"The Face Within (12-13,Epilogue)" by Esther SP. Buhrman

In Callan's arms, Josette cowered.  She could feel and hear the maniacal laughter, guttural and repulsive in her mind.  She knew what stood by the door, waiting.  The light in her eyes died.  She slipped out of Callan's arms, turned around and walked towards the black cloaked figure.
"Josette?" Callan whispered.  Terror stirred within him as he looked at the menacing stooped figure.  He could see no face, only the bottomless, swallowing darkness lurking within the cowl and the twisted, clawed finger pointing at him.  He heard a hoarse whisper and cold, steel chains snaked around him pinning him to a pillar.
"Callan!" Josette ran to him.  She held his face, her blue eyes weeping.  "I'm sorry...so sorry..."
"Don't go to it!" Callan implored.
"Josette! Come to me!" the figure hissed and Josette obeyed.
"Josette!" Callan cried, but Josette walked on.  Her crown slipped off her head, and fell, shattering and crumbling into non existence.  Her gown blackened and grew tattered and ugly.

The figure waited patiently until Josette stood before it.  It drew back its cowl to reveal the hideous face of Callan's nightmares, but its eyes were red and burning, two soulless flames in rotted, scarred flesh.  It peered at Josette and a cracked smile twisted its lurid features.  "You stand there in rags, but still shine like an angel.  I can see that.  Ugliness sees everything that is beautiful."  Callan struggled with his chains, but to no avail.  The monster continued.  "We belong together, we always have.  I suit you.  You suit me.  The beauty you hold - it's all a sham!" The monster brought its face close to Josette's, its foul breath assailing her.  "Now when you look in the mirror all you will see is me!"
"Pitiful creature.  I brought you to life.  I fed you with my tears and my hate," Josette said sadly.
"Enough!" the monster rasped, seizing Josette.
"You are not real, not any more."  Josette brought a dagger from behind her back and plunged it into the monster's body.  On the ground, it writhed, screaming in agony.  The chains that held Callan prisoner melted away and he ran, stumbling towards Josette.  He was near enough to touch her, hold her in his arms and tell her everything was alright just like in those happy endings that everyone dreams of, but the monster had pulled out the dagger from its body and threw it swiftly.  It reached its target, burying itself deeply into Josette's stomach.  Darkness fell and a chilling wind blew.
"Josette!" Callan screamed.  "Where are you?" There was no answer in the aching silence, only a question from a dying monster.  Gasping in a cracked, sorrowful voice it asked, "What is it like to be truly beautiful?"
 

Chapter Thirteen
 

In the darkness behind the curtains of her closed eyes, Josette could hear the faint beat of her heart.  She was tired, but to sleep meant to never wake up again.  The pain tormented her, and she cried softly, feeling Callan's arms cradle her closer to him.  She opened her eyes to see the room of the old mansion and the sun rising over the sleeping world.  She smiled, a trace of sadness in her voice.  "I've never seen a sunrise more beautiful..."  She felt a burning tear drop on her cheek.  She looked up at Callan.
"What am I supposed to say?" Callan's voice trembled.  He could feel Josette dying in his arms, and he was suddenly angry.  "Why did you have to go to that world? It was a damn stupid idea! You go there and you get yourself a death sentence! If you hadn't gone you'd be alright, not bleeding all over me! Is that what you want to hear? Because that's all I have to say!" Josette looked away.  Callan was breathing hard.  Something was ripping him apart inside.  Josette weakly got up and kissed him tenderly.  Callan sighed. How could anyone be so beautiful? "I know you don't mean that, Callan.  You know I had to go there and I'm happy I did.  For a long time now all I've had was hatred for myself, but I've killed that now."
"What about your crown?"
"It was a beautiful crown and the world was my dream world, but I forgot all that when you walked through those doors.  In your eyes, I was always your princess.  I only needed you."
Callan was crying.  "Please don't leave me...I love you so much."
"I wish I could stay..." Josette whispered.
 

Josette's eyes were weary.  "I'm scared.  I don't want to die."
"You won't die.  You'll sleep and when you wake up you'll be dancing in a forest of clouds with the sun..."
Josette laughed.  "Do you think I believe that? But I feel there's something or someone waiting for me.  It's just a feeling."
"I'm jealous," Callan laughed.
"I love you, you know that don't you?" Josette asked.
Callan smiled.  "I always knew."
"Then, my beautiful prince, kiss me before I go...everything's fading."

Their last kiss seemed eternal.  Deep inside him Callan could feel something dancing and singing within him and fingers of warm fire embraced his face so there was no more pain.  Josette's eyes shone with tears.  "Beautiful, as you were always supposed to be, " and her voice was lost in the gentle breeze and tiredness closed her blue eyes forever, her arms still around Callan.  Callan's tearstained face looked up to the mirror, magically restored before him.  He saw the face the fire had maliciously stolen from him, unravaged and smooth-skinned.  His face was more beautiful than it had ever been.
"Oh, Josette..."  Callan whispered, looking down at her.  Josette looked like she was sleeping, just like the Sleeping Beauty Callan had fallen in love with.  He started to cry and saw the tears he shed, tears of gold.
 

Epilogue
 

Everyone still looks at me in awe.  They still can't believe the transformation to my face and that I don't have a trace of a scar on me.  I don't believe it myself, but somehow I know what I see in the mirror is my soul's face, hidden for so long.  Just like me, Charlie believes Josette was an angel.  "She sure looked like one," he had said.

I have found new friends who like me for who I am, but I haven't found what Josette was to me, a best friend.  I don't think I ever will.

Josette came to me one sleepless night, singing a lullaby in such a beautiful, angelic voice that it brought tears to my soul.  I felt her kiss on my lips, her warm touch on my face.  I wish I could have opened my eyes, but I couldn't and when I reached out to hold her in my arms once more, she was gone, her lullaby fading under a blanket of stars.

The night comes now, the silence sings me to sleep.  I dream now of a beautiful face amid a soft rain of snowflakes.  A face with shining ebony hair, blue-skied eyes and a smile that always breaks my heart.
Goodnight, my princess...