Cinderella

By Junaina Junaid

She dwells alone in the darkness, encircled by an air of melancholy and isolation. In her dingy cell, a single, flickering light bulb dangles from side to side imitation the movements of a pendulum. Her curious blue eyes follow the movements of the hanging light bulb. Eyes darting from left to right, right to left. She lies, curled up on the plain white sheets, counting each swing in the rhythmic pattern of the pendulum. Each swing, with each tick of the clock. She waits..

The rusted door creaks open and in walk two repulsive looking women, warts on their faces and all. She thinks to herself that they resemble the wicked witches she had heard of in stories as a child. They bring in a tray carrying a foul smelling concoction of sorts. She notices the two thick white pills lying innocently in the corner of the tray. No! She will not take the pills. These ‘evil’ pills make her hallucinate. Thus, as the two women strut out of the dingy cell, giving her threatening glares, she takes the two pills and hides them in the minuscule hole she has found in the floor. There lie the rest of her daily pills as well..

Moments. Seconds. Minutes. Hours. She still lies on her bed, tracing imaginary patterns into the plain white walls. A sudden movement along the corner of the floor causes her eyes to dart there. She catches the glimpse of a long and hairy, gray tail disappear under the bed. She kneels down to peek under the bed and hears a distant, shrill voice chant her name.

“Cinderelly! Oh Cinderelly..”

She giggles at the fact that the voice calls her ‘Cinderelly’, rather than her real name, Cinderella. She asks, faking her most aggressive voice.

“Who’s there?”

“Cinderelly, it’s me! I has been waiting for you. I knows you get lonely in here. Me gets lonely too..”

She watches the huge gray rat sneak out from under the bed and climb up her outstretched arm. She giggles once more and pets the gruesome rat that sits on her arm.

“Cinderelly, you’re so beautiful. Your long blonde hair and your sad blue eyes.. I can make you happy Cinderelly.”

She smiles as she feels the rat kiss her on her arm.

The door creaks open once again. She hides her new friend under the bed. In walks an amiable looking lady, an old lady with soft eyes and an even softer expression. She smiles at Cinderella.

“How are you doing my child?”

Cinderella starts to sob. She tells her that she doesn’t want to be alone. She wants to be loved. The kind lady smiles and tells her that she will take her to a good man. A kind man, who will help her. The lady grabs a hairbrush and starts to untangle the wild mess of Cinderella’s long blonde hair. She suddenly starts to see sparkles emanate from the lady’s hands. As she swipes her magical arms around, the whole room illuminates by red and blue stars. Silver streaks dance across the room, and as she spins round and round with her arms outstretched, she see’s her white rags transform into an elegant blue dress. She dances her way to where ‘he’ sits.

She enters and is seated on a chair on the other side of a desk as she waits for the handsome, young man, who as promised, will take all her worries away. The door opens and in walks the psychiatrist to start therapy with dear Cinderella..

He shows her compassion. She knows she can trust him.. Moments. Seconds. Minutes. The clock strikes 12:00 pm. It’s over. She has to go back to her gloomy cell. But no! she wants to stay with this kind man. Who will love her and care for her. No. She will not leave. She grabs him. Holds onto him with dear life.. The two ugly nurses return and each grab an arm harshly, causing streaks of pain up her arm. The nurse notices a piece of flesh nibbled off her right arm, and pulls away from the doctor. As they attempt to carry her back to her ward, she yells and she cries. She kicks around aggressively causing one translucent, hospital slipper to fall off her small left foot, and lie in the doctor’s office.

As she is carried away her screams and cries echo in the hallways, causing people beyond the walls of confinement to imagine only the most gruesome and horrific events taking place within..