I open my hurting eyes, and I am afraid. Why is Mother not here? Then, it all comes back. 'She's dead,' I tell myself, 'she's been dead for eight years.' and I sit on the edge of my lumpy bed. Suddenly, the door slams open. It's my stepsisters, Urodlivyi and Domashnii. They yell at me to get up, so I do.
As I sleepily walk to the bathroom, I stare at a window in the hallway. As I search my reflection, I think 'Why?'. Why do people call me 'Vassilissa The Beautiful'? I am not beautiful. My stepsisters and stepmother, Chvanlivyi, tell me I'm not constantly. Mother did. She thought I was as beautiful as the sun shining on the pond behind my old home. My father believes I am, also. But he is never around. I wash my face and wander into the kitchen. Chvanlivyi is speaking to her daughters, when she suddenly turns to me. "You must hurry. Isn't your first day of work today?" I give a yelp, and scramble off, but not before hearing Urodlivyi and Domashnii's awful laughter.
I run into my small, very small, room and grab my bag. It has nothing in it but a snack and the directions to Everafter Maximum Security Asylum and Home for the Fantastically Traumatized, my new job. I'm supposed to be a nurse. Then I remember the doll. "OH NO!" I shriek, and I begin throwing things, trying to find her. I grab her from a pile of clothes, and break off a piece of my granola bar. "Little doll," I begin, shoving the food into her mouth and give her a drop of tea. "eat this food and listen carefully. Today's my first day! What do I do?" As if on cue, she stands up in my hands, and puts her hands on her hips. "Vassilissa! Just go to work! Be brave! I know you can, since you face those dummies every day and you faced Baba Yaga!" I glare at her, and notice how much alike we are. We both have two long braids, and her outfit is almost identical to mine. Her green eyes are the same shade as mine, and her hair the same copper color mine is. I'm brought out of my thoughts by Chvanlivyi's yelling and the doll stomping on my hands. "JUST GO!" she yells, and returns to her normal state. Domashnii pokes her head in, and begins giggling. "Talking to your doll again? You're so weird, Vassilissa!" She throws her head back to laugh, and scampers back to the kitchen. "Mother! Sister! You'll never guess what I just found Vassilissa doing!" I sigh and walk out of the house. I hate my life.
TRANSLATION NOTES: (This is Russian by the way) Chvanlivyi means snobby Urodlivyi means ugly Domashnii means homely