Chapter One

Chapter One

Grace sighed blissfully as she finished another chapter of her favourite book,  The Labyrinth. This was the tenth time she read the red book. She caressed the rough, patterned black roses and golden lettering. It was a gift from her Aunt Sarah, she treasured it with all her heart. 

The doctors said there was some complications with her birth. Her father, Sarah’s brother Toby, was heart-broken and Grace had always blamed herself. She often thought that if she was never born, her mother might still be alive. She knew she was the spitting image of her mother. Like her mother she had a heart shaped face, black hair that fell down past her shoulders in waves, greyish-green eyes, and a natural blush on her, not too pale, face. The only thing she had of her mother’s was a simple, silver, heart-shaped locket with a heart-shaped sapphire in the middle. Inside the locket was a picture of her mother and on the other side said, ‘I’ll love you forever.’ Her father gave it to her mother when he proposed to her under their favourite tree that sprouted pink flowers and peaches in the spring and summer.

“Grace, get down here.” Shrilled her step-mothers voice.

Grace sighed once again, but this time in annoyance. She placed her favourite bookmark on the page as she closed the red book. She quickly hid the book under her pillow as she heard heavy footsteps come up the stairs, knowing it was her step-mother.

Her step-mother, step-monster as she calls her, didn’t like Grace reading tales like The Labyrinth. She called it childish, stupid, annoying and un-realistic. Basically everything she calls Grace. Ever since her father got remarried, he had no time for her. He only had time for his new wife, Stella, and her daughter. He said because Grace was older she didn’t need as much attention as Rosie. He said she should understand that he moved on from her mother and towards Stella. Grace understood that, but that didn’t mean he had to forget that she was there as well.

As the footsteps stomped their way through the corridor and stopping just outside her bedroom door, Grace jumped out of her bed, tucking the locket inside her polo-shirt pocket and smoothing out her skirt, just in time as Stella shoved open the door. She was stunning with her platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes, but beneath that beauty there was ugliness as well. She was lovely towards her father and Rosie, but towards Grace she was spiteful, malicious and just plain hurtful. Unlike Grace, who was more of a country girl than a city girl and wore white or blue polo-shirts and white or navy skirts, Stella wore tight denim jeans and tight halter tops and to short shorts and skirts. Also unlike Grace, who was kind to everyone, Stella was mean and spiteful.

“Are you deaf or something you little brat.” spat Stella,

‘No’ Grace thought ‘And my name is Grace not brat’

Instead of saying that, she didn’t say anything, she knew if she said anything, Stella would make up some story, to tell her father and Grace would get into trouble, and grounded, for something she didn’t do.

“Look” Stella started, “Your father and I are going out tonight and we need you to watch Rosie.” She said, stressing the ‘we’ and the ‘need’.

“In other words you” Grace said, pointing to Stella, “Need me to watch Rosie, not my dad, you.”

She watched as Stella gritted her teeth and marched towards her, “Don’t be so disrespectful you spoiled brat, or do you want me to tell your father that you smashed another plant pot.”

“But I never smashed anything to begin with.”

Stella was right in her face now, glaring, “Are you calling me a liar.” She demanded,

“No of course not.” Grace said quickly, knowing Stella would go so far as to actually smash a plant pot.

“You know that your father and I hardly get to go out these days.”

‘You go out every second day’ she thought, hiding her jealousy and anger that her father had more time for Stella and Rosie than his own daughter.

“And you also know that your father would want you to make me and my daughter feel loved and welcomed into your family. Now either you watch my daughter tonight or, I will make your life a living hell until you turn eighteen and I can finally kick you out of this house.”

‘Great’ Grace thought sarcastically, ‘That gives me another four years in this hell hole.’

“So, Katie-” Stella said, almost threateningly,

Grace sighed, “It’s Grace.”

“Like I care, will you look after my sweet little Rosie Posey tonight?” Stella asked, not really asked more like demanded, in a sickeningly sweet voice.

Grace nearly growled at her, “Fine.”

 

“Bye Grace, make sure Rosie is in her bed on time!” her dad shouted up to her.

“Okay!” Grace shouted back, still annoyed that she had to take care of Rosie.

It’s not like she didn’t like Rosie, because she did, it’s just that Stella was the step-mother from hell and her dad didn’t have time for her anymore. Rosie was nothing like her mother. She was sweet, kind and actually enjoyed her stories. Then again, she was eight.

“Gracie” Rosie hopped down the stairs, “Can you play with me until I go to bed please.”

Graces anger filled eyes softened at the innocent girl, “Of course sweetie. What do you want to play?”

You see, with Stella out with her dad all the time, Grace was more of a mother to Rosie than her. She enjoyed Rosie’s company, and Rosie enjoyed hers.

“Can we play with my dolls?”

“Of course we can, just as long you go to bed when I tell you okay.”

Rosie sighed, “Can you tell me a story before I go to bed then?”

Grace ruffled Rosie’s blonde locks, “Sure.”

She grabbed Grace’s hand and took off running up the stairs and into her room with Grace behind her.

 

“Okay Rosie, time for bed.” Grace said to Rosie,

Rosie pouted, “Aw, come on Gracie.”

Grace lips itched upwards a little, “You know the puppy dog eyes don’t work on me.”

Her sisters eyes brightened, “I’m getting pretty good at them though.”

Grace didn’t say anything, only ruffled the little girls hair.

Rosie smiled a little then turned to Grace, “You’ll still tell me a story before I go to sleep, won’t you?”

Grace smiled at her, “Of course I will. Now let’s get those teeth brushed and get you into bed.”

“Or what?” Rosie demanded,

“Or I’ll come and tickle you” Grace started to chase Rosie about, and Rosie being an average child started to squeal.

~20 minutes later~

Finally, after twenty minutes of chasing, she got Rosie to brush her teeth and got her to settle in her bed.

Rosie looked up to Grace, “Can you tell me a story now.”

She looked down at the eight year old, her black hair making a curtain over her shoulder. “Of course, which one would you like to hear?”

Rosie looked thoughtful for a moment, “The one about the Moon Princess.”

Grace had a dreamful look in her eyes as she remembered the story that Sarah once told her.

“Okay....Once upon a time,

There was once a beautiful princess with long flowing silver hair and eyes like sapphires. She had been watching the Earth from the solitude of her castle room on the Moon. As she was looking into her mirror she saw a human prince with brown hair and green eyes. She had, unknowingly, fell in love with this prince.

One night she snuck out of the palace and used her magic to teleport her to Earth, to the Kingdom where the prince was. Once he saw her in his rose garden, it was love at first sight for him as well as her.

But one horrible day, her mother had found out about her going to see the prince of Earth and about how she fell in love with him. She was enraged at her daughter and forbade her from seeing the prince or the princess would have to give up her right to the throne. The princess chose her love and fled the Moon.

When she arrived to Earth, she found out that her love was engaged to another princess. Heartbroken, she fled to the forest where an elderly woman found her unconscious with a hit to her head. Due to the blow to the head she forgot her name, where she came from and....she also forgot about the prince she loved.

The prince married the other princess, but was unhappy with the arranged marriage. He wanted to go find his princess, but could not leave his wife......

The elderly woman named the princess Rosette and treated her as she would a daughter......’

Grace looked at her little sister and asked, “Are you following what I’m saying so far Rosie?”

Rosie didn’t respond.

“Rosie?”

As Rosie turned over, Grace noticed that she was asleep. She smiled, “Goodnight little sister.” Grace bent down to kiss her sisters forehead and left the room.

She didn’t notice the white owl looking at her through the window. Or that he was listening to her the whole time.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 13.07.2013

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