Annie and the Beast: A Western Version of Beauty and the Beast

Annie hurried into the kitchen, a cloud of red dust rising in her wake. Even inside the shade of the house, the heat from outside hung heavily in the air. She took off her hat and fanned her flushed cheeks. As usual, time had gotten away from her. Pa was seated at the kitchen table. Annie kissed him briefly on the cheek and began to put the shopping away.  She chattered about her day in town, leaving the pile of brown parcel wrappings on the table in front of him. With everything in place, Annie finally collapsed into the nearest chair.

       “This heat is gettin’ to me!”

She loosened the blue scarf around her neck.

       “That John was here today, askin’ after ya again.”

       “That drunkard? He spends more time gettin’ roostered than anythin’ else! He sure ain’t the marryin’ kind.” Annie scowled.

       “Y’already know yer the envy of all the girls in town?”

       “They’re welcome to him!”

Annie shuddered and Pa laughed.

       Based solely on appearance, Annie understood the girls’ envy. John Brown wasn’t unattractive. He was tall, dark and handsome – just the way girls want their men – but everyone else chose to overlook the faults Annie couldn’t. Good looks and a wealthy family too often overshadowed his downfalls. The only ranch bigger than the Brown’s was owned by William Duncan, more commonly known as “the Beast”. William was an older, single man who kept mostly to himself. His solitary lifestyle only encouraged the rumours. John boasted frequently that when he inherited the family ranch, the first thing he was going to do was buy the Beast’s land and add it to his own. Annie was unimpressed.

Footsteps on the porch and a sharp knock at the door woke Annie from her mental rant. A stranger in a large brown hat stood on the front steps. From his seat at the table, Pa’s face became sad.

       “Afternoon miss, might I have a word with yer Pa?”

       “Of course,” Annie stepped aside and let the man enter the house. “I’m afraid he’s a bit dragged out, but yer more than welcome.”

       The stranger tapped the edge of his hat in greeting but left it in place. The wide brim overshadowed the majority of his face and left only the edge of his nose and his stern bristle-covered chin visible. A thin white scar stretched from the middle of his left cheek to the edge of his mouth. He was dressed in a mixture of expensive brown and black leather. At his heels, large silver spurs shone brightly in the afternoon sun.

       Pa shook a little as he stood up.

“Sir, I was jus’ gettin’ ready to tell Annie here.”

       “Tell me what? Pa, what’s goin’ on?”

       “Yer Pa has a debt to pay,” the man told her. “I’m here to try an’ wind up the details. He’s gonna work my ranch until the debt is paid, instead of gettin’ the sheriff involved.”

       “Annie, it won’t be long, girl. Just a few months until I can pay Mr. Duncan back, an’ then everythin’ll be all right.”

       “Mr. Duncan?” Annie gasped. “It’s not all right, Pa! Yer in no health to be workin’ on a ranch!” Annie turned to the Beast and did her best to hide the fear in her voice. “Mr. Duncan, I appreciate what yer doin’ in letting my Pa work off his debt, but let me work off his debt fer ya instead. I may be a girl, but I’m willin’ to help out anyway I can. Please, sir…take me instead.”

       “Annie, ya can’t do that! It’s not yer debt to pay!”

Annie stepped up to the table and put her arm on Pa’s shoulder.

“Pa, we haven’t got the money to be payin’ off debts, an’ I’d sooner be soaked than let ya work yerself to death.”

       “I don’t want ya on the ranch, Annie.” Pa’s eyes were soft as he said this.

       “Pa, please, let me help. Ya know yer in no condition to be doin’ such hard work.”

       Pa watched her for a few moments. She was right. Pa nodded and dropped his gaze to the table. The Beast took a seat across from them.

“I’ll wait while ya get yer belongin’s together,” he said.

