Unconsciousness to a certain extent is an amazing thing. It acts as a barrier, a shield for the breakdown of the mental kind and let's us absorb all the information slowly in the form of dreams.

At least that is what happened to me.

Unconsciousness claimed me for how long, I do not know. Slowly as my mind started to accept I drifted off to deep sleep exhausted by the events of the morning.

It was past noon when I opened bleary eyes. I was in the same room that I had first fallen asleep in.

Only that I was alone, neatly tucked into the bed and had the time to assess my surroundings.

Like the entire house, the bedroom too was luxuriant with a huge canopy bed, light gold walls without making the room gaudy and teak wood (I suppose) furniture.

Quiet music floated in the air. I cocked my head. It sounded like a piano. The melody wrapped around me like a soft blanket reminding me about comfort.

About love.

Something wet fell on my hand. I looked down, my vision hazy. Tears.

Getting up, I softly padded toward the source of the sweetly sorrowful music and ended up in a gallery, huge and every bit royal as the other parts of the house.

My eyes paid no heed to surroundings but the beast playing the piano.

His huge hands tipped with claws, capable of such fury and violence, touched the keys so delicately. So gently. Each note had its own story behind it. Awestruck, I quietly sat on the floor leaning my head on to the pillar next to me.

I did not know how much time passed, how long I sat, how long he played.

I came out of my haze only when the final notes drifted into silencenot realising that he was staring at me.

"Why did you cry little one?"

Startled I replied the first thing that register to me feeling a bit indignent.

"I'm not little."

He gave a small, but rumbling chuckle.

We lapsed back into the silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable one. It was a silence that was well understood.

Hesitantly, but with curiosity I asked him.

"What is your name?"

He gave me a sad smile as he looked out of the balcony and said.

"Ages have worn away any meaning to my name, but you can call me Adam."

Turning back he looked at me.

"May I know the name of the person who politely buried himself in my bed?"

Blushing in embarrassement I replied.

"Beauty, but you can call me Beau."

"A fitting name I suppose."

Oh, that got me angry.

"Doesn't mean that I won't hesitate to kick you where it hurts." I threatened him.

This time he gave a full blown laughter.

I smile tickled the edges of my mouth.

"Would you tell me your story?" He asked once the laughter had subsided.

"Why?" I looked back at him.

"I hardly do get any visitors. I suppose you know why."

"Then why stay over here? In middle of nowhere?" I asked feeling confused.

" It's not a choice." He replied shaking his head.

" It's a nessessity. Enough about me. Tell me about yourself and why you ended up here."

So, I told him. Everything. Dearest father, so called mother, the hags I called sister, every single thing.

At first I was hesitant about telling anything about myself but then the words wouldn't stop pouring out and one of the reasons was because he was actually listening.

"... and then she fell into it." I said smiling as I recounted one of the many times I had paid back my lovely stepmother for all the pain that she had taken in raising me up. Sarcastically of course.

His rumbling laughter filled the room and I felt confused.

"You actually listened to me."

"Hmm?" He asked scrunching up his face.

I smiled.

"I meant that you actually listened to everything that I said."

"Yes, why?"

"Cause no one actually ever listened to me before."

He gave me a gentle smile and said

"Why wouldn't I listen to you? You are smart and you have an amazing way of telling things."

I nodded, smiling at him gratefully.

In fact my face was paining with all the smiling that I had done today.

It puzzled me. How was I not scared of him anymore? Sure, we did sit quite far off from each other but it was rare for me to relax with anyone in this manner.

"Would you like to have your dinner now?" He asked standing up as he walked towards me.

I scrambled, back against the wall my fears acting against me.

Realising what I had done I looked up to see him looking dejected and sad.

"S-sorry..." I stuttered.

"It's all right." He replied quietly and turned and left with me staring at him with sorrow.

I shouldn't have done that.

But, who wouldn't have done that?

I got up and walked slowly out of the room and then realised that I didn't know the way back to my room.

I was lost.

Again.