A Tale That Never Was

As they reached the top of the stairs they came to a wooden door. Jack grabbed the handle and pushed against it. To their surprise it was unlocked and opened quietly, without a creak. Just as they crept through the doorway the bells began ringing in their mixed cadence. Large ones boomed like metallic thunder, echoing throughout the cathedral. Smaller ones that rang in high tones jingled and chimed, their notes rattling throughout the wooden beams and stone walls of the holy building. All bells of different sizes and tones sang their songs together, filling the evening sky with their music.

Meagre light filtered through windows in the large room they had entered and Selvina saw Jack staring at her with a great smile on his face. “The bell ringer!”

Selvina gulped. Was he real? “It might just be magic, Jack. They ring bells with magic here, right?”

Jack shrugged and glanced around. “Maybe, but I want to make certain.” He waved her over as he walked deeper into the darkness. “Come on, Selvy, there’s light at the end of this room.”

Selvina grimaced, already tired of his nickname for her. She looked up, spotting huge wooden beams that crisscrossed over her head, disappearing into the blackness above. She then gazed around and saw planks of wood, large blankets of canvas, crates, barrels and various other mundane items. The place reminded her of a storage shed or an attic where people stored their junk. She followed Jack toward the grey light and the sound of the bells grew deafening. Looking up, she gasped when she saw them moving, high above. The light touched them just enough to give her the outline of the bells’ sizes and they were swaying back and forth, their clappers banging against their sides resoundingly. She tried to find a rope or a chain that she could follow and hope to see someone pulling it but couldn’t see anything as it was too dark.

“Selvina!” Jack exclaimed. “Look!”

The opal-eyed blonde turned around and saw Jack standing in front of a large beam of grey light that slanted down from atop a narrow wooden staircase. He waved her over excitedly and she hurried to reach his side. He pointed at the light and beyond it she could see smoky clouds racing through the sky and heard the sound of rain pattering against stone and wood. They ascended the stairs and held hands as it wobbled dangerously. There were two huge curtains of canvas blocking the rest of the view so they walked through the crack between them, where the light was streaming in from, and came upon a great balcony of stone. It stretched to their sides for at least fifty feet in both directions and extended outward for about half that amount. An ornate balustrade of stone rose up at the edges and gargoyles with pointed ears, fanged mouths, and clawed hands sat in the middle and at the corners of the balcony. The balcony was flanked by the massive bell towers that still rose high into the sky, even from the balcony’s height of over a hundred feet. The bells stopped ringing as Selvina and Jack walked up to the edge and gazed out at the huge city of Our Lady, their mouths open with awe and their eyes wide with wonder.

The cold drops of rain pattered against Selvina’s skin and dress and she couldn’t help but smile. She glanced at Jack, who smiled back at her, and then looked ahead once more. Hundreds of rooftops spread out in all directions. Smoke rose out of some but not many, the plumes of grey twisting and curling and rising up into the sky, as if they were creating the grey clouds themselves. Beyond the city there was the dockyard and the forest of masts and sails of all the ships at port. Pulled up closer to the shore was a damaged frigate with tarps of canvas thrown over it. She could see small forms going in and out from under the crude canvas tent and assumed they were the carpenters repairing Jolly Roger, which the ship was, of course. Past the dockyard was the sea but the fog of rain prevented her from seeing much more than half a mile or so out from shore. She looked to the right where she saw great hills of trees and shrubs rise up and undulate into the shrouded distance. To her left was much the same but a thick forest of evergreens blanketed the hills like verdant fur. Since Jack was to her left she met his gaze once more and was about to tell him something when his pleased expression suddenly changed into one of shock.

Jack, staring at something behind Selvina, whipped out his dagger and rushed in front of her protectively. She looked past him and gasped when her eyes set upon a human-like form hidden in the darkness beyond the canvas curtains. It had thick arms but one stood higher than the other, sticking out of the side of a large hump, and short legs supported the body, the feet shuffling constantly, as if the being was nervous. She couldn’t see much of its face but could make out a shape of something that was longer than it was high and appeared to be lumpy.

“You shouldn’t be up here,” the being said in a surprisingly soft and gentle voice.

Selvina had expected something far more menacing. She knew who this person was and decided to use her knowledge to help her with the situation. It had worked for King Midas and she hoped it worked here as well. “We are not here to cause trouble, Quasimodo.”

