Twisted Wonderland

Storytime With Floyd

"No! I told you-"

Floyd wraps his arms around you and presses you against his chest. He pats your head. "It's okay little Shrimpy. I get it if you're scared."

You shove Floyd off of you. You let out a groan. "Fine! If you stop, I'll read!"

Floyd grins smugly. "Sounds good, little Shrimpy."

You sigh, knowing you'll regret this. You open the book and start to read out loud.

"Once, there lived a sweet, kind girl. Unfortunately, her mother died young, and her father married again. His second wife had a sharp temper and her two daughters were just like her. In a word, horrid.

The horrid sisters loved to boss the girl. The first would demand she clean the fireplace. But before she had finished sweeping the grate, the second sister demanded the girl draw her a bath. And as she was heating the bath, the horrid stepmother demanded her to go to the market.

All day long, the girl swept, and scrubbed, and fetched and carried. Her father passed away shortly after remarrying so the poor girl was stuck with these horrible women.

In winter, the young ladies were invited to the Royal Ball. For a whole month they tried on taffeta ball gowns, frilly petticoats, and strappy shoes. It was the girl, of course, who helped them in and out of their rich costumes, and who pressed and folded everything. Her own clothes were practically rags.

The big night came and the poor girl was left at home, sitting alone by the fireplace. The gurl ran out to the courtyard in tears and that's where she met her fairy godmother.

She told the girl: Be sure to leave the ball before the clock strikes midnight, or you will be more embarrassed than you ever have been in your life! The fairy then changed the girl's raggedy clothes into a beautiful dress with glass slippers to match.

A golden coach took her to the palace. When she entered the ballroom, all eyes were upon her, including those of her sisters and stepmother who did not recognise her. The prince asked the new arrival to dance and they danced the whole night away. Before the evening was out, he had fallen in love with the mysterious young beauty. He was about to ask for her hand in marriage when the clock began to strike twelve.

The girl had to turn around and ran for the door. As she dashed down the steps, one of her glass slippers fell from her foot and she had to hop to the coach. The Prince found the lost slipper and ordered his servants to take it up and down the land until they discovered the foot that exactly fitted it. When the Prince's servants came to the house where the girl lived, her horrid sisters were eager to try on the slipper. The first declared it fits perfectly but she could not shove her heal inside. The second said the same but it was clear that her foot was even less able to slip into the slipper.

The royal servant looked up and saw sitting sitting by the fireplace that she had been cleaning. He asked the girl to try on the slipper. The stepmother demanded that the girl shouldn't try on the slipper, claiming she was just a maid. The servant insisted and the girl tries on the glass slipper, fitting it perfectly.

The stepmother couldn't believe it and the sisters protested. But the servant was already calling for the coachman to take the girl to the palace, dressed in her rags, exactly as she was, and wearing her normal shoe on one foot, and her glass slipper on the other. The girl knew that she had found true love, and the very next day, she and the prince were wed, and the bells rang out all over the land."

You close the book and quirk an eye at Floyd. He looks to you thoughtfully before finally giving you an answer. "I'll admit, the book wasn't half bad."

"See! I told you!" You cheer.

"Now it's time for your end of the deal."

You groan and roll your eyes. You're excitement gone in an instant. "What do I need to do?"

Floyd grins and pats the spot next to him. "Come closer, little Shrimpy."

You nervously put the book on the coffee table and scoot over to him. Floyd wraps an arm around you and lays down with you on the couch. He holds you close with you pressed against his chest.

"Uhh, Floyd?" You ask cautiously. "What are you doing?"

"Giving ya a squeeze." He grins down at you, holding you tightly.

"Is this what you wanted?"

Floyd laughs. "Worried that I'd ask for something different?"

"Well, yeah." You tilt your head. "I didn't take you for the cuddly type."

"You'd be surprised by what you don't know about me."

Floyd rests his head against yours, sighing deeply. He still holds you close even when he drifts off.

Man. This guy falls asleep as fast as Leona.

With no way to get out of his hold, you realize you're starting to feel a little sleepy yourself. Floyd is surprisingly warm and your comfortable in his arms and you quickly fall asleep with him.