CINDERFELLA

Part 3

Twists

The next morning, Justin awoke under the hazel tree at dawn. Despite the late night, he could not escape the sun. Besides, after the night under the stars, he was bitterly cold.

Justin stood up and faced the morning sun, stretching the kinks out. He snapped Brian's leather armband onto his left forearm and made sure the sleeve of his tunic went down over it, hiding it. But just having it on, filled Justin with a sense of purpose and power.

He went inside. The house was quiet, as he knew it would be. It was only about 6 AM or thereabouts. His stepfather and brothers had gotten in about the same time he did, which meant he had at least two or three hours to himself before they woke up and started to whine.

Justin went along to the bathroom quietly and filled the tub with blissfully hot water. He was still covered with that stubborn black ash that had named him the night before, and now added to that he was damp with dew and dirt as well. Well, no more. He barred the door (just in case), stripped and stepped in. Ahhhhhh! After the chill of the night, the warm bath felt amazing.

For a while he just soaked, soaped up his hair and watched the water get darker and darker until it was black instead of him. He soaped up and scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed everywhere until he was as white as a pearl. He washed his hair until it was as golden as Brian's eyes. He stood and got out. He looked and felt transformed.

He drained the tub, cleaned up, dressed. Snapped on the armband, hid it. Filled with that same sense of power he went downstairs and started breakfast. After so many years of doing the same thing, he really didn't know what else to do with himself in the morning. But this time the same thing was going to go a little...differently.

Justin started his favorite, scrambled eggs, toast and ham and coffee. He hummed as he worked. However, he braced himself as he put the ham and coffee on. The smell would soon bring...

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! And here they came. Papa Bear, Screechy Bear, and ShitBeard.

"Good morning," Justin said pleasantly, as he did every morning. As they came into the kitchen, he turned. He timed it perfectly.

They all gaped and gasped. "What happened to you??" someone asked. (Who cares which one, I mean, really, do you?)

"I washed. I figured it was about time, don't you? Oh, and it'll be happening on a regular basis from now on. The name's Justin. Jusss - tiinnn...Tayyy -loooorrr." He spoke slowly, as if he were talking to halfwits. "So the next one who calls me Cinderfella will be cooking their next meal, because I won't be. Got it?"

They were still gaping at him like halfwits.

"GOT IT!?" He slammed the egg frying pan down against the burner. It made a terrific noise.

They all jumped and nodded.

"Great! Who wants coffee?" Ethan and Craig opted for coffee. Michael opted for orange juice. Or rather...

"I want orange juice! Michael whined.

"Beg pardon?"

"I want orange juice!"

"Still didn't catch that."

Dammit Cinder - Justin! He said he wanted orange juice! Now get us orange juice!" Craig yelled.

Justin ignored him. "For breakfast this morning, I made ham and eggs. Eat up!" He put them on plates and served them, putting his own plate down first and sitting down.

"What about my orange juice?" Michael whined.

"I want pancakes," Ethan whined.

"Justin, you heard your brother. Make us pancakes." Craig said in his imperious tone.

Justin closed his eyes. He felt the leather armband and drew strength from it. He remembered Brian's commanding golden eyes. "Go home little boy..." As his relatives continued to whine and bark he slowly stood up and drew himself up to his full height. He opened his eyes and they blazed with commanding fury.

"SHUT...THE HELL...UP!" he yelled."

The three men were shocked into silence.

"All right, you dishrags! Apparently you are too STUPID to get the simplest of hints so I'm going to spell it out for you. There are going to be some new rules here. I don't even know what they all are yet! But here are the first two. ONE...Since I do all the cooking, you are going to eat what I make...or you can make what you want yourself. TWO...if you want me to get something for you, you are going say please and thank you! Or...you can get it yourself! I don't mind working for my keep but I am not your slave, DAMMIT! Now...Michael, are your legs broken?" He looked Michael straight in the eyes, hypnotizing him.

N-no," Michael answered.

Still looking at him as a snake might look at a mouse, Justin said, "Then why don't you get off your ASS and use them to get your own goddam juice!"

"OK, Justin...Sure thing, Justin!" Michael knocked over his chair in his haste to comply.

