Screams pierced the air as she ran as fast as she could. Away, away, away, from that horrid place. That horrid place she had spent years and years being used and tortured. Years of pressure she had finally cracked under. She wasn’t even looking where she was going, she just needed to get away. She ran into the forest, into the darkness. She ran, and ran, and ran, for hours it felt like. Suddenly she ran into something very hard. She fell to the ground from the impact and looked around wildly for what she ran into.  
            “Miss, Miss, are you alright?” said an unfamiliar voice.  
            She looked up and saw an attractive man with deep brown hair and striking green eyes. She realized she had run into the horse he was sitting on. 
            “Do I look like I'm alright?” The girl looked at him with a grimace from the pain. 
            The man looked taken aback, he dismounted his horse and went to help her from the ground. She rejected his offer and started struggling to stand on her own. Now that her adrenaline had worn off, her legs were numb. Her vision had begun to clear and now she could see bits of ash floating in the air, she looked down and saw there was cinder all over her. Fitting. She looked at the man again and saw he was watching her with a concerned look on his face. They stood there in awkward silence for several seconds till the man started to speak. 
            “Are you alright Miss?” The man asked again. 
            “I’m fine... sorry” The girl muttered 
            “It’s quite all right, it looks like you’ve been through a lot tonight.” Said the man. 
            “That’s an understatement.” She murmured under her breath. 
            “What was that?” The man looked up at her. 
            “Oh,” said the girl, “I didn’t say anything” 
            “Would it be all right if I asked you your name?” The man asked politely. 
            “Oh, um my name?” stammered the girl, “Uh it’s Ella.” 
            “Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Ella, my name is Philip,” said Philip with a charming smile on his face. 
            “So, Miss Ella-” 
            “You can just call me Ella.” Ella interjected.  
            “Okay then, Ella, what are you doing out here in the woods this late all by yourself?” Philip said with a curious gaze. 
            “I’d rather not say if you don’t mind.” Ella said as she glanced up at him with nervous eyes. 
            “That’s all right, if you don’t mind my asking, do you need any assistance?” asked Philip with a kind smile 
            Ella certainly looked like she needed help, with her ripped and dirty dress, and her unruly hair; but Ella just wanted to be alone right now. 
            “No that’s quite all right, I think I’ll just make my way home.” she lied. 
            Philip didn’t look convinced. “Are you sure you’ll be, okay?” 
            “Yes, I'm sure. My parents will be worrying about me” Ella hoped he would leave soon. 
            “Okay, I’ll let you be on your way, I hope to see you again Ella.” Philip started walking over to his horse as Ella replied, 
            “As do I.” She had a small, pained smile on her lips 
            Philip mounted his horse and trotted away. Once he was out of sight Ella dropped the act and fell to the ground, sobbing. She eventually fell asleep on the forest floor and didn’t wake until the sun started rising above the trees. The forest looked beautiful this time of day, with the birds singing their pretty songs, the sun reflecting off the pond several feet away, the bright green hues of the trees, and the clear skies. Ella started walking, not knowing her destination. She started thinking about last night...  
            “I’m not your servant!” Ella screamed, holding back tears. 
            “Yes, you are, Cinderella,” Her hateful stepmother said as she pulled on Ella’s hair. “You will listen to me.” 
            Ella’s stepsisters Anastasia and Drizella watched with interested looks on their faces. Tears started streaming down Ella’s face.  
            “Why?” She croaked, “Why do you treat me like this? I always do what you say without complaint. What did I do to deserve this?” Ella looked at them defeatedly. 
            “Why?” Her stepmother looked at her like she was crazy, and maybe she was. “Why do any of us do anything in this world Cinderella?” 
            Ella suddenly snapped, all the pressure finally getting to her, “You want cinder? Here!”  
            She screamed as she took the logs from the burning fireplace and threw them at the house, as well as her stepmother and stepsisters. They looked around, frightened as the burning flames grew around them.  
             There was no way out.  
            Ella suddenly realized what she had done as they all started screaming in pain as the flames engulfed them. She quickly started making her way out of the house and just started running... 
            Ella tried to push these memories out, but she couldn't, she couldn’t stop thinking about what she did. These thoughts overcame her mind, and she couldn’t pull herself out of her own head.  
            Ella spent the next few days wandering around the forest. Still consumed with thoughts of what she had done, someone eventually found her from the nearby town, they brought her back and got her help, for she hadn't eaten in days. She didn’t acknowledge or talk to anyone, occasionally Philip would come into town, looking for her. He never found her. As for Ella, she spent the rest of her days living unhappily ever after. 
The End