A Twisted Cinderella Story
by Cassidee Grunwald
As the slipper fell to the ground, it was as if everything was happening in slow motion. I could see everything clearly now because the glass slipper filled the room and turned everyone transparent. I could see the wickedness in my stepmother, the jealousy in my step sisters, and the fear inside the Duke. I wanted to know what emotion I was feeling right now, but I couldn’t see through myself. I was the only solid material while everyone else was glass, shattering before my eyes.
I started to think, is this what I really want? Is this the life I’ve prepared myself for? Do I really love the prince? Or is this just some fantasy I’ve created as an escape from the world I live in right now? Was this the only path for me to choose? As the world started to return to solid materials, the loud crash of the slipper filled the room.
“Oh no! The slipper! What have I done?” The duke started to weep into his hands.
“What a shame, looks like Cinderella won’t be able to try on the slipper!” said my stepsisters and stepmother with a wicked grin.
I looked at the floor and observed the broken pieces of glass. I saw the cracked reflection of my own face. I saw the dirt and bruises that covered my face and something else that appeared blurry at first. When it was pulled into focus, I saw my true self. I saw the prince and I living happily together. I saw our future, the life that I deserved... that I wanted. Then I knew that this was the life I wanted to live and no one was going to take it away from me.
“Excuse me, sir.” I reached out to the Duke and put a hand on his shoulder, “If it helps, I have the matching slipper.”
The Duke went wide eyed and my step mother gasped so loud that all the birds flew away in fear. I pulled out the slipper from my pocket and handed it over to the Duke. He grasped the slipper with extra care and his smile meant the world to me.
“Thank you, my dear! You have saved me!” He slipped the glass slipper onto my foot. At last, I felt as if my world was complete. I finally found what emotion was inside my glass body, love.
I started to think, is this what I really want? Is this the life I’ve prepared myself for? Do I really love the prince? Or is this just some fantasy I’ve created as an escape from the world I live in right now? Was this the only path for me to choose? As the world started to return to solid materials, the loud crash of the slipper filled the room.
“Oh no! The slipper! What have I done?” The duke started to weep into his hands.
“What a shame, looks like Cinderella won’t be able to try on the slipper!” said my stepsisters and stepmother with a wicked grin.
I looked at the floor and observed the broken pieces of glass. I saw the cracked reflection of my own face. I saw the dirt and bruises that covered my face and something else that appeared blurry at first. When it was pulled into focus, I saw my true self. I saw the prince and I living happily together. I saw our future, the life that I deserved... that I wanted. Then I knew that this was the life I wanted to live and no one was going to take it away from me.
“Excuse me, sir.” I reached out to the Duke and put a hand on his shoulder, “If it helps, I have the matching slipper.”
The Duke went wide eyed and my step mother gasped so loud that all the birds flew away in fear. I pulled out the slipper from my pocket and handed it over to the Duke. He grasped the slipper with extra care and his smile meant the world to me.
“Thank you, my dear! You have saved me!” He slipped the glass slipper onto my foot. At last, I felt as if my world was complete. I finally found what emotion was inside my glass body, love.