Dane was a poor man but a hard-working one. He never pitied himself for his plight- having Belle around, dissipated most feelings of loneliness and yearning. He smiled to himself, as he remembered the time he'd accidentally gashed himself with his hunting knife. The cut was deep, crimson blood dripping out of the crescent shaped scar that was forming on his hand. He'd tried in vain to hide it from Belle but she had noticed immediately. She raised her trunk straight into the air and trumpeted so loudly that all the birds nearby took flight, screeching. She started to run into the woods and Dane had run after her, unsure of what she was about to do. When he caught up to her at the edge of the lake, she nudged his hand until he turned the palm upwards. Then using her trunk, she sprayed water on his hand, in her attempt to clean it. When he looked up at her face, he could see a tear dripping from her eye. That was the first time he realized that elephants could cry too. He didn't know what having mother was like but he imagined she would clean his scars too.
Today, Dane was going to take Belle to the lake. It had become one of Belle's favourite places to play and it gave him peace to watch her prance happily. He loved to sit on the shores of the lake as Belle frolicked about. Sometimes she sprayed Dane with water and he would laugh and she would trumpet softly as if chuckling with him.
As Dane and Belle approached the lake, he noticed a woman, sitting on the other side of the lake, dangling her feet in the water. She was a beautiful woman, with hair as dark as a moonless night and matching dark eyes, that seemed to smile at him. "Is that your elephant?" asked the woman from across the lake.
As Dane and Belle approached the lake, he noticed a woman, sitting on the other side of the lake, dangling her feet in the water. She was a beautiful woman, with hair as dark as a moonless night and matching dark eyes, that seemed to smile at him. "Is that your elephant?" asked the woman from across the lake.
"Yes she's mine. Her name's Belle," said Dane. Belle dipped her trunk into the lake and drank water, all the while staring at the woman.
"Can I pet her?" asked the woman, smiling. She seemed excited, almost as if she'd never seen an elephant before.
"Yes," said Dane shyly. He was getting flustered and it wasn't just that she was an attractive woman. He was not used to informal human interaction, having come to rely on Belle for friendship. Only few words had been said but he'd never spoken to someone so friendly before.
The woman lifted her dainty feet out of the pond, and walked barefoot towards him. Belle had stopped drinking water and had become very still. Her observant eyes keenly followed the woman, as she made her way around the pond.
The woman lifted her dainty feet out of the pond, and walked barefoot towards him. Belle had stopped drinking water and had become very still. Her observant eyes keenly followed the woman, as she made her way around the pond.
As the woman reached Belle, she put her hand on Belle's trunk and began to stroke her tenderly. "Ma Cherie," whispered the woman affectionately. Belle began to shudder and suddenly wrenched her trunk away from the woman. She lifted her trunk upwards and trumpeted as loud as she could and glared at the woman.
"Belle, it's ok. She won't hurt you," said Dane soothingly, as he tried to calm her down. He patted Belle on the head slowly. "I - I think she's nervous," he said to the woman, stumbling over his words.
"I better go home," said the woman quietly. Shock and fear were evident on her face as she backed away from Belle. As soon as she'd moved away far enough, she ran into the woods like a frightened rabbit, not looking back at all.
Dane looked at Belle sadly. "Oh Belle," he said as he slowly stroked her trunk. "She meant no harm to us." Belle looked away from him, dipped her trunk in the lake, lifted water out and continued to drink as if the woman had never been there.
Dane wished to see the woman again and hoped she would come back to the lake. He went back the next day, leaving Belle behind so as to not scare the woman if she was there. To his delight there was the woman, dipping her feet in the lake. "Is your elephant with you?" she asked nervously, when she saw him.
"Belle's not with me right now. I'm sorry about what happened, she's never done that before," said Dane sadly.
She stared at him for a moment and then walked towards him. Then she extended her hand, smiled and said "My name is Michélle."
After a moment, he too smiled.
After a moment, he too smiled.
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1 year later ...
As the days passed, he felt a rift growing between him and Belle. She who had always been supportive of his happiness, was not supportive of his relationship with Michélle. She's not human, were the words that came to his mind when he pondered this problem but immediately he knew this wasn't the reason. As an elephant, she'd shown him more kindess than any human ever had. He had to accept that somehow Michélle's existence offended Belle. One year ago, Dane would never have imagined Belle as threatening towards anyone unless it meant danger to his life ... and yet she became agitated in Michélle's presence; the woman who's only crime was to fall in love with a man who lived with his elephant. There were times Belle had lunged towards her, trumpeting loudly towards the sky- a war cry that spoke of death. There were times Michélle would walk away slowly, tears that she struggled to hold in, floating on her lashes. Dane wanted to run after Michélle and tell her he loved her but he couldn't- not while Belle wasn't calm, her menacing tusks slicing the air like ivory knives; a subtle reminder of what could happen if Michélle got too close.
