Snow had been fed a liberal amount of fairy tales from a rather young age.
Open wide. Chew them well. Now swallow.
She had been only two when her mother had first introduced her to Snow White, the beautiful, fair maiden who hung out with seven short men. Not only was the character her namesake, but also the inspiration for her early dressing sense. Snow’s mother buried her tiny body beneath layers of frill and lace, each bow securely stitched and fastened.
More fairy tales meant more characters.
Each gave Snow’s mother a chance to treat her beloved daughter like a princess. And Snow loved the lavish attention. She would prance about all day, smiling and singing, wondering when her Prince Charming would pay her a surprise visit.
But when Snow turned fourteen, her mother left this world forever. The young girl dressed up like Belle for the funeral. She was the Beauty and death had been the Beast, ripping her apart from the person she had loved the most.
Snow’s story advanced, and seven months later came along an evil stepmother. But that was just a fabrication of Snow’s troubled, teenaged mind. No woman could ever take the place of her mother. So she lived in a make-believe world of torment, spending her days flipping through fairy tale pages.
School became a chore, her father a big bore, and at the age of sixteen, Snow ran away with the first boy that kissed her. He would be her prince and they would live in a beautiful castle. But her prince turned out to be a druggie, and they lived in a one room dump with three other people.
Snow soon became pregnant, and her prince ran off with another woman. All that remained were the fairy tales buried deep inside her head. But her life resembled little of what she had expected, but then every princess went through a bad patch before things eventually got better.
The baby was born, a daughter who she named Cinderella. Snow juggled three odd jobs to feed and support her princess. She would give her little one the best. It was what fairy tales were made of. But Cinderella grew up only knowing want and poverty. Snow’s fairy tales made little sense to her.
And as was destined, at the age of fifteen, Cinderella changed her name to Cindy and found herself a sugar daddy. He was old but wealthy. Cindy moved into her new apartment, leaving Snow with nothing but solitude and the stink of hardships.
And to this day, Snow remembers her mother and the fairy tales she fed her. But the endings have changed forever. There would never be a ‘happily ever after’.
Snow was a failed fairy tale princess.
The dog reminds them of the old man. So many similarities. Could it be that Dad Came Back As Pancho?
Go on! Check out my Short Stories Books – Free on Kindle Unlimited
Oh dear. Your imagination has taken a twist I think, Terveen. haha. Very creative with your fairty tale. They can’t all have happy endings you have proven:)
Thanks so much, Shobana. You are a great fairy tale writer. But your stories are so much happier. 🙂
This fairly tale does have a sad twist to it. I guess we all want that fairy tale ending. A secret desire that’s hardly fulfilled. A reality of life.
Ah, this is such a heartbreak Terveen. Beautifully written.
Thank you so much, Vignesh. 🙂
The stark and sad reality of life.
Yes, true. You’re welcome 🙂
Of course we could pursue Cindy’s hoped-for fairy tale future and find the sugar daddy soon got tired and kicked her out for someone else…what goes round comes around Cindy…….
That’s the way of life. Many go through cyclic catastrophes. One bump after the other, but still keep on trudging. I guess Cindy is just living in the now. Enjoying a break from despair. The future might be the last thing on her mind. To each their choices and consequences.
Your words are really wise, Don. 🙂
Thanks….While I’m easily flippant I do try for some wise words at times
Wow, I love this story, your descriptions come with a killer blow, like the mother burying her daughter in frills, a great twist on fairy tale princesses. Short and not sweet at all. Brilliant.
Thank you so much!
Yes, I have given fairy tales a bad and sad name by adding a realistic slice of life. But I guess, we’re all looking for a rainbow and maybe a pot of gold at the end. And that dream stays inside us, and hope drives us on even in the worst of times.
A beautifully written heartbreak! You’re a great writer! 🙂
It is a sorrowful tale. Too many ‘what ifs’ involved. Thank you so much! Appreciate your encouragement. 🙂
Ah, so sad for Snow. I was hoping that a lesson would be learned along the way and a happy-end will arrive. Still, you are right as fairy tales are no match for real life.
Food for thought as always, Terveen 🙂 And loved the story.
Thank you so much, Patricia. 🙂
I hope I didn’t crush the charm of happy endings. You are a folklore expert and there’s always so much to learn from such magical tales. This story has a heavy dose of life’s bitterness. Despair is so suffocating.
Not at all. And too many happy ending can cause a distorted image on life. As do fairy tales…
Your stories always offer an unforeseen twist at the end 🙂 You are a gifted writer, Terveen. xx
PS I read a lot, am not an expert 😉
Reading contributes to knowledge and wisdom and accords some form of expertise. You very well deserve it. 🙂
Fairy tales instill a false belief in the supernatural unless the child can shake it off with some critical thinking as she grows.
Love your story.
Yes, children love the mystique and magic of fairy tales. The fight between good and bad and the beautiful triumphing over the ugly. It’s all seems like a cliché sometimes. Maybe ‘happily ever after’ is just wishful thinking.
Snow did hold on to her childhood beliefs. Many usually don’t though.
Thank you so much. 🙂
This is the type of fairy tale that the original fairy tales were (without the fairies, of course.) The storytelling circle seems to have gone full circle 🙂
Ah, the dark side of original folk and fairy tales. Where morals and lessons were to be taught to children. And scaring them was a good way to do it. I guess Snow does set an example of what one should not do.
