Sinful Cinderella

Godnutter walks the length of the carriage, inspecting it. “Well, this looks fancy. The horses too. Must’ve taken a lot of the stuff, didn’t it?”

“Yes,” I grumble. You’d think I’d be happy but my good mood is gone. That was a hard bargain. Now I have to win the prince.

“No coachman though.” Godnutter looks up at the empty driver’s seat. “Huh. Go get that mouse over there.”

“What mouse?”

“The one in those weeds, beyond the yard!” She stands there, looking casually at the house, one arm lifting that blasted pipe to her mouth. And waits for me to find the mouse.

Does she think I’m an owl that can spot a tiny mouse in the dark? Ugh, I almost hate her. But I shuffle around the grass until I finally see it, hiding between some rocks. He must be sleepy or something because I have no trouble catching him. I carry him, wriggling and squeaking, back to Godnutter.

“Now put him down,” she says, bossy-like.

I set him down and he shoots off like lightning. Godnutter calmly removes the pipe from her mouth and waves the stem in circular motions. A stream of white sparkles flies from the tip to the mouse, and suddenly he springs up, tall and human and liveried. A driver.

Godnutter’s pipe is a magic wand. I did not see that coming.

The driver stands before us, silent and trembling. His quiet, dark eyes are the scariest things I’ve ever seen. To anyone else I guess he’ll look normal, even kind of handsome. But all I can think is, mouse. Mouse, mouse, a human mouse. That’s sick.

“Don’t be afraid, dear,” Godnutter speaks to him gently. “Just climb up to that seat, there’s a good boy. You’ll know what to do.”

The mouse-driver meekly obeys. I decide not to look at him anymore. I run to the wheel where my black cloth is standing and bring it back to Godnutter. “I need a ball gown!” I say breathily. I’m getting excited now, this is the best part.

Godnutter looks at the fabric, then at my face. “Black,” she says flatly.

“Yes, please.”

“A black dress.”

“Will you just do it?”

Godnutter exhales and her breath is pungent and stale. “Hold it over yourself.”

I let the fabric unroll, holding it from my shoulders like a sheet. Godnutter shakes her head, mutters “black” to herself, and then swivels the pipe stem around, scattering ashes out of the bowl.

A bright river of sparkles strikes the cloth, then swirls around me, and for a moment I’m lost in a hailstorm of light. My eyes are dazzled and I can’t see Godnutter. Something cool and slippery-soft wraps my waist and arms and back. The sparkles dissolve, drifting like snowflakes to the ground. I look down.

And gasp.

It’s more exquisite than I imagined. A luminous black ball gown, snug over my torso, then billowing out in a plush skirt. Layers cut over layers, the edges overlapping in long points that look like leaves. The collar dips low on my chest but rises high behind my neck in a spread of gauzy feathers. I look like a dark angel. A beautiful nightmare.

“Oh! Thank you, Fairy Godmother!” I take two steps toward her and my feet clink, clink on the cobblestones. I bend over and lift the hem of my skirt. My shoes! They’re made of crystal! Beautiful and twinkling, like the bottle of white magic. My pretty feet show through them, lifted up on high, slender heels. Crystal slippers. I’m so happy I could cry.

“Good gravy, can you even walk on those feet?” Godnutter looks horrified. “That’s too small, honey, you look deformed!”

I’m too ecstatic to let her bother me. “Thank you so much!” I swoop in and kiss her cheek. “This is everything I ever wanted!”

She pats my shoulder. “In that case, I failed you miserably. But never mind, off you go.” She snaps open the door of the carriage and I gather my skirt to climb inside. The seat is wonderfully soft. I turn and take hold of the open door, gripping the bottom edge of its window. “Wish me luck!” I grin at Godnutter.

“May it be the evening you deserve. Have fun and watch those feet. And by the way, I want you home at midnight.”

The smile drops right off my face. “Uh... what?”

“You heard me. Home at the stroke of twelve and not a second later.”

“What time is it now? Nearly ten?”

“That gives you two wonderful hours to win the prince’s heart. Good luck!”

“Why? Why midnight?”

Godnutter glowers at me. “Let’s just say I’ve noticed your evenings with men run a lot later than I approve of. I don’t want you misbehaving with this prince. And if you’re thinking of disobeying me,” she wags the pipe stem at me, “I have set the spell so everything that’s been enchanted will turn back to it’s true form at midnight. Even the things you put white magic on! You’ll have nothing but a pumpkin, two rats, a mouse, and a dowdy dress. So watch the clock or it could get quite embarrassing!”

I slam the door shut. “Drop dead, Godnutter!” I shout as the carriage begins to roll.

“I already did that!” she calls after me, following it with her nasty cackle. I look back and the spot where she stood is now vacant. But her crazy laugh lingers, chasing me into the night.