Cinderella's Dead

One

Things were going great for Cindy Coleman until the night she died.

That's a tad dramatic, of course it is, but for Cindy things were about to get even worse. Or better, depending on which half of the glass one chooses to focus on. As for Cindy, she's currently leaning towards worse, though she knows she might be biassed. You see, it's not every day that you die at the hands of your new husband, the man you thought was your fairytale prince, your happily ever after. It’s not every day, or every night in Cindy's case, that you die on your wedding night, on your honeymoon.

But reality is far from fairytales as Cindy discovered, after a heated makeout session with her new husband. The pair was on board the superyacht her parents have given the newlyweds as a wedding gift. It was supposed to be the perfect start to a perfect life together.

Andrew insisted it would be romantic to reenact Cindy’s favourite moment from the Titanic movie. How incredibly stupid that was, in retrospect, but Cindy trusted Andrew with her life.

They were anchored about three hours away from the private island that the couple was heading to for their honeymoon, and both the yacht’s captain and the other five members of staff had already gone to bed for the night, dismissed by the groom. Cindy giggled when the man waved off the staff in a hurry, not caring for having their food served, their drinks poured or even getting to their destination. His eyes were showing a glimpse of his hunger for his wife. She felf desired, she felt good.

Armed with two champagne flutes and a bottle of Krug, Andrew took his new wife on the bow of the yacht, and kissed the tiredness away from her lips. Cindy was already tipsy, drunk on the kiss of her husband rather than the champagne, since she barely had a little sip. Her head felt heavy nonetheless while her body felt like it weighed nothing. It was weird, and unlike any other alcohol induced buzz she ever had, but she never went through a wedding of her own either. Cindy figured she had been way more affected by the stress and pressure of the wedding day, than she imagined.

Inhibitions were lost in the passion between the two lovers, and a dumb idea took life in an instant. Cindy wondered what it would feel like to be the figuread in front of this magnificent yacht. She giggled hysterically when she told her intrigued husband the crazy idea that ran through her mind at that late hour, but instead of discouraging her, Andrew promised he would hold her steady and make sure nothing happens. So the young wife climbed onto the railing and allowed her flowy wedding dress to flutter in the breeze, giving her a moment of sublime peace and happiness.

She felt like she was on top of the world. Untouchable.

Things were going great for Cindy Coleman, until they weren’t. Until those same hands meant to keep her safe, did the exact opposite.

Cindy felt her husband's strong arms around her slim body. They started sliding away easily, until just his large hands were touching her. For a brief moment she was still feeling safe, thinking he had her, and will never let her go, remembering the wovs he recited only a few hours prior. That feeling turned quickly, once she felt Andrew’s hands pushing her by her waist with all his might.

Betrayel slammed instantly in Cindy brain. She wanted to scream, to look her husband in the eye and see an explanation. But she didn’t have time to react as her feet slid off the metal railing and her body plummeted down, causing her wedding dress to ride upwards, thus obstructing her vision until she hit the cold water. And damn, it was so cold that in an instant it both awakened all of Cindy's senses, while also numbing them.

The contradiction offered by the cold water was a stark parallel to Cindy's feelings.

At that moment, Cinderella understood that there is no such thing as a happy ending. She was going to die.

Cinderella. She hated that stupid nickname. It was given to her by her biggest enemy, Kristoff Benton, in second grade. And yes, both Cindy and Kristoff could hold a grudge, even if the reason doesn't seem so impprtant years after it happened.

They were running in the yard of the very pretentious private school they were both attending as the progenies of two of the most influential families in Orlando. One of them being a progeny, that is.

Words have been spoken between the two children, each far too mature for their young age. Words and actions that paved the way to their future interactions, none of which were pleasant if anyone asked Cindy.

Cindy was a true princess, born with a silver spoon in her mouth, as daughter of building tycoon Ben Coleman and oil heiress Helena Tate-Coleman.

