Cinderella's Tears

Cinderella's Tears ~ Chapter 12

The door slowly creaked open, but I couldn’t bring myself to turn around. For a minute, I didn’t hear anything but heavy breathing from outside the door. I continued to gaze outside the window. The person stepped in the room and walked toward me. I heard the sound of the bottom of a dress being dragged across the floor. It must be either one of the stepsisters or my stepmother. She stopped half way across the room.

“Diane,” Lisa addressed me confidently but I could still hear her voice slightly shaking. I ignored her yet she waited for me to answer. A minute passed before she confirmed that she would not get an answer. “I understand that what Zoey and I did was mean.” I guessed that she rehearsed these lines a couple times before. Still, I would not answer.

Before she continued, Lisa walked closer. By now I could see her at the corner of my eye. Her eyes got big when she saw the dead sparrow resting on top of my dress.

“I’m sorry,” she whimpered. She tried to rest her hand on my shoulder to show concern. Still in midair, I grabbed her wrist and held on. Lisa wriggled out of my grip and snatched her had back. I looked at her. She was shivering even though she was in a warm dress that also covered her arms. She rubbed her wrist. I didn’t realize how cold it was in the attic but I made no move to close the window. My hands must have been freezing.

My hair hit me on the face as I turned toward Lisa.  “For what?” I sneered at her. I stuck my nose up and frowned at her. She looked helpless.

Lisa put her head down but kept looking at me, “I should have been there; to help you dress and I should have gotten a better dress. We knew it would make you look like an idiot.”

“I know,” I replied coldly.

“I’m sorry. Please believe me.” She begged. I raised an eyebrow. Lisa had this sad look in her eyes. “I always followed around Zoey and listened to mother. I never stood up for myself. Everyone hates me because they are jealous and I never had any friends. It was when I saw how you looked at the party, something clicked in here.” She pointed to her head? I nodded and motioned her to go on. Lisa babbled on, “And then I realized I had to change.” She sighed, “Listen Diane. I just want to say I never wanted to do all those bad things to you. Zoey just pressured me into it. I don’t know what to do anymore. Every time I see someone hurt, I feel like throwing up. I don’t want to live like this anymore. Please forgive me; I’ll make it up to you the next ball. I’ll give you one of my best dresses and help you with makeup.”

My head was getting heavy. I placed the sparrow on the window ledge and supported my head with my arm. As sincere as Lisa wanted to be, I just couldn’t forgive her. I couldn’t see her this way. I let my arm down.

“Get out.”

Lisa looked up shocked, “What?”

“Get out. Just leave.”

Wordlessly, she stood up and went toward the door. She rested her hand on the frame and looked back me. I could see that in her eyes, she was truly sorry. Lisa looked at me with hope that I would change my mind. I stared back her, with no invitation to come back. Her eyes got wet and she left.

A few minutes after Lisa left, I went to the field where I had buried the baby sparrows. I found the tree and dug another hole. I put the sparrow in the ole. It was wrapped up in the best piece of fabric I found, a dark green silk with gold embroidery. I covered it with dirt and patted it down, hard. The day was calm and cold. No winds today, thank goodness.

Time passed as I sat there staring at the ground. The sky darkened and the temperature dropped. To me, I only sat there for a few seconds. By the time I returned home, the sun had set and the moon rose high in the sky.

When father and stepmother saw me return, they started shouting at me. I took no notice of them till father put his hand on my shoulder and spun me around to face them. Strangely enough, their mouths were moving but I heard nothing. Their faces were red from anger. I had a pounding in my head and I couldn’t stay there long. I started climbing up the stairs. I had to hold on the rail because I started to tip backwards and I needed to hold on to something.

I walked into the room and fell on my covers. Faintly, I could feel the pain as my body hit the floor. There was a hole in a stomach due to hunger but the need to rest was to great. I looked at my hands. At first I thought I was hallucinating. My fingers were dripping in blood. Then I passed out. The last thing I remember is the feel of my fingers, still dirty from digging in the dirt, brush against my face.