I shut the door of my room and stand against it with my beating heart drumming in my ears.
"Cinderella!"
I twist my head to find Philip laying on my bed with the gold pendant beside him.
"I have been waiting for you for almost an hour now! Where have you been dawdling at? Wait why are you blushing?"
"You!!!!" I jump up at him and almost choke him out until finally, he wriggles out of my grasp.
"Easy there! I almost got found out by your mother's stupid cat, Lucifer. It wasn't easy sneaking out with your pendant with that cunning Lucifer at my back."
"Oh my, Almighty! He didn't hurt you did he?" I gasp.
"As you can see I am safe and sound." He replies, doing a courtesy bow. "But what happened to you? God! You look like you came back from a mud war!"
It was the first time I happen to pay myself a glance from top to bottom and Philip was right. My dress was muddied and torn from places.
Shaking my head I reach for the pendant and put it in my runaway bag safely before I delve into sharing the details of my encounter with Mister Rupert-The-Great from not a few minutes ago.
"Cinderella, I am telling you to think about it once again. It could be dangerous out there and there will be no Mister Rupert helping you up!" Philip bursts after I revealed the reason behind my messed-up attire.
I heave a sigh. "Philip… You know I can't back out. It's now or never. The main purpose to flee this house is to find the whereabouts of my father and I know he's not dead like everyone has assumed it! So what if he hasn't been back after he left for the land of dead five years ago?! He could still be out there, very much alive, stuck somewhere that we can't imagine. He definitely needs my help!"
"Think of it with a cool mind, alright?" Philip insists, holding the small part of my sleeve in his small hands. "From your encounter, I can tell that Rupert sounds like a nice guy. What if he doesn't keep you like a maid and agrees to help you to search for your father?"
"What if he doesn't agree and marries only to make me the maid of his house?" I raise an accusing brow at him.
Philip stayed quiet but he had left holding onto my sleeve.
"Besides I don't want to use him for my benefits. He might be the nicest guy on the earth but I have different plans for life." With an adamant nod of head I turn around and leave to change into my night robe.
~~~
"Oh, Jane! You look so beautiful, darling! I swear the prince wouldn't be able to remove his eyes from you once he catches your sight." My stepmother, lady Beatrice says, tugging a strand of hair behind Jane's head bun.
"You think so, mom?" A spark of hope brightens up in Jane's eyes and I roll my eyes, eager for the mother and daughter to leave the house already so I could step outside in fresh air, always and forever away from their witty shadows.
"Jane, just make sure to dance near around the crown prince. Don't blabber too much once he asks your hand for a dance." I comment on her winning favor.
"You are saying because you are just jealous, Cinderella!" She turns away with a sour face.
"I am sorry my dear but this time I would have to side with Cinderella." Beatrice nods in agreement and I held a proud smirk.
"Whatever mother. Let's go we are already getting late." Jane tugs her arms with her mother's and motions her forward, towards the door.
I almost throw a punch in the air with excitement when Beatrice suddenly turns back from the threshold and fixes me under her incredulous glare.
"Look after the house and don't try sneaking into my room behind my back though I have locked my room already." She warns.
Sorry, mother but I already got what I had wanted.
"It's a good thing you already refused with coming along. Not that the prince would have paid you a second glance but someone should stay back in the house to look after."
Who needs prince charming anyway. For all I care, he can kiss my arse!
"Now, we'll be heading out Cinderella."
With a thud they shut the main door and left for the ball, leaving me in triumph behind.
"Oooh! I just hate this selfish mother and daughter! Want me to ruin Jane's dress?" Philip says, popping out of my sleeve.
"No, I dearly want Jane to capture the crown prince's heart. Once they find me missing, I swear they won't even care to look for me."
~~~
"Are you sure we are doing this?!" Philip squeaks, his nose twitches as he sniffs.
"You think I would tell you a no after heading so far in the jungle?" I grunt as I clear the path from wild branches and twigs in between.
"We have still time to turn around and think this through!"
"I swear Philip, you have become a lazy rat while being with me. You need to work on your basic instincts and start hunting on your own! Now help me choose the right path!" I hiss at him and unwillingly, he crawls down from my shoulder and onto the ground to guide the path.
Suddenly we hear the howling of the wolf again and my feet stop walking. Philip with a loud squeak crawls back to my shoulder.
"I am telling you this wasn't a good idea. Let's turn around and head back home." Philip pulls a strand of my hair.
"That…. That sound isn't even coming from here. We are way too far." I try to lighten the brewing fear within us.
"You said to use my basic instincts so you should trust me and pull away from here."
"Oh come on. You are just not used to this kind of situation anymore." I proceed to move forward when one bush rustled then it stopped rustling and then another rustled and then another as if someone was moving from bush to bush.
I hold quivering Philip tightly in my one hand when suddenly a cat emerged from the bushes and rushed past us.
My demeanor relaxes and I look at Philip. "You can't just warn me against a cat, alright?"
"I am not too fond of cats alright. They can be deadly to me."
I chuckle at Philip and continue to walk when the ground beneath my feet started rumbling.
I grabbed the nearest tree trunk for support and looked at Philip who didn't look pleasing to what was happening.
"I am not kidding. We should definitely RUN this time." Philip emphasizes the word 'run'.
Before I could even move an inch, a huge hairy figure appeared in front of me from the same bushes. Baring his teeth and taking threatening steps closer.
"AHHHHHHHH! RUNNNNNN!"