Cindy didn't appreciate it when the new kid in school called her out on not sharing her new Barbie with another little girl, causing the latter to cry and everyone else to rudely point at the spoiled brat who wouldn’t share. Like they wouldn't do the same. Cindy was friends with everyone until Kristoff showed up and ruined that in an instant.

The object that caused all the commotion was a limited edition doll and Helena made Cindy brush her teeth two times a day, every day, for a month, without the help of any nanny, before she awarded her daughter that particular Barbie doll. Of course Cindy was apprehensive in sharing the prize she worked so hard for. Any seven year old girl would have reacted the same.

Kristoff, the adoptive son of Stetson and Lydia Benton, the family that owned half the city, including some of the land on which Ben Coleman's buildings sat on, arrived at the school three weeks after the year started. The boy held a lot of anger in his small and young heart as well as a deeply rooted need for justice. Coming from a dysfunctional home where his abusive father shot and killed his alcoholic mother and then ended his own life, all right in front of their young son, Kristoff both hated and felt thankful for the Bentons adopting him.

Seeing the upset little girl, Kristoff called Cindy a spoiled princess, comparing her to an evil step sister like the ones they were told about in the fairytales that their teacher was reading earlier in the day. To retaliate, the usually well mannered Cindy pushed Kristoff as hard as her tiny arms could and caused the boy to lose his balance and then fall with his behind in the wet grass.

Kristoff’s face changed into a murderous glare, which caused young Cindy to squeal and take off running in fear of his wrath. The prospect of having Kristoff wrap his grubby hand into her tight pigtails did not appeal to Cindy at all, so she ran and ran, hoping the new boy would not catch her. But the grass was still wet and the little girl slipped. She redressed well before hitting the ground like Kristoff did, but still managed to lose one of her shoes in the process. A split second is all Cindy had to decide that the shoe is not worth it. It was quickly deemed a casualty.

Grinning, Kristoff caught up with Cindy in their classroom, where under the stern gaze of their teacher they had to behave. He had already taken the shoe left behind and placed it carefully under his shirt until he was able to tuck it in his backpack.

Kristoff caught a glimpse of the little girl missing a shoe, and so he did the only thing logical in his mind that would give him the last word in their argument. Kristoff scribbled a note and then flung it towards Cindy’s desk.

The folded piece of paper landed in front of Cindy, resting on her notebook. With wide eyes, mostly because she was startled and didn't want the teacher to notice and think she was the one passing notes in class, Cindy took the paper and carefully read the words, before clenching her jaw tight and tucking the offensive note in her bag.

‘Who’s the Cinderella, now?’ The note that made Kristoff Benson Cindy’s number one enemy, read. From that day onwards, Cindy’s name was often replaced with Cinderella, despite the striking difference between the two. As the offensive and annoying nickname stuck, Cindy’s hatred for Kristoff grew, stretching well into their adulthood.

Such a weird and specific memory to have in the last moments of your life, Cindy thought bitterly. Of course damned Kristoff Benton would get to have the last word even when he’s not actually here. Cindy stupidly felt annoyed that by dying so unexpectedly, she somehow lost the silent, and sometimes not so silent, war that she was in with her biggest rival.

Salty water rushed into Cindy’s mouth as she was gasping desperately for air. It was futile, since there was no hint of air around her, just salty seawater. It wasn’t long before the deadly liquid filled the young woman’s lungs causing her body to feel like it’s been incinerated from the inside. It was quite the irony since Cindy was drowning.

Amazed at the fact that her brain was still in working order, rapidly processing the traumatic events and hoping it would all end soon, that it would stop hurting, Cindy relaxed her muscles and allowed her tired body to sink lower and lower into the ocean, until all her eyes could see was darkness. Scary, deadly darkness.

Weightlessly descending into the abyss, Cindy wasn’t sure if that darkness surrounding her was from the depth of the water or the afterlife. Confusion started to set in as the reality of dying crashed into her and gave her worn out limbs one last gust of strength to try and bring her back to the surface. At the same time her deep rooted fight instinct caused her to gasp once more for an impossible breath that never came.