Slowly, Justin swung around to fix Ethan with that same hypnotic stare. "Today for breakfast, I made scrambled eggs and ham," he said, in a calm, soothing voice, "Take a sniff, Ethan. It's sooo good. The ham is soooo sweet. I worked hard cooking it."

Almost against his will, Ethan sniffed.

"If you still want pancakes, you are of course welcome to make them yourself."

"But I don't know how!" Ethan interjected.

"Then I suggest you eat my breakfast that I made just for you," Justin said in that same, eerie, calm voice, "Because if you don't, I'm going to shove it down your throat until you choke." He smiled.

Ethan didn't move.

"EAT IT!!!" Justin yelled, smacking the table with his palm. It made an even better noise than the frying pan.

Ethan jumped and started shoveling food in his mouth.

Justin turned and faced his stepfather across the table. "You got any more smart remarks?" he snarled.

Craig stared at his stepson with blazing hate in his eyes but slowly he started to fork in his own eggs.

Justin sat and picked up his fork. "I didn't think so," he said pleasantly. He began to eat.

BJBJBJBJBJ

Later, Justin was on his knees in the kitchen, scrubbing the floor when Ethan began screeching away on his violin. He took a deep breath. His eye twitched. He closed his eyes, feeling the sound ripping through him. Ethan had been playing that fiddle since he had arrived when both he and Justin were ten and had never improved.

The brush dropped into the bucket with a splash. A drawer opened and closed. Justin came into the living room.

Ethan stopped and stared. "What do you want? Hey...what is that? What are you doing?"

Justin slowly advanced on Ethan, a maniacal smile on his face.

He carried a hammer.

"Don't worry Ethan. This won't hurt me a bit!"

Slowly he came closer and closer. Ethan backed away in terror but he tripped over a footstool. "Daaaaaaddddd!!" he screamed.

Justin raised the hammer.

Craig came running in just as Justin grabbed the violin out of Ethan's hands. "Justin what the hell are you doing? Get back to work cleaning the floor!"

Justin put the violin on the floor and smashed it with the hammer several times as hard as he could. Strings snapped. The body was crumpled in. The handle snapped off. Justin threw the pieces into the fireplace.

"I'm going green...Dad," he spoke the title with scorn, "I'm cutting down on noise pollution."

He reached over and snatched the bow from Ethan's shocked hands. He snapped it and threw the pieces into the fireplace after the instrument. The fire consumed them utterly.

"News Flash!" he said to Ethan, "YOU CAN'T PLAY THE VIOLIN! I've listened to you try for almost 8 long years and you've never improved. You will give it up and give me peace while I...work..." he threw a venomous look at Craig. "Or the next thing I hammer...will not be made of wood." He tapped the hammer into his palm.

"How dare you! Just who do you think you are?" Craig yelled. Get back to work or get out!"

"I think I am your stepson. I think that this is MY house! I think that I have been treated with a little respect lately, and I like it! And I am not going back!"

Justin did not miss the flicker of fear in his stepfather's eyes before smugness, anger, and hate filled them with full force. "I am the head of this household here! This is MY house since I am next of kin to your mother and you will obey me! Now get back to work!"

"And I am my mother's kin! Did you ever, in the smallest way love her or me? Why do you hate me so? Why do you treat me so, when I'm all that's left of my mother?"

"Yes. And she's dead," said Ethan.

Justin threw away the hammer. Something smashed but he didn't see. He advanced on Ethan and punched him so hard in the face that he was knocked off his feet before landing on his back.

"Oh my Gob! I tink you boke my node!" Ethan screamed, his face gushing blood.

"That's it! I have no idea what caused this insubordination but it stops now. You can spend the rest of the day in your basement and since you seem to have such reservations with cooking, you can go all day and the night without food. But even that will not save you from a sound thrashing. Craig advanced and pulled a fist back. Instinctively, Justin flinched and covered his head. Craig threw a punch.

It never landed. A palm came out nowhere and caught the fist inches away from Justin's cheek.

"Leave him alone, Dad!" Michael said.

"Michael what the hell are you doing?" Craig said incredulously as Michael easily pushed his fist back and squeezed it painfully hard, forcing him to relax and drop it.

"I'm with Justin on this one. Leave him alone."

Justin looked at Michael strangely. What was he playing at?

