Peter gazed up at the the graceful spires and soaring towers of the white and gold castle with new appreciation. He let out a low whistle.
"I thought there was something super Disneyworld about this place," he said. "You wrote a fairytale, huh? That's cool. At least we'll be safe here."
We stood at the bottom of the mountainous wide stone steps that led to the castle's entrance. I glanced behind us at the huge wrought iron gate and twenty-foot hedges. All seemed quiet at the moment, but I knew it wouldn't last.
"No," I said, more to myself than to Peter. "No, we're not safe here."
"What mean'st thou?" Hamlet asked.
His answer came in the form of a resounding bong from the lofty clock tower next to the castle. I looked up at the clock face, and my stomach clenched.
It was midnight.
A moment later, a woman dressed in a resplendent silver ballgown came sprinting down the steps. Her curly blonde hair and the countless layers of tulle that made up the skirt of her gown streamed behind her like flags in the wind. She kicked off her shoes as she ran — one remained upright and perfectly posed while the other tumbled down the steps and struck Hamlet in the ankle.
He bent and picked it up. "How unusual this dance slipper!" he remarked.
"It's made of glass," I said.
"Arm yourselves with blades, or run!" the woman shouted to us as she passed. "The Undead are coming!"
I gawked at her as she hastened past me. She was exactly as I'd written her. Every detail, down to the frighteningly long sword she now unsheathed, was a perfect match to my notes.
NAME: Ella D'Grimm
ALIASES: Cinderella
AGE: 21
OCCUPATION: Zombie Slayer
LOCATION: Western Kingdom in the Land of Enchantment
TIME: ambiguous fairytale past
WRITTEN WORK: "Once Upon An Apocalypse"
STATUS: on hold - writer's block
DESCRIPTION: ambitious and intelligent, highly trained by late father in the defensive arts, savvy with many types of blades, brave, great dancer, has two step sisters, blonde hair, blue eyes...
"Is that...Cinderella?" Peter asked.
"Yep," I said.
"Cristina, what the hell is she talking about?" Peter demanded. "What does she mean by 'the undead'?"
I smacked my palm against my forehead. Of all the stories in all the notebooks... We just had to walk into this one.
"This is a compilation of classic fairytales," I said. "The characters, the plot points," I pointed to the glass slipper in Hamlet's hands, "the memorable props, etcetera. Except in this story, Cinderella and her friends are fighting to survive a zombie apocalypse."
Peter blanched. "Don't fuck with me."
"I wish I was," I said.
At that moment, a handsome man (who looked suspiciously like a brunette Ken Doll) came bounding down the castle steps in his eveningwear. "Wait!" he called after Ella. "I don't even know your real name! How will I find you?"
He knelt and retrieved the other discarded glass slipper. With a mystified expression, he beheld the transparent high-heeled pump as though it were the Compass Rose.
"Prince Charming?" Peter guessed.
"Well, Prince Henry," I answered. "But yes. Essentially, yes."
"I do not fear you!" I heard Ella shout from outside the gates. "Come and taste my blade, if you dare!"
YOU ARE READING
Vengeful Creations || ONC 2021
Adventure🏆 ONC 2021 Ambassador's Pick, Shortlister, & HONORABLE MENTION To the outside world, young novelist Cristina Castillo appears to have nothing but success. With four published works under her belt, she is a literary wunderkind. But behind closed doo...
