Twisted Souls

Chapter 2

My dad doesn't probe me for answers as we drive silently home. He gives me a concerned look but remains silent.
"OK so babysitting is not for me." I stare out the window looking at droplets sliver down the glass.
So as much as I want a 'happily ever after' I don't seem to possess the generic traits of a fairytale princess. Ever since I was little I always wanted to look like Sleeping Beauty, be as kind and caring as Cinderella, and sing to animals like Snow White. Unfortunately I'm not any of those things, and as little me would learn, I never would be any of those things.
I'm a plump, strawberry blond with dull brown eyes and freckles on my butt cheeks. Now if you find those particular body traits princess-like than God bless you, but for a majority of society that doesn't fly. I'm not ugly, maybe just a little plain, but I refuse to wear something so fake as makeup(it doesn't even look right on me).
As for my personality, I couldn't hold a tune to save the world, my laugh kind of resembles that of a hyena, if I try to get to close to animals they either A) attack or B) run away, hopefully the latter, and we all know what happens if I try to handle kids.
The Richards aren't the only reason for me quitting this job. Whenever I take a babysitting job something always goes awry. Whether it's the children or their parents, something is sure to snag. I one time had a crazy parent who ran off with her boyfriend cause she didn't want her child anymore. She can back, but how do you think that poor kid felt? Another time, this couple tried to cheat me out payment by arguing that triplets only counted as one child payment.
Call me what you want; a quitter, a loser, too quick to give up, by I'm done dealing with all this madness.
The minute we pull into our dirt driveway, I hurry into the house.
We live rather far out from the rest of the town and surrounded by pastures and light-wooded forests. We actually don't live in a house. If you want to be specific, we live in a trailer park home. Except we don't actually live in a trailer park. We're just in a small little meadow surrounded by a forest. Still, it's home sweet home.
I head to the kitchen still a little bit peckish.
"What to have, what to have?" I inspect the kitchen then turn to the fridge. "Chinese leftovers? No. Slice of apple pie? No. Cold cuts? Nope. Pizza? Yes, please!"
I place my pizza in the microwave and set the time. In the meantime I enter the family room where my mom is sitting back and reading a 'Homes & Gardens' magazine, fully engrossed and snuggled under a blanket.
"Hi mom."
Mom looks up from her magazine then gives me a questioning look. "I thought you were babysitting till seven tonight."
"Was, but then I found out babysitting wasn't for me."
I join my mom on the couch, settling under the blanket as well.
Setting down her magazine she gives me her familiar encouraging smile. "What went wrong? You were so enthusiastic when I suggested working as a babysitter. What happened in that brief amount of time?"
I let out a tired sigh. "My clients happened."
Mom gives her sympathetic 'hmm' and rubs my back. "Well, at least now we know you're not babysitter material. Move on to something else."
"But I've tried so many things. I don't seem to be good at anything."
"Everyone has at least one talent. I'm positive you'll find yours. It's your destiny. Isn't that what you use to say all the time?"
I show a shy smile. "Yeah."
The microwave beeps, signaling my pizza is done and I leave the couch to check on it. But upon further inspection I realize I set the microwave for too long and now as a result my pizza is burnt.
"Yeah another princessy trait I don't have- cooking. Cooking is not my forte."