With each incident, questions surfaced in his mind and answers wandered up from the darkest abyss where Dane kept certain truths he didn't want to admit. Why? Why did Belle act this way? She's an animal. She's vicious and if she can't have you to herself ... one day she will. He could feel this four ton burden of ivory and rough skin weigh down his relationship with Michélle for she increasingly burst into tears with each threatning advance made by Belle. Slowly, Dane could feel Michélle pull away from him. Her kisses no longer lingered, her caresses no longer reached him and her eyes no longer met his.
One night, Michélle met Dane at the lake as she had so often done. She seemed tired and worry was etched plainly on her face. "Michélle, it's nice to see you," said Dane nervously.
"I have something to say," said Michélle sadly. "I don't see a life with you. Belle doesn't like me and she has become a threat to my life. She's dangerous. My patience is gone, I-I can't hope that she'll be more peaceful towards me one day. You're blinded by your devotion to her and I've no choice but to give you an ultimatum." She paused a moment, tears slowly streaming down her face. "Don't you see?" she said imploringly. "You have to choose between Belle and I. Sell her by the end of the week and if you can't I'll know that you've made your choice."
"Belle-"
"Dane," interrupted Michélle. "I know you'll try to change my mind and I don't want that. Come find me in a week ... if you've chosen me. I know how much Belle means to you but I love you. Belle shouldn't be my burden to carry." She lovingly stroked Dane's cheek with her fingertips and then turned away, walking off into the night. As he watched her back receding in the distance, Dane felt as if she were actually walking out of his life. He knew then that he would choose Michélle.
Soon word had spread that Belle was for sale. Her size made her ideal for hard labour and her tusks were the coveted prize of poachers all over. The lust driven people offered sums of money that Dane could never have imagined. One person however caught Dane's attention the most. This person offered twice the amount of money Dane was being offered by anyone else. The person was cloaked and thus Dane couldn't tell who it was. He was hesistant to sell Belle to the cloaked figure, however the money offered was too much to refuse. Dane didn't have a chance to say goodbye to Belle as the figure demanded that he have her immediately.
As Belle was being led away, she didn't fight or get agitated as Dane expected. She looked back at him, a tear swimming down from her eye and then she looked away. Dane held in his own tears, his hands full of cash, wondering if he'd made some mistake.
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He found Michélle at the lake, her feet dangling in the waters, like the first time he met her. A year ago, she seemed carefree and joyous but now, there she sat, unsmiling, as if the weight of the world were upon her. "I sold Belle," said Dane.
Michélle, ran towards Dane and threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry I made you choose," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."
Dane stroked her hair, happy that he had Michélle but still wondering what would become of Belle. "I want to give you the money I received from selling Belle. I wouldn't know what to use it for," he said.
"I'll save it for us. There will come a time when we'll need this money it'll be useful then," said Michélle happily.
"So be it," said Dane. He handed her the cash and that night when he went home, he was more at peace with himself. He had sold Belle but now he had Michélle and money. He felt hopeful about his future.
The next few weeks passed by slowly for every day, as he had done most every day for the past year, he'd come to the lake to see Michélle. However since he'd given her the money, she'd not come to the lake. At first he reasoned that she must be busy and would come within the following days but slowly he realized that perhaps something had happened to her. He didn't know where she lived and he'd never asked for he'd always been content to see her by the lake. He asked around town about her, but no one seemed to know who she was.
Desperately, he started to stay longer and longer on the shores of the lake, surmising that maybe he had just missed her in the past few weeks. It was one such evening that he was at the lake's edge, when a familiar, thundering sound reached his ears. With each passing second, the sound drew closer and closer and then suddenly Belle appeared. Her rough hide was covered in deep cuts that had darkened with infection and her left back leg had a rusty shackle wrapped around it. Her right, front leg was completely gone, almost as if it had been sawed off.
Dane ran towards her, not understanding how she could be in front of him and regretting selling her for she had clearly been abused. He threw his arms around her, sobbing for the state she was in. "I'm sorry Belle, I'm sorry," he kept saying to her. Belle raised her trunk and patted Dane on the head lovingly, for she was a mother that would always forgive her son.
There was no wind and yet Belle swayed as if the force of a thousand winds were behind her, With a massive thud, reminiscent of a minor earthquake, she toppled to the ground and lay still, the now silent woods a mockery of her plight. She'd escaped from somewhere- the chain was evidence of that- and had done enough to reach Dane. He knew he needed to get help but that meant the would have to leave Belle at the lake, for she was too heavy to bring back with him. He quickly ran back the way he came, towards town to get help.