       Annie ran up the stairs, heart pounding. She had no idea how long she would be staying or even what she’d be doing while she was there. A few minutes later, she returned to the kitchen, traveling case in hand. The Beast stood by the doorway, hand resting on the gun at his waist.. Pa sat in his chair, fidgeting with the brown paper wrappings. Annie swallowed hard and wrapped her arms around him.

       “I’ll be back soon,” she whispered. “I love ya.”

       Pa hugged her back.

“I love ya too, Annie girl, Take care of yerself.”

“I will, Pa. I’ll be home before ya know it.” Annie stepped back and squared her shoulders. Wordlessly, the Beast stepped forward and took her case in hand.

       The trip to the ranch passed in near silence. Annie tried more than once to start conversation, but was greeted with minimal response each time. After a few minutes of trying, she gave up. Once at the ranch, the Beast showed her to her room. It was simple, with a bed, chest of drawers and small cushioned chair by the window. Though it was similar to her room at home, Annie felt awkward and out of place.

       “This is yer room. Supper’s in half an hour. I’ll see ya then.”

       Annie hesitated.

“Sir, I’m not too hungry tonight. I may turn in early.”

       She didn’t want to be in his silent company any longer than she had to. All she wanted to do was get into bed and wish the entire day away. She would have to see the Beast again in the morning, and the morning after that, and every morning until he said the debt was paid.

       William Duncan tipped his hat back away from his face and looked at her. Annie inhaled sharply. More scars covered the left side of his face, as if a large six-fingered claw had scraped across his skin. Thin, white lines stretched from his left temple to the edge of his nose. Miraculously, his eyes remained unscarred. Annie had never seen the ocean but she imagined it to be like the colour of his eyes. They were bluer than the sky, yet completely unreadable. Scared as she was, Annie was determined not to falter under his scrutiny.

       “Breakfast at six.” With that, he tipped the hat back down over his face and left her alone in the bedroom. The door shut between them with an ominous click.

       The next morning, Annie appeared at breakfast, hungry and curious what the day would involve. The Beast passed a handwritten list across the table. Annie scanned the paper and realised it would take her the majority of the day to complete the tasks she’d been given. Eager to get away, she hurried through breakfast. Outside, the cool of the morning still lingered in the air. Annie looked across the vast fields towards the town, now a small dark dot on the horizon. She could imagine Pa sitting on the front porch with his morning coffee, looking out towards her.

       The days and weeks passed as Annie expected, busy and in near silence. Some tasks more strength than she possessed, but she always attempted best she could before giving in and asking for help. The Beast never scolded her for asking, and sometimes Annie wondered whether or not he set her impossible tasks just to give her reason to talk to him. Sometimes they talked as they worked, but the conversations were rare and short. From under the brim of his hat, William Duncan watched her. She was a hard worker, and a good one. No matter how long a list she was presented with, Annie never complained. The first few weeks she moved about briskly, resolutely tackling each job; however, as time went on, her determined shoulders dropped and she excused herself from more and more meals. He hated to see her so unhappy. There was only one thing he could think to do.

       One evening, Annie returned tired and sore from the stables where she had fed and watered the horses. As usual, a knock sounded on her door a half hour before dinner.

       “I’m awful tired…” she began as William stepped into the room.

       “I’ll leave this in case ya get hungry,” he replied, setting a tray on the table by the door. “Annie, I’d be mighty grateful if ya’d do me the honour of joinin’ me for dinner tomorrow afternoon. There’s somethin’ I wanna speak to ya about. ”

       Annie looked at him in surprise. There was a white covered dish and a small vase of wildflowers. In the fading light, his eyes shone the colour of the flowers.

       “I’ll join ya tomorrow, Mr. Duncan,” she agreed, unsure what else she could say. “Thank ya kindly for the tray.” She looked away, suddenly embarrassed.

       “Please, call me William.” He paused. “G’night.”

       “G’night.”

