Summary: There is a fine line between attraction and obsession.

.Beauty and the Beast.

1

Ah, he remembered this room all too clearly. They had brought him in here just one too many times. It was getting boring. He got bored easily, especially with people. If he saw the same face more than three times, he made sure never to see it again. This room needed redecorating, really it did. The white was getting painful to his eyes. It seemed to glare at him from every possible angle and corner. This whole damn building needed redecorating! The white was all over the place and it was so irritating, it made him mad sometimes.

Often he took it upon himself to recolour the walls but that just made the guards and doctors angry. They got irked at why he bashed someone else's head just so he could paint the walls red. Well, if they cared that much about the madcaps living here then they should've provided him with paint instead of telling him not to decapitate the other patients.

But they never took him seriously. They were always more interested in what he had to say about himself and others compared to what he thought about the colour of the interrogation room, or that's what he called it. They called it something like the psychiatrist room or ward or something. He didn't care. He hadn't been brought here for around a whole year now. Last time they brought him here he had pulled out the eyes of the person sitting opposite him. 'Why?' They had asked him later, 'Why did you do that?' His reply had been simple. 'That's the fourth time I saw his face. It was boring. So I remodeled it. Doesn't he look interesting without eyes? Now everyone will double check his face.' He ended up laughing and no one was too pleased with him.

They were such boring people. They didn't even get his jokes.

The guard tied a belt around him so he wouldn't be able to get off the chair. His hands were secured behind him because he was wearing a straightjacket. Even the damn jacket was white. But he liked the belt, it wasn't painful white, it was leather brown. He noticed there were two chairs across the table instead of the usual one, so his head remained cool. The room looked different because of the presence of an extra chair. Really, it did.

The people who came in this time were different too. One was dressed in black from head to toe. He liked the stranger already. His favourite colour was black. The second was wearing a white lab coat but at least he was wearing different colours underneath. Both strangers took the spare chairs.

"We'll cut straight to the point." Black dressed man said.

He smiled. "Please do."

"I'm afraid a serious case has been registered against you." Oh, what else was new? Were they now going to coin a new term for him? Bloodophilic, maybe? All he wanted was for them to redecorate the rooms and they went to court.

"The doctors believe that everything you do is … intentional." The second man began. Oh, how old and frail he looked. Those people broke so easily under his hands. "My name is Michael Gehabich and please don't mind, I've been observing you for a while now."

"Really?" His smile never faltered. He could read their faces so easily. "Am I going to be hanged?"

The two men exchanged looks. "You see," The black dressed began "that's what the case against you is. Your intelligence is just too high for someone with mental problems or a psychological disorder. Even physically you are very … err, it is believed that keeping you here further is very risky. Um … that having you under study is unsafe as well."

"So, I am getting hanged."

"Maybe."

"When?"

"… Tomorrow."

The old man looked like he wanted to say something but stopped at the last minute.

"Well, if you people are going to get me killed than let me see the stars today." Both men looked shocked. "I haven't seen the sky ever since I've been brought back." He could see they were getting a bit nervous. "You're a lawyer aren't you?" He looked at the black dressed man. "I think I have that much of right."

The man sighed. "I think we can arrange that."

Alice felt a bit nervous. She didn't know why her grandfather had taken up a job in an asylum of all places! He used to be a scientist so she was pretty sure he would be doing some research after his retirement but he opted to join some faculty for mentally off people. The girl sighed. She had a feeling she shouldn't have joined her grandfather today, on his first official day here, but she had sort of wanted to, never having been to an asylum before. It had been a bad choice. The place made you feel chills up your spine.

She heard the door open and turned around just as a strong wind whipped her hair again. Her attention was now fully on the built man in the building's uniform and a young patient who was tied up in a straight jacket. Only God knows why, there was also a bag around the patient's head. The guard slowly removed it and heavy locks of fair blond fell down, concealing half the patient's face. Despite the shaggy bangs covering his eyes, the male still seemed to be able to see her and turned his head towards her. It was then the guard noticed her.

Purely out of her grooming, she stiffened up and instantly waved her hand. "uh-heh, hello! Good Evenin-night! How do you do?"

The lack of light made it vague but she was sure the tied up male had smiled. A strong wind came again and when his hair swayed she hoped to catch a glimpse of his eyes. He turned his face away just at the perfect moment.

A bit embarrassed that no one had responded to her greeting, she turned her attention back to the ground below again. The other two seemed to be staring at the sky. She secretly glanced up, wondering if something was different up there, even peeking at the two strangers before turning her attention down again.

