Happily Ever After

Prompt from "Aim to Engage", December, 2021: 'Cinderella didn't drop her slippers. Snow White didn't bite the apple. The mermaid didn't switch her tail for legs. Change the climax of the fairytale.'

Story word count = 495


Everyone jumped as a burly troll slammed down his massive sledge, since the gavel had long since broken.

"The nine-hundred-and-twelfth hearing of the Fairytale Truth Commission is now in session," Tinkerbelle announced in a small voice, fluttering tiny wings. Being far too small to be noticed in the cushy chair, she instead reclined atop the wooden desk. 

To her right below the dais sat Wilhelm Grimm, representing the brothers Grimm; Hans Christian Andersen; and Bob, a Disney executive. Wilhelm frowned in a most grim way while Hans snored with his head down on the table, as he had for every hearing. Bob busily scribbled in a notepad, no doubt jotting down another idea about how to monetize the commission proceedings.

"Call your witnesses, Mr. Big Bad Wolf," Tinkerbelle ordered.

Mr. Wolf took a moment to snarl at three pigs in the packed galley before announcing, "The Commission calls Cinderella, Snow White, and Ariel, the Little Mermaid." The three women took seats to Tinkerbelle's left. Ariel, carried in by the troll, curled her tail beneath her.

Mr. Wolf took a formal pose. "Ms. Cinderella, please tell the Commission the errors of your fictional portrayal."

"First off, the glass slippers were designer made, and I wouldn't leave one at the ball."

"The stories say, Ms. Cinderella, that you used them to entice the prince?"

Cinderella rolled her eyes. "As if. It was a fun glam party, but I don't need to be some entitled royal's arm candy to live happily ever after."

"And you, Ms. Snow White?" Mr. Wolf said with a paw to his chinny, chin chin.

"Well," she answered sweetly, "There was no way that poison apple trick would fool me, so I pretended to sleep to get that prince to kiss me." She curled her lip. "But the kiss was slobbery and he tried to slip in a tongue. No way!"

"You go, girl!" Ariel huffed while tugging at a bra strap. "And why do I have to wear a shell bra? Do you know how uncomfortable these are? One time, there was a hermit crab in one shell, and let me tell you something--"

Mr. Wolf cleared his throat. "Please address the main storyline, Ms. Ariel."

"Right. The part about getting legs? I saw through that sea hag's scheme from the start. There are enough issues under the sea, so why would I want to add human drama? And why would I want a prince that could be so easily swayed with a song?"

"So there was no 'happily ever after'?" the wolf asked.

Ariel grinned. "Sure there was. Our seaside Caribbean resort will open soon. Not so coincidently, we named it 'Happily Ever After'."

Mr. Wolf swung around to the men, baring sharp teeth. "Mr. Grimm, Mr. Anderson, and, umm, Bob, what have you to say?"

Wilhelm snorted, "Bah!" And Hans let out a snore.

"Oh, this is Disney gold..." Bob mumbled, writing furiously in his notebook. "Happily ever after, indeed."

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