REVIEWS: Snowbirdmi2003: Wow, my grandmother reviewed! That is cool! Well, thank you, Grandma, and I hope you like this chapter as much as you liked chapter one!
Brink: Thank you! At least someone knows where Snackatoba came from!
Superchick 4 Ever: Thank you, and yes, you will meet "Cinderella" in this chapter!
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Chapter Two: Ella Parkinson
Far away in Smopolis, the capital city of Snackatoba, Ella Parkinson was awoken by the sharp, piercing voice of her stepmother, Camille Parkinson neé Dumont.
"Ella! Get up, you lazy girl, and make our breakfast," she screeched.
"Yes, stepmother," called Ella, getting dressed.
Ella was a beautiful young woman, with long blonde hair, and blue-green eyes, but most people never seemed to notice, since she was always covered from head to toe in soot, and wore old clothes of her step sister, Anastasia Dumont, which were practically in rags. Cinderella, Anastasia and Alice (her other step sister) called her. Sometimes her stepmother did, too, but very rarely.
Ella came downstairs, and fixed breakfast for her stepmother, and step sisters, eating a small crust of bread and a wedge of cheese while they were eating. Mrs. Parkinson and her daughters ate in the dining room and Ella ate in the kitchen.
As Ella was clearing up the table, she was given her list of chores to do for the day. Alice had one (it was always the shortest; she never asked Ella to do something unless it was something she herself didn't want to do,) Anastasia had a fairly long list (she wasn't as kind-hearted as Alice,) and Mrs. Parkinson had two lists (one for the house, one for herself.) Ella was the only servant in the Parkinson-Dumont home.
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When Ella came back to the kitchen, she compared her lists, and put them together. She had learned a while ago that she pleased everyone when she didn't work on the lists separately, but made a giant collective list. For example, today, she decided to do her family's laundry all at once.
She went to Anastasia's room first. Ella knocked on the door.
"Yes?" asked the voice of Anastasia.
"Anastasia, I'm here to pick up your laundry," Ella told her.
Anastasia opened the door, and threw a large basket at Ella and said, "Here are my dirty clothes, Cinderella, and I want my whites to be as white as snow."
"Yes, Anastasia," said Ella, picking up the laundry basket.
Ella moved on to Alice's room.
After a knock on the door, Alice called, "Come in."
Ella set Anastasia's laundry basket on the floor, and went in Alice's room.
"Are you alone?" Alice asked.
"Yes," said Ella.
"Oh. Well, what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, Ella?" asked Alice kindly.
"Well, I came to pick up your laundry," replied Ella.
"Oh, of course. Here you are, Ella. I hope it's not too much," Alice said, handing Ella a basket full of clothes. It was the same size as Anastasia's.
"Oh, no," said Ella, taking the basket. "Goodbye, Alice," she said, leaving the room.
"Goodbye, Ella," called Alice.
Out in the hall, Ella put Alice's basket on top of Anastasia's, picked up the baskets, and went to her stepmother's room. Ella dropped her stepsisters' baskets to knock on the door.
"Who is it?" asked Mrs. Parkinson.
"Ella, stepmother. I'm here for your laundry," said Ella.
"Come in, Ella," said Mrs. Parkinson.
Ella opened the door and went inside.
"Well, there it is," said Mrs. Parkinson, pointing at the laundry basket when Ella entered the room.
A large, fluffy white cat was curled up on the very top of the basket.
"Lucius, shoo," hissed Ella, trying to remove the cat from the basket, without actually touching him.
"Lucius, here kitty," called Mrs. Parkinson.
Lucius leapt lightly out of the basket, and jumped on Mrs. Parkinson's bed. Ella picked up the basket, and left her stepmother's room. In the hall, Ella set her stepmother's basket on top of the other two, and again, lifted them up, and carried them all to the kitchen.
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While the clothes were soaking in the wooden tub, Ella decided to clean the parlor until she could scrub and rinse the clothes. While Ella was airing out the pillowcases, there was a knock on the front door.
"Cinderella, answer the door," called Mrs. Parkinson, from the drawing room, where Anastasia and Alice were having their music and art lessons.
"Yes, stepmother," said Ella, going to the front hall.
"Yes?" she inquired, opening the door.
The messenger held an envelope with the crest of the king of Snackatoba on it.
"Thank you," said Ella, moving the pillow under her arm, so she could pick up the envelope.
The messenger tipped his hat to Ella, and left on his horse.
"Who was it, Ella?" asked Mrs. Parkinson, when Ella had shut the door.
"A messenger from the king," replied Ella, "he gave me an envelope for you."
"Well, give it to me," snapped Ella's stepmother.
"Yes, stepmother," said Ella, going to the drawing room.
In the drawing room, Anastasia was singing a tune by Bach while Mrs. Parkinson was playing the harpsichord.
"Very nice, Anastasia. You sound as lovely as a nightingale," praised Mrs. Parkinson.
She sounds like an old crow is more like it, thought Ella.
Alice was painting a scene she heard from a piece of gossip at the milliner shop the month before. She had begun it the next day, but still was only half done, mainly because she couldn't figure out what the pirate looked like.
When Ella entered, Mrs. Parkinson said, "That's enough for today, girls. Now, where is the letter from the king?"
"King Baldwin?" asked Anastasia.
"No, King Richard III," Alice sarcastically told her sister.
"Girls," warned Mrs. Parkinson, taking the letter Ella had handed her.
"King Baldwin is having a ball next month for the prince to find a bride," read Mrs. Parkinson, "and all eligible ladies are requested to attend."
"Oooh, a ball," squealed Anastasia and Alice, though Alice's enthusiasm looked a bit forced.
"May I go, stepmother?" asked Ella.
"You? I can just picture it now: I'd love to dance, Your Majesty! Would you mind holding my broom?" giggled Anastasia, picking up a paintbrush of Alice's, and handing it to her.
Then, Alice jeered, "I think the soot on my dress matches your eyes perfectly!"
Both sisters giggled hysterically, and spun each other around the room.
"Well, it does say all eligible ladies," mused Mrs. Parkinson, "I don't know, Ella, I'll have to think about it."
"I understand," said Ella, and went back to do her chores in the parlor.
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While Ella was rinsing the clothes, Alice came in.
"I'm sorry about what I said in the drawing room earlier, but you know how mother and Anastasia are," she said.
"I know," agreed Ella, "and I forgive you, as always. You're still not finished with your painting?"
"No. I can't think of how to paint the pirate," replied Alice.
"Well, what does he look like?" asked Ella.
"Well, they didn't say. Just that he had dark hair, and was kind of exotic or odd-looking," answered Alice.
"Oh. I agree, that doesn't help much," Ella commented.
"Well, I have to go. Mother and Anastasia are going to town to look for dresses and I've agreed to go with them," Alice said.
"Well, goodbye, and I hope you have a good time," said Ella.
"Thank you, but I wouldn't count on it," Alice replied, leaving Ella alone with the laundry.
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A/N: Well, that's chapter two! I hope you liked it, and chapter three will be up ASA-mediately! (Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century quote!)
Review!