Midnight Tresses

Chapter 5

Marinette smiled as she read her favorite book, Cinderella. She would sometimes close her eyes and imagine herself at the ball, dressed like a princess dancing with the prince. Other books she liked to read were Romeo and Juliet, Eros and Pysche, and A Midsummer's Night Dream. Stories like that gave her hope. Hope that no matter how difficult things got something wonderful would happen to make it better.

"Marinette let down your hair!" Anansi called.

She did as she was told and Anansi climbed up.

"Hello Mother."

"How are you my darling?"

"I'm fine Mother, listen I was wondering...Um...Aside from singing that time have I been good?"

"Yes very."

"And I'm safe if I'm with you right?"

"Of course."

"Well then could I please go with you when you leave."

"Go with me?"

"To the kingdom. Please, you said I've been good and I'll stay with you the whole time so I'll be safe."

"Why on earth would you ever want to leave here? I give you everything you could ever need."

"Except freedom and friendship. I'm lonely Mother, I want to go out and make friends."

"You don't need friends Marinette."

"Everyone needs friends and maybe just maybe while we're out I might meet someone special."

"What do you mean someone special?"

"Well a man, a young man. A man kind and honest and sweet. A man to love me."

"A man?! You've been reading those love stories again! Ugh! I should've never brought you them. All they do is confuse you."

"They don't confuse me Mother they make me happy and dream."

"Dreams are worthless! And what kind of man would love you? None!"

"But Mother-"

"For eighteen years I have loved you, sheltered you, fed you, given you everything and yet it seems you're not statisfyed with me!"

"That's not true!"

"Then why do you continue to dream about some man coming to take you away from me? It's these stupid love stories, they fill your head with these thoughts! Well they won't anymore!" She grabbed all of Marinette's favorite books except for her sketch book.

"What are you doing?" Marinette asked.

She then watched in horror as Anansi snapped her fingers setting all of the books on fire. Marinette tried to put out the fire but Anansi held her back forcing the poor girl to watch her beloveded story books burn. By the time the fire went back there was nothing left but ash. Marinette went to the floor and began to cry bitterly.

"It was for your own good." Anansi said picking up Marinette's braid and heading toward the window. "I love you, that should be enough!"

She then climbed down and left. Marinette just continued to cry and sob, she was so glad Tikki and Plagg weren't here because she didn't want them to see her like this. She desperately tries to look for any remains of her books but there was nothing. She wiped her tears with her dress skirt and decided to sing to make herself feel better. She didn't care if Anansi heard it, she couldn't have hurt her anymore than she already did.