Ashlynn, part 3
Melanie Ann Billings




“Ashlynn! Are you ready?

It is time to go!” Belinda’s merry little voice rang out the back door of the house.

“Ashlynn! The carriage will be here soon!” The back door slammed shut as Belinda came toward the little shack.

With a small, lace-covered hand, she knocked on the door. “Ashlynn!”

Ash sat on her little bed, staring at the door, watching it shake each time Belinda knocked. After a bit, Belinda gave up her assault on the door.

“Ashlynn, you had better come out. You don’t want to miss the Ball, do you? It will be such fun.” The little girl paused, as though waiting for a reply. When none came, she sighed and turned back toward the house.

“Belinda! The carriage is here!” Angella called from the back door. “Is Ashlynn coming?” Belinda shook her head at the screened back door.

“Well, come along then, Belinda. Maybe she will change her mind and come later,” Angela said brightly. And then towards the shack’s little door, Angella chirped out, “We will tell the carriage driver to come back, just in case you decide to come after all!” The outside door slammed as the two girls went back into the house. After a few moments, Ash heard the clippity-clop of hooves as the carriage left.

That was the last straw to the build-up of anger that had been collecting in Ash’s heart all day. She closed her eyes as a burning sensation overtook her inner being. The sensation intensified and grew until Ash let out a sharp gasp of pain. Suddenly, the anger was gone. Even with her eyes still closed, Ash knew she was no longer alone in the little shack. Opening her eyes only confirmed her suspicions. The demon was back.

“Yes, Mistress? You have need of me.” The demon cocked his head to the side and grinned; its beady black eyes sparkling with mischievous glee.

“I…uh…I…” Ash couldn’t figure out what she wanted to say. Something was niggling at the inside of her head, but she couldn’t tap into it at all. The presence of the demon inspired such fear in Ash that her anger and jealousy were nearly forgotten.

The demon squinted its eyes at her, and Ash felt a point of pressure expand and then contract somewhere in the middle of her head. Then, in a surprisingly gentle voice, the demon recounted her bitterness and jealousy. It laid bare the inner truths of her anger, reminding her of the cruelty with which, she believed, her new family treated her.

“Stop!” Ash could feel the burning rage begin to build up again, making the creature glow brighter and brighter, until her eyes began to ache from the heat and light. The creature fell silent and the lava-red glow surrounding it throbbed, matching Ash’s heart rate, beat for beat. Exhausted from the onslaught of rage, she sank to the dirty floor.

“Mistress, I can make the pain go away.”

Ash looked up as hope sprang in her heart. “How?” she whispered hoarsely.

“I can take them away. Your stepsisters would never bother you again.”

“Yes! Take them far away. Please!” Ash held her breath; this was just too good to be true. The sisters would be gone...forever. No more nice, sweet nausea from either of them, ever again.

“As you wish, my Mistress. However, there is a price that must be paid.” Here, the little red demon shuffled forward, toward Ash.

Instinctively, Ash backed up against her straw bed, folding her arms over her chest.

“I will give you anything you want. Just get them out of my life!” she hissed, glaring at the creature.

“The price is your soul. And don’t worry Mistress, you will never miss it.”

“Fine! Be done with them!” A new strength flooded Ash as she watched the little demon vanish into nothingness. The shack was once more cast into shadows. Feeling victorious, she gathered up all of her things, went into the house and up to her bedroom. After tonight, she would again be the cherished daughter, and no one would take her place.

All she had to do was wait.

~~~~

Meanwhile, the Ball was in full swing. Beautiful golden streamers hung from the rafters of the Town Hall.

Everywhere one looked, there was fun, excitement, and dancing. Angella and Belinda stood by the punch bowl, sipping from small crystal glasses.

“I can’t believe Ashlynn didn’t want to come with us tonight.” Angella sighed, looking around at all the colors and happy people dancing.

“We should have begged harder.” Belinda grumped. “It is not fun being here knowing that she is just sitting at home all alone.”

“Well, maybe we should go and fetch Ashlynn!” Angella set her glass on the table.

“What if she doesn’t want to come?” Belinda chewed on her bottom lip.

“Then we will keep her company. That is what sisters are for!” Angella seized Belinda’s hand, and together they marched out the door.

~~~~

“We should have found a carriage to take us back. My feet are killing me!” Belinda leaned against a tree to shake yet another rock from her shoe.

“Yes, and it is already beginning to get dark.” Angella frowned at the sun, which was rapidly setting.

“Um, Angella?” Belinda’s eyes locked onto something in the road ahead. “What is that?”

“Too far away to tell, but I think it is getting closer. My eyes must be tired; it almost looks like a ball of fire.” Angella rubbed her eyes and squinted toward the object.

Before either of them had a chance to say more, a red, glowing creature stood before them. The girls locked their hands together in fear. Angella gripped the cross pendant on the chain about her throat with her free hand. Belinda gripped her handbag, weighing its heaviness in her mind.

“Hello, girls,” the demon hissed. “I have been sent to do away with you. Your sister Ashlynn has given me her soul. In return, I must take you away…forever.”

“Stay back!” Angella shouted at the advancing creature. “Is there nothing we can do to save ourselves?”

With a wink and a grin, the demon offered them a counter-deal.

