The two sisters found their way through the darkness of the room. They made their way down a set of steps that led to a small room, which was dimly lit by a candle. Two mattresses lay on the floor, with thin layers of plastic sprawled over them. The girls each found their way to their own mattress, and each climbed under their own layer of plastic.
Scampering could be heard along the floor of this room at night. And the hooting of an owl could be heard through the walls. The sisters could not fall asleep, and not because of the horrible noises. Not a word was said batween them but the both thought the same thing. "Why does our stepsister get all the glory when she was no one?" A howling was heard, and the sound of wolves running around the outside of the house could be heard from any room. A bat screeched and flew down, only just missing the floor, trying to catch a rat for a midnight feast. The moonlight gleamed through the barred hole in the wall, which the sisters saw as being their window.
The cold, biting wind blew harshly in through this ‘window’, making the girls shiver through the night. Finally, they managed to fall asleep. These nights are still restful for the girls, and many of their dreams are bright, colourful, and joyful. The night is the one time they can get away from hard labour. The one time they can enjoy what they have. A life. A night. A dream.