As he started to run, he heard footsteps in the still woods and quickly ducked behind a maple tree, barely concealed by the ancient bark of it's massive trunk. A cloaked figure holding a serrated, hunting knife, stepped into the clearing. Dane thought he recognized the cloaked figure as the same person he sold Belle to. He wanted to run from behind the tree and pummel the figure with all the strength that he possessed but the knife dissuaded him from moving.
The cloaked figure moved quickly, not wasting anytime. Dane watched in horror, as the cloaked figure began to saw at the gleaming, ivory tusks that beckoned to all with its sheer beauty. Belle didn't move as the cloaked figure continued to saw, and Dane realized with anguish that she must be dead.
He sat there for hours, his heart full of regret, knowing he should've chosen Belle over Michélle because now he was all alone. As he got up to leave, he noticed the two ivory tusks Michélle had cut off Belle. New tears welled up in his eyes as he realized that even in death, Belle had taken care of him.
Dane ran towards her, not understanding how she could be in front of him and regretting selling her for she had clearly been abused. He threw his arms around her, sobbing for the state she was in. "I'm sorry Belle, I'm sorry," he kept saying to her. Belle raised her trunk and patted Dane on the head lovingly, for she was a mother that would always forgive her son.
There was no wind and yet Belle swayed as if the force of a thousand winds were behind her, With a massive thud, reminiscent of a minor earthquake, she toppled to the ground and lay still, the now silent woods a mockery of her plight. She'd escaped from somewhere- the chain was evidence of that- and had done enough to reach Dane. He knew he needed to get help but that meant the would have to leave Belle at the lake, for she was too heavy to bring back with him. He quickly ran back the way he came, towards town to get help.
As he started to run, he heard footsteps in the still woods and quickly ducked behind a maple tree, barely concealed by the ancient bark of it's massive trunk. A cloaked figure holding a serrated, hunting knife, stepped into the clearing. Dane thought he recognized the cloaked figure as the same person he sold Belle to. He wanted to run from behind the tree and pummel the figure with all the strength that he possessed but the knife dissuaded him from moving.
The cloaked figure moved quickly, not wasting anytime. Dane watched in horror, as the cloaked figure began to saw at the gleaming, ivory tusks that beckoned to all with its sheer beauty. Belle didn't move as the cloaked figure continued to saw, and Dane realized with anguish that she must be dead.
As the cloaked figure finished cutting of Belle's tusks, Dane noticed her trunk twitch. She was alive but just barely. Suddenly, Belle's trunk wrapped around the cloaked figure's leg, knocking the person to the ground. The force of being knocked to the ground had struck part of the cloak off the figure. Underneath, was Michélle.
Shock coursed through Dane, as he realized that for the last one year, he'd fallen for a woman who had patiently conned him. Part of him wanted to run from behind the tree and save her from Belle, despite all she had done. But he saw that Michélle had a darkness in her eyes that he'd never seen before and couldn't bring himself to move. Belle was the only being that had ever cared about him and she wasn't human. Michélle screamed and cursed at Belle, while struggling to free her leg from Belle's trunk. Belle squeezed with all the strength left in her dying body, her unshakable grip, clenching valiantly at the woman who had caused her suffering. Then with one last movement, Belle spun towards the lake, still gripping Michélle and slid down the shore into the murky depths of its waters. Michélle's screams echoed for a moment and then all was still.
Tears streaming down his face, Dane stared at the surface of the lake hoping they would reappear but knowing they would not. Even now, Michélle was affecting him, for his tears weren't just for Belle, they were for her. This was the first moment Dane felt an orphan, for he was now truly alone.
Shock coursed through Dane, as he realized that for the last one year, he'd fallen for a woman who had patiently conned him. Part of him wanted to run from behind the tree and save her from Belle, despite all she had done. But he saw that Michélle had a darkness in her eyes that he'd never seen before and couldn't bring himself to move. Belle was the only being that had ever cared about him and she wasn't human. Michélle screamed and cursed at Belle, while struggling to free her leg from Belle's trunk. Belle squeezed with all the strength left in her dying body, her unshakable grip, clenching valiantly at the woman who had caused her suffering. Then with one last movement, Belle spun towards the lake, still gripping Michélle and slid down the shore into the murky depths of its waters. Michélle's screams echoed for a moment and then all was still.
Tears streaming down his face, Dane stared at the surface of the lake hoping they would reappear but knowing they would not. Even now, Michélle was affecting him, for his tears weren't just for Belle, they were for her. This was the first moment Dane felt an orphan, for he was now truly alone.
He sat there for hours, his heart full of regret, knowing he should've chosen Belle over Michélle because now he was all alone. As he got up to leave, he noticed the two ivory tusks Michélle had cut off Belle. New tears welled up in his eyes as he realized that even in death, Belle had taken care of him.
