Cindy Goes to Juvie

I know everyone has heard the sweet Cinderella story, but I am not as sweet as everyone makes me out to be. What can I say? I get into trouble now and then, but I'm just having fun! The story you have heard about Cinderella coming home at midnight isn't quite the whole truth! Let me tell you what really happened that wonderful night!

Once upon a time, my very affluent father and mother had a rather charming daughter, me, named Cinderella. My mom became rather ill that winter and passed away from a grim death that stopped her heart. As my father and I carried her out into the storm to bury her under the willow tree, I saw blood flowing from her eyes, staining the snow crimson.

My father began to weep. He told me, "When you grow up, remember to stay out of trouble and always follow the rules." I pondered these words for what seemed like thirty seconds and then shoved them to the back of my mind, forgetting them for all eternity.

Fast forward a few years, my father married a witch of a woman who had two gremlins for daughters. My father grew fond of his new stepdaughters, for they were always following the rules, unlike me, who rebelled and got into any trouble I could find. My father and I used to be so close! We were thick as thieves, but then once he got married, he didn't seem to love me anymore.

Helen and Helga, the stepsisters, were always asking me, "Cindy, why do you dress in all black?" and "Why are you always getting into trouble?" I ignored them and couldn't care less about what they thought of me. I didn't care about pretty dresses, makeup, and those silly social gatherings called balls. I believed wearing black fit my personality perfectly; dark, moody, and a little dead inside.

Eventually, the time came when the King invited all the maidens in the land to a ball. Helen and Helga were ecstatic. They put on stately dresses in reds, purples, and golds, curled their hair, and adorned themselves in emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. I was disgusted with their appearance and I ignored them completely. Of course, I wasn't allowed to go because I was grounded for putting frogs in my English teacher's satchel at school the previous day.

After they left, I went to the fireplace to play in the ashes, which I enjoyed, being less than a girly girl. All of a sudden, two black ravens swooped in down the chimney. They nodded their beaks and asked me, "Cindy, do you want to go out and have some fun tonight?"

"Heck, yes," I answered.

The ravens were pleased I was on board. They told me how a black magic show was happening in the forbidden forest tonight at nine o'clock.

"Oh my," I replied. "What shall I wear to an event like that?"

The ravens told me my outfit would be waiting on the place where my mother's blood ran onto the snow that horrid winter night. The only condition was I had to be back by midnight.

I went and found a black velvet gown and red heels to wear. Then as I looked to my left, waiting to take me into the forest was a black stagecoach with four horses in shades of ebony and white pulling up the front. The coachman, a headless horseman to be exact, escorted me into the coach and took me on the journey.

I arrived at the concert and was in pure heaven. All the evil creatures in the kingdom had flocked to see the dark magic performed that night. I was having the time of my life watching magic potions brewing, and rats being turned into pumpkins, and dancing the night away. I was losing all sense of time. When the clock struck midnight, I knew I was in trouble. I had broken curfew.

Suddenly, flashing lights and sirens came blazing into the forest. The Fairytale Police Department was here to take me to juvie.

The officers bellowed, "Can someone direct me to a woman named Cinderella? She has broken curfew, and she must be punished."

I was taken by the police officers, and they pushed me into the prison-moble. In such haste, my scarlet heel slipped off and was lost in the forest. Reaching the station, I was thrown into a prison cell, cold and shoeless, all for just breaking my darn curfew.

Hours passed, and my father arrived at the station for what I thought he was to bail me out. He was alerted I had been arrested when my red heel had been returned to him and my stepsisters' told him where I had been. They were such tattletales!

My father said to me, "I have forgiven you many times before for your bad behavior, but this time I won't forgive you. I give up on you, and I don't love you anymore."

With that, he left me to rot in my cell forever. I was shocked, heartbroken, and downright angry. Despite my stepsisters's backstabbing scheme, I summoned the ravens to peck the eyes out of every living family member of mine in the kingdom.

The ravens swooped into my father's home and pecked all their eyes out and stabbed them in the hearts with their pointed beaks. Their blood dripped down, staining the snow beneath them a crimson hue.

I said, "If they don't love me anymore, I don't need them anyway." With that, my heart became hardened and bitter. Even to this day, I still remain rotting in the juvie cell at the Fairytale Police Department.

Take notes, kids: "don't break the rules and don't break curfew."

Author's Note:

I took my inspiration for this twisted Cinderella story from the Brothers Grimm version. The Brothers Grimm collected stories from storyteller that deal with the dark side. Not everything is sugar and sweet. Their version is of not only European, but German as well, and was written in 1857. The story of Cinderella was a part of a larger folklore book of other chilling fairytales. I chose to use this story because it was a bit darker than the original French version most similar to Disney. Also, from the Brothers Grimm version, I liked the usage of doves, so I could take my own twist on the story to turn the doves into ravens and use them to serve the purpose of a fairy godmother. Additionally, I used the tree where Cindy collected her outfit for the night because it was the tree growing on her mother's grave. In the grave was the bleeding corpse which I incorporate as the blood motif throughout the story. I stuck with the same characters but I gave the stepsisters distinct names. I kept the beginning of the story the same, but I added my own original plot twist and dark details. This included more dialogue between the characters and the story focusing on Cinderella’s point of view. I made Cinderella or "Cindy" go to a dark magic concert instead of meeting a prince at a ball because I felt this storyline fit better with her character personality. I also wanted an unexpected plot twist and use my creativity to create something and exciting. I hope y'all enjoy it!

Bibliography:

Title: Cinderella

Author: The Brothers Grimm

Photo: Cinderella Mugshot