The silhouetted being shuffled back, clearly surprised. “How do you know my name?”

“Is this the hunchback?” Jack asked her in a whisper.

“Yes,” Selvina whispered back. “Let me talk to him first.” She took a step forward and the hunchback stepped back again and raised his arms defensively. “We aren’t here to hurt you, Quasimodo. We just came to admire the view.”

“You’re still not supposed to be here,” the hunchback replied. “How do you know my name?”

“I know you were raised here by a man named Frollo and were hidden away because of how people would react to someone who looked like you. I think there’s a woman involved. Esmeralda, is that her name?”

“Are you a fortune teller?” The silhouette of the hunchback walked forward a few feet, still hidden in darkness. “How do you know all of this? Did…did Frollo send you here?”

“No, we were not sent my Frollo. We simply came here to pass the time and enjoy the view. We are your friends, Quasimodo.”

“Friends? You aren’t friends… I’m not allowed to have friends… No one can be friends with a monster. That’s what Frollo tells me and it’s true. Every friend I ever had ended up dead.”

“Where is this Frollo guy?” Jack asked with a frown before Selvina could say anything. “Is he here?”

“No. He only comes some days and only to make sure I obey and stay up here, which I do. I’m never going down there again…”

“Again?” Selvina asked.

“Just go away! I said too much! If Frollo catches you up here he’ll be so angry. He’s not very nice when he’s angry…”

Selvina felt a rush of hot hate race throughout her body. The Frollo in this world acted just like the one in hers. She saw little difference between her world’s story and this one’s reality and it angered her. If Captain Hook could be a good and trustworthy man then why wasn’t Frollo changed? Of all the stories she had read and been told she had hoped that this one would be happier but it did not appear to be the case. She felt powerless to do anything to change that, however. She couldn’t take him away to Jolly Roger as it wasn’t even seaworthy and hiding him away would give Frollo, who she knew would be searching, time to find him. If he had the same power in this world as he did in hers he would be a most formidable opponent and she didn’t want to risk her chances at getting back home. She decided to accept that life was unfair in every world and that sometimes there was nothing she could do to change that.

Yet, she could still do something.

She decided to talk to him. “What do you do up here besides ring the bells?”

“Please, listen to me…”

Jack flipped his dagger in the air and caught it by the hilt. “We aren’t afraid of this Frollo guy, Quasimodo. We have powerful friends of our own. He better think twice before trying anything with us.”

Selvina put a hand on her chest, her eyes on the hunched form in the darkness. “I’m Selvina, and this is Jack. I’m sure if Frollo found us up here he wouldn’t give us too much trouble as we are new here and don’t know all the rules. He wouldn’t hurt us, Quasimodo.”

“He would hurt me,” Quasimodo interrupted.

Selvina felt a pin stab her heart. Why were people so cruel? “Why don’t you leave?”

“Where would I go? No one likes me. I’m a freak. I’m ugly and a mistake of the gods. Only by Frollo’s grace am I still alive. No one else would have raised me.”

Selvina exchanged a worried glance with Jack. She brushed a wet strand of hair from her eyes and looked up at the grey sky. “Come into the light, Quasimodo. Let me see your face.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea…”

“I won’t run away or think you as ugly. You have my word.”

“I barely know you. How can I trust your word?”

“Quasi, please. Don’t be shy.”

“If I show you my face, will you leave?”

Selvina sighed and nodded. “Yes, we will then leave.”

There was some nervous shuffling of feet but eventually Quasimodo walked out of the darkness and into the grey light of a rainy day. He held his hands before him, his fingers fumbling about fretfully.

Jack took a step back and widened his eyes. “Whoah.”

Selvina made a sharp intake of breath and smacked his arm. “Damn it, Jack! Why do you have to be so insensitive?”

“It’s ok,” Quasimodo said, looking away. “I know how I look…”

Selvina glared at Jack for a few more moments, utterly disappointed in him, before shifting her gaze to the hunchback. He had a head of greasy red hair, green eyes, a bulbous nose, crooked lips, a severe overbite with spaced and uneven teeth, and on parts of his face were warts and a few pimples. His left eye was higher than his right, which was shut almost completely by a swollen brow, and his ears didn’t match in size or placement. His skin also had a clammy and almost slimy appearance to it. He was looking to his right and toying with his fingers as his feet slowly began to slide back into the darkness.

