Maybe he had a complex.

   Justin gave himself a shake. Well, he could figure that out later. First, he had to figure out his way downstairs.

   Justin looked around. As well as a wide, lavish hallway stretching off nearly into the distance to both the left and the right, there was one directly in front of him, stretching away into infinity.  There were dozens of door, doorways, and multiple forks in the halls leading to...God knows where. Justin's head spun. He was completely disoriented.

   But Justin had an idea, a hunch that he was eager to try out.

   "I need help. I need help to find the Beast. Beast, if you can hear me...help me!" Justin thought clearly.

   Down the hallway in front of him a light fixture flashed on and off three times.

   Justin smiled.

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   Ten minutes later, after following the lights through a veritable maze of halls and rooms and yet still what he believed was the most direct route, mind you, Justin finally made it to the front staircase where he finally knew where he was.

   He dashed down the stairs and then followed his nose to the dining room where a lovely breakfast faire was spread out and two settings were laid out across from each other. The Beast was there, in one of the places.

   "Ahhhh Justin! How clever of you to make it down! I figured you might dine in your room. Do you like your room?" asked the Beast.

   "Yes, very much. Thank you Beast," said Justin. He sat across from Beast and began to help himself, "But I cannot eat in my room yet. If the fridge followed suit of the cupboards, there is no food there."

   "What do you like to eat Justin?" asked Beast.

   "Oh, I don't know...anything really...vegetables and fruit...what we're eating now..." he indicated the breakfast faire of eggs and bacon, sausages, orange juice, cereal, and coffee. "I saw a percolator...potatoes...rice...I can make jambalaya!" he said, he said defensively, not really knowing what else to say without seeming like a pig.

   The Beast was highly amused.  "I see. And when you make it...is it any good?"

   Justin was insulted. "Well of course it is! Anything I make in the kitchen turns out perfectly. I don't do anything unless I know I'm going to do it well!"

   "Oh, Justin! Of that I have no doubt!"It was clear the Beast was not talking about cooking. Justin blushed.

   I will have provisions delivered at the last stroke of noon," said the Beast.

   "Noon! But how? There will not be enough time to go to town for all that!"

   "No. That's true," said the Beast.

   "So you must have the provisions here," accused Justin.

   "Yes."

   "But you aren't going to be the one hauling the stuff all that long, lonely way up there...are you?"

   "Of course not."

   "Then who is? And who is playing with the lights? And my bed made itself this morning! Who is doing all this? Is it you? Are you reading my mind?! Tell me!!"

   The Beast was wearing large, tinted aviator style sunglasses today. He tilted them down and quirked an eyebrow before replacing them.

   Justin sighed noisily. "Please! Please tell me! Look, if you are reading my mind, don't I have a right to know!? And besides, if I don't understand what's going on, pretty soon the curiosity will drive me mad!"

   "That'll be a short drive!" observed the Beast in a deep, slow drawl.

   At Justin's furious stare, however, the Beast relented a bit. "My Beauty, you will be happy to know I am not reading your mind."

   As Justin heaving a sigh of relief, he continued, "But someone is."

   Justin's sigh turned into a gasp of shock. "What!? All of them?"

   "No. Just the ones pertaining to your needs and desires. You have probably noticed that whatever you wish for comes to pass. The rest of it, the cleaning up and so forth just...happens. There is magic in this house, Justin, some of it great magic, not to be trifled with. Much of it...I still do not understand. This magic...takes care of me in my solitude. Now it takes care of you too, in the time we have left. Can't that be enough for now?"

   "I suppose..."Justin grumped adorably. "So...did it take care of all those other men too?"

   "While they were here. Yes." The Beast answered.

   "How many were there?"

   "Quite a few," the Beast hedged.

   "HOW many?? Are you sure they're all...gone?"

   "Yes, I'm..." then a slow, smug, shit eating grin spread over the Beast's face and the side where his face had been eaten away was horrible to behold. "You're jealous!" he said in realization.

   Justin went red. "I'm - I'm - I am not! I just...just...I don't want...I mean..."

   "Yeeeeeeeesss????" the Beast drawled out slowly.

   "Well...You're obviously attracted to ME..."Justin clarified, "And I don't do groups or deal with two timing or anything like that. And this place is huge! You could have any number of people anywhere! So if you have any guys stashed away planning any kinky shit, you can forget about it!"

