Adapted from Brothers Grimm. I do not own this story. Just the name of the characters. Enjoy.

Chapter 1: Broken Family

Once Upon a Time... There was a cottage in the middle of the forest. It was a fairly medium size of a house. The walls were made out of white and yellow stones that are held together by cement and the roof was made out of blue tiles. Because it's in the middle of the forest, many flowers have covered the front side of the house. The vines from the green English Ivy found itself climbing and clinging to the walls, as if reaching for the sky. Living in the cottage is a merchant, Jim, and his beloved daughter, April.

Jim is a kind hearted and generous man. He has dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. In the summer, he would wear a light blue cotton shirt and black pants along with dark shoes with tips. It was his usual attire when trading with other countries. Despite him being a merchant, he made little money since others believed that he's too "soft" in his trade. With the money he had, he would go to the market to buy food for him and April. He was always accompanied by his daughter, who insisted in helping her poor father. In the winter, when no ships can take merchants to trade, he would stay home. When going outside in the frosty weather, he wears a large coat and boots when chopping wood for the fire. April would help her dear father with his work, collecting the wood he chop and bringing them back to the house. In any season or weather, his daughter always helped him and he was very proud of her.

He loves his daughter ever so dearly for she was the only thing left that reminded him of his late wife, Sophia. A couple of years ago, he met the woman living in the cottage. Beautiful long golden locks, soft light brown eyes, and beautiful rosy red lips. It was her kindness when she let him stay inside her cottage that made him fell in love with her and vise versa. She would live in the lonely cottage in the middle of the forest, so once every week, he would visit her and tell her stories of his travels. They eventually got married and a year later, a baby girl was born. Unfortunately, Sophia died during childbirth, leaving Jim to take care of his daughter by himself. Her last dying wish to him was:

"Take care of her, Jim. My sweet daughter... April."

"I will, Sophia." he promised tearfully at the sight of his dying wife on her deathbed.

Over the years, Jim nurtured the girl and she grew up to be the very image of her mother, a sweet and lovely girl. She has her mother's beautiful blonde hair, her bangs being parted down the center, however, she has the eyes of her father. Those gentle eyes as blue as the ocean. It was so intensive that when people looked into them, it's like they're staring at the endless sapphire-blue sea or the midnight dark sky. She also inherit her mother's pale ivory skin which makes her look like some kind of snow fairy during the winter. April has both of her parent's personality, having her mother's goodness and a caring heart and her father's determination and hard work.

One day, on her tenth birthday, Jim decided to remarry, knowing that he needs someone to look after April while he is on his business trips. He married a woman name Letha. She gives off this vibe of elegance and grace. Her dark hair is in a tight bun and her brown eyes show superiority. Her dress was a fancy red one, reaching to the ground that nobody can see her black boots. On the day she was to move into the cottage, April couldn't help, but felt a bit inferior in the presence of her new stepmother. She was wearing a simple white dress with the skirt reaching to her knees. The dress, itself, has long loose sleeves that covered half of her hands. Donning her tiny cute feet are dress shoes that were covered in dirt from the time spent in the forest. Her long hair was tied into two loose braids that rest on both sides of her shoulders.

"Who is this?" she heard a voice asked in a rather rude manner.

April looked to see that it was a girl, who was at least a year older than her, behind her new stepmother. She had brown eyes and hair, which is tied in high pigtails. Like her stepmother, the girl also wore a full dress, though it was dark green. She was very plump, though April didn't dare to say it out loud for that would've been rude.

"Now, now, Louise, be nice. This is your stepsister, uh..." Letha trailed off.

"April." April introduce herself.

"Yes, April." her stepmother told the girl. She then turned to the ten year-old. "April, this is your stepsister, Louise."

"It's great to meet you, Louise." April friendly replied and hold out a hand, hoping for a handshake.

Louise, however, swat the hand away and just gave her a cold glare.

"Mother, where's my room? I'm tired from traveling." Louise whined.

"It's upstairs, sweetie. Go up and take a nap, dear." Letha told her daughter. After Louise have gone upstairs, Letha turned to her stepdaughter, "Don't worry about her, April. She's a bit grouchy because we have to travel all the way into the forest. I'm sure she'll like you very soon once she get settle in her new home."

"Okay." April smiled so innocently.

"Now go on and help your poor old father. He must be working very hard right now in that cold weather." Letha told her.

April nodded cheerfully and headed for the door. When she was sure that she's alone, Letha went upstairs and muttered the word brat as she headed for her room.

It has already been five months since Letha and Louise came into the family. April find it strange that Louise would never come out of the house or out of her own room. Whenever she came to wake her, the lazy stepsister would just tell her to buzz off and to leave her alone. A week later, April found out that her father has to go on a merchant trip since he packed up most of his things. On that day, he left a request for his daughter.

