cherry tarts

6

6/6/24

Once upon a time, there was a girl who was never good enough for anyone. Her mom demanded so much from her but she never could give it. There must've been something wrong with her always. Her mother never liked her. She made that clear day after day. 

She dreamed of a day where she could be alone and do the things she enjoys. Where she could sit outside during sunrise and breathe in the fresh morning air. But for now, all she could do was hide away in her corner until her mother demanded her. 

One late night she lay in her bed in her cold and lonely room. Then she heard a tapping outside her window. For a while she ignored it then it became more persistent. She got up. A chill ran down her spine. She reached for her sweater and put it on. Looking out the window where the moon should've been shining down on the cedars, she could only see inky darkness. She opened the window and a light breeze of stale air touched her skin. She shivered again. A voice in the back of her mind told her to climb through the window. But that's horrid she thought. I'll fall out the window. The trees wouldn't be able to support my weight, would they? She slipped her legs out and held onto the windowsill. To her surprise, her feet touched solid ground. Not dirt or any other reasonable thing. It was a cool, smooth surface. She let go of the sill and felt the air looking for a tree. Her fingers felt nothing but air. She took a step, and another, and another. She looked back and couldn't see her house. She felt relief in a way. As if her problems were behind her and she looked forward to finding out what awaited her. She walked forward into the pitch black. Her foot hit something and she heard it roll away. She got down and searched for it. It was a flashlight, she clicked it on. A pale pink light emanated from it. She finally could see her surroundings. It was a wide corridor made of quartz. Oil lamps long since burned out and covered in cobwebs occupied the walls every few yards. She walked further with the help of the dim light. She came to an old, wooden door. She tried the handle but it wouldn't budge. She became panicked thinking she was trapped. Then she thought of how she found the light. Maybe she could go back down the hall and find a key. Sure enough, she found it wedged in between a crack in the wall. It was a gold key intricately designed and its bow was adorned with jewels. Back at the door, she fit the key into the keyhole. The old door swung open slowly.