ASTRYD
Three days had passed after that game. I thought that the pictures I took from the outing was great so I posted it on Facebook and tagged my mom on some. Mom then tagged people she knew so my pictures spread like a wildfire on Facebook. People were tagging other people and liking and commenting on some.
Not so long someone tagged me on an uploaded picture of me playing volleyball. Well the uploader dedicated a whole album for my pictures. The one who captured the pictures had made me his/her model without my consent. He captured every emotion I did when I was on the beach. I click on the next button. There were pictures of me taking pictures, eating, walking, running and all the things I have done on the beach. Is there something the person did other than snapping pictures of me there?
There was one picture of me that I really liked. It was one that I was on air and was about to smash the ball. I liked it so much that I made it my profile picture and captioned it with 'credits to whoever took this picture'.
I was looking on the pictures when I noticed that the album name was changed from 'a girl' to 'meet bikini girl and she's hungry'. To my horror I checked the name of the owner of the photos and his name was 'Logan Bennett'. It pisses me off to remember what he did with that brunet chic. What pissed me more is that he took pictures of me and lots of it. I mean lots. What does he want? A chat box popped on my Facebook window.
Logan Bennett: So the hungry girl has a name.
I immediately logged out and went down stairs to see that nobody was home. In the fridge, there was a note from mom that she would be coming home late and a note from the boys that they will be home later than 8 pm. They had gone to meet some classmate of theirs.
I had the idea of going inside the tree again. I wanted to have some adventures again. So what I did is I went to the backyard. I looked at the sky and it was bright. It was nowhere near dawn so I made up my mind.
I went in front of the tree. I did the chant and a door appeared. I opened it and jump right in. I was in a garden, I was wearing a sparkly blue gown and a glass shoe. Then it hit me---'Cinderella'.
But why am I wearing her clothes. Am I playing Cinderella now? I roamed around to see that I was in the castle's garden. I went on the entrance of the ballroom. Every eyes on the room was staring at me. I was feeling uneasy because of that. I saw the prince was walking towards me so I am sure that I was playing Cinderella today.
It never happened that I played the lead character of the story. This is the first. I was always playing a nobody in the story. But today it's not.
"Good Evening my Lord." I curtseyed.
"Good Evening lovely lady." He bowed. "Will you dance with me?"
"Gladly my Lord." I responded.
The Prince and I danced every dance he wouldn't dance with other ladies. While dancing with the prince, I saw Cinderella hiding on a column inside the ballroom. To my horror we really looked alike like we were twins. With the same dress too. Then it hit me. Im not Cinderella.
I wanted to talk to her. But I couldn't shake the Prince beside me. Then to my horror the clock struck 12. I saw Cinderella ran and so did I. I followed her and shouting for her to wait for me. The prince did that to but he was shouting at me.
I took a flight on the stairs and while running my shoe fell off. I didn't turn around and fetch it. All I wanted is to catch up with Cinderella and talk to her maybe.
I caught her while she was climbing the carriage. She pulled me and we were riding the carriage and it was very fast. Then next thing we knew our gown was turning into rugs. The horses became mice again, the coachman was a fat rat, and the carriage became a pumpkin. We were sitting in the middle of the forest. I began to laugh.
"Who are you and why are you laughing." she asked in a calm soft voice. I could tell she was confused.
"Well, I'm a wanderer. My name is Astryd and frankly, I thought I was you." I responded.
"You know me?" She gasped.
"You are Cinderella right?" she nodded in affirmation.
"I'm sorry to take your identity on the ball. I will make this right." I stood up and noticed that the other glass shoes was on my feet. I took it.
"Here, take this. You need this." she was still confused.
"We should head to your house now before trouble finds us." She snapped out of confusion and ran. I followed her.
We got in the house safely and on time. Because as soon as we got home, her step mom appeared on the kitchen door. I hid under the table on time.
"Where were you?" Her step mom asked.
"Well, I was here all along finishing the errands you gave me." She answered calmly.
"There was a mysterious girl who had caught the heart of the prince. She was wearing a sparkling blue dress and a glass shoe. Everybody admired her. The Prince danced with her all night long not giving any girl a chance to dance with him." her step mom told her. "But the weird thing was she ran when she heard the clock stuck 12. She rushed through the stairs and left one of her shoe."
"And you're saying this to me because?" Cinderella responded.
Her stepmother walked towards her glaring at her.
"To tell you that you had no chance of meeting him he liked that girl." Then Cinderella's step mom disappeared by the kitchen door.
"You'll meet him again." I assured her while coming out under the table. When we were sure that everyone was asleep, she led me to her room and she told me that we could share bed. So we did.
