Disclaimer: Nope, I haven't magically transported myself to before the person who came up with Cinderella and wrote it, so I can't have stolen their idea and wrote it first, therefor claiming this whole idea is mine. In case that what I just wrote is very un-understandable –I didn't make up Cinderella-.

Hey people. Here's what I am going to do. I'm going to make the first three chapters all her journal entries. Then I am going to switch back and forth in chapters from her journal entries, real life for her (3rd person narrative), and someone else's journal entries... ::wiggles eyebrows suggestively:: Thanks for reading. Bye.

-Ciara

Wednesday September 20, 2002 5:45

Sorry for not writing in a while, some very sad things have gone by. I haven't been able to write because of what happened to my dad. He's not dead yet, but they say he could be in a coma for a long time, or he could die. I hope he doesn't. To re-account the events: I came home Monday to a hectic scene of ambulances and police squad cars. I ran in the house after talking to a police officer and saw the medical team lifting my father on to a stretcher. Mother was in the living room talking to a different police officer and Katie and Kristy weren't there. I ran to Mother and demanded to know what happened.

"You know what a klutz your father was. He fell down the stairs when he got home from work."

I looked deep into those cold brown eyes almost feeling the iciness coming from them. I shivered and saw that her eyes were not red and puffy from crying, nor did she look distraught. I hate her so much. So Tuesday she let Katie and Kristy stay home again, having me send in a note that they were to heavy with grief of about what happened to their father. I think it's because their hair still remains tinted in red. So they were at home laughing and having fun and everything, and I was sitting in the bathroom with my father's cell-phone bawling my eyes out and trying to call the hospital at the same time. Finally Ms. O'Hara, my English teacher, found me and offered to ride me over to the hospital after school. I gladly accepted and she let me sit in the teacher's lounge for the rest of the day. Those teachers get to take breaks in style, if you know what I mean. So I went to the hospital and they said that he was in a coma and was in critical condition. It seems that he burst a few blood vessels in the fall and they have clotted up, not allowing the blood to flow freely, and slowing his heart. They said that they are going to do surgery and remove the clots though, so he should recover well from that. But they still aren't sure if he'll wake up from the coma. I left the hospital in silence with Ms. O'Hara and she dropped me off at home. Before she left she gave me a piece of advice.

"Clover, dear, don't come to school tomorrow. It's a waste. Goodbye."

And she set off down the road leaving me standing on the sidewalk in front of my house. I turned and walked inside.

This time I wasn't greeted by Mother, I was greeted by the sight of Kristy sneering at my cat, which she had put a tutu on. She had Cinders backed into a corner and was saying,

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty. Don't you want to play ballerina anymore?" She smiled wickedly, then turned towards me. "I suppose you want you cat, don't you? Take it. It's not much fun."

I pushed past her and picked up Cinders. I tore the tutu off of her and shoved it in Kristy's mouth, because it was opening to protest my push. She coughed it out and stormed upstairs to tell on me. I ran to my room and locked the door. I heard loud footsteps pause outside my door, then Mother was banging.

"Get out here right now. Don't make me tell you again!"

I looked at the door, then to the tree outside my window. I emptied my backpack of its school supplies and started shoving it full of clothes. I grabbed my overnight bag out of the closet and put some blankets and all of Cinders stuff in it. I zipped it shut and tossed it and my backpack out of the window. Then I set Cinders on the branch nearest my window and she climbed down, waiting for me at the bottom. I looked around my room and my eyes rested on my bed. I quickly got on my hands and knees and pulled up the flap of carpeting that my bed hid. I took up the loose floorboard and stuck my hand in the hole. Mother was still knocking and now she was threatening to get our neighbor to take the door down. I just laughed. When I brought my hand up again I also brought up 749.00$, money that I had saved up over the summer and the last few months of school last year. I walked over to my open window, called goodbye to Mother and scurried down the tree. I picked up my bags and cat and shoved my money in my pocket and started to run. Katie poked her head out of her window and shouted, "Mother! She's leaving!" and I ran harder. When I had gotten at least 4 blocks from my house I cut across somebody's yard and into the woods behind it. I wandered for several hours and then I sat down on a moss-covered rock next to this small brook. I had never known there was a brook in these woods, let alone that they were this big. I set Cinders down and stood up again. I put my backpack on the rock and laid down with my head on it. I think I fell asleep instantly. So I woke up and it was night out. My watch said 3:21 AM so I tried to sleep again. And I did. Then I woke up again at noon and made myself a little shack out of dead branches and such. I left Cinders and my stuff at the shack making sure that Cinders knew what the word STAY meant, and started to walk in the direction I thought was out. I remembered to make notches in the trees to mark my path with my swiss army knife that I had brought. I reached the edge of the woods, but noticed that it was a different place then where I had entered. I saw that I was close to the hospital so I decided to visit my dad. I put my knife away and walked into the entrance. I got on the elevator and got let out onto his floor. I went to the nurse's station and asked about Kevin Ashes. They said that he was doing a lot better with a fake smile. The one nurse, 'Betty' is what her name tag said, started to lead me to his room. I stopped her and asked what was really wrong. She looked at me and took a deep breath.

"Is he your father?" I answered a small yes, and she continued. "Well, he has woken up, but he isn't well at all. He keeps asking for Clover. Is that you?"

I nodded with tears starting to well in my eyes. She started walking again and stopped at a door. She opened it and said that she'd give me ten minutes alone with him, but then I'd have to leave. I sat down in the chair near his bed and his eyes looked up at me.

"Daddy, I love you. Why did this have to happen?"

"You haven't called me 'Daddy' forever." He smiled. "I just needed to tell you that I love you and that I am so sorry that everything happened the way it did, with Victoria, Katie, and Kristy. Everything you need to know is in the letter on the table over there." He nodded his head towards the table and I saw a crisp white hospital envelope residing on the table. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I started crying. I leaned over and gave Dad a hug and tried to smile for him. He wiped some of my tears away, and told me not to be sad. That he'd always be with me in my heart. That made me cry even more.

"Daddy, I love you. Please don't leave me."

"I know you do dear. But it's my time. I'm so sorry. I love you too, and I always will. Goodbye sweet daughter of mine, you'll know in time who you are and then you'll be happy. I love you." He fell limp and his eyelids shut. The little machine that monitored his heart rate showed a flat line and played a long beep. I jumped up and grabbed the envelope as three nurses barged in the door. One told me to leave, and I was gone. I ran down the hall and into the elevator. I ran to the closest store with tears streaming down my face, receiving odd looks from people. I paid for food and supplies and started to run again. Back into the woods, and back to my little shack. So now I'm here. Waiting again, contemplating whether or not I should open the letter sitting across the fire from me. I can't write anymore, My pages are getting wet. For now I leave you with my grief and empty heart. Until I find something joyous, or until I work up enough nerve to open the letter, your pages will remain blank. Bye.

-Clover

A/N: Sorry. I had to knock daddy off. It was the right thing to do according to the Cinderella lore. Wonder what the letter says… hehe… that will be coming as fast as I can get it up, so keep checking in. Till next time.

-Ciara Moondagger