       Annie slept restlessly. Questions whirled in her head as she waited for noon to come. The faint hope that her time with William, the Beast, had come to an end lingered in the back of her mind. Mixed with that hope was an inexplicable sense of sadness. Things hadn’t turned out as badly as she had imagined.

       At noon the next day, William greeted her with a nod and gestured for her to sit down. He had removed his hat and sat calmly at the head of the table. The afternoon sunlight glistened off the scars on his face but Annie didn’t shy away.

       “Ya should go,” William said simply. “I can take ya into town after we eat. Go to yer Pa. It’s been a long time and I think he’d wanna be with ya.”

       Annie stared at him.

“Ya mean the debt is repaid? I can go home?”

       William nodded slowly.

“Just go.”

       He looked away as she rose from the table and went to gather her things. A few minutes later, Annie appeared outside with her case. Neither spoke as he urged the horse on towards town. The main street was busy. Stares and whispers followed the wagon as they came by. Passing the saloon, a familiar face looked out of the window and scowled. John rushed out of the swinging doors in front of the oncoming wagon.

       “Whatcha doin’, Beast?”

John waved his brown bottle at the wagon.

       William pulled back hard on the reins to avoid hitting him. Annie gripped the edge of the seat as they came to an abrupt stop. John stumbled to the edge of the wagon and tried to pull her down.

       “John, let go!” she exclaimed and edged towards the middle of the wagon seat.

       John tugged harder on her wrist. The smell of whisky rose around him.

“Git down!” he ordered.

       William got down from the wagon in one swift motion and turned to face John.

“I think ya should go.”

       “Yeah?” John sneered and spat in the dust at their feet. “Whatcha gonna do then? Shoot me?”

       William left his gun at his waist and shook his head.

“She’s not here to see ya.”

       John raised the bottle towards William’s face.

“I’ll leave when I git my gal back!”

       “I’m stayin’ right here!” Annie wrenched her arm from his grasp. She stood up in the wagon and glared down at John.

       John threw back his head and laughed.

“Lookit Annie, protectin’ the Beast! Bet you think she’s in love with ya!”

He continued to laugh as she stood over him.

       “An’ what if I am?” Annie asked suddenly.

       As soon as she’d said it, Annie knew that was it. The strange tightness in her stomach slowly lessened. She had watched William during the months at the ranch. She had watched him change from rude and silent to considerate and quiet. In her mind she could see him in the stables, silently working alongside her. He never made an issue of her not coming to meals and surprised her with gestures like the tray and wildflowers. Although he hadn’t always been lively company, she had never heard a cross word come from his mouth. Through it all, she had grown to love the Beast.

       “What?” John and William both exclaimed.

       “What if I am? What if I am in love with him?” Annie repeated. “He’s a heap more of a gentleman!”

       “You’re bluffin’!” John shouted.

       “Ya callin’ Annie a liar?” William said. He watched at Annie from under the brim of his hat.

       “Just go, John,” she urged.

       John spat on the ground again and smashed the bottle in the street. The horse whinnied and moved its feet away as the remaining whiskey trickled into a reddish brown puddle on the ground. With one last look at them, John stormed off back into the saloon. The other townspeople who had been watching the argument slowly retreated back into their shops and houses. In the wagon, Annie shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other and watched William tip back his hat. Blue eyes shone out from under the brim.

       “Annie, did ya really mean it?”

       “I do.”

       Annie reached out and placed a hand against his cheek. She could feel the ridges of his skin beneath her fingertips. She wondered how she had ever been afraid of  such a handsome face. William nodded and got back into the wagon.

“We should gitcha home to yer Pa. I promised ya could go.”

       “William? Jus’ because I’m home now, doesn’t mean I’m not comin’ back.”

Annie watched as a smile began to spread across his face. William took up the reins in one hand and reached for hers with the other. Annie linked her fingers with his and looked into the road. In front of them, the dust on the roads shone brilliant red and gold. Behind them, an orange sun was setting.