"Zivarella..."
"Zivarella..."
"Zivarella!!!"
I snapped back into reality to see my stepsisters yelling at me. Abigail and Timantha. "Listen to us when we're talking to you!" Abby said, hitting me in the back of my head. "Ow! Okay sisters!" "There's a ball being held at which King Jethro will be picking a wife for Prince Anthony! And since it will be one of us, we're taking all day to prepare." Timantha shoved a list of chores at me. "These are our chores and assassinations we were supposed to carry out today. You be a dear and do those for us okay?" Before I could answer they skipped out, arm in arm. Grumbling, I did all their chores until sunset, where I was trimming roses in the garden when I heard a jingling noise. I turned the see a man with a gurney walking towards me. "Who are you?" I asked, preparing to attack. "Do not fear me, young lady, I'm here to help you. Now, lay down in this gurney for me." I hesitated. "I still am unsure of who you are." "Mr. Palmer, where is my scalpel?" He called out behind him. Another strange man came up to him with it. "Thank you. Miss Zivarella, I am your F.M.E., Dr. Ducky Mallard. This is my assistant, Jimmy." I took a step back. "What is F.M.E.?" "Why, Fairy Medical Examiner, of course! Now come lay in the gurney." I walked towards them and layed down in the gurney. I felt I could somehow trust them. They zipped the black bag over me, and I anxiously anticipated their next move. I heard some chanting, and then he said, "I'm going to examine your soul. Stay still, please." He used the scalpel to cut open the black bag. I stayed still, as I was told, and was amazed at what I saw. He helped me sit up and I had on a beautiful turquoise dress, and my hair was pulled up wonderfully. "Now, step off of the gurney. Mr. Palmer!" Jimmy helped me get off, and we stepped back. Ducky chanted again, and his gurney turned into a black carraige. I stepped in, and was about to drive off when Palmer stopped me, in a chaffeur's outfit, and told me he was driving. "Now, Zivarella, I have autopsies to get to, so this get-up will only last until midnight. Here, take this." He handed me a knife with a custom handle. With it he attached its holder to my belt, "This knife only fits in that holder, my dear, so don't lose it." With that, he sent me on my way. Palmer and I arrived at the ball in style, and I was an attention grabber. When inside, I saw Abigail and Timantha charming Prince Anthony. He paused them when he saw me, and approached me. "Hey." "Hello." I was nervous. I saw my stepsisters simmer with fury when they realized it was me. "Wanna dance?" he took me out to the dance floor and we danced for a little while. "What is your name?" he asked me. "It's-" I was interrupted by the ringing on the clock bell. It was midnight. "I took the knife out and handed it to him, then ran off. I hopped into the carraige with Palmer and I barely made it home in time for the carraige to turn back into a gurney. My beautiful dress turned back into my working clothes. My hair went back into it's ponytail. I went into my room. When my stepsisters arrived back home they yelled at me, furious. They locked my door from the outside. I slept peacefully, but was stuck alone for the next morning. Someone called for the whole family the next day, but I was left in my room. "Oh! Prince Anthony!" Abigail cooed. "Are you here to claim a wife?" Timantha asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. "No, I'm looking for the owner of this knife. Does it fit any of your knifeholders?" I had my ear pressed against the door. I banged on it, shouting, but no one heard me. "It's mine! In here! You must be looking for me!" I screamed until my voice was hoarse. Then I just leaned against it. "Excuse me, King Jethro, might I ask where you are going?" Abigail asked with a slight nervous tone. I thought there were three daughters in this house. Where is the last one?" Yes! I thought to myself, filling up with hope. "Oh, her. Well, she hasn't been here for weeks. She ran off after we denied her a new dress and we haven't seen her since." My hope was slowly draining, again. "Is there a bathroom?" the King asked. "Yes, upstairs. Ow! What?" Timantha answered, then receiving what I assumed was an elbow to the stomach. I listened for him, and when his footsteps were close I started banging on the door again. My hands were bruising and it hurt, but I heard him approach the door. "Who's in here?" he whispered through the lock. "My name is Zivarella. My sisters locked me in here." "Hey!" he shouted down the stairs. Timantha's voice was outside my door. "Here. I'll unlock it. I never wanted to hurt Zivarella. Abigail is too powerful though. She's the oldest, and Daddy always lets her get what she wants." My door unlocked. I stepped back so they could open the door. "Tony. Check her." The prince came up the stairs. He gently slid the knife into my belt. "It fits. This is the girl." he turned to King Jethro. "You two," he said, turning to a furious Abigail and a nervous Timantha. "Go downstairs and contact your father." They left in a hurry. "You can't be the same girl from last night." "Prince Anthony-" "Tony," he interrupted me. "If you are to be my bride, then you will call me Tony." "Erherm." I cleared my throat. "Tony, then, what makes you so sure I'm not the same girl. My appearance, maybe? Or is it the fact that I ran off before you got my name." I looked him in the eye. "I think it's the fact that all you left me with was a knife to track you down with." "Ha. Well, if you heard the reason why I would be carted off to an insane asylum." He took my hand. "Father," he spoke to King Jethro. "I have chosen my bride. But, since Zivarella is much too long for my wife's name, so I hereby shorten it to Ziva." "Ziva... I like it." I said, and they lived happily ever after.