Prologue
Disclaimer:
The following story is a fantasy and has no relation whatsoever to reality. The facts and beliefs depicted in the story are fictional and hence should not be considered offensive. Furthermore, this story involves sexual relationships between men. If it is illegal for you to read this or you are not interested in this stuff, I recommend you to decide for yourself what you want to do- you're smart enough.
This story has somewhat been inspired from Dante's Cove, a soap. However, the viewers of that particular soap would notice that barring the Prologue, the story will be having no resemblence to the soap in question.
Lastly, this story is the copyright of the author and no part of this story may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form by any means without the prior permission of the author.
Now that we have got the basics out of the way, let's get on with the story.
A Kiss Will Set You Free
By: BeaStKid
Chapter 1: The Curse (Prologue)
Rutland Isle, 1840
Richard Hall stood near a barren park waiting for his fiancée, Grace Allen to arrive. Richard, attired in a black tuxedo and a matching hat, was the most eligible bachelor in Rutland Isle. After all, he was tall, handsome, elegant and the sole heir of the Hall family business.
Richard looked up in anticipation as he saw Grace arrive. She was wearing a beautiful gown and carried an umbrella to protect her delicate skin from the summer sun. Grace, an epitome of female beauty, resided in almost half the town's men folk's hearts.
Richard kissed Grace's offered hand and together they made their way towards the former's house. A fine-looking lady walked past the couple and Richard acknowledged her presence far too long for Grace's liking. Pulling him towards her, they set off again, only this time it was Grace who looked back at the woman. Her eyes turned red with fury and in moments, the woman fell to the ground, her mouth foaming and her body lifeless.
The couple arrived at Richard's house and Grace stood near the piano and removed her gloves, practically banging them on the wood.
"You seem distracted", asked Richard from behind her.
"Do I?" Grace replied.
"Yes. Is something bothering you, my love?" Richard asked again.
Grace hesitated for a second but then spoke, "Well, if you must know, I saw the way you looked at the girl on the street and..."
Richard cut her off. "Grace, I can assure you, I have absolutely no interest in any other woman but you."
"I want to believe you," Grace said as she turned around to face Richard. He took her hands in his and kissed them.
"If I am to be your husband, you must trust me."
"Perhaps I'm just a bit anxious over our wedding. Forgive me, darling," she said.
"Yes my dear." Richard replied and leaned forward to kiss his would-be bride. Their lips met and Grace soon forgot her worries as she lost herself in her love's arms.
"Not now." Richard said as he broke the kiss.
"Why not now?" asked Grace.
"We mustn't spoil the wedding night." Richard replied.
Startled, Grace looked into Richard's eyes and finding only love, she answered, "Your restraint is admirable, my love. Besides, Mother's expecting me. I should go."
Richard kissed her again. "Until tomorrow."
Grace left the house as Richard stood inside looking out the window at Grace's retreating form. Mary, Richard's housemaid, entered the living room and asked, "Is there anything you require sir?"
"Yes Mary, as a matter of fact, there is." Richard answered with a smirk on his face. Removing his coat, he turned around to face Mary. He walked around her and unfastened the clasp of her dress hugging her from behind. Hastily undressing each other, they both fell into a deep embrace. Heavy kissing gave way to passionate love making as both of them lost themselves in the moment.
Meanwhile, Grace realized that she had forgotten her gloves on the piano at Richard's house and turned back to get them. As she entered the house and the living room, a gasp escaped her mouth on seeing her fiancée and his maid in such a compromising position.
Richard immediately pulled away from Mary as he saw the look of intense contempt on Grace's face. She was fuming, flabbergasted at the sight in front of her.
"You filthy little piece of rubbish!" Grace screamed as her eyes turned a fiery red.
"Grace, NO!" Richard pleaded as Mary's body began to vaporize in front of him. The maid fell to the floor, withering in intense pain as her spirit was being banished from this world. Finishing her job with the wretched maid, Grace turned her attention towards the man whom she loved more than life itself.
"Consider the wedding night spoiled!"
"NOO!" and everything went black for Richard.
Richard awoke to intense pain as he found himself shirtless and hands chained to the ceiling. He struggled to free himself for a while before he noticed Grace lighting candles nearby. They were in some sort of a basement, presumably his own but highly altered. Upon noticing that Richard had woken up, she took hold of a whip lying on a dresser behind her.
"What are you doing? Where am I?" With each question, Grace cracked the whip, thereby infuriating Richard.
"I asked WHERE AM I??!" Richard shouted.
Grace started laughing, a slow mirthless laughter. "It is useless. No one can hear you."
"Unchain me. Somebody will come looking for me. Somebody will find me." Richard said unconvincingly as he continued to struggle with the bonds.
"You have one last chance." Grace continued, ignoring Richard. "Come back to me or here you shall spend all eternity."
"I would rather rot in hell than be with you." Richard answered solemnly.
"Then rot!! Stay stubborn!" Grace retorted. "In time your heart will weaken in desperation. In time the loneliness would spread through your body like the plague," she said as her voice broke, tears coming to her face.
Seeing the grim determination on Grace's face, Richard's resolve too dissolved and he broke into pleas. "Set me free! Please. I beg you."
"Oh you shall have your freedom. I would hate to deny you happiness." She took a deep breath and spoke on, "The kiss of a young man would set you free."
"What! But I'm not a homosexual!" cried Richard.
"This is your punishment!" Grace shouted back.
"Very well. I shall find a young man. A young man will desire me," Richard said through clenched teeth.
Grace walked up to Richard and ran the back of her forefinger through the latter's cheek, feeling his smooth skin beneath.
"Ah! Such a beautiful face. This is the face I fell in love with," she said through tears. Turning around to look at her reflection in the dresser's mirror, she took a deep breath and continued in a voice filled with sarcasm, "Forgive me, I forgot how you so love your own reflection."
She stepped aside for Richard to see his own reflection. A gasp escaped his lips as he saw an old man instead of his handsome face, a shabby old man with dirty hair and wrinkled skin.
"What have you done to me?" He asked in the quavering voice of an aged person.
Still crying but now with a strong conviction, Grace spoke, "With every dawn, a glimpse of light will shine on your face. The face that has betrayed me. The face that you are so proud of." She cracked her whip for the last time and left the quivering man to himself.
Grace Allen stood in the graveyard, some time later, and a strike of lightening illuminated the grave she was looking at. The stone read-
Richard Hall 1810-1840
Hope you like the first installment of A Kiss Will Set You Free
Thanks to Bondwriter for proof Reading this story.
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This is my first attempt at writing so please feel free to comment about the positives and negatives of this story. More will be up as soon as I write it. LOL
For comments and suggestions, you can email me at bsk_stories@yahoo.com
-BeaStKid