"Justin's right. Ethan can't play the fiddle. I've wanted to do that for years but didn't dare for fear that you'd send ME down to the basement too. He's also right in the fact that we never ask or thank him for what he does around here. I'm sorry, Justin. Oh, and I can't sing! I know that now! And it feels great!"

"Michael, what the HELL has gotten into you?" Craig demanded.

"Love. Pure and simple. I met someone at the Leather Ball. A knight named Sir Ben. He's kind, brave, noble...and he even listened to me sing. He stopped me after 5 words and told me I stunk. And you know what? He's right! I never wanted to admit it before but I always knew it was coming out all wrong."

"Um, nobe still boken ober ere, Ethan said. Everybody ignored him.

"Ben has FADES," Michael continued, "It's in its early stages and he says the physicians tell him it's a very slow case. We'll have years before...before...he's...gone. But he will be one day so I don't want to hear anything more about his mother...Ethan! And no more physical abuse! This goes both ways, Justin. No more punching."

"Hey, this was a one time thing for me." Justin held up his hands. "I think you know that. Anyway, I'm game." He started back to the kitchen. "Oh...and congrats Mike."

"Just where do you think you're going?" Craig snarled.

"To clean the floor."

"Didn't you hear me? You're spending the day in the basement!" Craig moved forward, grabbing his wrist and twisted it painfully behind his back. Dammit! He never should have let go of that damn hammer! "I may not be allowed to thrash you as I'd like, but I can still ground your ass into the next century! Michael...since you have become such a...champion of justice...YOU can finish the floor and make lunch and dinner! I have to get Ethan to a surgeon before he bleeds all over my rugs."

"But I can't cook!" whined Michael.

"Figure it out!"

Craig hustled Justin over to the basement door. Justin wanted to struggle but he thought better of it as he knew Craig would snap his arm without a second thought.

"Damn you!" he snarled.

And then he was shoved through the door and down the stairs. He clutched at the banister to keep from falling. The door slammed. The lock clicked.

BJBJBJBJBJ

And so, Justin was relegated to Cinderfella prison once again. He trudged down into the windowless cellar and sat on his straw mat as far from the hated incinerator as he could. He was NOT going back to being Ash if he could help it.

He lay down and prepared to endure his imprisonment. He made as little movement as possible to conserve his energy and stave off hunger.

A few hours passed. It didn't really work. By lunch he was really quite hungry. His stomach made all sorts of interesting and painful noises.

At about 1:00PM the door clicked and opened cautiously. Michael crept down with a bundle. "Here," he whispered.

Justin opened it to discover 2 baloney sandwiches and an apple.

"It's all I could smuggle out without raising suspicion. If it makes you feel any better this is all they're getting too."

"Thanks Michael. This is really decent of you. But why? And if you were all changed by this Ben guy, why were you such a tool at breakfast?"

"Aww, I dunno. It was early, I guess and you know, old habits and all that.... Yeah, lame I know. I'm sorry. As for the food and stuff, well this punishment is a raw deal and you don't deserve it. Father's always been cruel to you but things seem to have escalated since you've gotten older and I don't know why. And as for Ethan...well, he never should have said that about your mother."

"Thank you, Michael." Justin was touched and almost felt, dare he say it, close to one of his stepbrothers for the first time in almost eight years. "How is Ethan, by the way?"

"He's fine. The surgeon rebroke his nose back to normal. There's still a little...bump that can't be gotten rid of but father's convinced him it adds "character". He snickered. So did Justin.

"Well, I'd better get back. I told them I was going to pick vegetables. I'll try to come with some dinner but I can't promise anything. We'll be getting ready for the Prom tonight and I don't know if they'll leave me alone at all."

"The Prom?"

"Yeah. That's what they're calling the formal tonight. I guess the Prince never got one before."

"OK. Thanks again Michael. As Michael climbed the stairs, he said again, "Really, thanks Mike. I won't forget this kindness."

Michael looked at him oddly, then nodded and darted up the stairs. The door closed and locked once again.

Slowly, Justin ate his meager lunch but it did little to quell his hunger. And what was he going to do later? It was a looong time till 5 or 6 and even then, Michael might not be able to come. Justin did not want to think about that. Justin tried not to think about anything but of course when that happens, all sorts of things crowd in. Brian. The Prom tonight. Brian. Debbie. Debbie! She said she was always watching!

