CinderAmity

The Start of a Strange Dream

Amity Blight sat at her desk with a notebook in front of her and a pen in her hand. She was struggling to come up with a new story for the creative writing club she and her girlfriend, Luz Noceda, started at Hexside. She had a few books from the Human Realm Luz let her borrow, hoping to find some inspiration in at least one of them. But they didn't seem to be much help. Most of the stories she found were too dramatic, too cheesy, too scary, or even too weird... even for the Boiling Isles. But there was one book that caught her eye. It was called 'Cinderella'.

"An abusive step-parent who forces an innocent child to become a servant in their own house?" Amity asked herself, reading over that very book. "...That definitely sounds like something Odalia would do." She nearly gagged at the mention of her mother's name. "But if I didn't know any better, I'd say I kind of relate to Cinderella." She shrugged, closed the book, and set it down before turning her head to see the clock on her nightstand. It read 11:30 pm. "Holy Titan, look how late it is." She turned back to her notebook; there was nothing written down. She gripped her pen in frustration. "Ugh, great. Still nothing. And the worst part is that this new story is due by the next club meeting. I need to get started on this NOW." She yawned, suddenly feeling very drowsy. "But... but I'm so... so tired. No! I have to..." She yawned again. "Maybe I could just... rest, for a minute. Then I should... really get back... to work."

Amity tried to resist, but she slowly laid her head down on her desk, not even realizing she dropped her pen. Her eyes eventually shut and she drifted to sleep.

0-0-0-0-0-0

"CinderAmity, wake up!" A voice shouted.

Amity woke up and cried out as she felt her hair being grabbed and pulled violently. She was so surprised that she stumbled backwards out of the chair she was in and fell to the floor. She groaned and rubbed her head.

"What? How long was I...?" She started.

"Ugh. How can you be so clumsy, you wretched girl?" A familiar voice scoffed.

The young witch paused; she knew that voice. She slowly turned her head and craned her neck up to see none other than Emperor Belos standing before her. He was in his usual black, white, and gold garb, his long hair was down, and he had no mask on, so the long, green, ugly scar that ran across his face was as clear as day. But how could that be? Belos was supposed to be dead. And yet, there he was, alive and standing right in front of her. He gave her a distasteful glare.

"What's the matter, CinderAmity? Slitherbeast got your tongue?" He asked mockingly before grabbing Amity's wrist and pulling her back onto her feet.

'Wait. Did he just call me... CinderAmity?' She thought.

"B-Belos?" She nervously asked.

His brow furrowed even more as he kicked the fallen chair to the side. "It's sire to you, young lady." He bent down to her level, his soulless blue eyes staring deep into her golden yellow eyes. "You lazy thing. You still have so much work to do, and this is what I find? You sleeping? On the job no less?"

Amity had no idea what to say to this. All she could do was stutter. "Uh, um... I-I-I-I uh..."

Belos let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his oddly shaped nose in annoyance. He stood straight. "Never mind. I don't need your excuses. I must go to the night market in Bonesborough, and I would like you to come with me."

"The night market?" She asked.

"Yes, to run errands and pick up some items I ordered. That won't be a problem, will it?"

"Uh... n-no. I mean, no sire. It won't be a problem." She said; she didn't want to call him that, but she felt she had no other choice than to do as he told her.

"Good. Come along." He turned on his heel and walked out.

But before Amity could follow after him, she looked around and noticed she was in the kitchen of her family house. She then looked at one of the clean pans and saw her reflection; it left her shook. Her hair was dyed back to a minty green color, her face was covered in dust, and the clothes she was wearing were so old fashioned and tattered that they were no better than filthy rags from a lost generation.

"What the...?" She asked in disbelief.

"CinderAmity!" Lord Belos' voice yelled.

"Coming, sire!" CinderAmity nervously called back before running out the door.