"April, can you promise me that you'll work hard for your new family? Despite that it has been five months, your stepmother and sister doesn't quite understand how to work in the forest." Jim asked.

"I promise daddy." she answered sadly. She wasn't sad about helping her family, she was sad that her father is leaving. Normally, she would follow her father wherever he goes. However, this will be the one where she can't come.

"I'll come back on your eleventh birthday." her father promised as he hugged her. "Goodbye, April."

"Goodbye, daddy." April hugged back.

After the farewell, Jim went to the ship that will take him to other countries to trade.

Seven months have passed and today was March thirty-first, just one more day until her birthday. April became worried over her father. The feeling of anxiousness haunted her. It was always on her birthday that she would worry before feeling joyful. Despite the presents her father would give her upon his return, all she wanted was for him to come back.

"Just one more day... One more day." April told herself. Just one more day of waiting and she'll see her father the next day... Or so she thought.

The next day, April the first, the girl turned eleven years-old. She would wait at the bottom of the stairs, waiting for a knock on the door or she would peek through the windows to see if a familiar figure came to the house. It wasn't until late at night, she heard a knock. She opened it, a smile spread across her face, expecting it to be her father. However, when she opened it, her smile vanished, when it turns out to be her father's friend, Mr. Eric.

"Hello, April." his tone was grim.

"Hello, Mr. Eric. Is my father coming home soon? Today is my birthday and I really want to spend time with him." April asked.

At the sight of her innocent look, her naïveness about the world, how there is unfortunate things in life, makes him wanted to hug the little girl, but he resist the urge to do so.

"I'm sorry, April. Your father isn't coming back." Mr. Eric told her.

"Why? Is he sick or is he busy with work?" April asked, filled with hope that she can wait more, as long as she can see her father again.

'The poor girl. She doesn't understand that life is a really precious thing. And for it to end...' he thought.

"N-no. He's... He's..." Mr. Eric was hesitate.

"He's what?" April questioned, she was now becoming anxious for the answer.

"He's dead." Mr. Eric told her the terrible news.

"What?" April asked. She thought she must have heard it wrong or rather, she hoped that she heard wrong though the tone of her voice betrayed those thoughts.

"He's dead, April. Your father drowned in the ship that was to take him home because of a terrible storm." Mr. Eric explained.

"Oh..." April trailed off as she was processing her thoughts.

When Mr. Eric saw that April was shaking and tears rolling down her face, he regretted the decision of telling her the truth. Would it had been better if he had lied to her? That way, the pain of being abandoned by a father wouldn't be that bad as losing one.

"Still..." he went to grab something in his coat. "He told me to give this to you. We got separated when we were trying to get into the life boat." he gave her a small present.

"T-thank you, Mr. Eric." April replied in broken voice. "G-good night." she closed the door.

-April's P.O.V-

After I said goodbye to Mr. Eric, I went into my room. It was quiet and dark. The only light that was in my room was the brilliance of the moonlight that shines through my windows. The world around me started to changed. Over these pass few months, stepmother didn't seem to care much about me like I thought and Louise never helped me with the chores. I didn't mind, but I wished they could have helped me. I bear no grudge against them, I can never hate them despite the unfair treatment. They are my family after all, even though stepmother told me that I'm not her "real" daughter. However, none of that mattered anymore, at least, for tonight anyways.

Sitting on my bed, I took the wrapping off my present and opened the tiny box. Inside was a flower icing headband. It glittered in the faint moonlight like the sparkling snow in the winter. I got up to try it on my hair, being very careful with it, treating it as if it was fragile. Looking in the mirror, it matched with my white dress and it goes along with my pale skin. White, after all, is my favorite color. I took it off and continued to stare at it for a little while longer. I will always treasure it for it is my last present from my father.

From that day on, after receiving news about my father's death, I hate wells, even the one that's in the backyard because I'm afraid of drowning. My dear father drowned in the sea, I don't want to drown in the well.

As I undo my braids, my hair fall onto my shoulders in slightly curled locks. Sleep began to take over my body as I lay on my bed. I kept my headband close to my heart as I drift to the land of dreams. In it, I saw my father. He was smiling at me, but his eyes showed regret as if he feels sorry for leaving me behind. Next to him, a ghostly figure appeared. She looked just like me, except her eyes are brown and she was older. The ghostly aura surrounding the woman gives off a nostalgic feeling as she gave me a small smile. They both drift away as I was left behind. Then something hit me. My mother and father may have been gone, but one thing did not disappear nor will it ever will; my promise.

In my dream, I looked up at the sky and I thought:

'I'll do my best, mother, father. I love you both... Goodbye.'

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please Review if you want more and please do, so I know how you feel.