"Hey Debbie! If you're there. Hey I know this isn't exactly my mother's tree but I can't get there right now. If I'm going to get to the Prom tonight, I think I need some help. I'm going to need something decent to eat and a way out of here. Can you do anything to help? Please?"

No sooner was the word out of his mouth, then there was a flash of white and a shower of gold flakes. And from out of this golden shower stepped a most unusual being.

It was a man with what looked like transparent butterfly wings. He was tall and thin with sandy hair and a round face. He had a charming gap in his front teeth that added character to his face. He wore lime green pants with ruffles and a matching shirt that poofed out in the sleeves. He wore huge shoes with high heels and a green beret. He fluttered his wings and flew a few feet off the floor.

"Hello sweety! How marvelous to meet you! Oh but we haven't met yet have we? I'm Emmett. I'm Debbie's assistant and she asked me to come."

"Uhh, hello...Emmett. Thank you. But why didn't Debbie just come herself? Oh, not that I'm not glad to see you too!" he amended, seeing Em's hurt expression, "It's just...I'm more used to her, that's all."

"Well, she such figured that due to the specialized nature of your request, I would be the best fairy for the job. Plus I REALLY need the practice. That's what I am, a fairy, you know!"

"You don't say," Justin said drily.

"I DO say! I'm Emmett, fairy party planner and caterer, extraordinaire!"

"You are! That's fantastic! I've just been..."

"Hon, I've been all over what you've been doing and that's why I'm here."

"Oh, right. Well, then I wish I had a great big..."

"Hold IT! Whoa! Just stop right there, Mister Man!" Emmett's voice went up an octave if that was possible.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I'm a fairy, not a genie. I don't do wishes. Besides you don't want a genie anyway. They're oversized, oversexed and over here. Hmmm, wait a minute on second thought, where can I get one of those? Oh wait, what am I saying?! They smell, and they're tricky. You'd need a consultation with Ferry Mason just to get through a wish without losing your head. You'd..."

"OK, Emmett, OK!" Justin said soothingly, "Calm down! So you don't do wishes. What do you do?"

"Hoooo!!!" Emmett hooted shrilly. He took off and flew back and forth a few times, fanning himself with his wings. Then he lowered himself down and sat on Justin's mat.

Hooo!!!" he hooted again, "Sometimes I get so worked up! You know how that is!"

"Uhhhh...sure! So if you don't do wishes, what can you do for me?" Justin asked again.

"Well, honey, I can give you one of these," Emmett said, making a gesture and pulling a blue and white checked cloth out of nowhere.

It was a folded up tablecloth.

"Gee.... thanks Em," said Justin doubtfully.

"Oh, you! Now don't go giving me that face. This is no ordinary tablecloth!"

It's not?"

"Hon?" He fluttered his wings. "Fairy, remember!? When have you ever gotten anything ordinary from a fairy?"

"Good point."

"Of course it is. Now, listen carefully. All you need to do is clap your hands twice and say ‘I'm hungry, give me something to eat,' and it will unfold and a marvelous spread will appear, anything you want at that moment. When you're done, clap your hands twice and say, ‘I'm done, lay all away,' and the tablecloth will clear and fold itself up again. And it's yours for as long as you live, my muffin. I have a feeling it will come in handy for you during your life."

"You may be right. I'm soon getting chucked out of doors."

"Maybe so, maybe not," Emmett said mysteriously.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, I can't say. Not allowed. I'm just a fairy, first class. I have all this knowledge, heaps and heaps of it, but I'm not allowed to interfere."

"What kind of knowledge?"

"Oh, this and that."

"Well, if I could know something that I don't," Justin said, "It would be why my stepfather is so angry and frightened with me. I've seen it in his eyes but I can't figure out why."

"Ohhh...Ohhhh...Ohhhh!!!!!" Emmett stretched his hand up way up high and waved it as if he were in school trying to get called on.

Justin looked around at the otherwise deserted room. "Yes...Emmett."

"I know why," Emmett said, but.... I can't tell you. I'm..."

"Not allowed to interfere," Justin finished along with him, "Right." His face was the picture of dejection.

"However...I AM a terrible gossip," said Emmett.

