Shatter Like Glass-Cinderella Retold

When the Clock Strikes Midnight: Twelve Dancing Princesses Retold

"Are you alright?"

     Lilia looked up. Her breath caught. She froze, unable to move. Her dancing partner's face, handsome seconds before, was now skeletal. His eye sockets were empty. She could feel the coldness of his fingers through her ball gown.

     Her eyes widened. Her partner stopped dancing. Several other couples turned to stare at her. She reached for her throat. They were all undead. It was a hallucination, she knew. So why was her heart pounding?

     Struggling for air, she pulled out of her partner's arms and dashed for the stairs. Her throat was constricting. She stepped on her hem. It made a loud tearing sound. She threw herself at the doors and yanked them open. Teetering on the edge of the crevice in front of her, she peered down into a hellish pit. Green flames flickered in a circle below. Inside the circle were thirteen people. Twelve wore robes and seemed to be chanting. The figure in the center had on a gown and a green cloak. A golden ring glinted on their finger.

     They all turned to look at her. She nearly fainted. Her hands were sweaty and trembling.

     The middle figure began levitating. It flew towards her. She fought back the urge to scream. She couldn't make a scene. It was only another vision. She couldn't let it get to her. Lilia stumbled backwards when it appeared just in front of her. It grabbed her hand. She felt a sharp pain, then everything was gone. Turning back to the ballroom, she discovered everyone still looked dead. Her partner was pushing past people. He called out to her. She hurried into the hall. This time she remembered to lift her dress before breaking into a run. Her heels made it difficult.

     Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her into a room. She gasped. Standing in front of her was a handsome pale man. He had pointed canines and angular ears. His eyes were black.

     "What are you?" Lilia whispered, but she already knew the answer. He was Fae. These were the creatures that had haunted her dreams. This one would kill her, then rip apart the guests in the next room.

     She searched her person hastily for something iron. He grabbed her arm and twisted it until it snapped. She whimpered in pain.

     "No iron in here," he hissed. She swallowed.

     "What do you want?"

     "We want to kill them all," he whispered. "First, we want you."

     "We?"

     Eleven other Fae stepped out from the shadows. Lilia tried to scream, but couldn't.

     "Hello, Lia," one said. She turned her gaze away. How was she even seeing this? Mortals like her weren't supposed to be able to see them. Fae hadn't been spotted in centuries, not since the massacre.

     Her eyes widened. The massacre had been five-hundred years ago that night. It, too, had been at a ball. The humans present had turned on the Fae and slaughtered them. This was revenge. They would kill the humans here, all of them.

     "No need to be afraid, Lia," the first Fae told her. He stroked the side of her face, making her squirm. "We won't kill you. We're going to turn you. You've been chosen."

     "Chosen?"

     The Fae grabbed her hand and held it up to her. On her finger, she saw the same ring the figure wore when he grabbed her hand. It must have put it on her. That's how she was seeing those monsters.

     Her eyes darted to the door.

     "Oh no," one said. "You're in our world now, remember? And you aren't going anywhere."