Heart of the Beast

By Brian Menue

The tale of Aiden Evans is one as old as time itself. Love, jealousy, and a terrible curse. After over ten years of living in the Louisiana bayou as a monstrous beast, it is time for Aiden to organize his life and put it back together.

This short story is heavily inspired by Beauty and the Beast. Set in the present day, in the American South, it flips the fairy tale on its head to follow a tortured soul on the verge of putting his life back together or letting it crumble completely.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brian Menue
• Release date: Jun 11, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310724763

Brian Menue

I'm a fan of stories through all mediums, particularly novels and video games. The interactive nature of the two really appeals to a sense of immersion for me, and that's the feeling I try to put into my own work. I find inspiration in life and stories, and have been inspired to start writing for publication again after the birth of my daughter. I am driven to putting out content as diligently as possible, despite writing between my full time job and spending time with my family.

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Heart of the Beast

Copyright © 2016 by Brian Menue.

All Rights Reserved.

Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited.

Please note: This is a work of fiction.  All characters, organizations, and events portrayed are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real.

ISBN: 9781310724763

The Beast's Curse

Aiden carried the firewood inside. After an hour in the muggy bayou heat, he felt relieved to be indoors. If he didn’t need a fire to cook the crawfish for dinner, he wouldn’t have bothered with the endeavor. His thick fur coat didn’t help with the heat either.

He glanced at the cracked mirror in the corner of his living room. He’d lost track of the years, but after all that time, he didn’t immediately recoil at the sight of himself. The voodoo witch’s curse had mutated him into something monstrous, something beastly. That’s what the locals called him, the ones that thought they had seen him,at least. The Beast, the urban legend of the bayou. He had forgotten the transformation itself, something his memory had blocked out permanently. He remembered waking up, more sore than he had ever felt. It was as if he’d pulled every muscle in his body. In retrospect, he figured it was growing pains. He was a foot taller than he used to be. He was also covered in thick, brown fur that had matted after years in the swamp. He had a hunch in his back. Worst of all, he had terrible fangs, and two demonic horns coming from his head.

The jealous witch. She couldn’t stand to see Aiden with Rose, and she figured if she couldn’t have him,