Once Upon a Miracle

chapter 2

Anabelle's Point of View
Today is supposed to be a day full of happiness, especially since the princess is turning 19 today. Well for me, it's not so happy. I have to dress as a maid for the ball. The only upside is there is free food, & I get paid $150, which is good enough for anyone, I suppose. My 19th birthday party a week ago wasn't a party at all. My parents died when I was only an infant. There was a horrible fire, one I cannot even begin to comprehend how I survived and they didn't. I would give anything for them to be here, to celebrate with me. From what I heard, they were extremely wealthy, but somehow, I never got any of the money, so I became a peasant.

The princess always looks so lovely. It was a real tragedy that struck the kingdom last month, her father died. I can imagine how she must have felt, how she must have been devastated. Only one who has gone through what you have can understand the pain that is felt, and the grief, how it will all but become bearable one day.

"Anabelle! You need to be getting ready for the ball tonight! We need that money, and I'm not letting you stay here if you don't get that money!" Beverly is very on edge today.

She wants to make sure that we have enough money to keep paying for the apartment we are living in. Every single nickel and penny goes towards food, shelter, and the clothes that still need to be bought with my outrageous growth spurts. Luckily for me, she believes that I'm only getting $100.

"I'm getting ready now! I'll be down shortly!"

I put on my maid clothes, and stood in the mirror as I put my necklace on. The necklace is the only reminder I have left of my mother, and the only thing I will have left to remember my father is an old hand gun. Surprisingly, I was able to keep the gun, since I'm a female, we aren't exactly supposed to have guns, but Beverly kept it for me. My necklace has beautiful swirls that seem to make the light shine bright. I can see the light as it changes from small rays to silver crosses. Many different forms of lights seem to flow around me whenever I wear it, and for this reason, and the reason that it was my mother's, I wear it everyday, and everynight.

The moment I put the necklace on, the lights whirled around me, enlightening me with a warmth. I embrace it as if it were my mother.

"If you don't get down here now, I'm going to make you pack your things and get out now!"

"I'm coming! I just have to brush my hair!" When my mother died, she was with child, so she had a little brush for a little girl's hair. Fortunately, my sisters brush was not burnt to a crisp.

As I brush my long, straight, brunette hair, I think of how different my life could have been if I had my parents, except I can't. No matter how hard I try, I can never imagine how my life would be different, because that's all I've ever known.

When I go downstairs, I look around the small, ancient-like living room."Beverly! Where are you?"

"I'm here, child! Now hurry off, before you're late."

"I'm going, I'm going. Just remember, I won't be home until after one o'clock, so don't wait up, alright?"

"Alright. Be good and stay out of trouble, you hear?"

"Yes ma'am."

I walked out the door, pulling it shut so that I wouldn't have to hear a lecture when I got home. I walked to the theater to help the other waitresses and waiters get the place ready for the ball. The design was grand; everything in the room was either white or purple. The chandelier was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The curtains hanging in front of the windows are made of purple velvet. Everything is made beautifully, making me think that I'm late, but when I walk into the kitchen, I realized that I'm wrong.

"I'm sorry I'm late."

"Youre not late, sugar, but we're just about to start."

Each dish we prepared was extravagant. The dishes we prepared went from lovely steamed crab to a sweet chocolate cake.

"Everything looks lovely. Thank you for all your hard work. The ball will be beginning soon, so get the trays ready."

"Yes Miss Darlene." Miss Darlene is the head of our department, the person who puts all the decorations and everything together.

"Waiters! Suit up!"

I put on my maid smock, and grabbed a tray as soon as Maria started walking out the door. The moment I walked out the door, all I saw was her. The most beautiful girl in the universe was dancing, wearing a beautifully stitched dress, made of the finest shade of green, complementing her auburn hair and forest green eyes so precisely, that I almost run into one of our guests. If only it wasn't forbidden for a woman to love another...