** At the same time the other half was... **
I woke up to servants putting out the Duke's clothes. After he examined himself in the mirror and had adjusted his monocle, we set out.
The loneliness was horrible; it went all the way into my spirit. It's like being split down the middle. Too many emotions were flowing through me, heartbreak, loneliness, the tear, and unfortunately I was completely comfortable. I was on a velvet cushion. This cushion felt wonderful, like I could sink into its plush contours forever.
For the next couple of hours I was placed on many different girls' feet. Some smelly, some clean, small, huge, black, white, hairy and soft feet. Every kind of foot that you could care to think of, I was placed on.
By now I felt so tired and just as sleep was entering my mind, the carriage rolled to a stop in front of a huge white house. I felt a tug towards the house and at that moment I knew that my other half was there.
The annoying herald announced the equally tired Duke. When I saw the evil stepmother and two step sisters, I groaned internally because I knew that I would be tried on their feet.
Anastasia waddled to the chair and I was placed on her foot and her toes barely fit, but she went on and on about how she knew it was hers. The dress covered most of the foot and hid the poor fit. However the Duke had discovered the truth that the shoe did not fit and he sank tiredly back into the seat. Lightly asleep, he could not see Anastasia beat up the herald for "giving her the wrong shoe." That was most definitely not true; she just had really large feet.
After Anastasia had committed enough bodily harm on the herald, Drizella got the chance to try me on. After squeezing in a toe and heel, she also had announced that it fit perfectly. The Duke woke up to all of the ruckus just as I snapped off Drizella's foot and flew toe over heel through the air. Utter panic ran through my body. I was going to shatter. Please, oh please, don't let me shatter!
The Duke leapt out of his chair and barely caught me on his finger. We both sighed with relief.
Then he stood up, straightened his jacket and asked if there were any other young ladies in the house. After the skilled liars answered no, he turned to leave.
Right then, Cinderella, bless her soul, came running down the stairs. "Your Grace, your Grace," she calls. The Duke smiled like "Oh good, another one," and I couldn't figure out if he's happy to see her or not.
She took a seat and he called for me. The Duke looked happy; I wonder if he means it? The herald rushed to him with my cushion, but the step-mother stuck out her cane out and tripped him. Slowly I plummeted towards the unforgiving ground. The last thing I felt was the shattering of my glass body as I hit the floor.
