When Love Lasts: A Sapphic Short Story Collection

✍️ A Sapphic Cinderella Retelling (Rewind The Classics 2021 Contest Entry)

August 21, 2021

#rewindtheclassics21

Short Story written for the Rewind The Classics 2021 Contest.

A retelling of Cinderella: What if Prince Charming was... Princess Charming?

Word Count: 2114

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The clock struck midnight.

Hera ran as fast as she could. Red high heels in one hand, trains of her dress in the other, she scurried across the corridor, darted past from the gasping guests, and almost bumped into a woman holding a glass of wine. Finally, she jumped over the window.

Away, away from this hellhole!

As the bells of the clock continued to strike, she ran—as fast as her legs could bring her, as much as her lungs could take.

The ball was as terrible as she had anticipated. The uncomfortable stares from her 'suitors', the endless questions about her non-existent love life and her approaching 'expiration date'; they all drove her insane. Why was it that her twin brother got to dance with beautiful, young ladies from all over the country, while she had to deal with those gossipy hags and gross men?

The world was so unfair.

Her bare foot caught on a twig, and she tumbled forward. Grass—wet with dew and sharp like blades—jutted into her mouth.

"Argh!" she exclaimed, pushing herself off the ground while spitting out the dirt.

"Argh!" A similar exclamation echoed.

Hera spun around. Who's here?

Then, her eyes widened.

In front of her stood a gorgeous carriage, with crystals decorating its rim and glistening under the moonlight. But at every strike of the midnight bell, part of the carriage disappeared. First, the crystals; then, the wheels.

Hera watched, mouth agape, as every part of the carriage vanished into thin air, leaving behind a pumpkin. The horses became rats while the coachman became a dog.

And finally, out from the carriage-turned-pumpkin, spat a girl who tumbled onto the floor.

"What the f—"

The curse caught in Hera's throat when the girl turned around.

Porcelain skin as bright as the moon, lips as pink as her tattered dress, the girl looked as though she had come out of a portrait. Her emerald eyes, dusted with golden strands of hair, found Hera's and dilated in fear.

A goddess. She was a goddess. A timid, frightened one, but a stunning goddess nonetheless.

"H- Hello," Hera managed to say.

The girl yelped as she scrambled to get away.

Frantically, Hera called out, "No, no, don't go, please!"

The viridian eyes returned to view, this time, with a tinge of curiosity and a whole lot less fear.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Hera continued, crawling her way slowly towards the girl. "My name is Hera. What's yours?"

"C- Cinderella," she whispered.

"Cinderella? That's a beautiful name." As beautiful as you.

A tinge of pink washed over her cheeks. "T- Thank you. Hera is a nice name too."