   "Justin, I'm not going to lie to you. There was a time in my life when having casual partners, multiple partners wouldn't have bothered me one bit. I preferred it even. But I've learned a lot...changed a lot...and now, any...kinky shit...we decide to do...and I AM into some kinky shit, Justin...we will do alone."

   Justin gulped. "Oh I see. Well, what did happen to them? Where did you dump their bodies?"

   The Beast sighed long-sufferingly. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a black thumb and forefinger. He was wearing the police gloves again this morning with the elastic, fitted wrists. As well he was wearing a leather shirt with silver snaps up the front, leather pants, casual leather boots and a red tie. He wore his large Muir cap, and the aviator sunglasses with tinted lenses, as I have said before.

   "I didn't "dump" their bodies anywhere. You're really not going to let this go, are you?"

   "Nope!" Justin returned firmly. He crossed his arms.

   "Very well Justin. I shall show you what happened to them after breakfast. Finish your eggs."

   "Very well, Beast." Justin said, mimicking him.

   "The Beast sighed again. "Justin, only the villagers call me Beast and they only do so because of my...less than stellar treatment of them as you pointed out last night. Don't you remember on the phone? My name is Brian. Brian Kinney. You can call me Brian."

   "Very well Brian. Why have you been so scary and bullying to the villagers? Why, Beddy was scared half to death!"

   "It is for their own protection. As long as they hate me, they will leave me alone. And except for the company I choose, I must be exactly that...alone."

   "Ohhhh, I see! To protect them. To be left alone, never showing your face. So they never have to see your "monstrosity", is that it?" Justin asked.

   The Be - uhhh...Brian nodded and sighed in relief. At last he was getting it.

   "BULLSHIT!!!" Justin yelled so loud and slammed a fist on the table so suddenly, Brian jumped about a foot. "BULLSHIT AND HORSEFEATHERS!" he yelled again, "And you didn't enjoy their fear at all!? You didn't relish the power it gave you to be feared, and you don't enjoy the infamy it has earned you at all!!? You LIKE having them scared of you and you perpetuate it! Look me in the eye and deny it if you can!"

   Brian looked down at his plate. He didn't answer.

   "I thought so. When we next go into town...and it will be soon, Brian...You are going to apologize to Beddy and be civil to anybody we come across! Do I make myself clear!?"

   "Yes, Dear...Whatever you say Dear..." Brian said in an amazingly accurate Droopy Dog voice. Justin had to fight to keep the smile off his face. This was serious.

   "Damn right!" Justin finished firmly but not angrily.

   "Well...now that we have that settled...will you finish your breakfast?"

   Justin gave him a million watt smile that curled his toes. "Very well Brian."

   Brian smiled an ugly smile but within the ugliness there was a beauty as well that he could not see or understand. He loved it when Justin said his name even more than his Sunshine smile.

   But Justin saw and understood.

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   And so, when Justin had finished his breakfast, which consisted of: two eggs, two sausages, hash browns, two slices of brown toast, a glass of OJ and a mug of coffee and when Brian had finished his breakfast consisting of an egg white omelet, one slice of toast, OJ, and coffee, they headed out of the dining room and turned to walk deeper into the house.

   Brian had watched Justin eat in awe and envy. Oh, to be that young again and have the metabolism of a racehorse! He had looked down at his own low cholesterol, low calorie, low carb, low everything shit and sighed. He had taken a bite of his egg white omelet, which suddenly tasted like Styrofoam and wished he could have a sausage. Just one measly sausage. He had gulped some orange juice to give whatever the hell that thing had been on his plate some flavor.

   Now, as they walked through the house, he ignored his hunger pangs, which were his constant companion and turned to Justin and said "Jambalaya huh?"

   "Yes. And other things too. I had to cook for my little sister often growing up."

   "I would very much like to taste your jambalaya, Justin."

   "Well, perhaps I'll cook it for you someday."

   "How about tonight?"

   "Tonight! But..."

   "The sooner the better. Our time is short."

   "You keep saying that! But you won't explain." Justin said in frustration.

   "I will explain if you will dine with me tonight in your apartments and feed me your jambalaya," Brian promised.

   "Weeeeelll.....OK. but you must dress nicely for me. I'm tired of this leather bullshit."