***
Next morning her stepsisters were shouting her name.
"Cinderella, go get me my nicest gown." One said.
"Cinderella, where are my shoes?" the other one said.
I could hear Cinderella's step sisters made her do all the things for them. Poor Cinderella. Then when they were fully dressed, there was a knock on the door.
"Good morning Madame. I am a servant of the prince and we were looking for the person who left her glass shoe last night in the palace stairs. Do you have someone who we can fit these lovely slippers? Any maiden can have a chance."
"Yes. Come in. come in." Said the step mother.
The servant waved his hands at the footman on the carriage. He opened the door and there was the prince. He came down the carriage and walked towards the entrance of the house. Cinderella's stepmother made him sit on the couch. The servant was standing beside him.
"So where are the maidens?" the prince asked.
"These are my daughters, my Lord."
"Let the fitting begin." The prince said.
Cinderella and I was in the kitchen.
"Come on. Get there and fit the shoe." I said to her.
"I'll get something to drink my lord." We heard her step mom said as she was walking towards the kitchen door. Luckily for me I had a chance to slip behind the big kitchen door.
As soon as her Step mother was in the kitchen door she stared at Cinderella who was fixing her hair.
"Where do you think you are going?" Her step mother asked.
"To fit the slippers." Cinderella answered. Her stepmother laughed.
"You wouldn't. You are a mere servant." She said.
"But the servant said any maiden can have a chance." She answered calmly. This Cinderella is the only person I know that can talk calmly as that.
"No way. I'm locking you up until the prince is gone." I could hear her grab her.
"No." she was dragging Cinderella. I didn't move. I knew she would be coming back for the beverages. And she did. As soon as I heard she was offering the Prince the beverages, I slowly came out of the kitchen and find where Cinderella is. I found her on the attic.
"Hey Cinderella." I called her.
"Astryd, go find the keys."
"Where is it?" I asked.
"It's with her."
"How can I get it? It's impossible to get that." I answered.
"The mice. They can get it for you."
So the mice she called Gus was in the mission on getting the keys from that evil old woman. After some time of waiting on the stairs of the attic, I saw the mice running with a shiny key, and he was being chased by the house cat. I shooed the cat away and got the keys.
I ran up the stairs, which mind you was very old and very long. I run as fast as I could. When I reached the top, I was gasping for breath but I managed to open the lock.
Cinderella rushed to the stairs and me too. When we reached the living room, the prince was on his way to the door.
"WAIT!" Cinderella shouted. Everyone looked at her. Her stepmother's eyes grew wide.
"And who are you?" The servant asked Cinderella.
"I'm Cinderella. I live in this house too."
"And you?" he was staring at me.
"Oh. I'm just a friend of Cinderella's"
The prince sat on the couch again. The servant was walking in front of Cinderella's step mother. She tripped the servant and the glass shoe flew into the air and broke into pieces as soon as it landed on the concrete floor. You could see on the Prince face the sadness the broken glass slippers caused.
There was a smile on the face of the old woman and so as in the face of her daughters. But a smile never left Cinderella's face.
"Oh, the slippers broke." A huge grin was painted on the woman's face.
"Don't worry, I had the other one." Cinderella got the other shoe off the pocket of her apron.
The grin on the old woman's face was suddenly gone. She was shocked to see that the other shoe was in Cinderella's hands. She never saw that coming.
Cinderella slipped her foot on the shoe. It fit perfectly. The Prince stood from the couch and walked towards Cinderella.
"It is you." He said.
Moments later, her ragged dress had changed into the gown she was wearing the night they met---Err, we met.
The prince then kneeled in front of Cinderella. He was holding a red velvet box and opened it in front of her.
"Will you marry me Cinderella?" he asked.
"Oh yes my Prince. Ill marry you." Cinderella answered in glee.
The Prince stood up and embraced Cinderella. I saw the kitchen door glowed. It was my cue to disappear. I was walking towards the kitchen door when Cinderella grab a hold of me.
"Thank you Astryd for making this all possible." She hugged me.
"Oh Cinderella, this is all possible." I told her. "Congratulations on finding your happiness." I added.
"You'll find yours too Astryd." She said.
"Well I have to go now Cinderella. My world is calling me." I said.
"I knew you were magic." She joked. I smiled.
"Live happily ever after for me." I said
"I will." Then I held the doorknob of the kitchen door and looked back at them. Cinderella and the Prince were waving goodbye at me. I waved back. I opened the door and I can still see light. I slowly walked out the tree. I sat on the roots again and smiled and wondered how it feels to be in love.
I looked at to my right and saw a pair of big brown eyes staring at me.