With each breath, my lungs tightened as if the air itself was poison. I coughed and gagged, but still Philip did not stir. Finally, I lay beside him at his easel, taking a moment to gather some strength. The hand that held the scissors ached and so did my heart at the thought of what I had to do to survive. I used the rest of my might to pull myself up, leaning on my left hand, and brought the weapon behind my head with my right.
When I shifted my view, the painting came into focus. It was complete, save for the sun. Philip dipped his brush into the yellow and orange mixture, and I examined The Little Mermaid, letting the scissors fall behind me as I marveled at her beauty. She was alive. This painting was Philip’s dream, his life’s work… his masterpiece.
Easing the brush away from the bright sun, Philip whispered, “Finished,” as I fell into soft darkness…
“…and then mounted with the other children of the air to a rosy cloud that floated through the aether.”
The End
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Supernatural Fairy Tales: Short Story Anthology
Copyright © 2011 by Dorlana Vann. All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced, electronically or in print.
Cover image: copyright © 2011 by Perry Heideman & Liz Shipe All rights reserved. Reconstructing Grimm
A Pixie Punk Press eBook
Houston, TX
www.dorlanavann.com
Dedication, Acknowledgements, and Bibliography
To my mom, Doris Roberts
I would like to thank the following people for critiques, cover art, and/or encouragement: Chrissa Sandlin, Theresa Laws, Liz Ship, Perry Heideman, Don Vann, Doria Vann, Darah Vann, Dean Vann, Johanna Bustamento, Humble Fiction Café, and all the readers of my blog, www.SupernaturalFairyTales.net.
References:
Madame D'Aulnoy. Prince Ariel from The Fairy Tales of Madame D'Aulnoy. France: 1697.
Grimm, Jakob Ludwig Karl and Grimm, Wilhelm Karl (Brothers Grimm). Jorinda and Joringel & Rumpelstilzchen from Children's and Household Tales. Germany: 1812.
Andersen, Hans Christian. Thumbelina from Fairy Tales Told for Children (The second booklet). Denmark: 1835.
Andersen, Hans Christian. The Emperor’s New Clothes & The Little Mermaid from Fairy Tales Told for Children (The third booklet). Denmark:1837.
Dickens, Charles. A Christmas Carol. United Kingdom: 1843 .
Carroll, Lewis. Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland. United Kingdom: 1865.
About the Author
The inspirations for Dorlana books and short stories are classic fairy tales, the supernatural, the roaring 20s, and ancient Egypt. All of her eBooks are .99 cents!
Young Adult Supernatural Fairy Tales by Dorlana Vann
Silverweed: a supernatural fairy tale: a Little Red Riding Hood inspired YA werewolf novel.
The Princes of Tangleforest: Inspired by the classic fairy tale Rapunzel and sprinkled with the question: What if the school’s misfits discovered a way to use mind control in order to become the popular group?
Supernatural Mysteries by Dorlana Vann
Jaclyn's Ghost: Ghost, Mystery, and Fashion. Can this diva solve her own murder, or will she be stuck in limbo forever?
Passage to Mesentia: The assassination of her archeologist parents thrusts Lillian Steward from her comfortable life into a dangerous quest for an ancient Egyptian artifact.
Visit Dorlana’s website: http://www.dorlanavann.com for more information.
About the Cover
A big THANK YOU to the creative team of Liz Shipe & Perry Heideman of Reconstructing Grimm for the cover image. Art director, Liz Shipe, and photographer, Perry Heideman, along with many volunteers, recreate fairy tale scenes in urban settings. They do amazing work and have produced scenes from Snow White, Peter Pan, Little Red Riding Hood, Wizard of Oz, and more.
What Are Supernatural Fairy Tales?
When I first started my blog Supernatural Fairy Tales , about 5 years ago, I used it as a means of inspiration. I challenged myself at the beginning of the month by having to pick a classic fairy tale and a supernatural element, and I had until the end of the month to write a short story (sometimes a poem) and then post it to the blog. (Except for His Soul Inspiration which was written for and published in Enchanted Conversation.) My basic formula: fairy tale + paranormal element = supernatural fairy tale.
Recently, I’ve changed directions and have been more focused on novels, so I pulled these short stories from the blog and organized them. I realized that over the years I had written 23 short stories. I’m happy with most of them, but then there were a few that went into the “outdated” or “yikes” pile. What was left easily fell into two categories: light and dark. And from those two groups, I realized most of my favorites were in the darker pile.
I ended up with 9 stories that I’ve included in this anthology, Supernatural Fairy Tales. These short stories are not retellings of the original tales but were inspired by them. They are paranormal themed stories about vampires, ghosts, mermaids, witches, and more, in genres ranging from romance to thriller. And fair warning: they don’t always have a happy ending.
Below are all the titles with the story inspirations and the reason I picked them for the anthology.
If You Feed a Wolf – Inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This is one of my favorites because it was experimental. I just let myself be free to write without a real plan. As far as what I took from the original story: it reminded me of how I feel in dreams - so some of the things that happen in this story are taken from my actual dream journal.
The Vampire’s New Suit – Inspired by The Emperor’s New Clothes. I just like this one because it's fun.
Blueberry Eyes – One of my very first supernatural fairy tales. I'm not going to say which fairy tale this one was inspired by because it would give away the ending.
The Gift – Inspired by The Ghost of Christmas Past from "A Christmas Carol." This one was one of my favorites because I wrote the entire story backwards - line by line - It was my daughter's idea to write it that way because I was stuck. I also like it because it is my first and only western - and it has a touch of steampunk and ghosts.
