"RUMPELSTILTSKIN"

Belle Brooks was the daughter of Nelson Brooks, a widowed coal miner. He had raised Belle alone and she was now a beautiful, young, woman.

Belle was not the feminine type. For a long time, she worked along side her father, until one day he tried to make her quit. "No daughter of mine will do the type of work I do! You deserve the best." But, of course Belle wasn't having that. She dreaded the hard, back- breaking, work but she did it to be close to her father.

Belle was more like a son to her father than a daughter. A graying Nelson was concerned about his daughter finding a mate.

"How will I find a husband for my daughter?" Nelson thought. She was way to0 masculine to Nelson. He had dated a few female friends over the years but never remarried. Most of these "friends" were not around long and had left abruptly each time Nelson felt them getting "too close."

She had picked up a few things; how to apply makeup. How to walk in heels; the difference between a dinner and salad fork. How to sit. How to dance. How to take care of a home. How to make an apple pie...and so on and so forth.

One night Nelson Brooks sat a bar having a "Guinness" while speaking with his good friend, the Mayor, Stanley Herman.

"So, how are things at the mine?" the Mayor said.

"Things are looking pretty good, as a matter of fact, you and your team should come down and take a tour of the mine; see what we do down there." Nelson exclaimed

"That would be great, I'll have my team set up a tour." Mayor Herman uttered.

"How's family life Nelson?" the major asked.

"Things are great, but I am worried about Belle. I'm afraid that with her masculine nature, she may never find a husband. I don't want her to be like me...growing old alone. I won't be here forever." Nelson said as he stared at his glass of beer.

Nelson pulled out a picture of Belle and showed it to the Mayor.

"She is gorgeous. I bet she could turn anything she touches to gold." The Mayor remarked.

While this conversation is going on, a little man who resembled a little goblin listened in the distance in the corner of the bar. He had a plan. He would get what he desired through Belle.

Weeks later, the mayor of the small town of Cripple Creek brought a team of eight down in the coal mine. While Belle slammed the dark coal with her ax, she thought she saw a small man in the distance, watching her.

"What the hell was that?" Belle thought. For a moment she thought she was hallucinating.

However, she adjusted her hat and continued axing away in the coal mine, with an audience in tow. It was then that she saw the little, evil -smiling, man again. This time, she thought it was the heat, and that she needed to take rest.

As the Mayor, her father, and the major's team watched Belle in awe at how beautiful, yet strong she was, she noticed something under the coals....it was gold.

Belle dropped the ax and kneeled down to her knees, brushing aside the coal. She had saw what everyone had seen.

Nelson dropped down aside her...picking up the pieces of Gold and holding it up in his hand.

"Hey Herman, check this out!" Nelson yelled.

Mayor Herman kneeled down as well; astonished by what he was seeing.

Mayor Herman beamed at Belle and said, "Holy shit Nelson. Anything she touches does turn to gold." He howled.

The pair decided to end for the day. Belle, grabbed up the pieces of gold; depositing them in her overalls. Today had been a good day.

About a week later Nelson visited Belle in her bedroom. This visit will change her whole life forever.

"So, Belle, what do you think about Mayor Herman?" Nelson asked inquisitively.

Belle looked up from the book she was reading, giving her father a long, hard smirk.

"I don't." Belle laughed.

"Well, I think its about time for you to leave the nest." Nelson remarked

"What?" Belle said

"The Mayor is very traditional, and asked my permission to have dinner with you, tonight at his Mansion. He was very impressed about how you found Gold down there after all this time. How did you know it was there?'

" I didn't. But there was something." Belle said

"Right before I saw the gold, I saw a little man."

"Say What? No, the only people who were down there was me, you, the Herman and his crew."

"I know it sounds weird, but it was as if he put it there. We have never found gold...not since the 1800's. He just wants to get more insight on how you knew it was there." Nelson stated

" I mean that's fine, but I truly don't know how it got there. We have mined in that same spot before." Belle said

Nelson stood up with an excited look in his eye. "Well ok! It's settled...you will have dinner tonight...with the Mayor. I need you on your best behavior! You know that pretty blue dress, umm what was her name...MADDY! Yes! Maddy had gotten you? I think that would be perfect. And put you hair up...and add some makeup! A limo will arrive to pick you up! Now go be a girl! Chop! Chop!" Nelson said as he clapped his hands; running out of the room.

Belle thought the Mayor was handsome, for an older man and decided to follow her father's wishes, and meet with the Mayor for dinner.

Unbeknownst to Belle, Nelson had PROMISED that Belle really could turn anything she touches to gold. The Mayor had PROMISED to marry Belle, if she could produce more gold.

Belle was truly "The Belle of the Ball." as she strutted to the limo to meet with Mayor Herman. As the vehicle drove away from her home, she saw the ghastly figure again. "The little midget."

"The little ugly man"

The same little man she saw in the mine.

When arriving to the exquisite mansion of the Mayor, Belle started believing that this could be her life.

Her and the mayor had a wonderful meal and after dinner decided to take Belle on a tour of the Mansion.