The busy road below sounded very mute from this height. The headlights on cars and added effect of the lights from buildings and other sources summed quite a bit of enchantment to her view. Cities always appeared beautiful at night, particularly busy roads.

The girl suddenly felt a chill run up her spine. Well, she was standing on top an institute for mentally handicapped so maybe it was kind of natural to feel out of normality. Her mind suddenly wondered if anyone had jumped off this exact place like people did in the movies. It was chilling just thinking about it in a place as such. A burst of laughter suddenly had her attention. She turned her head to the blond male who was laughing like an obsessed person – a person obsessed by madness.

That was it.

She had enough.

He heard her heeled shoes tapping as she walked away and the light clang of metal as she closed the door behind her. Even after they were separated by the door, he could hear the sound of her shoes as she stepped down the stairs, but the sound faded away fast. He was surprised he could hear her rapid breathing over his laugh. He was surprised he could hear her movements at all over his laugh. That was very unusual. He considered himself the most important living person on the planet so someone other than himself catching his attention was unusually rare.

He hoped he could see her again - the girl with hair the colour of fire. He could see her hair even through the head bag they put on him.

Getting back on topic now, the stupid building who's white colour had been bothering him ever since his ass had been dragged in here.

'Fire.'

His laugh slowly died down.

He felt stiff for a second before slouching rather lazily. He could feel his breathing getting rapid.

'Fire.'

"Hey?" Even the guard noticed. "Are you ok?"

"Fire." He turned around to face the taller man, a teasing smile plastered on his face which went strangely with his flushed face and feverish breathing. The young male only tilted his head a bit, hair brushing off his eyes, and the guard wasn't staring back at a human's face anymore.

"What the f-"

She had been waiting for him for half an hour now and damn she was getting irritated. He kept saying 'Just a moment, just a moment love' and he had yet to come out. The driver was smoking outside almost as if he knew her grandfather would take his sweet time as he made her wait in the car. Just as she stepped out with a resolve to cancel making dinner for the next week –perfect punishment in her opinion- he came out laughing. What was so humorous inside an asylum? God knew. She frowned at him but was glad they could finally be on their way home.

Home wasn't very homey either. Alice had moved in with her grandfather because she had been accepted into a prestigious institute in his city and her parents didn't really want her admitted in a hostel. Her grandfather lived above the ground floor in a moderate apartment. She didn't touch most of his things because they were related to one of his many projects and he would get upset if she moved them. Her hands were limited to her own room and the kitchen. Even the living room was overflowing with documents stacked in every usuable spot, even the floor.

The girl sighed as she flicked on the light and cast a tired look at her grandparent.

"I would really like to see the floor board one day." She taunted lightly, hoping against hope that maybe he would take her seriously this time and remove the collection of paper from the living room at least.

"Don't worry, I'll clean it up soon. The documents are perfectly safe anyway." That meant no-never-seeing-the-floor-in-this-lifetime. He seemed to be rather distracted though. She wondered if he had adopted another research project. Seriously, old age wasn't going to kill him, it would either be overworking or stress.

"Do you want me to heat something for you?" Because she sure was hungry. "Macaroni? Potato dish?"

"Uh, what? Not-no. I've had a sandwich."

'Like that's going to help him get through the night. He never takes care of himself. How did he survive this far without grandmother?'

"I'm going to set the table, okay grandfather Michael?"

"Sure. Sure, sure."

Why did she bother setting the table for both of them, he never came to eat with her anyway. She always had to reheat his food and then take it to his study. He still wouldn't notice it until she came a third or fourth time and sat by him so he would eat the than cold food. And he only did that so she would leave and he could get back to work again. Workaholic. There was more formality between them than any sort of love. But there were small moments out of the usual that she cherished. For instance, he would talk to her about any new project he started to see if she got interested and today he took her to … okay that wasn't a very jolly trip but she had an idea that his new work was different from his previous science related ones. There was the time they went to the zoo …

As per routine she waited for him. Called him. Ate her share. Called him again. Waited some more. Reheated his plate and took it in his study, after knocking and asking for entry of course. Then she washed the small amount of dishes. Checked if there was any need to go shopping for groceries. Checked up on him to find him nose deep in work. Told him to finish his plate and he promised to. She left. She came back again and forced him to eat and then took the plate to wash. After mulling over her miserable home life, or rather the lack of it, she retreated to her room.

Compared to the rest of the house her room was neat and she had made sure to give a feminine touch to it. All her books were stacked neatly in the small shelf which also held other random things like her jewellery box, stationary and some stuffed toys.

