Sleeping Beauty - a retelling

Chapter 2

That night we dance our first dance together. Normally I can't dance to save my life, but this is a slow dance so I manage. And I have to say that Ethan's strong arms around me feels right. I fact everything feels just right until I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around and comes face to face with my stepsisters.

"Can we talk?"

I nod, dumbfounded, what could they possibly have to talk to me about?

I reluctantly escapes the warm embrace of Ethan to follow my stepsisters out to the balcony. Once there they both turn to face me.

"So you and the prince, huh," my first sister begins.

I'm not quite sure what to make of that statement.

"Uhm, yes...?" I begin hesitantly.

"You've been dancing with him," she continues.

"And people have seen you talking to him in the garden," my other sister steps in.

"Yes..." I confess, still unsure why they're mentioning all this.

"Well, don't you think it's rude of you to occupy all his time when you know he's here looking for a wife?"

"Uh..." I consider telling them that I've never sought Ethan's company, that both times he came to me - ubelievable and exciting though it may be - but I don't think they'll appreciate that.

"After all, you know he's not looking at you as a potential wife."

My train of thought comes to a screeching halt, and shame begins to warm my cheeks.

"Yes, you're far too plain to be the wife to a prince like Ethan."

"Yes, too plain, and frankly my dear, too fat."

I feel hot tears slip down my cheeks. Their comments aren't something I haven't heard before. But hearing them say I'm not good enough for a man like Ethan somehow makes it all the more painful. Probably because deep down in my heart, I really want to be good enough for Ethan, I just fear that I'm not.

I can't bear to listen to them anymore, so I turn on my heels and run. Run down the stairs, run through my beloved garden and through the gates of the castle. The road ahead of me is blurred by my tears and my crying makes it hard to breathe. But I don't stop. I never even pause as I enter the enchanted forest near the castle.

I'm not sure how long I've been running when I enter the small clearing. I realize I'm surrounded by raspberry bushes when I look around. I love raspberries and after the night I've just had I'm in the mood for comfort food. So I scoop down and begin to shuffle raspberries in my mouth. The berries are succulent and sweet and I stuff several of them in my mouth at the time.

It's as if I can't stop. My arms are reaching for the berries on their own accord, and I'm in an almost frenzied state. I don't care that the vines are reaching around my legs, crawling up to my thighs and reaching around my waist. All I care about is burying the horror and shame of this night - and these berries are offering me just that. Absolution, sweet oblivion is a sacred oath if only I manage to eat my fill.
I'm in a world of my own as I'm frantically shoving raspberries in my mouth.

The vines have reached my chest and they wrap themselves tightly around my body. I'm almost completely tangled up in vines and I'm beginning to feel drowsy. Now sleeping feels more important than eating and I fall to the ground, the vines cushioning my fall like a lover's embrace.

The next thing I know it's like I'm dreaming but I'm aware that I'm dreaming, if you know what I mean. And somewhere up above me I hear voices. I don't think I recognize any of them, and if I do,  I don't really care.

"She's in an enchanted sleep. The raspberries that she ate where bewitched."

"How do I wake her up?"
I do actually think I recognize that voice, lovely and deep as it is. I just can't muster enough enthusiam to try and figure out where I've heard it before.

"You don't."

"Please, there must be some way to break the spell. I'll do anything."

"There is one way. But you must be prepared to fundamentally change for her. Are you willing to do that?"

"Yes, I'll do anything to bring her back. I love her."

"Then we will turn you vampire; a creature of the night that must drink blood to survive. Will you do that?"

"Will it bring her back?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll do it."

"It is done. You must bring her to your castle and every night you must drink her poisoned blood."

"Will it save her?"

"Yes, but she will sleep in an enchanted sleep for a hundred years. Are you willing to wait for her for one hundred years?"

"If it will bring my beloved back I'll wait a thousand years."

I don't understand what's happening. Where am I? What happened to me? Who were the voices I heard? I realize with a jolt of acute awareness that one of them sounded like Ethan. Where is he? Will I ever see his face again? I don't get more time to worry about it before the darkness closes in on me.

The next chapter will be chapter 4, because chapter 3 is a restricted chapter. You can find chapter 3 on my profile @evamadison under 'Sleeping Beauty - restricted chapters'