Thanks so much for sharing this wonderful perspective. 🙂
A fantastic twist on this one, Terveen. I also get that being childlike, and continuing to look on the world with child’s eyes, gives us a presence we “loose” as an adult; unless of course, we learn how to recreate it, which is quite possible. Lovely story. 😊
Thanks so much, Jeff. 🙂
As children we definitely see the world in a different light. But maturity and life experience change that innocent perspective. It’s just sad when reality differs quite harshly from imagination. But like you say, possibilities are immense.
You’re welcome, Terveen. Always. Agreed. 😊
a harsh reality check; being fed modern fairy tales in the form of rom-coms may lead to derangements equally in the face of reality — and yet, some people, a very few, ordinary folk seem to lead charmed lives —
John, I wonder whether people living such charmed lives actually experience a proportional amount of happiness and satisfaction, or is it all pomp and show for others? Hard to believe such things exist these days.
Thank you so much for your wise sharing 🙂
I don’t know, Terveen but there was this couple next door devoted to each other and their church and two children; they seemed to sail through life whereas the rest of us … it was maddening
That’s commendable. But, I’d be a bit suspicious. But then, I’m crazy too.
🙂 I’m suspicious too but I’ve got nothing to go on; they seem to live in this hermetic, snow dome world
Yes, those fairytales we are fed are gateways to major disappointments. Great story! Love your metaphoric style. 🏰
They do offer something that seems very far out of reach. Thank you so much! 🙂
Beautiful short story, Terveen! I loved these lines : ‘She was the Beauty and death had been the Beast, ripping her apart from the person she had loved the most.’ Not every story has a happy ever after. Loved the truth in this. 💖🌹🙏
So true, Diana. Many of us never really get what we want. But then wants aren’t what life is made of. It’s about making the best of what we have and building upon that.
Thank you so much. 🙂
Wow! Sad but unfortunately realistic. 😞 good work
It’s a reminder of life’s bittersweet nature. Thank you so much. 🙂
Wow, that got dark soon, but felt realistic than the actual fairy tales. Loved it!❤
I wish reality wasn’t so harsh. But I guess, acceptance is the greatest strength.
Thank you so much! 🙂
That is true. You are most welcome.😊
Interesting and fun story! It’s nice to believe in fairy tales and learn something from them, but unfortunately most of them are unrealistic. We have to face reality and sometimes realize that (some) men will only make our lives harder 😌😜
That’s something we as women should realise. Only we have the power to make our lives better. Handing that responsibility to any man is simply asking for unnecessary trouble. I agree with you totally.
Thank you so much! 🙂
Wow, the damage a fairy tale can do. I remember I knew somebody in my class in high school got pregnant, and she had a hell of time, all kinds of dirt thrown at her by her family and her school. I felt so bad for her, but didn’t know how to help.
I think fate plays a major role in our lives. Sometimes, no matter what we do, we have to go through the toughest of times. Who’s to blame and why is just bitter judgment.
I appreciate you sharing this. I hope everyone is able to find peace and comfort in their lives. 🙂
That’s true. Sometimes it gets tough and we just have to continue. LOL.
Oh this is so sad, but your writing evoked such intense pictures in my mind. I hope she’ll be able to find her happy ending.
Some stories are sadder than others. That’s life for you, unpredictably harsh. Hope everyone finds their balance.
Thank you so much. 🙂
Very true indeed!
Great post. Humpty Dumpty has good reason to detest fairytales. 🥚 🍳
Haha! I love your sense of humor. He’s like – WHY ME?! Poor guy.
Pingback: And They Were Gone - Flash Fiction Story | It Ain't Right Till I Write
This is the kind of fairy tale I like. Imagine if we grew with these kind of tales instead? I guess we’d at least get on antidepressants at an earlier age. Lol. You’re story of course is more accurate to the truth. The sad loneliness at the end. It’s a wonderful story. I enjoyed seeing your darkness on display especially with brilliant, subtle lines like,
“Snow’s mother buried her tiny body beneath layers of frill and lace”. A real taste of things to come. Love it! Awesome job, Terveen!
Lol. Couldn’t agree with you more, Tony. Reality is hard to digest. And makes us crumble more times than we want to. Isn’t loneliness what we’re most afraid of? But eventually, isn’t that the truth? Every one of us is dark. Thank God writers can expel some of that darkness through words.
Thanks so much for your kind words and support. 🙂
Is it time rewrite fairy tales? To stop filling young impressionable minds with unrealistic and unattainable goals and lifestyles?
Or should be return them to their original state when they were first written and were more than just sweet bedtime stories? When they were mythic cautionary tales that contained cultural knowledge that has since been stripped away over time, pulled from their sociological roots and transformed into animated family movies that instill outdated concepts about beautiful people being destined to live privileged lives while those not blessed with aquiline features and hair of spun gold are relegated to the roles of supporting characters or worse yet, villany.
Should fairy tales teach harsh life lessons that inspire the youth to become better people in order to help build a better world? I think so.
I apologize for going off on a tangent. Nicely done, as always, Terveen.
Rhyan, I’m going to steal your comments and turn them into posts. They’re mine now!
HUAHHAAHHAA!!
Did I scare you?
I doubt it. Haha.
Everything sweet and nice is good while the rest is a huge disgrace. I can nowhere match your words but I definitely will say that kids are quite smart these days. I’m not talking about you or me – we’re from the era of dimwits. We did as we were told and didn’t think beyond our noses. But nowadays kids probably are smarter and less gullible. Better for them. I think fairy tales are just good for some sparkling moments of fiction.
But they are great bedtime stories. 🙂