“For the small cost of your souls, I can reverse the deal and do away with Ashlynn.” The demon smiled at its own cleverness. After all, two souls were better than one.

Aghast at such an offer, the sisters drew closer together. There had to be some way to outsmart the demon and get Ashlynn’s soul back, without getting killed. Angella whispered something into Belinda’s ear. Belinda smiled.

The girls unlocked their hands and began to advance upon the demon.

The demon was confused. No one had ever attempted to attack it. The demon stepped back.

“Oh, such pretty fur!” Belinda exclaimed, stretching her fingers out to pet the creature.

“What a sweet little monster! Come here snookums, let me hold you!” Angella twittered, putting her arms around the demon.

“Such a nice little guy, so soft and cuddly. I could just kiss you!” Belinda stroked the demon and snuggled her face into its fur.

“SSSTTTOOOPPP!” the creature screeched. It pulled free of the girls and began to shake violently. “Do not touch me!”

“Aw, my sweet little schnoopsie needs a hug!” Angella darted toward the creature and caught it before it knew what was happening.

“I want to hug him, too!” Belinda ran to her sister’s side, and together they trapped the demon in a locked embrace.

“Oh, please…let me go! I will do anything you ask, just stop touching me!” The creature was beside himself; it could not handle such loving abuse. As the girls loosened their hold, the demon fell on its face and began to cry.

“Please…stop…let me go…!”

“We will let you go,” Angella nuzzled its misshapen ear, “but you must release the soul of our sister.”

“And,” Belinda ruffled her fingers through its red fur, “you must promise to never come back…ever.”

“Yes! Anything! I will do all that you ask…PLEASE LET ME GO!”

At its final shriek, the girls released the demon. Immediately, it vanished in a puff of red smoke.

The rest of the way home was a blur in the minds of Angella and Belinda. Intent on making sure that Ashlynn was all right, they did not stop to rest again. Once through the front gate, the girls raced out to the tiny coal shack. To their surprise, the door was open and the shack was empty.

“Oh, no!” Angella gasped. “We are too late! The demon did not keep its word!”

Belinda began to cry. “Wait!” Belinda sniffed, pointing up towards their bedroom window. “There is a light on up there…maybe…”

Angella didn’t wait for her sister to finish her sentence. She flew up the stairs, Belinda hot on her heels.

In answer to their unrelenting knocking, Ashlynn opened the door.

“Noooo!” Ashlynn screeched at the top of her lungs, before falling upon the floor in furious hysterics. The sisters scooped her up and took her downstairs. Gently, they set Ashlynn in a chair near the fireplace. Belinda sat on a chair beside her while Angella scurried to the kitchen to make a pot of tea.

Ashlynn was too overwhelmed with the grievous surprise of her stepsisters being alive to be able to say much of anything. Once the tea was ready, and Angella had seated herself beside Belinda, Ashlynn opened her mouth.

“You are not supposed to be here…” Ashlynn’s voice faltered. “The monster said you would be gone forever.”

She wiped at her cheeks as tears of disappointment began a freefall from her eyes.

“Ah, yes…the monster.” Angella looked at Belinda and they both began to giggle. Calmly, and gently, Angella recounted the meeting with the demon.

“And then it vanished in a puff of red smoke!” Belinda chimed in at the end.

“Now, Ashlynn, you must tell us how you happened upon this creature and why on earth you would send it to do away with us.” Angella placed her hand over Ashlynn’s and gave a gentle squeeze.

“I don’t know where to start…,” Ashlynn replied, scowling at the floor. Keeping her head down, she told them everything. There was no reason to hide anything anymore, not after the demon’s failure. All of her frustrations, fears, and anger came pouring out of her.

In a torrent of tears, and several teapots later, Ashlynn completed her list of grievances. It was then that Ashlynn realized the anger was gone. New emotions began to fill in the gaps that the anger had left behind. She began to feel weak and foolish. She felt embarrassed about all she had done. Ashlynn put her head in her hands and waited for the angry retorts that she just knew would be exploding from the other girls momentarily. Those retorts never came.

Angella and Belinda put their arms around Ashlynn and just sat there, holding her as she cried. Without any words, Ashlynn knew they forgave her. She didn't know what to do next. Being completely exhausted from constant crying, she did the only thing she could. She fell asleep.

While Ashlynn slept in front of the fireplace, the sisters sneaked out to the coal shack, found an axe and turned the shack into kindling wood.

When Ashlynn awoke, she was in her own bed and it was morning. The door to her room opened and Angella appeared, carrying a glass of juice. Belinda came right behind her, holding a muffin on a plate. Together, they approached Ashlynn and held out their offerings. Smiling, Ashlynn accepted their gifts.

“Thank you. I hope that you…,” Ashlynn began, trying to figure out how to say what she wanted so badly to say.

“Of course we forgive you!” Belinda burst out. Giggling, she grabbed Ashlynn in a hug that almost caused the juice to go flying.

Angella smiled broadly at her stepsister. “We have quite a tale to tell our parents, don’t we?”

Ashlynn felt her face pale slightly.

“Must we tell them?” Belinda blurted out. “I don’t think they would believe half of it!”

“Well, perhaps we should hold off…for now.” Angella winked.

“And now,” Ashlynn piped in, “let’s divide up this room! We have a lot of sharing to make up for.”


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