On Trial

Dimitry

"Guess we're all born with parts to play."

Cassandra tucked her knees into her chest, and wrapped her thin quilt around her shoulders.

"Some of us are starts and some are just...in the way..."

She stared blankly, at the wall, in front of her. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"I know I was meant for glory...but that's never what my story brings..."

Her hands shook, from cold or from fear, she wasn't sure.

"And yet, I keep on waiting."

Every time she heard the slightest noise, she jumped, earning amused laughs, from the other prisoners.

"When you have the passion and the drive, you expect your moment, centre-stage to arrive."

She ran her hands through her greasy hair, long overdue a wash and trim, and grit her teeth, holding in a sob.

"I show up with heart a blazing, ready to achieve amazing things..."

"...but I'm left waiting in the wings."

That song. That darned, beautiful melody, that had been ingrained in her head, since her mother gave her that stupid music box, was replaying itself, for the tenth time, that morning.

"Turn the key, like this," she heard her mother say, "and every time you hear this tune, you'll think of your dear, sweet mother, and the love I have for you."

"I love you, mamma!"

So naïve. So trusting.

"That should keep her out of my hair for a while, lousy little pest!"

Gothel's words, still stung, but they weren't wrong. She was lousy. She was a pest. She was the shit on the bottom of someone else's shoe.

She always had been.

Always will be.

She felt another tear slide off her chin, when the sound of panting, caught her attention.

It sounded like a dog. But it couldn't be...could it?

It was.

When Cassandra turned, towards her door, she came face to face, with a large, German Shepherd.

She gasped. Was she dreaming? She had to be dreaming, surely!

She snapped her eyes closed, and then opened them, expecting the dog to disappear. But he didn't.

"H-hey, b-big guy," she whispered, trying to put her feelings aside for a moment, "w-what are you doing here?"

She knelt in front of the door and the dog immediately started to sniff her, through it's bars.

She giggled, when it licked her face.

She noticed that the other prisoners were cooing in its wake, but it was totally ignoring them, only focusing it's attention on her.

"What's your name, buddy?" Cassandra asked, gently lifting up his collar tag.

Dmitry

"Hi, Dmitry."

Dmitry licked her again, wagging his tail, frantically, as she stroked his silky fur.

"Dmitry?! Dmitry come here!"

Dmitry licked Cassandra one last time, before bounding off. .

As Cassandra watched him go, she found herself unable to stop smiling.

I know this chapter was short, but I'm hoping to upload another, longer chapter later tonight or tomorrow! If that ends up not happening, it'll be uploaded later in the week!