Through the Mirror and Into Snow by Ann T. Bugg Page B

to stop. I can’t run anymore.”
    “Just a little further.” Danielle pointed. “Look, up there toward the hill. There’s a cave behind those bushes. We can hide there.”
    “But what are we hiding from? Is it your stepmother?” asked Samantha.
    “Yes, and my two stepsisters.” Again Valerie and Samantha stopped dead in their tracks.
    Snow didn’t notice their hesitation as she hurried to catch up with Danielle. “I can’t believe you have a stepmother who is not nice to you either.”
    “Really? You have a mean stepmother, too?”
    “She would make yours look like a fairy godmother.”
    “Oh, I doubt that. This isn’t a contest that either one of us wants to win, though.”
    “That’s for sure,” Snow agreed as they entered the cave.
    Back outside, Samantha whispered to Valerie. “Okay miss ‘know it all fairy tales.’ Why is her name Danielle? Isn’t this Cinderella?”
    “Think, Samantha. This story was not a cartoon. And besides, Cinderella wasn’t her name, that’s what everyone always called her to be mean. Remember, she had soot on her face from sleeping by the fireplace.”
    “Oh right. I remember that movie; the one with Drew Barrymore. That one was supposed to be more like real life. Maybe it really was closer to the truth.” She shook her head, still slightly confused, as they walked into the cave together.
    “So, are you gonna tell us why your step-monster locked you up,” Samantha asked Danielle.
    “Samantha, that’s not nice,” Valerie scolded her.
    “That’s okay, it’s the truth. She is more like a monster than a mother. She locked me up because she didn’t want me to go to the ball tonight. The prince is looking for a bride and she doesn’t want me to be there…as if he would give the sight of me a second glance, especially now like this.” She held up the mess of a dress ripped nearly to shreds.
    “What happened to it?” asked Snow.
    “They ripped it up; ripped it right off me before they threw me into that dungeon of a storage room. It was my mother’s and now it’s ruined. I can’t possibly repair this mess. I so wanted to go to the ball. I didn’t expect to meet the prince, but I wanted to go to a grand ball just once in my life. I was trying it on when my stepmother came into my room.”
    “Maybe we can fix it,” said Val. “My mom and I sew a little.”
    “I have done a little sewing myself,” added Samantha. “I want to be a famous fashion designer when I grow up. I can help, too.”
    Otter had been a model pet up to this point, happy to be along for the adventure. Without warning, she bolted out of the cave. Bet you thought I forgot about her, didn’t you?
    Snow was the first to go running after her. She stopped and glanced around to see where Otter went and caught sight of her heading around the hill out of sight. The other girls hurried after her to join the chase. Once around the hill, they stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the peddler woman they had gotten the clothing from at the last town. She was petting Otter and talking to her in her kind voice.
    “I remember you, you sweet thing. Where are your girls?” She glanced up and saw them walking over to her.
    “Hello again. We tried to thank you for the clothes, but you were already gone,” Samantha said as she got closer.
    “That’s quite all right, deary. Your friend thanked me plenty. I see the dresses are a good fit.”
    “Yes, ma’am, they are.”
    “Well, I see you have added to your company. Who is the lovely teenager?”
    “I’m Danielle. Pleased to meet you, ma’am,” she said with a curtsey and a stunning smile. “You seem to already know my friends.”
    “Oh, yes. What fine young ladies they are. Say, my dear, would you happen to be going to the ball tonight?”
    “Well, yes, well…at least I was. I don’t have a dress to wear now, though.”
    “You don’t have one, you say? Well then, follow me, sweetheart.” She walked around to the back of the cart