“Don’t go,” Selvina said.

“You saw my face,” Quasimodo said, still backing away. “Now do like everyone else does after seeing it and leave!”

“There is more to a person than their face.”

“No there isn’t. Frollo says beauty is in the face, especially the eyes, and you can’t even see all of mine. I know I’m hideous, Selvina. You don’t need to lie to me by trying to say I’m not.”

“Then leave with us!”

Quasimodo paused. “What?”

“We’ll take you away from here!”

“We will?” Jack asked, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

“Yes, we will! He looks strong, Jack. He can be of help on a ship.”

“The captain or the men would not like this at all, Selvina. Captain Hook came here to repair his ship, not to make enemies with Frollo.”

“Damn his ship! Quasimodo needs our help!”

“I don’t need anyone’s help!” Quasimodo shouted. “I need you both to leave before Frollo comes! He said he might visit today. Now go!!” He said the last words in a booming voice completely unlike the soft and timid one he had spoken to them with and it made them jump in surprise.

Selvina frowned and stood her ground but her bottom lip quivered. She had only wanted to help. How could Quasimodo not want to leave? What was there for him here? How could he enjoy his life? There was so much more for him out there. How could he not want her help? None of it made sense to her. He was refusing the chance to live a happier life. Why was he doing that to himself? Ultimately, defeated and out of ideas, she took a deep breath and relaxed. “All right, Quasimodo, we’ll leave now, as we said we would.” She then walked up to him and placed a hand on his cheek. He gasped and fixed his startled gaze on hers. To her surprise, his skin was just wet from the rain and didn’t feel slimy or clammy at all. She gave him a gentle smile. “You are worth more than this, Quasimodo. Don’t let the world pass you by.”

A door slammed shut.

Quasimodo gasped again and grabbed Selvina by the arm. “It’s Frollo! You both need to hide!” He then dragged her along and rushed down the shaky staircase toward a pile of objects covered in canvas. He threw a large flap aside and guided her into the darkness. “Stay there and be quiet! If he hears you he’ll be so angry.” Jack followed Selvina into the black and Quasimodo covered them with the canvas flap.

Surrounded by darkness, Selvina listened intently as she heard boots knocking against the wooden floor in a steady cadence, gradually getting louder and clear. A clear voice, deep and resonant, echoed as it spoke. “Ah, my son, enjoying the rain, are you?”

Quasimodo’s voice replied, shaky and nervous. “Y-yes, master. The city is beautiful in the rain. The green of the forests are much more vibrant when they are wet.”

“That they are, Quasimodo. I did not come here to discuss the rain, however.”

Under the canvas sheet, Selvina felt Jack move. She shushed him as quietly as he could and he stopped. She couldn’t see Frollo, or Jack for that matter, but she could feel the air get cold whenever he spoke. There was great power in his voice and she had no intention of ever meeting him.

“I have some interesting news, Quasimodo,” Frollo’s voice said. His footsteps were heard again as he walked about. “It concerns the castle not far from here.”

“What of it, father? You told me a terrible beast lives in there.”

“There is indeed, my son, but the king is finally going to do something about it. Too long has he allowed that demon to reign free in that fortress. A reliable source told me that the realm’s greatest bounty hunter was given the task of killing the beast by the king himself.”

“You speak of Gaston?”

“Yes, Gaston the Great, as the airheaded and easily impressed women call him. He is a man full of sin and debauchery but he always completes his tasks and I have faith that with him on the job the beast’s days are quite numbered.”

“Why is the king only sending him now?”

“A fine question, Quasimodo. You may not be handsome but your mind is sharp. If only the gods had seen fit to gift you with a little more than intelligence.”

“It is all right, father. Please, go on.”

“Yes, of course. Due to the threat of war looming over our great kingdom, King Charming, the beautiful fool, has finally decided that the castle the beast lives in would make a fine base of operations for this region. He can’t rightly send a garrison there while it lives and thus he sends Gaston instead. He could probably kill it with his soldiers but why risk his own men when he can send an expendable bounty hunter? I applaud his decision as it is one I would have done myself.”

“When will he be here?”

