Cinderella and The Shape Shifting Mice

Chapter Two

I parked in front of the grocery store, grabbing my backpack and the list as my step-sisters got out of the car at a glacial pace.

"We'll meet back here at four, okay?" I said to them as they kept walking.

"Sure, whatever." Drizell said; Anastasia just ignored me. I knew telling them when to meet me was a little futile, but I did anyways.

I walked in the store, grabbed a cart, and looked in my backpack at my wallet. I wanted to pay for food the right way before I had to result to other measures...

"Hello Ella." The butcher said, greeting me.

"Hello Don." I said tersely. Don was a fifty-something old man with long black hair and an apron always splattered with animal blood. Its like he never cleaned the thing. He was slightly creepy, and always seemed happy, and I didn't understand it. I tolerated him because he gave me the best cuts.

"What do you need today sugar?" he asked, wiping his knife on a towel.

I told him and he went into the back to retrieve my meat. I glanced around briefly at the people walking by, ignoring me. I wondered if any of them had received the same letter I had, which I still had yet to read.

"Here you go Ella. See you next week," he said.

"Bye Don." I walked away and got the rest of the food I needed, and paid quickly. I loaded it all itno the car, and looked back down at the list.

I needed to get five different types of fabrics, pick up the dry-cleaning, pick up the jewelry Mary and Anastasia had ordered online, and I needed to find the girls and get them some news clothes and shoes.

"Time to get started," I mumbled under my breath.

I completed the majority of my tasks with relative ease and eventually found the girls in a shoe store and told them what they needed. They eagerly went and bought bags upon bags of clothes and shoes. I had enough money to cover all of it thanks to Mary. I even had a few bucks left over for me to buy a new pair of jeans. I shoved the change into my pocket to keep for later. I'm the one who did all the finances, Mary would never notice a few stray dollars missing...

We drove back into the house, my passengers singing loudly and obnoxiously the whole time and myself trying to fight off a headache. I pulled in front of the doors and they jumped out and walked inside chatting away, no "Thank you for taking us!" Or "Let us help you with the bags!" as they went inside.

I took about 10 trips to get everything inside, and when I set the last grocery bag on the counter, I heard a scream from upstairs.

"A mouse! A mouse! Oh god its a mouse! Ella!!" I dropped what I was doing and ran upstairs. I wasn't afraid for Anastasia, but for the mouse. I grabbed a shoe box and walked calmly into her room.

Anastasia was standing on her bed, pointing to the wall were Suge, the fattest mouse out of all the ones who visited me, sat calmly nibbling on a crumb.

"Come here little guy. Lets get you outta here." I scooped him up into the box when Lucifer strode in.

"Where were you a few minutes ago when I needed you, you worthless cat!" Anastasia shouted, getting down off her bed.

Lucifer shot her a look like how could she order him around. He jumped up on her bed, walked in a circle, then laid himself down on her pillows and fell asleep. I held back laughter at Anastasia's furious facial expression. Slowly I walked out, and quickly up to my room holding the shoe box.

"Now you should know better then to go wandering around the house like that; you could get hurt!" I scolded as I let Suge out. "Don't do it again, or next time Lucifer might just get there first. Not like he'll really do much about you though, but we don't want to take any chances." I gave him one last stern look, then hurried back downstairs to finish my chores.

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It wasn't until well after dinner when everyone had gone to bed that I got to escape to my room and finally read the letter I had received this morning. I took it out from its hiding place and starred at the envelope.

Slowly I broke the seal and saw the mice come out from their hole in the wall to sit and watch me.

Dear Miss Tremaine and Women,

On behalf of the Royal Family we would like to invite you and your three daughters to the Crown Prince Daniel's 22nd birthday celebration on March 15th. Prince Daniel will be searching for a wife for his upcoming crowning ceremony as he prepares to take over the kingdom.

This event is black tie. Details for dresware are included in the attachment as well as the time you are to arrive.

We hope to see you there, please bring this invitation with you.

The Royal Family

I gapped at the letter in my hands and flipped it over and read the information about the dresses. I felt the dollar bills pressing into my back pocket from earlier today and I walked over to the box I had hidden under the floorboards where I had stashed all sorts of things over the years; including a very nice wad of cash.

I fanned the money and counted it out, added the new addition, and sucked in a breath. I had $523 and some change to spend on this event. I tucked it away and walked over to my window where I could see the the clock tower and palace light up like a christmas tree. I sighed and closed my shutters.

I hated that place and everythng they stood for, would I really want to go for the Crown Prince's birthday party? I had been saving that money to get out of this house, maybe find my own place and start a life where I wasn't employed by indentured servitude. But a party.... Not even just a party, a ball. It would be so nice to get out of this house, dress up and talk to people whom I didn't owe money to or who didn't need something from me.

I heard the clock chime outside and I pulled the blankets around me and closed my eyes, picturing crystal chandeliers and a massive birthday cake. Yes, maybe I would go to the ball.