A Fallen Star

"GET UP ISABELLA," my step-mother shrieked. Imagine hearing that in the morning. I rolled over quickly. "NOWWWW!" Sitting up from my bed, I stared at her. Her hair was pulled into an elegant bun and she wore a big puffy dress. Her face, although she tried to hide this, showed crow's feet and wrinkles. She left my room in a huff. Cly was right, she was scary. Thinking back to the night before made me smile.

I got up from my bed and walked to the kitchen. There my step-mother stood, tapping her foot in impatience. I looked around the kitchen and noticed that something was not right. It was positively filthy. Dust and dirt covered every crevice.

"Now Isabella," my step-mother was saying, "you cannot go to the ball until you clean this entire house, from top to bottom." I looked at her confused. "The girls and I are going to the tailor to see about dresses today." With that she turned around and left.

"Step-mother, wait," I called. But it was as if she did not hear me. That was odd. The way she spoke, it seemed like she was in a trance. Who told her I wanted to go to the ball? Why wasn't she mad at me for last night? I walked into the parlor to find it as dirty as the kitchen. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned in years. I went to Ms. Hobe's room and found that she was not there. What was going on here? Outside, I heard a carriage pulling up to the house. I hurried the door and saw Ben.

"Hey Bella," he called. "Can you help me with this?" At least Ben was acting normally. I walked over to him. "What's wrong?"

"It's just, well nothing; it's probably just my imagination," I replied. Ben smiled. His smile reminded me of Chris. I giggled to myself. Wait, what was wrong with me. I don't giggle. Ben started unloading crates from the carriage.

"Where have you been?" I asked after awhile.

"Looking for you, I went to the Bell Post Office after I had packed up all the left over produce. Lily was there and told me what happened. It was late so Mr. Bell suggested that I stay for the night." After we had unpacked everything, Madison and Alison, followed by their mother walked outside.

"Now Isabella, remember what I said," my step-mother said in the same odd tone that she had spoken in before. She did not even admonish Ben for keeping the carriage. A footman helped her in and the door was shut. As the carriage pulled away I looked at Ben and he looked back at me, puzzled.

"Isn't that odd?" I asked him.

"Yes. She did not even look at me." He shook his head, grabbed the crates and began walking to the kitchen with them. I turned around, about to go back into the house when I heard, singing. At first it was a low humming sound and then it got louder, flowing into a sweet melody. I walked towards it, trying to find where the sound was coming from.

In the rose bushes, Sir Lawrence sat with his face in his hands. When he saw me coming he stood.

"Oh, my lady, good morning," he said bowing.

"Good morning Sir Lawrence." I smiled at him. The melody continued. "Where is that coming from?"

"Good Lord, I thought I was going mad and it was only me that could here that annoying humming."

"It's lovely."

"For the first minutes perhaps but it has been that way all night. A knight of my stature rarely sleeps outside, do not get me wrong, we do what we most. I dare say that it is positively dreadful to hear the same tone over and over again." The sound continued. I looked about, trying to uncover its source. I sighed and sat down next to the mouse.

Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, a little bird landed on my shoulder. It hummed in my ear, and the sound was almost lulling.

"Can you stop that?" Sir Lawrence told the bird, interrupting my thoughts. The little white bird flew off my shoulder and landed next to Sir Lawrence. It tried singing for him, but that only got him more annoyed. Sir Lawrence rubbed his temples. The humming got louder as more birds settled in around us. "Lovely, she's got friends," Sir Lawrence said sarcastically. I laughed.

"I am going inside," I told the mouse. He looked at me pleadingly with big eyes. "Fine you can come." He jumped away from the bushes, scurryinginto the house. We walked through the back door and Sir Lawrence looked as happy as a well, a mouse, to be away from the birds. The kitchen was still terribly dirty.

"So," Sir Lawrence began. "Have you figured out a way to get me into the ball so that I can see the king?"

"My step-mother says I have to clean the entire house, top to bottom, before she can let me go."

"Let's get to it then," he said triumphantly. "I am so glad we have a plan, I was worried for a moment that you were not going to help me and my message is dreadfully important, and_"

"I get it," I snapped, "Now I would really appreciate if you stayed quiet or elseyou are going back outside with the birds. I have to clean this mess." Sir Lawrence looked hurt but held his tongue. It was so dirty I had no idea where to begin.

For the next couple of hours, I swept and mopped the floor, dusted off the counters, washed all the pots and pans that were covered with dust, cleaned the windows and the glass panels of the door, shined all the cabinets, and, finally, was done. The kitchen looked just as it had yesterday and I was exhausted. Sir Lawrence was sitting on the edge of the window, watching me work.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked him quietly. He looked up and sighed.

"My family," he told me pensively. I smiled.

"Do you miss them very much?"

"Yes, but, I have work to finish and they honor that." I was about to say something when I heard a commotion outside. Sir Lawrence sighed, "Not those birds again." I laughed and went to the door. What I saw was unbelievable, animals, about twenty of them were gathered outside: birds, deer, field mice, rabbits, cats, a dog. and a horse. I looked at Sir Lawrence shocked, and then back at the window, not believing my eyes.

I opened the door tentatively and they all turned to look at me. I was about to close it when a small blue jay flew inside.

"Hello," it said. Oh no, another talking animal, great.

"What are you doing in my house?" I asked. It turned its head to one side, studying me.

"What is going on here?" Sir Lawrence asked.

"Can't you feel it?" the little bird asked Sir Lawrence.

"What in the world are you talking about?" Sir Lawrence asked the bird.

"Enough with the questions," I told them both.

"Is she it?" the bird asked Sir Lawrence, flying towards me.

"Stop, stop. You are going to tell me what is going on and why there are so many animals outside my house." It turned its head again.