"You don't say," Justin said absently.

"I DO say! I just natter on and on and on and on and on...and the most...outrageous things...just slip out."

I see. Hmmmm...well, um, hmm. I don't really gossip much myself," Justin said. He could tell the fairy was bursting with news but he just wasn't sure how to get the ball rolling.

"Why don't you invite me to tea?" Emmett said suddenly, "I always do my BEST gossiping over a nice hot cup of tea."

Justin looked over the mounds of storage junk but otherwise empty basement. "Uhhhhhh...." He said stupidly.

"You know...tea." Emmett rolled his eyeballs pointedly and gestured not so subtly at the tablecloth.

"Ohh, right! Tea!" Justin was starting to get it. Besides that, he was dying to try that thing out anyway.

He clapped his hands twice and said, "I'm hungry, give me something to eat."

The tablecloth unfolded once, twice, three times, four times, and it was like a large picnic blanket on the floor. It was large and soft and although a great deal of food appeared there was still plenty of room to sit on it around the sides. A high tea appeared on the spread. There two teapots with steam rising out of the spouts. There were two place settings with small dishes and delicate teacups both made from delicate, white bone china. Each setting was equipped with one of those impossibly teeny spoons whose sole purpose in life was for stirring and a cloth serviette. There was butter and jampots and honeypots, and cream and sugar, and silver three tiered serving dishes laden with cakes, cookies, scones and bread. It all looked very lovely.

Justin commented on the fact and then said, "I hope this is not ALL it does. I'd hate to eat tea things for the rest of my life."

Emmett laughed his high, hooting laugh and answered, "Of COURSE not sweety! Remember, the tablecloth gives out anything you want at the moment. So just think of whatever you like and..." He clapped twice, "Activate!"

"Hey, you just told me that outright! Why can't you just tell me other things?"

"Darling! This is what I AM! This is what I DO! Caterer and party planner, remember. I can tell you anything you want to know about this cloth and food in general. It's just my other stores of knowledge...my vast, vast, stores...I'm not allowed to talk about. Fairies, first class are considered too immature to handle such responsibility. But in my opinion...well, let's just say, I've been first class for a long, long time. I'm hardly immature.

Justin gave him a look.

"Oh, you!" Emmett gave him a flapping wave and picked up a pot and poured from the nearest pot. "Oh goodie! Passion berry extreme, my favorite!"

"Justin poured out of the other one and was pleased to find Earl Grey.

"So!" Emmett gave a delicate sip from his cup, pinky up. "Have YOU heard any good gossip about?" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Uh, no, I'm afraid I haven't. I..." Justin started to get it. "Uh, have YOU heard anything lately?"

"Why YES! Yes, I have! Now, this is just a delicious rumour, you understand..."

Justin nodded.

""But I heard there's an up and coming, and might I say dashingly handsome young man named Justin Taylor who's about to come of age and when his does he's due to inherit a faaaabulous estate. His house, a condom business, (I wouldn't mind getting into bed with that kind of business)" He winked. "And all the money, cars etc."

Justin gaped. But..."

"I also heard," Emmett continued meaningfully, "That the knowledge of this has been preying on the mind of his father constantly. It fills him with constant fear that little Justin will find out and is driving him quite mad. Quite round the bend."

"You don't say," Justin said shrewdly.

"I DO say," Emmett answered, "Of course, this is all just a crazy rumor."

"Of course." Justin filled his plate with edibles and munched on a cookie. "I don't suppose you've heard anything on how I'm...I mean he...is supposed o prove all of this?"

"Of course! You see the way I heard it...there's a will his mother updated two weeks before she...uh...passed on. It's supposed to be right where she left it, at the bottom of her keepsake box."

"But why haven't I heard about this! My God, this changes EVERYTHING! I mean...I don't even know where that box is anymore! For all I know he got rid of it along with all of her other stuff!"

"Well, the way I-I-I-I hear it," Emmett now was idly examining his manicure, the gay way, palm outward, "His father, as next of kin had to witness the will so he knew all about it. But before he could get his mitts on it, she hid it and he couldn't find it. So he just kept it a secret from everyone including young Justin. The box indeed was moved but since he figured it was just full of useless keepsakes, some of which he figured would increase in value over time, he just hid it his wardrobe. Left side. Bottom of the bottom drawer. Of course, this is all just a rumor."