◆◆◆
My room isn't the biggest space in the house, but it certainly is the most decorative. Disney posters of characters and quotes cover the wall next to my bed like a colorful collage. My bedsheets are hand quilted by my late grandmother. An antique desk and matching bookshelf sits off in one corner and in the other a tall, ancient looking lamp with a hot pink boa wrapped around it. My drapes are also handmade, but I don't know by who since I brought them at a garage sale. Everything in my room is to my liking and I wouldn't trade this cluttered, color mess of a room for any other.
I set my stone hard pizza on my nightstand then sit at my desk and open up my computer.
The highlight of my day was always updating my blog, 'Not A Cinderella Story'. Yeah, it's a little opposite of what I'm really all about, but it's like my best friend, I can talk to it, rant to it, complain about my days, tell it all the dreams I have. It doesn't judge me either and doesn't turn it's back on me. Always loyal, always there.
I've had this blog since I was 14 and at that age I was pretty lonely. My mom, the wonderful woman she is, suggested I start up a blog about fairytales and such. I took it one step further and turned it into my life story.
It's also been amazing to meet so many people who share my passion and dream and are just as obsessive, if not more, about fairytales. I can relate to at least twenty people on here.
My heart soars as the bubblegum pink outline loads slowly, but surely on the screen.
I get started by typing up a summary of my day in the usually format of my blog- fairytale format. I tell my day just like you would a 'Once Upon A Time' story, except with a bit more humor.
Soon, I begin to feel the tension of the day lift away. Typing on this blog is like a remedy by itself.
I don't do much the rest of the afternoon, just catch up on some episodes I missed of my favorite shows, cursed my Internet for being so cheap and slow, and take a calm collective shower before heading to bed smelling like lavender.
Before I fall asleep though, I do my routine check outside my window. Scanning the sky intently. You can't see the stars tonight since it rained this afternoon, but still I search.
No luck.
I crawl under my covers disappointed. No shooting star to wish on tonight. I can feel it coming, just gotta have faith.
Though I didn't see a shooting star tonight, I still make a wish from the deepest part of my heart.
And with that I turn off the lights and go to sleep.
◆◆◆
Stirring in my bed, I crack one eye open and let it adjust to the sunbathe room. It's definitely brighter and nicer out this morning. For unknown reasons I feel a hopeful feeling leap in me.
"Today is going to be a great day." I tell myself.
Pushing the sheets off me, I get my day started. I wear a simple outfit and give myself a once over in the full-length mirror.
I have an "apple" figure. My mom always tries to tell me that I'm curvy, but I'm more pudgy. The only thing we agree on is that I'm lucky to be tall. I would look so hefty if I would few inches shorter.
But my looks aren't anything to worry about, so I leave my room and head to the kitchen, where I find a sticky note from my mom.
Dad's at work and won't be home until 7 or 8pm, I have to drive out of town today to visit a friend. Won't be back until 6 or later depending on traffic. Call if you need anything. Love you~Mom
Since I'm in such a good mood, I decide to make myself a real breakfast this morning. A fried egg and bacon will do. Oh, and maybe I'll even eat outside to make it health as well. (I heard breathing fresh air and eating helps you live longer. Yeah...probably not. But it's worth a shot.).
After my fried egg is finished and I cooked the bacon, I head outside to sit in a lawn chair to eat. There's not much to look at but trees and grass. There are birds singing but I can't see them.
"I wonder why I'm in such a good mood today?" I think. "Probably because nothing could top that awful day I had yesterday."
A nice breeze blows through my hair and I actually feel calm again like I did before I use to babysit.
I finish my breakfast and head inside.
"So today I'll just relax and play on my computer all day. Besides, I have to finish that fan fiction story."
As I'm about to head to my room, though, the home phone rings.
I pick up on the third ring. "Hello?"
"Mal?"
"Yeah." I didn't check the caller ID, but I knew it was my dad.
"I forgot to tell your mother to tell you that I need you to get something out of the shed for me."
"Ok, what is it?"
"I need my box of tools. It's the red one that your mom got me for my birthday."
"Alright."
"Thank you. You can just put on the dining room table when your done."
Hanging up, I sigh.
"Ok. First tool box then fan fiction."
Our shed is tucked in the woods behind the house. Most kids(even adults) are scared and suspicious about the basement, but for me it was always going to the shed. I don't know what it is about that trip to the shed that scares me so much, but every time the hairs on the back of my neck would stand up and wouldn't return to normal until I reached the house. It maybe that the shed is a little farther from the house than a normal shed would be, or that it's in the woods and at night it looks like the Dark Forest. But even when it's light out, it still feels creepy like some serial killer is going to jump out from behind a tree and murder you.
Not wasting anytime, I hurry from the house and make my way into the woods. I try not to let my imagination run rampant but I can't help myself.
"This is so childish. I just have to do this one thing and then I'm free to do nothing the entire rest of the day."
Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, something shiny gleams under dead leaves and some bushes. Though I shouldn't stray from my mission, I let myself wander over to the unknown object.
Picking up the item, I discover it's a simple, silver pendant necklace- slightly bent.
I know what this is!
I got this necklace from a book I purchased(a fairytale themed book, of course), it came with it. I lost it when was eight. I was playing in the woods and it must've fell off me. I looked everywhere for this, but it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack- just impossible. It's cool that I've found it eight years later and it's only just bent.
"I knew this day was going to be a great one."
Slipping it in my pocket, I begin to back out from under the bushes but become snagged on something. I try to pull free but I just get myself hooked on more pointy branches.
"Ugh..." My pulling method isn't working, I'm just becoming more entangled. "Come on you stupid bushes, just let me go."
I decide to push forward instead of pull back.
Wrong move.
Before I know it, I'm falling into a black, pitless hole.