"She has to be somewhere," the blue jay announced, flying out of the kitchen. Sir Lawrence and I watched it go, Sir Lawrence confused and annoyed and me just annoyed.

"Come back here," I told the bird, running after it. Sir Lawrence followed me. The bird flew up the stairs, peeking into each room. "Stay out of there." It did not stop and instead flew up the stairs to the attic, which is, if you remember correctly, an oversized wardrobe for my stepsisters, so when I got up there all I expected to find was dresses and such.

I finally reached the attic, Sir Lawrence right behind me, and what I saw first was a complete mess. The dresses were thrown all over the room, accessories on the floor, makeup and hair pins tossed about. My day could not be going any better. After I got over the shock of another 2 hours worth of cleaning I was going to have to do, at least, I looked around the room, my eyes settling on what appeared to be a big dress. I walked towards the lump and moved the aside. What was there was mind boggling.

A girl, about 12 years old, was with her knees to her chest curled into a ball. The girl was pale with long golden blond hair that fell in soft waves around her. I pulled her up and she opened her eyes to reveal light cinnamon brown, with specks of gold in them. She had a very little mouth and nose making her look ike a fragile dool. I laid her back down on top of one of the dresses.

"I found her, I found her," the little bird squeaked.

"Who is she?" I asked. The girl breathed in heavily. Sir Lawrence stared at her with a shocked expression.

"A star," the bird whispered to me. "She must rest, she probably is dreadfully tired."

"What do you mean a star?" The bird did not look at me instead it went to the girl. I sighed, "Do you know what is going on?" I asked Sir Lawrence.

"No idea my lady, I have only heard rumors of this on my travels."

"Well she cannot stay here," I told the bird, I had to do something, I felt like nothing was in my control. I slipped the girl into my arms and stood up, ready to take her down stairs. The blue jay followed me, watching my every step, as I dragged the girl along. I got to my room and laid her on my bed, it might not have been as soft as the dresses, but I could not leave her up there for Alison or Madison to find. The blue jay settled in around her. I motioned for Sir Lawrence to follow me to the kitchen.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I am going to wait until she wakes up, and then got some answers," I told him. It was a bad plan but the only one I had. I spent the rest of the day cleaning the house while Ben worked outside. The sun was setting when my step-mother and sisters arrived.

"Isabella!" My step-mother had just climbed out of the carriage.

"Yes, step-mother," I said rushing outside.

"Get the bags please," Madison and Alison came tumbling out, behind them packages sat. I slouched, and sighed heavily. My step-sisters laughed.

"Bring them to the attic," Madison said.

"And make sure they do not touch the floor," Alison added.

"Or your filthy hands." They turned towards the house, their big dresses swishing behind them. If I wasn't so tired it would have been hilarious. After dragging 12 packages up two flights of stairs I was done. I hurried down to the parlor, where my step-mother was calling me.

"We are dreadfully hungry dear, when will dinner be ready."

"Dinner?" Ms. Hobe is the one who usually made dinner. My step-mother nodded. I went to the kitchen.

"She's awake," Sir Lawrence announced rather annoyed. "Do we really have to keep the bird, she's so irritating." I smiled for what seemed like the first time that day. He jumped off the counter and pushed open the curtain to my room.

The girl was on my bed, where I had left her. She was sitting upright and the blue jay was on her shoulder, speaking to her. Upon seeing us enter the room, the girl looked up. There was something different about her, she was no longer pale, but very tan. Her hair even looked brighter.

"How are you feeling?" I asked cautiously.

"Better," she answered with a voice as clear as a bell. She smiled at me, her teeth an amazing white.

"Who are you?" Sir Lawrence asked. I looked at him. Something about this girl was unsettling. The girl laughed and then stopped, startled by the girlish sound. The blue jay flew around her.

"Sit down," she said. I did as I was told, and Sir Lawrence came closer. "My name is Astra; I come from the northern sky." She blinked.

"A star?"

"Yes, but my people prefer to be called Stellas."

"Your people? What do you mean, I thought stars were just energy?"

"Do you believe that trees are just trees?"

"No."

"Well, everything has life, everything has a story. Stellas are as real as water nymphs or goblins." I smirked, this girl was so odd. "Now, about your wish."

"My wish?"

"That is why I'm here."

"You were the first star, the one that I wished on." She nodded.

"You were the first person to wish on the first star of the night. You really believe in the magic. So now I have to fulfill that wish. That is the way Stellas work." I put my head in my hands and took a deep breath, could this day get any weirder.

"MOTHERRRR!" I heard someone scream. From the sound of that pitch it had to be Alison. The star smiled at me.

"May I rest longer, I have still not recovered from my journey." I nodded and got up from the bed. I needed time to think, so many things were going on. Outside, animals were just starting to leave the manor. "Isabella, you come here this instant," my step-mother screamed. "What in the world happened in the attic? All of my daughters 'clothes ruined. Where is our dinner?"

"Coming step-mother, coming." Fact number 4: Cleaning calms me. While doing something so simple I can let my mind wander to other things, and today I had a lot to think about. I had to talk to Astra again. How could any of this be real? I hardly even remembered my wish from last night, all I remembered was Chris' kiss. By the time I was done with the attic, all I wanted to do was get to sleep, but I guess fate had different plans for me.

Hello everyone, well there is chapter 4. Nice long chapter. What do you think of this new twist in the story? I hope you liked it, reviews make me really happy, and I always answer them hint, hint. And please all readers think of the most outrageous, over the top, hilarious, dress for Alison or Madison to wear to the ball. Don't forget makeup and accesories and leave a review or pm with what you come up with, I would really appreciate it. I'll use the best one(s) in the story. ANYway thanks for reading ~IrisLily~