The wind blows through my locks in a playful torment as I tread across the stretch of green with spirits soaring high in the cloudless sky. My dress whips around my legs, begging to bring me misery, but nothing can dampen my spirits. No, not today.
The books gripped in my hands are pressed firmly against my chest as I break into a faster, more upbeat traipse as I near our ghastly dilapidated house that lies in wait over the verdant hills.
The heavy wooden doors are soon staring down at me with its sober bluntness.
In a sudden moment, mother flung the doors open and smiled creepily straight at Me.
"Come in." Cora gestures. I slowly come closer as my dress turned into a beautiful silk gown. "Happy birthday" Cora smirks.
"Thanks but is the dress necessary?" I imply.
"You must look your best all the time just in case." Cora explains to me. I breathe in disapproval about to reply when her trustable father walked in.
"Regina you look radiant," Henry, my father, proposes. The awkward stares around the room oddly filled the room with the aroma of cassia which later on spiced up our dessert of pumpkin pie, falsely made once again. Mother snaps her fingers and the table is as clear as day.
"Mother, do you have to use magic on my birthday?"
Cora's mirthful expression morphs into a flicker of evil.
"Why, dear, I thought you liked the dinner. Magic... Well it makes it easier-" she then paused, and studied me for a long second. "Are you not happy, Regina?"
My breath catches in my throat, the world seemingly getting tighter around me. I take a nervous glance over towards my father, who has a very humble but frightened demeanor, as always. Was this my chance for redemption?
"The other girls at school... Their mothers don't have magic, and they still seem to enjoy their lives,"
My mother lets out a dry laugh, one I am much to aware of. "Darling, do you hear yourself? Those girls know nothing. They envy you. And you have power over them-"
"Because my mother is magic, I know. But- I think they have power over me."
I then notice her stiffen in her velvet chair, agitation running through her stretched skin.
"You really aren't happy," She hisses- in almost inhuman like behavior, "after everything I've sacrificed for this family. For sixteen years I've taken care of you; loved you."
"And I never said you didn't. Perhaps my birthday wish was for us to be a normal family, where magic doesn't exist and we could still be happy like everyone else." I don't realize the anger elevating in my voice. Soon realizing my mistake, I clamp my mouth closed as a tranquilizing fear overcomes me.
Mother's eyes run dark; she slowly stands up and faces me as if I were her next prey.
She doesn't say a word. My father has eyes of desperation as he looks at me from his respectful distance, which gives me a tiny burst of comfort. But then, just as it came, it vanished into the stale air.
There are invisible fingers clutching my throat with a power so twisted it melted and stirred my thoughts into a jumbled mess. Her flaming eyes seem to be missing something as they burn harder and harder into my flesh.
"P-please.." I force out somehow. My hands are now clawing in desperation for release. My mother had used this spell on my years ago, when I was too young to know any better.
I begin to feel an extreme wave of fatigue wash over me.
But as quickly as it came, the unseen beast lets me out of its clutch. She blinks, and suddenly I'm free, gasping and sputtering amidst my imprisoned house. Without a word, she turns away from my stricken eyes and leaves for her chamber.
My body feels fragile, like a sheet of thin glass, smoldering against the frigid temperature of the room. The strong will that usually empowers me is replaced by hot tears that burn my eyes. I cannot even look at my father- I run as fast as I can in a puffy ball gown without tripping.
My room seems more inviting than ever as I fall into my bed, the wetness soon seeping into the colorless sheets. I begin to travel back to my school- the teachers, the lessons, the faces. Girls in groups, laughing and chatting, flirting with boys with a certain glint in their eyes. I studied them while lessons were being taught, curiosity abandoning all of Mother's beliefs. Oh, what blissful ignorance they have...
There is a faint knocking at my door. I violently revoke my sadness from my outward appearance just in time for my father to cautiously step in.
The tears dry up faster than a drop of water in the Sahara.
"Is it safe to come in?" Father sarcastically seriously asked.
"I suppose," as I wipe off the last drop of despair away.
"What do you want for your birthday?"
"Happiness," I sniffed.
"Then you shall have it." Father assured. And with that he left with a humbling smile. I'm disturbed and relieved...
The next day I walked outside only to be startled by a beautiful creature of nature in my stable.
"Happy birthday my dear," I hear his voice from behind. I can't help but turn around and run into his arms.
"Thank you daddy," I smile, letting his warmth travel through. Mother stepped into the room and said, "What's going on?"
"Just a little present for our Regina" Father stated.
"Take it back it's a retched beast not for a girl for breakfast." Mother chuckled.
"I like it!" I chip in, "and who would ever think of eating such a delicate balance in this world when you can ride them? Delicate Balance! It's an animal, mother!"
"When are you going to learn the only way your going to be happy is when you learn to behave like a lady!" Her face got redder than a ripened tomato.
I stop from yelling my next words of hate. Yelling wont do anything. It won't make her change.
Mother turns her glance towards Father for a moment before pivoting around and leaving in a huff.
Once she is out of sight, my father and I both look at one another; and to my surprise, we're both smiling. She may be my mother, but he is also my father.
I begin to feel something inside then, something warm and flurry that is unwelled from deep down. Joy- something not even my mother can take away from me.