   "Oh really! Are you?!" And Brian grabbed his wrists and pressed them and him up against the wall of the hall. Justin struggled but Brian held him fast. And then he began to stroke Justin's pulse points and his palms with his leather thumbs.

   Justin gasped as the sensations shot through his entire body like currents of electricity. He'd never felt anything so erotic in his life. And being restrained, struggling against the mock captivity was hot too. He bit back a moan and his knees buckled. But somehow, Brian's knee was there and he was straddling Brian's leg.

   Ohhhh God! Brian's leg felt like the leather couch upstairs only hard and muscled. And there was still the leather gloves working their unholy magic on his palms and wrists.

   "So, who's tired of this leather bullshit?" Brian asked in amusement.

   Now Justin did moan and to his humiliation felt himself mindlessly try to dry hump Brian's leg. The sensations that it elicited made the couch feel like a kiddy ride.

   Brian released him but kept ahold of one hand. "That's what I thought."

   Justin tried to pull away. "That wasn't fair!" He was red with exertion and embarrassment.

   Brian refused to release him. "You're right. But I don't have you here to play fair. I'm playing to win! And the prize is my life! And yours!"

   Justin took a few deep breaths to get his heart rate back to normal. Damn this man and what he could do to him! "What do you mean...our lives?"

   "Come with me, my boy. I'm about to show you!"

   Hand in hand, they continued toward the back of the house.

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   They walked down several halls and passed through several interconnecting galleries but strangely, this time, they needed to take no turns. The way went as straight as an arrow. At last, they reached their destination, a very nice sitting room with a yellow theme and a pair of large French doors, leading outside.

   "Here we are," said Brian, as if that explained everything. He pushed open the double glass doors.

   Outside was a small stone patio. There were stairs leading down to the left and the right.  Justin took a moment and looked over the stone wall of the patio. His eyes widened and he gasped.

   Spread out before him was a huge rectangular courtyard garden. The courtyard was so big and so long, Justin could not see the end of it. It was, in fact, the same courtyard his mother had looked out upon when she had been staying in her small guest room.

   "The house has three courtyards, two small round ones and this one. It is the largest and central courtyard," Brian said, sounding like a tour guide.

   Justin nodded and went slowly down the steps on one side and into the garden. There were flowerbeds everywhere and a white brick path meandered aimlessly around them, leading deeper and deeper into the courtyard. Placed along the path at various intervals were white stone benches to sit on.  Justin went along this path, looking at everything.

   The place was heavily enchanted. Justin could smell it. The sun shone bright as summer, flowers grew everywhere. But it wasn't summer. And everywhere else, around the outside of the house, everything was yellow, overgrown, and fallow.

   And all throughout the courtyard, in the center of each flowerbed, the garden was decorated with a white marble statue of a man. There were dozens and dozens of statues seemingly scattered haphazardly throughout the courtyard but as Justin walked through, he saw that each one had been painstakingly placed, reverently taken care of, and a had a circle of bright, white pebbles placed around it. Each statue had its own flowerbed and each bed was growing a different flower. One was a bed of blue roses, one white, another red. There was a bed of daisies, a bed of tiger lilies, one of white orchids, one of black.

   Justin wandered deeper. There was one of violets. One of hyacinths. One by itself, grew poison ivy. There was a bed of pussy willows. Morning glories. Poppies. English Ivy, which was growing around its statue. And on and on, different varieties, different colors....sometimes repeating but not often. The courtyard and the statues seemed to go along forever.

   At last, Justin needed a rest. He sat down on a white, stone bench.

   "This is all very interesting and beautiful but I still don't understand. You said you would show me what happened to all the men that you had over. Where are they?"

   Brian sat down beside him and even though the large aviator glasses hid his eyes, the rest of his face was the very picture of abject sorrow. He took a long, slow deep breath and when he let it out it was one of supreme unhappiness. It was the sigh of one bereaved, who is walking through a graveyard.

   "Brian! What on earth is the matter with you?"

   "Oh Justin, cannot you yet guess? The men...the men who came before you...they are here. They are all around you."

   Justin looked around in confusion. "But...there's...no-one! There's nothing here except the gardens and...the statues! Brian! Are you telling me that these statues, are the remains of...real, living men??"

