Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Just Another Fairy Tale ❯ Just Another Fairy Tale ( One-Shot )

Just Another Fairy Tale

It was a dark and stormy night…

I have always wanted to start a story that way. The suspense, the drama, the pure electricity of it all…unfortunately my story takes place in broad daylight. It is quite sad that such a wonderful story should unfold in such a boring situation, yet daylight it was. Yes, night would have been more exciting; maybe it would have made my story more believable. But eerie things can happen in the light, the innocent light with its deception of safety.

The very unfamiliarity of the area was strange. I had walked the same path from school to home thousands of times before, but today I found myself utterly lost. Gone was the familiar dirt and bramble track. In its place now lay a road made of the blackest stone. Even in the bright sunshine the stones were dark.

I did not remember making any wrong turns. So in this rather distressing situation, I did what any self-respecting girl my age would do. I let out a wail guaranteed to attract the concerns of whoever should choose to be passing by at that particular moment. Of course there was no one there, but in every fairytale I read, some sort of magical creature would come to console the fair maiden.

“If you would be so kind as to stop that racket, I would be grateful. I can hardly think in all this noise.” Right on cue, the huge, fire-breathing dragon appeared behind me. It was your typical dragon, with green scales and huge claws. “What seems to be the problem?”

“I'm lost,” I replied bravely, as all heroines do. “I have no idea where to go.”

“Is that all? Well this is Dark Lane. It runs between Anywhere and Nowhere-At-All. Back there,” he said, pointing behind him, “is where you should be coming from and ahead is where you want to be going. It really doesn't matter either way: the plot says I must eat you for dinner. Now hold still; moving food gives me indigestion.” I knew all about what the plot says, I mean, who doesn't?

“Aren't we supposed to wait for the prince?” The hungry dragon heaved a huge, fire-laced sigh,

“I suppose it's only proper. Come along then.” And the two of us set off to his lair.

I have a pretty good idea what is going through your mind. The truth is, the exact thought was in my mind. I truly believed I had gone completely insane. There I was in my tee-shirt, jeans and tennis shoes quite happily sitting across from a fire-breathing dragon and drinking tea. He made for quite pleasant conversation actually. We talked for what seemed like hours. I told him my name was Catherine and he responded in kind with, “I'm Joe.” I learned that Joe's wife had recently moved out on him, taking their two chicks and egg with her. It was quite disconcerting the way he tended to blow smoke when he was upset.

The blazing fire in the fireplace helped bring cheer to the little cavern, little being relative of course. Despite the slightly musty smell, it would have been a lovely hide and seek spot.

Just as Joe was settling down to tell me of his tortured chick-hood days, the door exploded in a barrage of bullets.

“Just like a prince to barge in without knocking, “Joe muttered. “The `prince' was shining, I'll give him that, but that was where the `princliness' stopped. He was dressed in full leather, machine gun hoisted on his hip. While he brashly proclaimed his intent to rescue I noticed the clock stricking six. In a panic I remembered how furious my mother was going to be with me. I was supposed to have been home three hours earlier. I knew how long the fight would take, and I knew I couldn't wait that long. So I did what any self-respecting girl would do. I said a prayer for forgiveness to the Brother's Grimm, and I hit my bounty hunter -turned -prince over the greasy head with a conveniently located frying pan. He was out by the second strike.

Joe was rather dismayed by the adjustment I made to the socially accepted plot. In a sort of daze he promised not to eat the unconscious prince and to go apologize to Mrs. Dragon for accidentally incinerating her mother.

Then I set out along the Dark Lane in the direction of my reality.

As I sit here in my dark, padded cell, I swear every word is true.