The Fairest of All

The Glass Coffin

Chloe weakly opened her eyes expecting to see the rain still pouring and the dark cloud swirling overhead, but there was only blinding sunlight peeking through a red blanket curtain.

    The smell of pancakes lingered in the air, and the sound of laughter was close by.

    "Wake up sleepy-head, Tom's made pancakes. You don't want to eat them when they are too cold," a voice warned.

    Chloe quickly threw herself up into a sitting position. She was in her red and purple futon back in Cairo. She could hear the loud honks of traffic and the whines of a few donkeys. Her room was warm, vibrant, and colorful. The windows were wide open and brushing in hot desert winds.

    "Mom?" Chloe mumbled in confusion and disbelief.

    It was hard for her to accept, but everything was there just as it had been. All her clothes were hanging on a standing rack in the corner. All her favorite teen novels were stacks on her small desk that was covered in stickers. Her room was childish and innocent. All the symbols of a happy childhood were marked from the glow-star studded ceiling to scuff marks on the floor.

    Singing came from the kitchen.

    Chloe slipped her feet into a pair of pink slippers and left her room to go downstairs. When she reached the edge of the staircase, she could see Tom standing over an electric griddle. He was tossing a few pancakes over while one of his hands turned up the dial on the radio. Chloe's mother was dancing in the kitchen, singing into a spoon covered with pancake batter.

    Her mother spotted Chloe spying on them and turned her serenade from the bowl into Chloe's direction instead. "I love you baby, and if it's quite alright, I need you, baby—"

    Chloe felt her eyes well up with tears.

    It felt like so long ago that life was perfect, just like this. So far removed from the darkness and the dismal. A life bathed in light, music, and the taste of golden griddle cakes.

    "Come on in, I have seven hotcakes with your name on them," Tom said in a warm tone.

    Chloe could not contain her emotions. She raced down the last few steps and ran towards them as fast as she could, but the more she ran, the further away the kitchen seemed to feel. She tried to just match her pace and move her legs quicker, but the hallway leading into the kitchen just kept stretching, and stretching and stretching. . .

    She reached out her arms in desperation, trying with every breath to scrape the walls and push her toes against them for leverage. Anything to get her closer to them.

    Her mother's singing echoed. Tom's voice started to become fainter and fainter.

    "Don't go! Don't leave me! I need you!" She cried to them.

    Their forms started to become smaller and smaller.

    "Mom! Tom! Please!" She choked on her words. "Please. . ."

    She felt a hand touch her back.

    She looked up to see Dominic standing just behind her.

    Chloe immediately held onto him and buried her sorrows deep into the fabric of his shirt. "They left me, Dominic."

    Dominic ran his hand down her hair and pressed his lips close to her ear. His smooth and seductive voice echoed out two words, "Join them. . ."

    Before Chloe could question his words she felt something very sharp puncture her skin. There was the pounding against her temples and the pain started growing. She pulled back from Dominic to see he had stabbed her—right in the heart. . .