Bedtime Stories and Lullabies
Chapter Four: The Sisters Grimm
"Trina," Cat said, her voice light and meek. "Could you tell me a story tonight, please?" Looking at Jade and Tori, the older of the Vega siblings nodded, walking over to Cat's bedside. Clapping her hands quickly, the redheaded girl smiled a wide smile, then tucked herself in under her warm blankets with Snuggly.
"Okay," Trina began, settling into place. "This story's called...Tori and Trina. Once upon a time, there were two girls named Tori and Trina. They lived with their father in a cabin near the forest..."
Two girls sat in the grass, playing jacks and laughing at each others jokes. "The three lived a perfectly happy life...until the day their dad brought home his new wife, who didn't care for Tori and Trina at all."
The Vega sisters looked at one another, then at their new mother. Her eyes were cold, but her heart was even colder.
"Then, one day, the girls' mom told them to go into the woods to find some firewood. So, Tori and Trina went into the deep, dark forest. Trina came up with the idea of leaving bread crumbs behind to mark their trail back home. However, a hungry squirrel followed them, eating the crumbs. Soon, the two got lost, and decided to head back home."
"Oh, no," Tori cried out. "Someone ate the bread crumbs." Falling to the ground, the littlest Vega sister started crying. Trina crouched down and picked her baby sister up on her feet, telling her it would all be okay.
"Baby?" Tori asked, looking over at Jade.
"Sssh," the Gothic young woman replied.
Once Tori settled down, the two walked for awhile, not knowing what direction they were headed. After several hours, the sun began to set. "We've gotta get home," Tori cried, growing afraid.
"Hey, I see smoke," Trina replied. "Smoke means someone's out here. Come on." Her tears turning into laughter, Tori skipped behind her sister as they approached the source of the smoke. At last, they came upon a large house with a chimney. The walls of the building were composed of gingerbread and white icing with candy canes supporting a chocolate balcony.
"Wow," little Tori exclaimed, looking at the wonderment before her.
Trina walked closer and knocked on the door. "Hello," she called out. "Is anyone home?" Suddenly, the door opened, and a near-elderly woman walked out, dressed all in black.
"Hello, dears," the woman greeted the sisters. "Are you lost?"
"Yeah," Tori answered, too young to distrust anyone she met. "I can't find my daddy." The little girl began sobbing again, even as Trina hugged and comforted her.
"Would you like to come inside?" the woman asked. "It's awfully cold out there."
"Thank you," Trina replied, walking Tori inside, then sitting her down on a chocolate chip couch. Wiping her eyes, the little girl felt her big sister put her arm around her shoulder.
"Would you like some cookies, deary?" the elderly woman asked, her voice sweet and caring.
"Yes, please," Tori answered, her voice cracking. With a warm smile on her face, the woman walked into her kitchen.
After having some warm chocolate chip cookies, Tori and Trina felt themselves growing sleepy. Tori's eye lids grew heavy as she lay her head on her big sister's shoulder.
"Time for beddy-bye," the woman chuckled, walking Trina to the guest bedroom and holding Tori's little hand. Tucking the two in under the warm sheets of the queen-sized bed, the elderly woman gently shut the door, wished the two sweet dreams, then retired to the kitchen. Laying awake, staring at the ceiling, Katrina glanced over at her little sister, who was already fast asleep.
Suddenly, the older of the Vega sister's caught the smell of something boiling on the stove. Slowly stepping out of bed, Trina carefully cracked open the door, and watched the kitchen. There, the woman was readying some sort of soup. However, she no longer looked like a caring old woman; her skin was dry and covered with boils, and her hair was long, grizzly, and gray. Cackling wickedly, the woman turned around, spotting Katrina. Gasping and shutting the guest room door, the girl shook her baby sister awake. "Tori," Trina whispered, watching the girl's eyes slowly open.
"Trina?" Tori asked. "What's going on?"
"She's a witch," Trina answered. "A scary witch. We have to go." Taking her sister's hand, Katrina charged out of the guest bedroom.
"I don't think so!" the witch cried out, running towards the children. Trina and Tori ran towards the door.
"Tori," Trina exclaimed. "I need you to run. Run away from here. Find Daddy." Nodding, the little girl ran outside into the cold.
"I'm hungry," the witch declared, walking closer to Trina, who began backing away into the kitchen. Licking her lips, the wicked woman lunged forward at the young girl, only to see her jump to the side, opening the oven. Crashing into the metal box, the witch heard the door slam. "No! No!"
Trying to catch her breath, Katrina watched the woman melt in the heat of the oven, then ran outside. "Trina!" a familiar voice called out. Looking in front of her Trina felt Tori give her a giant hug. "I couldn't leave you...we wouldn't be a family without you, Trina. Thanks for saving me."
"Thanks for coming back," Trina warmly replied.
After a full night of wandering, the two girls finally made it back to their home, where their father promised he'd never make them go into the woods alone again. As for his new wife, she was confronted for her selfish act against the children, and left the Vega family.
"And they all lived happily ever after," Katrina concluded.
"Yay," Cat whispered, her eyes closing. Smiling, Trina gently stroked the redhead's hair, then led Jade and Tori outside.