Saving Cinderella

Chapter I

I woke up to the sound of birds chirping. The beds were so soft, 3 swan feather mattresses with silk sheets and about a million wolf fur pillows. Even more luxurious of a bed that I had at home.

Home seems so far away now, the life I, my twin sister (fraternal) Drizella, and my mother had there just stayed in that mansion in Applebrooke when my father died, my mother got married to another nobleman, and we moved into his home in Rainbrooke.

I wonder every day why all the happiness I had was ripped away from me that few months ago. It seems eternities away that father passed, John was banished from our household, and the brightness in my mother and sister's eyes diminished.

Now I am forced to live in this new home where there are no apple trees, and few gardens. At least they have a library.

For a while after Father's death, I stopped reading. The magic and fairy tales turned bland, it lost its spark. It seems I gained adulthood when I lost Father. Stories didn't hold its place in my heart anymore. Books only came into my life again when I found historical and scientific novels. History and Science are 2 things that will always be trustworthy and never change.

I could stay in that heaven of a bed forever, listening to the birds sing their songs and be happy, making up for my sadness. But Ella ended that daydream.

She burst into the room in all her glory (how she looks so perfect in the early morning is a wonder) and chirped, "Good morning Anya! What do you want to do today?"

This was the 3rd night spent at my new home in Springbrooke. My days were filled up with tea and cake with Ella, dress fittings, and tours of the vast home. She showed me all the books in their two libraries, one in the east wing, and one on the west. I had stacks of about 50 books in my room that I was interested in. I preferred to read the books in the nook by the window, because the window is curved and goes outward, allowing me to sit and soak up the sun.

I answered Ella's question by saying, "You know, I don't really feel up to doing anything today. I think I'll just go back to sleep..." I pulled the covers over my head, hoping Ella would just give up and go back to talking to squirrels or whatever that girl does.

Ah, but no, she took me going back to sleep (which I thought was the universal sign of telling people to leave me alone) as a competition!

That girl can be strong when she wants to, believe me. She may be the size of a fairy, but the power of a horse. She stomped right up and ripped the covers from my hands to the foot of the bed. Before I could retrieve the sheets back, she ran to the windows and opened them, which invited a huge gust of wind to blast through the room.

"What are you trying to do?! Kill me?" I exclaimed. She laughed, but I was being perfectly serious. "You can't stay in bed all day!" She explained, " this is for your own good, Anya."

"Fine, fine," I replied. "I don't appreciate you acting like my mother, you know," she added. Ella just nodded and smiled but Anya could tell it went in one ear and out the other.

"I was thinking we could go shopping in town," she continued. I stood up and walked over to the massive window. The morning breeze was freezing, I would rather sit by the fire and read...but this is Ella I was competing against.

"Um- sure," I agreed. She smiled. "I know this great shoe shop," Ella replied. Great. I hate shoe shopping! It's always so embarrassing because my feet are so long. They have to pull out special shoes for me from the back of the shop. Small feet are in style, so all their tiny shoes are on display in the front.

Two hours later, I was in a carriage with Drizella, Ella, and my new stepbrothers, Emmet, Adam, and Nathan. Emmet never stopped looking at Drizella, which frankly, is just a little revolting.

I was beginning to think Ella is a little crazy, because she actually encouraged Emmet constantly stalking Drizella. Ever since we moved into out new home, Emmet never stopped being around her, admiring her beauty (Ella said) but never really talked to her. I tried to ignore it.

An hour later, we reached the heart of town. Looking around at the place, I was reminded the pig pen at my old home. Everything was grubby and cold, people were constantly bumping into each other, and it was so loud, When the footman opened the door, I barely heard when Ella said to the driver,"Thank you for the ride Javert!" The man just smiled an waved. It seemed as if Ella was beloved by everyone who met her. She is so personable! I could never in a million years be so friendly.

The boys went off to do whatever boys do in town (seriously, they weren't here to shop, so where were they going?) then I saw them enter a tavern. Oh. I guess that's the only form of entertainment they will get for a while.

"So..." Drizella looked around not hiding her disgust, "where's the shoe shop?" Just then, a carriage nearby splattered about 5 drops of mud on her very expensive dress, and she shrieked. "That's it!" She exclaimed, "take me home!" Javert just sighed as she entered into the carriage. "Miss-" he started, but Drizella would have no disobedience. "No! Take me home!"

He started the carriage with a snap of his whip on the horses, and they were off, leaving Ella and me alone on the street.

"Her loss," Ella laughed, turning to me, "the heart of this town is a little rough, but the cobbler's shop is a little oasis." I smiled, trying to stay positive. I didn't believe her, everything must register as a little slice of heaven in her mind.

We walked on the side of the road, avoiding busy people not looking where  they were going. Along the way, she told me what all the stores were. Cake shops, clothing shops on a budget, taverns, poultry shops, a few struggling restaurants, bread shops, and so much more.

Finally we got to the cobbler's shop. I was so shocked to see that Ella was right about this one. It was like a little paradise. First off, the entire building was white, in contrast to the mud on the ground and the brown shops neighboring it. They must clean the outside walls everyday to keep up with that sparkling eggshell color.

Next, the windows were wide and clear. It proudly showed off the interior, full of black and red velvet pillows with the most stunning and original shoes I have ever seen.

The shop didn't need a sign for you to know what elegance it held, unlike the other buildings.

Before entering, I admired all the shoes. This Definetly wasn't a shop for shoes that you wear everyday. There were ones with straps that go to your knee, blue ones that had wings coming out the side like a bird, and ones shaped as giant butterflies with jewels adorning it. I even saw black sleek ones that looked like heels, just without the heel. How were you supposed to walk on those?!

Ella laughed at my staring. "Come on, Anya," she said, "these shoes aren't going to buy themselves.