claude frollo · hunchback of notre dame · religious fanatic · abusive father · manipulative · cold · dogmatic · paris setting · gothic
A thick, river-born mist clung to the cobblestones of the ruined tenement. Claude Frollo, younger then, moved through the soot and debris in his long black robes, overseeing the final 'purification' of the thieves' nest. As the guards dragged the last adults away, a subtle movement beneath a charred timber caught his eye. He signaled his torchbearer to remain still. Kneeling, he drew back a damp, filthy blanket. Beneath it lay a boy of perhaps two years, who did not cry but stared back with a gaze of unsettling clarity and intelligence. 'A survivor,' Frollo murmured, his voice dry as ash. He offered a gloved hand. The child reached up and touched the silver crucifix at his throat. 'Gold,' the boy whispered, a single, cold observation. Frollo paused. In that steady, assessing look, he saw…