The girl went straight to the bathroom to change into her night dress. It was only when she came to brush her teeth was when she noticed the marble sink tainted with blood. The knob –probably touched by a bloody hand- and the sink coloured with the dark liquid that seemed to glisten under the harsh light, specifically as if the light was reflecting off the tiles just to make the blood appear brighter. Her nostrils were suddenly attacked with its metallic scent.

Why hadn't she noticed something so obvious before?

Alice wasn't fond of blood to begin with. Even during her periods she felt lethargic and weak and relief washed over her like heavenly breeze when the monthly cycle ended. The sight and smell of blood disturbed her.

So it was no surprise when her stomach gave up and all its undigested contents came back out.

She rushed out of the bathroom and towards the kitchen, quickly rinsing her mouth and washing her face a few times to try and rid herself of the shock.

How did blood get there? Did a burglar come in and injure himself? That seemed most likely. Well, there was nothing much for him to steal anyway, except Michael's research, which in her opinion was unimportant, at least to her. He probably won't notice it gone either.

"Grandfather Michael!" She knocked on his study after recovering herself. "Grandfather Michael!" When he didn't reply she went in herself and found the room empty. Alice quickly rushed to the front door and sure enough found a sticky note there.

'Emergency at work'

'Work? What work? You're retired! And going out at this hour!'

This had happened before but most of the time when she'd viewed the note he would already be home but would only have forgotten to take it back off. This was one of the rare times when she saw his note when she was meant to.

She probably shouldn't worry him with the problem in her bathroom. She would report it when he came back and they'd call the police over and whatever comes from there. But knowing that there was blood in her bathroom bothered her and before she knew it she had wrapped a scarf around her face and was cleaning her bathroom sink with more vigour than necessary. When she unwrapped the scarf the scent of alkali greeted her and relief instantly washed over her. She inspected it once more for any remaining trace of blood and finally brushed her teeth.

Her heart however, wasn't able to slow down its pounding.

She could only guess that the shock hadn't completely washed off. Oh how wrong she was to ignore a sixth sense.

As she was rinsing her mouth her eyes fell on her reflection in the mirror and the water came spitting out of her mouth with unneeded force as she saw someone she wasn't supposed to be seeing seated on her bed, watching her. Upon turning around, she actually found him there and not just as a figment of her imagination.

Somewhere at the back of her mind something was tugging a string but she couldn't put her finger on it. She had a feeling she had seen this blond masked male somewhere before but she just couldn't remember exactly where. A Halloween party maybe? Just for a second her eyes drifted to the bandages on his arm before they were locked on his glass mask again.

When he opened his mouth his voice was hoarse but there was an edge and maturity to it. And even though he was simply speaking, every word seemed to be spoken as a threat, as if his voice naturally carried the aura of inflicting fear.

"My goddess does not like the scent of my blood?"

He stood up and his smile rang alarm bells in her head. She knew she had seen it. 'But where!' She desperately tried to remember who he was and where she had met him. Was he one of the rejects at school? Her thoughts were suddenly overwhelming her when she realized that if she called for help, no one would respond because no one would hear her, especially from her bathroom. Grandfather had picked the worst possible time to leave.

The stranger was taller, appeared stronger, older and for some reason the uncomfortable twisting and churning in her gut felt as if it was a warning that she was standing against someone experienced and confident of what he did, which could not be good if he was here like this.

"You look rather beautiful with such a petrified face." He chuckled.

And she knew she was trapped with a lunatic. A mad man.

God save her.

.End.

Well, I got a request to do another fic for Alice and Masquerade and this idea had been in my mind for a while so I thought it was a good opportunity x_x

However this fiction won't have the innocence of 'Alice in Wonderland', nor its charm –if it even had any- but I'm sure it's attractive in a different (read sadistic) way. I don't know if I'm going to continue this. I have a few things in my mind that I want to type away and see what happens so I might drop it after a while. Actually it will really depend on the kind of feedback I get for it. I have grown up after 'Alice in Wonderland' so I beg you ex-readers of that fic, FORGIVE ME! This fiction will be standing on a completely different level than that one .

But I sincerely hope you will enjoy it. Just stick with the horror for a while and the romance will bloom in its time _-_ (upside down) I honestly hope you enjoy 'Beauty and the Beast' too because I think I'm going to have more fun on it than my previous Bakugan fic because this one is more mature XD

Gehehehe, after writing him in such a role I feel as if a psycho role really suits him. OOC man, OOC. xp

I would like to know what the readers think of this version of Masquerade? XD

P.S. Just so everyone knows in advance, I want to keep 'supernatural' in the genre. If anyone feels otherwise they should let me know. If I add supernatural and the story turns crap than ya'll better not be complainin'! haar!

Constructive criticism is appreciated. Please be kind and let me know your views on my madness. ^^