The Glass Slipper Page #5

I RAN AWAY FROM HOME ONE DAY.

I WAS GONE FOR SEVEN HOURS,

THE BEST SEVEN HOURS I EVER HAD.

I DISCOVERED:

THE COUNTRYSIDE THAT DAY--

ONE PLACE IN PARTICULAR.

I'LL TAKE YOU THERE.

STRANGE HOW MANY MEMORIES

ARE CROWDING BACK ON ME,

THINGS I HAVEN' THOUGHT ABOUT FOR YEARS.

YESTERDAY AFTERNOON,

WHEN WE WERE RIDING THROUGH THE TOWN,

I KEPT REMEMBERING SOMETHING

THAT HAPPENED YEARS AGO.

I'D BEEN HOME

FOR THE HOLIDAYS

AND WAS LEAVING:

TO RETURN TO SCHOOL.

MY CARRIAGE WAS HELD UP

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TOWN

BECAUSE SOMETHING WAS GOING

ON IN THE STREET AHEAD,

BLOCKING OUR PATH.

IT INVOLVED A CHILD...

A LITTLE GIRL OF ABOUT FIVE.

SHE WAS CRYING IN A SOR OF TRAGIC FRENZY.

SHE'D RUN OUT OF HER HOUSE

IN THE PATH OF THE CARRIAGE,

AND SOME TOWNSPEOPLE WERE

TRYING TO HOLD HER BACK.

I DON'T KNOW

WHAT IT WAS ALL ABOUT.

BUT ONE THING I'VE

REMEMBERED EVER SINCE

IN THE MOST MINUTE DETAIL...

SHE HAD GREAT, AGONIZED,

REBELLIOUS EYES...

FRINGED WITH DARK LASHES,

AND HER CHEEKS WERE WET WITH TEARS.

IT WAS THE MOST TRAGIC

FACE I EVER SAW.

NOT JUST SAD.

IT HAD THE AGONY

OF A GREEK TRAGEDY,

BEYOND HOPE OF COMFORTING.

I'VE NEVER KNOWN SORROW,

NOT REALLY.

BUT EVER SINCE THAT DAY,

I'VE FELT...

I'VE HAD SOME KNOWLEDGE

OF WHAT IT'S LIKE,

OF ALL THE HUMAN SOUL CAN

STAND OF:

PAIN AND MISERY.

AND EVER SINCE THAT DAY,

I FIND IT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE

TO RESIST A WEEPING WOMAN.

AND IF SHE HAPPENS

TO HAVE EYES LIKE THAT,

I'M LOST.

THIS IS THE PLACE

I WAS TELLING YOU ABOUT.

NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

THAT DAY I RAN AWAY

FROM HOME,

I STRIPPED TO THE BUFF

AND BATHED IN THIS POOL.

HOW COLD IS THE WATER?

VERY COLD.

IT'S FED BY MOUNTAIN STREAMS.

MM. I AM NO LONGER

EIGHT YEARS OLD.

YOU MAY FREEZE ALONE.

[RELAXED GRUNT]

HELLO.

WHAT IS IT?

A NIGHTMARE.

THIS IS MY PLACE.

THAT'S STRANGE.

IT USED TO BE PAR OF THE DUKE'S ESTATE.

NOBODY EVER COMES HERE.

WELL, THEY'RE FOOLS

IF THEY DON'T.

YOU DON'T BELONG HERE.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?

OVER THERE.

OVER THERE.

THERE IS NOTHING OVER THERE

BUT THE PALACE.

I COULD'VE TOLD YOU THAT.

WHAT OF IT?

WHAT OF IT?

YOU CAN'T LIVE

IN THE DUKE'S PALACE.

WHY NOT?

WE WORK THERE.

OH?

YES. I'M THE NEW

RIDING MASTER,

AND HE'S THE SON

OF THE COOK.

SON OF THE COOK?

THE SON OF THE COOK

AT THE PALACE OF THE DUKE.

HAVE YOU SEEN:

PRINCE CHARLES?

OF COURSE WE HAVE,

OFTEN.

WHAT COLOR IS HE?

MMM...I'D SAY WHITE,

WOULDN'T YOU?

MM-MM.

I MEAN HIS HAIR.

OH. OH, BLACK.

BLACK.

BLACK AS NIGHT.

YOU SEE?

NO.

NO, I DON'T QUITE SEE.

I TOLD THEM IT WAS BLACK.

HOW DID YOU KNOW?

MM, I JUST KNEW.

YOU'RE CLAIRVOYANT.

NO, I'M NOT.

IT'S JUST ASHES,

AND I DON'T CARE.

YOU CAN CALL ME CINDERELLA,

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