Ariana

 Scrub scrub scrub . . . scrub scrub scrub. . . scrub.

Just how clean does this thing have to be? I thought as I presented the spotless china plate to my mother again and watched as she shook her head briskly, verifying that it wasn’t clean enough. As soon as I went back to scrubbing however, she whipped the plate from my hands and walked into the dining room to place it in the china cabinet. I sighed.

I had half a mind to run for it and escape the endless chores I had to do every day. But before I had time to move my dear, dear mother came bustling back around the corner.

She probably wanted to keep an eye on me so I: one, don’t run. Two to make sure I didn’t damage anything precious. Three because “Someday, as horrific the thought is to me, you will need to take up the role of a housewife.”

Yeah well, incase you didn’t know I’m not thrilled either mother.

Well, that’s not entirely true. What I probably should have said is that I don’t want to be the housewife of any of the rich, outrageously grammatical aristocrats that she invited for dinner every night. And it wasn’t even for my sake! She wanted me to find a suitor to: one, get me out of her house. Two, so I wouldn’t be a complete disgrace to her name. Three, so that I would supposedly bring more money to our already high ranking family. And fourth, because she wanted to beat the rebel out of me. Apparently it wasn’t ‘good for my health’, or so she said.

And that is how I ended up trapped in the sitting room, sipping tea and answering pompous questions about my personal life.

Oh, how I longed to leap up, slam my over priced tea onto the precious mahogany floor and run for it, yelling curses as I went.

I think his name was something along the lines of Gaylord Fokits. Yeah, I know, nice name.

Anyway, he was currently inquiring as to if my mother had seen the newest dress fashion. “Why no I haven’t! I will look into that strait away.” Actually she had, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. Of course I had no idea what crazy, deforming fashion was in right now, and had no wish to find out. Alas, I’m not the most fortunate person in the world.

“It’s your lucky day then m’lady! For I just so happened to have brought such a dress for your lovely daughter!”  He announced loudly, his voice dripping with sappiness. I wanted to barf but his words snapped me out of my daze.

“What.” I said flatly. It wasn’t a question.

“Why Ariana, you haven’t been dozing off have you?” My mother asked, her tone threatening violence with every syllable. I ignored her. I was staring at him, praying to the lord I hadn’t heard what I thought I had.

“Of course, we should want to see the dress.” My mother said. “Of course.” He said hurriedly.

He clapped his hands and a maid rushed in with a large box. How do they do that? I wondered as she disappeared as quickly as she had arrived.

The dress was cobalt and velvet with the skirt fanning out and an extremely low cut neck line. Basically, it was made to make my chest look big, and my waist almost nonexistent.

“It’s beautiful!” My mother breathed. “Ariana darling, go into the back with Meg and get fitted.” She told me sweetly in a voice that clearly meant Or else. Immediately Meg, our head maid, came streaming from the kitchen and plucked the dress from my mother’s claws. “Come dear.” She told me.

As soon as we were out of earshot I turned to Meg, pulling her over to the fireplace. I reached into one of my gown pockets and pulled out a gold coin. I saw her eyes widen.

“You’re going to let me go. You are going to take this as payment for doing so. You are going to tell my mother a story in which I tried to run for it but you tried to fight me and I got away. Will you do this?” I asked her.

I looked down on the dress with utmost loathing. I saw it for what it was. It was a torture device with its dimensions squishing the body as tightly as possible without losing consciousness. I looked into the fire longingly, but my mother would know who did it, even if no one else did.

“I’ll do my best. I am grateful that my family has something to eat tonight.” She said, taking the coin with care, a though it might shatter.

As I gratefully fled the room I looked back at Meg. I pitied her, what with eight children and barely enough money to feed herself. I would have to do this more often.

How will I get out? I wondered. The only door outside was past the sitting room where I was going no where near. I walked into the kitchen and immediately ran to the windows.

There was a narrow alley where the cooks could throw scraps out. I threw one open and looked up and down the alley. It was only a short drop to the filthy cobble stones below and I didn’t hesitate in climbing onto the window sill and lowering myself down. I then took off down the alley and burst out onto the main street. Smiling to my self I set off at a more respectable pace toward the one place I’d ever be happy.