They had arrived to the top portion of the home, the attic. Belle was astonished by the artifacts he had stored there. As Belle walked in, The Mayor had locked the door behind him.

"Belle, I have a proposition for you. If you can produce more gold, like you did a few weeks ago, I'd be willing to marry you; make an honest woman of you. You'd be the Major's wife of Cripple Creek! How does that sound?" he whispered as he walked up behind her, and grabbed her shoulders.

Belle slowly turned and noticed the door they had come in was locked.

"I'm not sure I can do that. It probably was put there." Belle imagined

"Well, try!" The Mayor said as he walked backwards towards the attic door; locking in a confused Belle.

Belle banged on the door for a moment and began to cry. She sat down on a stool near the window; looking out over the small town. It was just then that the room began to glow.

Was she hallucinating again? Was she in fact, "tripping" because in front of her was the "little goblin man", and this time, they were face to face.

"Hello Belle." A creepy little voice said.

"It was you wasn't it? You put that gold in the mine didn't you?" Belle questioned.

"Well my dear, that is not important. But little Belle, I know you desire a different life, and I can give you that life."

"But how?" Belle questioned again.

The little impish like man began to slowly pace back in front of Belle

"I, overheard a conversation. Someone believes that everything you touch turns to gold." The little man cackled.

"That's just an expression." Belle recited

"But, what if it is not?"

The little man softly touched Belle with cold hands.

"Touch anything in the room. Anything! And you can turn it into gold."

Belle stood up and started touching items in the attic.

An old desk...GOLD... A tall mirror.....GOLD. An antique lantern.....GOLD.

Full of hope and dreams now, Belle began to laugh and smile.

"This should be more than enough to get me out this room...How can I ever repay you?"Belle asked as she kneeled down and grabbed the little man's veiny hands.

The little man's eyes turned blood red; showing his yuck mouth of a grill.

"Easy. Just give me your first born."

Belle dropped the little man's hand.

"I cannot possibly!"

"Oh, you must! You see I just did you a favor. A grand gesture. When you marry Mayor Herman, you will have a daughter. And once she is born I will be back to collect!" the little goblin man said.

There was a loud knock at the door. At that moment, the little man disappeared, and the Mayor suddenly appeared.

"Belle you did it! I knew anything you touched could turn to gold!"

Mayor Herman got down on one knee and asked Belled to marry him.

Belle accepted, but did not like what she was just told

"My first born? I could not possibly." she thought

Years had passed and Belle had finally gotten pregnant. She gave birth to the little girl. For about a week things were beautiful. Then one night as she laid little Bethany Anne in her crib, she turned and her biggest nightmare was happening in real time.

It was the "little goblin man."

He was ready to collect.

"Please don't take my only child. I now can repay back all the gold you gave me..." Belle begged.

"I told you my dear, I don't want anything but my daughter." The man remarked.

"Well, what if I refuse?" Belle questioned

The little man looked up as if he were thinking.

"I'll tell you what. If you can guess my name in three days, I will let you keep your daughter. In fact, I will give you five chances to be fair." the little man said.

"And if I don't?'' Belle asked

"It's very simple, I'll just take your life."

And like a cloud of smoke, the little man disappeared.

For two days, Belle did not leave Bethany's side. She guarded her child with her life. She would not leave the nursery, let alone the mansion.

On the third day, her intuition told her to take a walk alone. She was scared for Bethany but could not reveal to anyone what was going on.

She decided to take run in a nearby park. As she began to run, she noticed a little gingerbread like house in the park, that had not been there before. She saw smoke coming from the chimney and decided to have a closer look at the house that did not belong.

As she got closer, she heard a familiar voice singing a song:

"Tonight Tonight, my plans I make! Tomorrow, tomorrow, the baby I will take! Ha! That bitch will never win the game, for Rumpelstiltskin is my damn name!" The voice sang

Belle never saw the author of this ridiculous song and decided to head back to the mansion.

The first thing she did was go to the nursery. And in her room was "little ugly" holding Bethany.

"Are you ready to guess my name child?" The little man said as he stared at Bethany in his arms.

"Please don't do this." Belle cried.

Tsk Tsk little flower...five tries." he whispered

"Ronnie?" 1st try

"Bobby?" 2nd try

"Ricky?" 3rd try

"Mike?" 4th try

Little man ugly yelled out loud.

"WRONG. WRONG. WRONG...WRONG!" the little man laughed.

It was at that moment that Belle remembered her run.

Belle closed her eyes and sang the song she had heard at the park as tears streamed down her face. She had one shot. One more chance to get it right and return back to her life.

" Tonight, tonight my plans I make. Tommorow, tommorow, the baby you thought you'd take. Belle will surely win the game! Rumpelstiltskin is your damn name!" Belle sang

The little goblin began to shiver and a cloud of smoke appeared; the little ugly man had turned to stone right before Belle's eyes.

Rumpelstiltskin was gone forever.

Belle kept the statue to remind her that all that glitters, really isn't gold.

Belle, Mayor Herman, and Bethany lived happily ever after.

THE END!!!!!!!