My heart leaped to my mouth at the sudden voice of the intruder and I turn around with my hand placed against my chest.
"You twat!" A sudden gush of relief washes over me as I find Philip sitting against the window sill.
I take a few quick steps and was standing above that small figure of a creature. "I swear you just scared the soul out of me! You bloody blaggard!" I say, picking up Philip in the air by his tail as he squeaks in protests.
Let me make this clear to you guys that Philip whose also my best friend… is a mouse.
To the people around me, he might sound like squeaking but to me, I can actually hear him speak.
Yes! Bloody yes!
I have this weird ability to converse with animals. I can hear them talk and they also respond to me. I can't remember for how long I have this ability but my stepsister, Jane still calls me crazy since I was always talking to animals as a kid.
Now that I am sixteen, I have realized that it's best to keep this ability a secret from my family. It's not like they'd believe me anyway but if my stepmother gets a wind of it being true in some way, she'll most likely sell me off to a witchcraft lady, if there's any in the town for some pennies to benefit from.
"Cinderella you've quite developed your list of insult words, I am sure if your mother hears you right now then your derriere would be hollow by the morning."
"Oh yes?!" I focus my eyes infinitesimally on him. "And whose fault is that? Do I sneak around drunkards to steal a piece of cheese?"
"Alright! Alright! I am sorry! Just put me down, my head is spinning!" Philip squeaks an apology as I held him upside-down in the air.
With a satisfied smile, I place him back to the window sill and he slightly staggers before standing up again on his last two feet.
"If you are done playing around, then help me fetch a thing from my mother's room."
Philip mock salutes and stiffens like a soldier under command. "What I may fetch for you, Miss Cinderella?"
"I want you to find the gold pendant with a 'C' engraved on it and bring it to me by tonight. She might be keeping in her locker."
"The one your father gave you before he departed on his last journey and never returned home?"
I nod my head fervently and Philip's hand falls limp from salute and down at his side.
"Does this mean… You are actually going to run away from home?"
"Yes, it will be my last night sleeping in this room today."
"What!" Philip squeaks loudly. "You will be missing out on the ball night?!" I roll my eyes at my best friend's words. He does know me better than anyone yet he questions my motives. "You should go to the grand ball, who knows if the prince might choose you as his betrothed?"
"All the more reason for me to not attend the ball." I deadpan, crossing my arms against my chest.
"Think of it objectively, what if you become the princess? There is your official chance of escaping this home. No more nagging stepmother and no more manipulative step-sister behind your back. You will live in luxury, countless maids by your side to do your chores, and a handsome husband to stare at a whole day long… And I will also have a chance to have lots of French cheese. So think about it with a cool mind. Okay?" Philip explains with the use of his small, grey, and hairy hands.
I heave a sigh and shake my head. "Firstly, I don't want to become a slave again after seeking freedom from this household at least I am allowed to go outside but in the castle, I'll just become a prisoner trapped in luxury. Secondly, there are flat chances to almost none that the prince would choose me over the beauties of the country since I have an average face, unlike Jane. Thirdly… Are you just saying this because of your cheesy appetite?" I pinch Philip's ear and be winces in pain.
"Okay, you got me! You'll have the pendant before midnight!"
"Good then. I'll look forward to it." I let go of his ear with a lopsided grin and he runs away while rubbing his ear that I pinched a while ago.
~~~
'Dong! Dong! Dong!'
The clock strikes twelve. I remove the covers and get up from the bed, waiting patiently for Philip to arrive back in my room. Although he promised to be back before midnight with the pendant and it's half-past twelve but he isn't still here.
I slightly open the door and peek at my mother's door. The lights seem to be turned off. She was sleeping which was quite the right time for Philip to have stolen back the gold pendant that rightly belonged to me but had been snatched away, cruelly. But what was taking him so long?
I shut the door again and head over to my window to spot the whereabouts of that grey squeaky mouse but to my disappointment, I couldn't.
Philip wasn't the one to be late or go back from his pocket. He really must be stuck in a situation and I should better go find and help him.
Suddenly I saw a shadow moving from behind the bushes and into the woods with a rustle.
"Philip? Is that you?" I call but hear no response in return.
Giving up on the idea of waiting, I jump down from my window and land on the grassy ground to the backside of my house, leading to the woods.
I stop by the bush where I just heard the sound of rustling coming from. "Philip? Are you here?" I call, lowering my voice and searching the bush but there was no sign of him.
What if a snake was chasing him?
There is a possibility of snakes coming to the backside garden since the woods were near and it has happened before.
Is Philip devoured by a snake?
The thought made me tremble and I shook my head. I decided to head into the woods and search until I find him.
"Philip?! Where are you?!" I call for him as I head deep into the woods.
The sound of crunching beneath my feet follows as I head deeper and deeper. The darkness prevailed around and I smacked myself in the head for not bringing a candle with me before coming here.
There was a constant annoying feeling nagging at the back of my head to run away but I choose to head straight between the heavy tree trunk.
What could possibly go wrong in this empty jungle? Heh!
"SWEET MOTHER OF FREAKING JOE!"