The Stepsisters

Chapter 11

Our little cottage starts to appear at the top of the hill, and the little kitten starts to squirm in the basket.

"Who was that man you were talking to?" Drizella asks.

"Oh, I don't really know. I just ran into him and he was nice." I answer.

She gives me a look, as if to ask if I'm being serious. "What?" I spit, without even bothering to conceal my annoyance.

She begins to walk faster, and I can tell she's about to lecture me. "Anastasia, as your older sister, it is my job to make sure you don't do anything stupid. Please be careful, don't go around talking to strange men that you meet in the town. For all you know, he could be a thief."

"I was just talking to him." I defend.

We enter the house, and the smell of fresh apple pie attacks my nostrils. "We're home." I announce.

Cinderella peers from the kitchen and she's wiping the table with a damp cloth and collecting the crumbs into her palm. "Hello, stepsisters." She mutters.

"Stepsisters?" Drizella almost laughs.

Cinderella slams the oven open. "Well you know, if I'm going to be forced to be a servant I might as well start speaking like one. I mean, I'm not allowed to call you by your first names right? Should I call you madam or miss?"

I roll my eyes. I don't have the patience to deal with this today, after such a long walk, which I am reminded I will have to repeat everyday for the rest of the week. "Oh, stop being so dramatic, Cinderella." My words unconsciously emphasize the Cinder of her name.

"You can have your old room back." She says.

"What why?" I ask.

"I'm moving to the attic. Since Drizella was pretty clear about me not being apart of this family, I thought I would stay as far away from all of you as I possibly can." She states.

"That's not what she meant, we still want you to be apart of our family. We can put everything behind us right now." I offer.

She hesitates before saying anything and I almost think she is going to agree with me. "It's bigger in the attic anyways."

Mother is still sitting in her bed, and I enter her room while hiding the kitten behind my back, hoping he won't try to run off again. "Hello, mother. Me and Drizella just got back from the town, it was really fun."

"Drizella and I." She corrects. It's the first thing I've heard her say in weeks, so I'm not one to complain.

"I got you a present, someone to keep you company while we're at work." I reveal the kitten and he jumps onto the bed, instantly curling up in my mother's lap.

She smiles at me. "Thank you, dear. Hello, Lucifer." She hums to the cat.

"Lucifer?" My voice is trembling.

She nods her head and strokes the cat. "Yes, Lucifer."

I walk out of the room and shut the door behind me. Why would my mother name the cat after my father?