Cinderella: A Fractured Fairytale

Six

Jovette's POV

Chapter 6

***

"Trees, trees. Stupid trees." I glared at the clearing around me. "I hate trees."

"You hate everything." Mother sighed.

"So? Maybe there's a reason for that!"

I know Eric said not to leave the clearing. But how dangerous can it really be? The thought struck me and I narrowed my eyes with an idea. "Well, since you're tired of hearing me complain, I'll just go to the other side of the clearing." I announced haughtily.

"Please do." Mother said wearily. "I don't think I can stand your grumbling much longer. I do declare, even if we were at the ball right now, you'd be whining about how you hate wearing dresses and yours is too tight and it itches around the sleeves. Then you'd complain that no one had asked you to dance yet, even though we'd have arrived only five minutes before."

I ignored her (who's complaining now, Mother?), turning to stalk away from her with a scowl on my face. As soon as I was out of sight, though, I let my sulky expression slide. "I don't care_who_ said not to leave the clearing." I said to myself under my breath. "I'll do whatever I want, thank you very much."

I slipped out through the trees, sticking my tongue out at the clearing for good measure. "I'm going out of the clearing. And ha! Guess what? I haven't even been ambushed by a hungry wolf yet."

The chill wind whipped through the trees, and I shivered slightly. "Nothing to be afraid of. Just a little breeze." The dark shadows loomed threateningly, hauntingly, seeming to tear at my clothes though they were as insubstantial as mist and moonlight.

The moonlight that was very noticeably missing from this setting. In fact, where was all the light? Only a minute ago everything had been bright and easy to see. Now I was struggling to make out the figures of objects barely a few feet from me.

I turned around, deciding I'd gone far enough, but when I turned I realized there was a wall of thorns behind me. Where did that come? I don't remember walking through it.

A chilling howl filled the night, and fear crept through me. How long had I been away from the clearing? A minute? Five? Time was so hard to measure when everything looked the same.

"Mother!" My cry was torn away by the wind, and even I barely heard it. What's happening?

I turned about, searching for a pinprick of light, but there was none to be seen anywhere I looked.

I was lost.

"No, I'm not!" I snapped fiercely. "I'm not lost! I'll find a path any second now." But hopelessness was consuming me quickly. Please, someone. Help me. I'll even say thank you.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving. "Mother?"

The figure was definitely not my mother. It was shrouded by a black cloak. My heart leapt. "Eric? Is that you?"

No reply. But the figure seemed to pause. I stumbled towards it. "Eric! I'm lost."

In that moment, a sudden ray of silver-cold moonlight streamed through the twisted, gnarled branches above me, revealing the face of the black-cloaked figure.

It wasn't Eric.