Ella of Ash

Chapter One: My Family

Chapter One: My Family

"Ella!" my stepmother called from the dining area. "ELLA! Come clear the dishes!" 

"Coming, Stepmother!" I called back from the kitchen. 

I had been trying to eat what little food I was allowed in the kitchen. I'm not allowed to eat with the family; I'm just the orphaned servant. I wiped my face and walked into the dining area and began to clear the table. 

Suddenly I tripped over Griselda's thick leg and I went tumbling to the ground, breaking the glass dishes. 

"MAMA! Ella broke the dishes!" Griselda crowed. 

"Mama, she did, she did!" Charlotte joined in. 

I stood and began to pick the shards off of the floor when I felt someone roughly yank me upright. I was face to face with my stepmother. 

"You clumsy bitch! Those were good dishes!" Stepmother spat in my face before backhanding me sharply. "Clean up your mess and try not to fuck up any further."

"Yes, Stepmother." I said, holding back tears. If I cried, she'd hit me more. 

Once Stepmother stormed out of the room and her daughters followed, I let a tear slip down my face. Taking a deep breath, I finished cleaning up and took to my long list of chores. 

It was always "Ella, clean the dishes," "Ella, do the laundry," "Ella, wipe my ass." OK, that last one was an exaggeration, but it's not much of a stretch to be honest. 

Later that night, I had to clean the fireplace. Griselda and Charlotte loved watching me do it so they could make fun of me and call me names having to do with the ash that covered my hair, face, and well, everything else. "Ashy Ella, Ashy Ella" they'd sing. You'd think they'd have grown out of this by now, considering they're 18 and 20, and college students. 

College is wasted on them. I'd give anything to be able to go. I'm a year older than Charlotte and yet, of course, I can't go to school. Stepmother forbids it; I have to be home to do all of the chores. Heaven forbid someone else pick up after themselves. But that doesn't stop me from asking every once in a while. Maybe one day I can convince Stepmother to let me go.