I yawned, stretching as I opened my eyes. I noticed Cecil wasn't next to me. I guess he's already up. I looked down at the stained sheet and giggled. I got up and put my clothes on. After I was dressed I moved out of the room and down stairs. Then something caught my attention. I smelled something burning.. I rushed down the stairs and saw smoke coming from the kitchen.

"Oh my!" I said, rushing to the kitchen to see a plume of thick smoke rising from a pan sitting on one of the burners. I turned the burner off and picked up the pan by the handle, dumping it in the sink. I coughed, waving away some of the smoke before opening one of the kitchen windows. I ran out of the kitchen to let the smoke clear a bit, when I saw something that made my heart sink. The front door was open, and there was a trail of blood at it, leading from the door, to the basement. Fear shot through me as my imagination ran rampant. I reached for the handle, my breath rapidly increasing, heart pounding. I turned it, opening the door and peering down the dark staircase. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath in, and took the first step. As I descended, each board of the wooden stairs creaked and moaned, causing me to cringe. I extended my wings to attempt to fly down, but it was too narrow. I hit the bottom and gazed into the dark space, squinting to make out anything or...anyone. My eyes widened as I saw a dark mass strewn out along the floor. I stared hard at it, trying to figure out what it was. I saw it move, causing me to jump back into the wall. As I hit the wall I heard a click, followed by the lights in the room turning on. The darkness was instantly removed, revealing the room and its contents.

"CECIL!" I screamed, seeing him lying in a pool of blood. I rushed over to him, flipping him over on his back.

"H...Hey Fluttershy.." He said with a chuckle. I clasped my hands around my mouth as I stared down at him. He was clutching his stomach, and I could see a stream of blood staining his clothes, emanating from the part he was covering.

"Cecil what happened!" I said confused and scared, noticing a blood soaked dagger lying off in the corner. I stared blankly at it as I felt a hand grab me.

"In case.. I don't get a chance to say this again. I love you... Fluttershy." He said with a cough, a small trickle of blood running down his mouth.

"We have to get you to a doctor!" I said, trying to help him up.

"Fluttershy.. I don't think I'm going anywhere." He said. "Just... Help me into that chair."

I helped him up and set him down in the chair. He leaned back, lying his head back.

"Thanks.." He said weakly. I grabbed his hand and looked up at him. He nodded, moving his hand away from the wound. My hands found their way back to my mouth, tears forming as I saw the stab wound.

"What happened..?" I asked.

"An old friend of mine.. Who doesn't really like me to be seen by the public's eye.." He said.

My heart dropped. The party...

"Oh my god... This is all my fault!" I said as I fell to my knees, bursting into tears. I felt a hand on my chin, pulling my head up.

"Hey hey... Don't cry." He said gently. "I've been like this for a long time. I've been thought of as a monster, an abomination... A freak."

"Cecil.." I sobbed, grasping his hand.

"Let me finish.." He said. "People have pointed at me, screamed.. I've been hunted more times than I can count."

"Cecil please.." I said weakly as I stared up at him.

"But then I bumped into someone the other day." He said with a smile. My hand fell to the broach on my chest, gripping it tightly.

"You know..." He said, his smile never fading. "There was someone a long time ago that came to me."

I stared at him curiously. "Who?" I asked.

"A woman. Someone who wasn't afraid of me. She was elderly.. Came to me years ago." He started, "She said.. She saw the pain I was going through, the fear, the loneliness. She did everything in her power to break the curse that was on me. But she couldn't.."

"Why.. Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

"Because I don't... I want someone to hear this, so people can add.. A little bit of truth to the stories." He said.

"Stop talking like this.. You're going to be okay.." I stammered.

"Please just.. Just listen." He said. "Before she left, she told me something."

"What?" I said with a sniffle.

"That I would die alone." He said, tears beginning to run down his face, his grip on my hand tightening.

"That's... Why would she say that?!" I said.

"I think she was a fortune teller.. or something." He said, shaking his head softly. He put a hand on his head, closing his eyes and covering half his face. He started laughing.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

"I spent years believing that..." He said, more tears running down his face as he laughed. "But I guess she was wrong."

At that point, I was a mess. I pressed my face into his leg as I cried. I felt his hand run through my hair, only pushing the tears out harder.

"You made someone really happy. And I can leave knowing... That I did too." He said. With that, I snapped. I stood up, a stern look on my face.

"No!" I said. "You aren't dying today. I'm going to get a doctor, just stay here." I said immediately turning around and trying to run off, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing my arm.

"Please don't leave me alone.." He said, a horrified look on his face as I turned back. I escaped his grasp and ran to the stairs.

--------------------------

"It'll be okay, just wait here!" She said, bolting up the stairs.

"Wait!" I yelled, trying to get up only to fall back from a sting of pain. She was gone... I sat there, staring blankly at the top of the stairs. Everything started going fuzzy..

"Not like this...Please... Not like this.."