Wishes

Seen

Rapunzel watched from above as Gothel descended from her tower and left for the village. She laid her head down and waited for her "mother's" return.

Meanwhile, the three kids were on their way back to the bakery, introducing themselves. "I'm Little Red, the one with the weird name. I know. I forgot who first thought of it! And this is Ella, the tough one!"

"Am not!" Ella laughed. "I guess I have a list of names. (She paused for a moment) You guys are the first ones I'm saying this to. At home, well, my father's house, people call me this name when they mock me: (She took in a deep breath) Cinderella. It's because, at night, it tends to be a little cooler. So, I sleep near the fireplace... and wake up covered in ashes."

"I actually think it's a lovely name!" Little Red exclaimed. "It's so unique. If you don't know what cinders are, then it's even better! Although I do doubt people have never heard of it. Unless they don't have a chimney..."

Jack added on, "You're covered with St. Nicholas magic!"

"I suppose so!" Ella smiled. All three shared a moment of laughter together. Finally, they found themselves in front of the bakery. But then, "ELLA?! Where are you?!"

"Oh no," Little Red sighed. "It's Ella's stepmother. Quickly! GO IN!"

The baker's wife welcomed the children in. But before Little Red had a chance to ask for her baked goods, the whole door behind her flew open. Everyone backed up. A haggard old woman hobbled in. Gothel's sister. "You!" she boomed, pointing to the baker. "You must be the son!"

"Don't you dare do anything more!" someone else said behind her. Gothel. "I should have known what else you would do. How foolish of me." Everyone stood a good couple of feet away from the scene. Little Red suddenly blurted out, "Okay, let me get this straight. So, you (pointing to Gothel) are good, and you (pointing to the sister) are bad?"

Jack yanked her aside, giving her an annoyed look. "Oh, so now I'm the bad guy!" the sister threw her arms up in the air. "Please," the baker quickly spoke, holding his wife. "Tell us why we're childless."

"So you are!" the witch realized. "I placed a curse on your father's house so that he gets the opposite of what he wants, just like I did. He stole my flower." Ella suddenly asked, "When was this curse activated?"

The sister spun her head around to Ella. "I'd say, about seven years ago. Why?" Ella couldn't believe this. She shut her eyelids tight to see if she was just seeing things. "I, I don't understand. It was you."