“Word has it that he was on his way to Midae to deal with two troublesome children that would block travellers on some forest road and would kill them if they failed to pay them with candy. How two pathetic children could cause so much trouble I do not know but King Midas was never known for his cunning. I, myself, would have dealt with them years ago. Anyhow, after receiving a letter signed by King Charming himself, and I assume after seeing his reward, Gaston turned around and is now on his way here. He should arrive any day.”

“Do you think he can do it? Can he kill the beast?”

“Do you remember that girl that came here to pray every morning? It was a few years ago already, not long after the beast had taken over the castle. She was unlike all the others and her beauty was unsurpassed. Why, I bet she would have surpassed even Esmeralda’s, had that gypsy witch not thrown her life away for love. Do you know who I speak of, son?”

“Yes, yes I do, father. You told me of her several times. I believe her name was Belle.”

“Ah, there it is. Belle. I had forgotten it. It’s a pity such a woman was given as pathetic a name as Belle. It is like calling….well, you Ugly. In any case, the captain of the guard told me he has seen her again. She comes to the city to fetch food and books and then leaves within minutes, down the northern road.”

“But that would take her…”

“Yes, to the castle. There are legends and stories about beasts weakening in the presence of beauty. If Gaston could find Belle and use her to keep the beast feeble and defenseless he would have no trouble in slaying it. Remind me to tell me of this whenever he arrives.”

“I shall, father.”

Selvina heard footsteps again but this time they were getting quieter. “Goodnight, my son. I shall return in a few days as I have several matters of the court to attend to. Remember, the world is a terrible place and though there is beauty in it, there is no place for you there. Only through me will you—”

Everything was silent for a few moments and Selvina could hear her own heart beating. She begged it to quiet itself but it only beat faster. She heard the footsteps slowly get closer and she held her breath. Reaching out in the darkness, her hand miraculously found Jack’s. She squeezed it and he squeezed back. Shuffling aside, and doing her best to remain quiet, Jack’s arms wrapped around her protectively. His breath was on her shoulder as she stared at the direction the footsteps were coming from, and the beating of his own heart pounded against her back. His arms squeezed her and she took comfort from them, feeling only slightly safer.

“What is this, Quasimodo?” she heard Frollo growl. “A golden hair? Where did you get this? Has someone been up here?”

“No, father! I have been alone all day, as it has always been!”

“Then how did a golden hair get up here? Do you expect me to believe it was the wind?”

“No, of course not. I don’t know—”

The sound of a loud smack bounced across the wooden beams and walls of stone. “Do not lie to me! You ventured to the main floor again, didn’t you? How many times have I told you not to do that? The people do not want you down there. I do not want you down there!”

“I am sorry, father… I…I will not disobey you again. I have no excuses…” Selvina heard Quasimodo sniff.

“Wipe your tears, son; it wasn’t that hard of a slap. Never leave the towers. You know this. You would not last long out there, especially with a beast-killing bounty hunter set to arrive here any day. If he saw you he may think you the beast and slay you instead. I would be crushed! Do you wish that pain on me, Quasimodo?”

“Never, father…”

“Then do as I say.” The footsteps were heard again and they were heading in the direction of the far end of the room. A door was shut and eventually the sound of boots on floor was heard no longer.

“You can come out now,” Quasimodo said in a quiet voice.

Selvina let out a deep sigh of relief and crawled out from the cover of the canvas sheets, Jack right behind her. She stood up and hurried to the hunchback, her eyes bright and a great smile on her face. “Thank you so much for not—”

“Go,” Quasimodo said curtly. “I lied for you because I had to or I would have gotten much worse than a slap. Just leave me alone already.” He then turned and leapt up a wooden beam with amazing agility and balance. Within seconds he was gone.

Jack looked up at the rafters and beams with amazement in his eyes. “He’s almost as good a climber as I am. I am impressed.”

“Jack,” Selvina said, heading to the same door Frollo had walked through. “Let’s get out of here before Frollo decides to come back.”

Jack, peering up into the darkness for a few more moments, nodded. “Yeah, good idea. I’d hate to have to cut off his fingers for slapping Quasimodo like that.” He turned around and rushed to Selvina’s side. The door was closed behind them the room was silent once more.

High above, hidden by bells and blackness, Quasimodo wiped another tear from his eye.