New Story for a Famous Title: THE STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

A classic tale of Beauty and the Beast and the other Beast

Though the town's beloved Dr. Joseph Jekyll might smile, the woman who loves him, Beatrice Mills, knows it isn't a happy smile, because there is no smile in his eyes; he looks like he carries the weight of the world. She wants to get closer, but he hesitates, saying, "I've never had much luck with women. I guess it goes back to the first." Yet he won't explain further.

Mr. Wilfred Hyde arrives in town and announces he's going to challenge Dr. Jekyll to a fight. Bea asks Jekyll why Hyde is doing this, and Jekyll says he'd won the love of a girl Hyde wanted, and Hyde had killed the girl before swearing to kill Jekyll.

Jekyll stays out of sight; some people assume he's scared, but others say he just hates violence.

Some townsmen who like Jekyll try to beat up Hyde and drive him off; he starts transforming and then overcomes all the men but doesn't seriously hurt anyone.

When Hyde learns about Jekyll's love for Bea, he is transforming more and is tempted to kill her, and he asks her if she knows why he wants to kill her; she repeats the explanation Jekyll gave her, and Hyde laughs. But his better nature won't let him kill her, and he doesn't come out with the full truth of what Jekyll had done.

Finally, Bea goes to see Jekyll where he is hiding out, and she realizes he's transforming, too. He tells her the truth.

Back in the early days of civilized humans, Joe & Wil were best friends in a community of peace and plenty. Then the 2 were infused with the warring spirits of Jekyll & Hyde, two sworn enemies from "the heavens."

Joe & Wil grew to hate each other, and Joe killed the woman Wil loved. Joe fled, and Wil swore revenge. Jekyll had often only been just barely ahead of the pursuing Hyde over the millennia.

Though he seems rough and insensitive Hyde has the kinder heart in reality, and Jekyll in the past was basically malevolent. But Jekyll met Bea, who taught him honest love and made him want to change, though he knew he didn't deserve love.

Jekyll keeps changing into a scary form. Bea runs away from Jekyll, shocked and confused. Hyde appears, totally transformed to a mule, and calls to Jekyll, "Show yourself, you JACKAL!" Jekyll comes out, now a jackal, and says, "I may be a jackal, but you're a jack-ASS!"

During the big JvH battle, Bea returns, having decided Jekyll is not the same as he once was. Then townspeople are endangered, and all 3 main characters help save them. Hyde sees Jekyll risk his life for a group of children and realizes his enemy has changed. Then Bea almost dies, and Hyde sacrifices himself to save her.

As he's dying Hyde tells Jekyll that hate and rage had already nearly killed him anyway, that in all the many centuries and lifetimes since he had vowed revenge he had never gained the wisdom to let go, that he had not honored his dead love's memory, because anger had poisoned it. Then he dies.

Guilt-ridden Jekyll says he doesn't deserve Bea and he starts to leave; she says he's been running forever and he's changed. He leaves anyway, but he returns shortly and takes Bea to look at something: a bright new set of stars in the sky, a sign of Hyde's approval for Jekyll's happiness.

Bea looks at Jekyll's face. The smile is not only on his lips but in his eyes, and he's crying.

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