Fiction: Ella

Blowing bubbles in milk always feels good Ella thought as she watched them fill her glass.

“Ella? Ella? Are you listening?” Sharon asked impatiently.

“Are you listening?”

“Yeah.”

Ella watched a bubble pop.

“You need to look at me when you listen, ” Sharon barked. When Ella didn’t look up, she jostled the table, causing the milk to slosh out of the glass.

Ella looked up, startled.

“What?”

“Ella, I was explaining that your father and I will be taking a trip next week for our anniversary.”

Ella perked up. Maybe she would get to go this time, too!

“Yes. We’re going to take a cruise. While we are gone, you will be staying with your godmother. It will only be two weeks and then we’ll be back.”

Ella’s face fell. Sharon smiled, gratified. It pleased her to no end to hurt this child, the one her husband doted upon. The child more beautiful and talented than her own daughters.

Ella resumed blowing bubbled in her milk.

“It will only be two weeks. Maybe a little longer if we stop at Disney.”

Pop. That’s for Disney.

“Oh, you wouldn’t want to be at Disney right now anyway. The parks are practically deserted, so there’s almost no waiting for rides.”

Pop. That’s for no lines.

“We might pick up my girls on the way, just because they’ll be staying close to the park with my sister.”

Pop. Pop. That’s for Drusilla and Grizella.

“It’s really for the best, Ella. My girls are just easier to travel with. They just don’t need as much supervision because they’re more responsible than you.”

Pop. That’s for lying.

“Ella, you must look me in the eye when I am talking.”

Ella raised her eyes, but did not stop blowing bubbles.

“Ella, I simply detest it when you blow milk bubbles. Stop it right now.”

Pop. That’s for being mean.

“Ella!”

Pop. That’s for marrying my dad.

“ELLA!”

Pop. That’s for the rest of my life.

Ella swiped the glass off the table. It clattered to the floor, the milk running in rivulets toward the kitchen hearth.

Sharon gasped, then narrowed her eyes cruelly as she leaned in close to Ella’s face.

“You are old enough to know that you do not throw glasses on the ground.” She grasped Ella roughly by the shoulders and shook her hard. Ella whimpered.

“You will not cry, do you understand me? You will not cry and you will not tell your father about this conversation. When he asks, you will tell him that you are choosing to stay with your godmother and that you did not want to go to Disney. You will do this because you love him and you do not want anything bad to happen to him.”

Ella bit her lip and nodded.

“I said, do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand,” Ella whispered, swallowing her tears.

“Good. Clean that milk up and never let me catch you blowing bubbles in your milk.”

Ella took the dish rag from the sink, knelt and began sopping up the milk.

“Yes, Stepmother.”

Although I’m not normally a two-posts-a-day kind of gal, I just really, really felt like writing. So there ya go. This week, there’s a prize awarded for the top vote-getter at The Speakeasy, so stop by there on Thursday to vote for your favorites! Maybe even for Ella…

24 Comments

Samantha Brinn Merel January 16, 2013

Ugh, what a meanie. This reminds me of the movie A Cinderella Story with Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, the modern incarnation of Cinderella. I love that movie so much, and still watch it every time it shows up on ABC Family.
Samantha Brinn Merel recently posted..Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Reply
- IASoupMama January 16, 2013
  
  Oh, good — I’m glad that was clear. I was in a strange place and didn’t even make the connection until halfway through the entry, LOL!
  
  Reply
Steph January 16, 2013

The Wicked Stepmother – loud and clear. I liked the end where the stepmother more or less threatened Ella’s dad with physical harm if Ella tells him about the conversation. You know the kid will be too scared for him to mention it. Nice job.

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Yeah, she’s a nasty one.
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
Stacie @ Snaps and Bits January 16, 2013

Really? You didn’t start off with the Cinderella premise? Ella? Evil Stepmom? That’s so funny b/c it’s the first thing I thought of. This is horrible (good writing but horrible to read!). I want to beat her stepmom up. Oh, and I had rivulets of milk in my post too, ha!
Stacie @ Snaps and Bits recently posted..Growing Jeans

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  No, when I started, it was just an argument between a mother and daughter (who was named Ella) until I came up with the not included on the vacation thing, then I changed it to stepmother and the Cinderella thing came out.
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
Bee January 16, 2013

I’m currently reading Ralph Manheim’s translation of Grimm’s Tales. What is about stepmothers, and I wonder why they were always portrayed as evil? I thought of Cinderella, too.

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  I don’t know. Most stepmothers I know are nowhere near evil.
  
  Reply
Jack January 16, 2013

Very nicely done- I liked the way Ella popped each bubble–it was a nice touch.
Jack recently posted..The Many Layers of Hell

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Thank you. What good are bubbles in a story if you can’t pop them?
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
Kristin January 16, 2013

This is fantastic. Why do we always insist people look at us when we talk to them? I do it to my girls all of the time. I also really liked the way each bubble pop was a silent fist at Sharon.
Kristin recently posted..Groovy Grace

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Yeah, the bubbles popping were her version of flipping the bird at Mrs. Nasty.
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
Suzanne January 16, 2013

Love the fairytale theme here! I was really rooting for Ella to throw her milk in Sharon’s face. Great writing and great character development in such a short piece. Well done!
Suzanne recently posted..Butterflies

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Thank you! I wanted to play with dialogue as a character maker. Glad it worked!
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
christie January 16, 2013

With everything on your plate and you produce this? amazing. I love what you did with the prompts. Well done.

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Thank you. And one’s plate can never be too full for writing, can it?
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
nell January 16, 2013

Cinderella with a twist! LOVED the story. It could be the first in a series, featuring Ella, and the stepmom. Should you decide to develop it, please let me know!

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  I’ll think about it — could be fun to revisit!
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
christina January 17, 2013

i totally got a Mommy Dearest vibe from this. ::chills::
christina recently posted..Bubbles, Hot Wheels & Hard-ons { -FICTION- }

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Yes, she’s definitely a Mrs. Grinch.
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
Sandra Crook January 17, 2013

Wow! A lot of tension and conflict here, beautifully expressed.
Sandra Crook recently posted..Reaching Out For You, (Friday Fictioneers January 2013)

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Thank you!
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply
Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom January 17, 2013

So well done!
Mod Mom Beyond IndieDom recently posted..10 Things Youz Gotta Do If Youz Wanna Be a Real Jersey Diner Waitress

Reply
- IASoupMama January 23, 2013
  
  Thank you!
  IASoupMama recently posted..The Assassin
  
  Reply

24 Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Order Take-Out Soup

Check the Menu (Search Soup)

Daily Specials (Recent Posts)

Ingredients (Categories)

Leftover Soup (Archives)

Souper Sutff