   Brian got up and walked over to the nearest one, a well-muscled young man of about his mid twenties in the midst of a bed of daffodils. He stroked a hand over one bicep regretfully.

   "This was Mark. He was a gardener and landscaper. He answered one of my ads for a job. He quickly realized there wasn't one. He lasted three weeks before he said he was ready. Perhaps he thought he was. We had become great friends. But he wasn't ready. The friendship was not enough and it never turned to love. That's probably why he grows daffodils. Now here he stands forever."

   He moved on to the statue amid the poison ivy. "This was Steven. He lasted three days. He was a greedy, odious person. I promised him a cash reward to lure him here and he grew impatient.  We fought and my mask and hat fell off and he saw my full face. So here he stands, forevermore. It's probably why his bed grows poison ivy. As you might have guessed this courtyard is under a heavy enchantment. The flowers need no tending and they grow according to the personality of the man who is to occupy the bed. This one..." he indicated a bed where several sunflowers grew up sentinel around their charge. "He was a happy and bright soul. We lasted about two months before he said he was ready. But he wasn't. He let fear overwhelm his happiness and now...here he stands."

   "You keep saying that. What do you mean...they were ready?"

   Brian turned back to face him. "They felt they were ready to see me...they thought they could love me. But they were wrong. They did not love me. Or they thought they did but it wasn't enough. Or they simply didn't believe me...thought I had a complex or something. But I don't. And they paid the price."

   "What price? Brian, what are you talking about? Are you telling me you can turn people into stone?"

   Brian looked at him sorrowfully. "Ahh, I see you do not believe me as well. Well, it's a long story. Perhaps...over jambalaya?"

   Justin seethed in frustration. "Ohhhhh! I am making a list, Mister! And if all those things don't get answered by evenings end, I am leaving! Do you understand, Mister!?"

   Brian threw back his head and laughed deep and loud. Then he swept over to the bench and gathered Justin in a leathery embrace. Justin struggled but somehow he just became more and more entangled and suddenly he found he's been maneuvered onto Brian's wide lap in a cradling position and his arms were around Brian's neck. The leather smell was intoxicating.

   "Hey!"Justin was still mad and pushed away but Brian chuckled and refused to release him and moreover gathered him in closer. "Mmmmmm...I love it when you call me Mister like that!" he growled, "Look, I promise...all your questions will be answered...all in good time. In the meantime do you remember that I made you promise never to look me full in the face?"

   "Yes."

   "Well, keep your promise and all will be well with you." Brian's ugly face bent down and planted a hot, proprietary kiss on Justin's plump and beautiful lips and then stood them both up.

   "Now, I have one more thing to show you before we leave. Come along."

   "Oh Brian, this place is huge! I don't know if I can go all the way through and then back. Besides...I don't want to hear about anymore of your conquests."

   "It's only to the middle of the yard. And I promise...no more details about them. Come."

   "Well...all right." Justin came.

   "One thing, I do wonder..." Justin wondered as they went along. How are there so many!?"

   "I thought you didn't want to hear any details," Brian said, his tongue in cheek. It filled up the space that was left in the side of his cheek. It was grotesque. Justin couldn't suppress a shudder.

   "I - I meant personal details. You know the intimate stuff...about how great they were...or whatever...you know what I mean!" Justin seethed.

   "Yes, I know," Brian laughed. Then he sobered. "Well, the fact is, some men lasted longer than others. When I first got here, I was still very immature. I was angry and resentful and I didn't understand what I was supposed to do. At first I thought, all I needed to do was get a decent blowjob. Those guys only lasted a day or so. Some only lasted a few hours. It took me a few times of those to learn my lesson. Some came in groups. I soon learned that was not love either. I'm not...into that anymore," he confirmed and Justin breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, here we are."

   They had reached the very center of the courtyard. All around them as far as they could see were flowers and garden and statues. It was staggering and a little creepy and more than a little morbid when you considered who these statues really were. In the very center, there was a round flower bed. About 6 paths from different directions converged on it, making it a central point, even the central point of the whole garden. Two flowers were growing. There was no statue.

   In the center of the bed a ring of white stones had been laid out. However, this ring was twice as large as any of the others.

   Justin looked at it and then sat down on a bench. "Brian, why are we here?"

