Flight

There is a delightful thrill that shivers through you in the sliver of an instant before a kiss - even more wonderful than the delicious, heavy anticipation just before that. I know it couldn't've been long, but the moment seemed to stretch forever as I wondered whether or not we would actually… well, you know. Kiss.

Then there was that briefest flash of realization, of certainty, of ecstasy, when I knew - not just believed, but knew - that he would kiss me.

And that I would kiss him.

So I was terribly startled when the castle clock chimed the first notes of the melody it always plays just before striking the hour. All I could think was It can't be - it's not fair! Perhaps it showed on my face, or maybe it was just my sudden hesitation. His voice was so gentle when he asked what was wrong. (I wanted to kiss him even more!)

What came out was "It's midnight." I don't think I've ever said anything quite so pointless. But what could I have said that wouldn't have sounded crazy? Or worse, like some sort of halfhearted excuse? Something that I was making up because I had just realized he was going to kiss me and I didn't want him to. Or because I found him boring. Or any of a hundred other conclusions he might come to that would be so wrong, because I didn't want to leave. I wanted so much to stay with him until … well, "until" hadn't occurred to me. I guess that was the problem.

He started to ask me why the time mattered, but I cut him off and began to walk away, because I didn't know what to say, and even if I did, I don't know if I could've said it. My "goodbye" caught in my throat, and I felt tears pricking at my eyes. I knew I had to leave, but still - it hurt so much.

When he caught my wrist in his hand, it took me by surprise, and my heart fluttered. I wanted to be in his arms again; it had felt so right. And so I hesitated, even though in the back of my mind something kept chanting leave now! leave now! Somehow when he asked me why (no accusation or anger in his voice; he just sounded surprised) I remembered that the ball had been in honor of the prince, and so I made the excuse that I hadn't seen the prince yet, which I hoped would seem quite reasonable. After all, it would be horribly rude to ignore the guest of honor, wouldn't it? Especially a royal one. I was actually rather pleased with such a clever dodge.

His jaw dropped, and guilt stabbed straight through me. Perhaps he thought I was brushing him off, but as he let go of my hands, the clock chimed the first stroke of midnight, and I grabbed my skirts and ran. Maybe my terror sped me along; maybe I had some help from the magic. Either way, I burst through the heavy curtain covering the archway, ran past the ballroom, out the main hallway and down the stairs. The carriage was just ahead, waiting for me.

I didn't stumble, but suddenly I was off-balance, and I could feel the plush carpet tickling my foot through my stocking - I realized I must have run right out of one of my slippers! When I turned to pick it up, I saw someone coming, waving his arms and yelling. So I turned and dashed the rest of the way to the carriage. Bruno helped me in, and even before the door had fully latched we were off.

I held on as best I could as we careened down the main road toward the city. As we approached the palace gates, I saw to my terror that they were pulling closed! Faster, faster! sang my heart, and (was that magic, too?) we flew through the gates just before they shut.

But before I even had a chance to breathe a sigh of relief, I realized that I heard hoofbeats behind me as well as before me. As we sped around the twists and turns of the city streets, I looked out the carriage window, back toward the palace, and I saw dark riders following our path. Were they gaining? I couldn't be sure.

The castle clock struck again, and again. I noticed that my hair was loose around my shoulders, and when I looked down at my dress, I watched as one moment it faded, and the next it would shimmer even more brightly before fading again. The clock struck again as we passed through the city gates and out into the countryside (fortunately the guard there simply watched as we barreled past). How was it possible that it hadn't finished chiming? I lost all track of time, wishing fervently that we could drive ever faster. The carriage began to shake, and the walls darkened and began to close in. I covered my face.

And then I felt a breeze on my arms. I looked up and saw that I was sitting on a pumpkin in the middle of the road, once again wearing what was left of my mother's dress.

There was no time for regret, though - at least not at that moment, for I heard hoofbeats rapidly approaching. We just had time to scramble out of the road and hide in the woods nearby when the riders who'd been chasing us thundered past, trampling my poor pumpkin to bits without slowing in the least. The last traces of magic splashed out of the broken shell and twinkled into nothingness, and once again the night was silent.

But for some reason, I didn't feel so alone anymore. It certainly helped that my friends were there with me. "I'm sorry," I told them with a guilty smile. "I guess I forgot about everything - even the time, but" I sighed, the memory of that lovely, lovely evening lifting my spirits even if it was over. "But it was so wonderful. And he was so handsome, and when we danced… oh, I'm sure that even the Prince himself couldn't have been more - more -"

They were so patient with me as I tried to explain something for which there were no words. Finally I gave up with a sigh, and lifted my shoulders. "Oh, well… it's over," I said, as much to myself as to them. I stood up, and for some reason, Jaques began shouting in little squeaks - he's always been rather high-spirited, but this was more than usual; I couldn't even understand what he was saying. I looked down, and he wasn't the only one. The others were jumping up and down and pointing. Even Bruno seemed excited, and that's definitely unusual.

That was when I saw that I wasn't barefoot. Or rather, that I was only half-barefoot. A prickle of goosebumps ran up my spine as I reached down to remove the glass slipper that hadn't changed back with everything else. At that moment, I knew that my fairy godmother was watching. "Thank you," I whispered to her. "Thank you so much - for everything." And as I cradled the slipper close to my heart, I knew that even if nothing in our house ever changed, I would somehow find the strength to keep dreaming.

And I would never, ever forget this wonderful, magical night.