"Of course."

They both sipped tea and ate cake and cookies while Justin digested this new infor....uh...rumors.

"What about the condom factory? I found out there are an awful lot of ones with holes in them. How is that happening? And he isn't selling them, is he?

Ooooooo, I've heard an especially juicy piece of gossip about that! It's TERRIBLE!"

"Tell me...uh, I mean, what's the rumour?

Well, of course there's going to be holes in them, if there's a small little room in the factory, where a employee is being paid to stick a pin through every third or fourth one that comes off the assembly line, isn't there? And of course he's selling them. Or so I've heard."

"This IS terrible! He's got to be stopped!"

"Oh, Justin, it's just a rumour! You shouldn't listen to me. After all, I'm only a SILLY FAIRY, FIRST CLASS," he raised his voice meaningfully to...someone.

"But still, it should be..."

"It's causing FADES, you know. Or...so I've heard. That and having sex on Thursdays. What is it with humans and getting plowed on Thursdays? It's simply the most wretched of luck!"

"Emmett...do you know the cure of FADES? I mean...have you heard anything?"

"Oh, yes!" Emmett yawned. The cakes and scones were making him rather full and drowsy. "All sorts of crazy, crazy things. You probably wouldn't believe it." He lay down on his back and closed his eyes.

Try me."

He rolled onto his side and leaned in, lightning-quick. "Well...first you need to get rid of all those broken condoms. Nasty, nasty, things, they are! Then all you have to do is have a healthy person have protected sex with a FADES infected person every Wednesday and only every Wednesday, and on the night of the full moon for four full moons. Then the person will start coming back. And he'll be cured." Emmett took a sip of tea. "Uh, so I've heard."

"That is the single most ridiculous thing I've ever heard!"

"Well, I told you, you wouldn't believe me! But think about this. Isn't this whole disease pretty ridiculous in itself?"

Justin thought about it and had to agree. Horrible...but very, very ridiculous. And nothing else had worked.

"My God! I've got to get out of here and tell the Prince! Not to mention, I promised I'd see him at the Prom! Not that he'll know it's me, of course. Who would want a stupid Cinderfella? Besides, he doesn't do repeats." The words brought a fresh stab of pain.

"Oh honey, don't get yourself all down like that! I have a feeling he's going through a change of heart even now. That's not a rumor, just a hunch. But I think so." Emmett gave Justin a hug.

"Thanks Em."

"Hmmmm, we still need a way to get you out of here though. Hmmm...well, you know, whenever I get locked out of my place, I just use one of my credit cards." Emmett took a wallet out of his pants pockets. He rifled through it. "Ahhhh, like this one." He picked one out and showed it to Justin. It was a FOREVER...AFTER card.

"Of course, fairy credit cards are not to be trifled with. They can open any human lock in the world. Which makes them a great temptation for thieves. You're...not of that temperament...are you Justin?"

"Of course not!" Justin cried indignantly.

"No, of course not. You've got too much sunshine in that sweet soul, don't you honey?" Emmett ruffled his hair fondly.

"So, can you help me?"

"I'm afraid not. I can't actually give you this card. I'm forbidden to interfere."

"What??!!!" screamed Justin.

BANG!! BANG!! BANG!! "Hey, keep it down, down there! Go crazy on your own time!"

"Don't worry, you'll figure something out," Emmett said. He got up, turned and fluttered off. A golden shower appeared in the air. "Well, I should be going. You take care of yourself." Just before he reached the shower, he threw the credit card over his shoulder. "OOOOPS! I seem to have dropped my credit card and am unable to find it. I guess it's lost forever...after," he said in a horribly stilted voice. He winked. "Ahh well, it doesn't matter. It's maxed out anyway. I pity the fool who tries to actually charge it. Oh, yes, take it easy on the cloth over there. Be sure to say please and thank you once in a while or it'll tend to get...temperamental."

He paused, for a moment, listening to something...or someone. "Oh, Debbie says to save her a chocolate éclair. Hmmm.... she must have a sweet tooth....OWWWW! OK! OK! She's telling me to shut up and get my ass back, pronto! Gotta dash! Bye Sweety!"

And he flew into the golden shower and both it and he vanished away.