   Instead of answering him directly, Brian said, "After I sent your mother on her way, I came out here and laid out this ring of stones. I knew you were coming, you see."

   "All right."

   "The morning of the day you arrived, I knew you were near because these flowers had grown up here."

   "They're very nice. What are they?"

   "I've no idea. I've never seen this variety of flower before. It's completely new...or at least, new to me."

   "There's no statue," Justin observed.

   "No," Brian agreed.

   "Where's the statue, Brian?"

   Brian didn't answer.

   "Brian? Where's the statue?"

   Brian just looked at the flowerbed, into the center of the circle of stones. His shoulders moved slowly up and down as he just stood there in abject sorrow.

   Justin gritted his teeth. Brian...I'm not going to ask again...Where's...the goddam...statue?"

   Slowly Brian turned and again, Justin saw that he was grieving deeply although his glasses covered him like a mask. "Oh, Justin, oh my Beauty, can you not guess?"

   Justin's sky blue eyes widened in horror as realization slowly dawned. He whispered..."No...no...!"

   "Yes. If...if...the worst...happens..." Brian swallowed over the thick lump in his throat. "Then...then this is where I will place you. This is your bed Justin..."

   "NO! NO! NO!!! You cannot do this! You cannot! It's too cruel! You cannot bring me here, tell me to love you and then change me into stone! It's not fair! It's too cruel! Why bring me here if you were just going to kill me all along! My God! You're a monster! Beddy was right! You're just a Beast!"

   Suddenly he was on his feet before he knew it and he was pummeling Brian's chest and stomach with his smaller fists and frame. "You can't! You can't! You can't!" he screamed over and over, pummeling away at what might as well have been marble stone. Of course, Brian felt nothing. "You can't! I won't let you!"

   At last, Brian grabbed his wrists and Justin struggled and fought him violently but Brian only drew him closer and suddenly Justin was plastered around him and Brian wrapped his arms around his back in a tight bear hug and they were hugging, clinging to each other as if they were each other's lifelines.

   "Please...please don't kill me," begged Justin in a whisper.

   "Justin! Oh my Beauty! Will you calm down, stop being just a twat and a drama princess! I'm not going to kill you! And I don't want you to turn you into a statue! In fact, I never wanted to turnanyone into a statue!"

   Justin pulled back and looked at him and the fear and skepticism cut through Brian like a stiletto blade. "Oh really! And yet..." he gestured wordlessly around them.

   "Come and sit back down and I'll explain," Brian said, drawing him into his lap again and rocking him. "I never wanted to turn anyone here into stone. The rule is if you look upon my full face with fear of any kind, then you will transform. But if love has grown in your heart so that there is no room for fear then you shall be spared. So far that has never happened. But that is your chance...your one hope."

   "But what can possibly make you so terribly ugly for this to happen?" asked Justin.

   "I shall show you...but not now. Another time...and soon."

   "Justin buried his face into his chest and wept. "Oh, do not do this thing! To be cold stone! I don't want to stay here! Especially all alone in a flower bed! I don't want to be alone...forever!"

   "You will not be alone," declared Brian.

   Justin wiped his eyes. "Wha - What do you mean?"

   "About a month before you came, I had my last man over. He transformed and it cut me up pretty bad. Anyway, I decided I'd had enough and I was running out of time to boot. I gave up. I decided to accept my fate and run out the clock. Then your mother came and she told me she had a gay son. I saw your picture and I was overwhelmed by your beauty and innocence. So I thought...One last chance...one last hope. I'm going to make the most of it, wait till time is ripe and then....You've probably noticed your ring of stones is larger than the others." He changed the subject abruptly.

   "Yes, I did. Why?"

   "Because...if the worst happens...I will not live my life out as a monster. I cannot. So...if you become stone, I shall set you within the ring...I shall set my affairs in order...I will come out here with a hand mirror...the only mirror within this house by the way...I shall step into the ring with you...I will put my arms around you...uncover my face...and look into the mirror which will cause me to fall under the power of my own curse! I shall transform into a statue and be with you here...forevermore!!!"

   Justin stared up at Brian for a long time, his too-blue eyes wide with horror as Brian described what would basically be his suicide.

   Then he looked down at the flowerbed, and at the two flowers growing there. They were singular in their beauty. Their golden petals waved in the gentle summer breeze.

TBC