If it weren’t for Bad Luck – Inspired by Rumpelstilzchen. You see, I have this theory about luck...
Muse – (Also published in The Inferno under the title What You Know.) Inspired by Prince Ariel from, "The Fairy Tales of Madame D'Aulnoy." I had to do a lot of research on birds for this one. One of my darker pieces.
His Soul Inspiration – (Originally published in Enchanted Conversation ) Inspired by The Little Mermaid, this is my last supernatural fairy tale short... to date.
Quiet on the Nightingale – (Also published in AllRomance eBooks Newsletter) Inspired by Jorinda and Joringel. A little sexy but mostly fun.
Forbidden Beach – (Also published in Silverthorn Press) Inspired by Thumbelina, this short story is probably the truest to the fantasy genre of my stories and also the creepiest.
A four chapter Excerpt from Dorlana’s newest YA Supernatural Fairy Tale:
The Princes of Tangleforest
(Rapunzel + Mind Control = The Princes of Tangleforest)
Chapter 1
Although the girly-girl-filled lunch table buzzed with excitement over the cute new guy with the mess of blond waves, Julia Webster tried to ignore him. Even if she hadn’t watched Tanner Dobbs ride up on his skateboard this morning, she would’ve guessed he was a skater—graphic tee, baggy shorts, Vans. Plus, it was easy to conclude, after watching him walk into third period with a confident stride and nonchalant attitude, he believed he was cool. And the one thing she knew for sure: his type never liked her type.
One of the girls at her table said, “He’s coming this w
ay.”
Julia wasn’t surprised that, out of the entire cafeteria, he migrated toward her table. Tanner had been through half of his first day, so he must have noticed the strangeness of Tangleforest Senior High. She figured the colorfulness of the students at her table gave him a sense of adolescent normality when nothing else in the school even came close to the norm.
After a loud group-gasp from the girls at her table, her head automatically jolted up and found the source. The Princes stood between Tanner and the safety of their table. Didn’t take them long, she thought.
No matter how much the Princes had changed the other students, they remained the same. First in command was Zachary Davis: Julia’s ex and the son of Dr. Davis, Tangleforest’s own celebrity psychiatrist. Zachary was wealthy, tall, slender, and his nerd roots ran deep: smart, sci-fi loving, black glasses, and a goofiness that couldn’t be suppressed, no matter how popular he became. And the only reason he no longer sported a cowlick was because before they had broken up, Julia had convinced him to let her cut his hair super short.
Next to Zachary sat Julia’s former best friend, Darla. Darla wore her hair in pigtails, which bugged Julia to no end. Pigtails! She was shorter than Julia, skinny-skinny, and was now the most pursued girl in school. However, Darla only had pitiful eyes for Zachary.
And then there were the Pittman twins: Scrawny Johnny—red straggly hair, and Big Sean—brown flat top. Up to that year, they had spent their school career being shoved into lockers and underwearless, just in case of a wedgy attack.
Julia watched as Zachary tried to touch the new guy’s arm, but he jerked away, giving Zachary a, “What the hell?” glare. Probably either sensing something off, or more likely, he had a predetermined opinion of nerds and didn’t want to be associated with them on his first day.
Julia took a bite of her salad and felt Tanner’s arm brush against hers as he sat down right beside her. The entire table went on immediate ignore; a rule they had all accepted in order to keep from being too disappointed. They knew, sooner or later, the Princes would have their “little talk” with Tanner, and he would then look down his nose at them, like they were at the bottom of the food chain. As Julia imagined the outcome, Tanner didn’t turn out like one of the nerd Princes at all. Instead, as she thought about him walking into the lunchroom in slow motion, he actually looked pretty hot, dressed in a black suit with his hair slicked back, dark shades and a cool swagger.
“Why do you have that goofy look on your face?” Julia’s new “best friend” Ashley asked. Ashley, the girl whose face had the word “bitch” printed across it in all of Julia’s yearbooks.
“Oh,” she said. “Nothing. Just thinking about my next hair design.”
“Hair, hair… hair. I’ve never seen anybody so obsessed with hair. I mean... I am, but that’s different. I’m obsessed because mine is so fabulous. You actually want to touch other people’s gross, nasty hair.”
“Um… Ashley, you’re in cosmetology classes, too.”
“Yeah.” She rolled her eyes in disgust. “But I’m not actually going to get a J.O.B. cutting hair.”
“I’ll bite. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to college.”
“All right. And major in…?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll be getting my M.R.S., and then my attorney husband can do all the working, and I’ll do all the shopping.”
“Maybe I should send you over to the Princes’ table.”
Ashley flipped her hair. “I don’t see why my career goals have to be like everyone else’s.”
Julia never considered being a wife as a career, but she knew she wouldn’t want Ashley doing her taxes or her therapy. “Touché.” Julia sighed.
“Too what?” Ashley asked.
“Never mind.” Julia shook her head. “All right. The only problem I see with your plan is that you have to make the grades to get into college and then law school. Right now, you might qualify for community college.”
“Whatever,” Ashley said, “because right now I would settle for any place where those so-called Princes won’t be. Once I get out of Nerdville, I’ll be popular again.” She smiled and gleamed up at the ceiling. “The girls will resume their places as my shadows, and all the boys will want to date me again because I’m me and not because…” She glanced at the new guy and then back to Julia. “Well… you know why. I still can’t believe any of this has happened. You don’t understand. You’re used to not getting any attention. It’s so bizarre-o not having boys…” She turned her attention fully on the guy sitting next to Julia. “Hi.” She smiled showing her orthodontist’s daughter’s teeth. “What’s your name? Where did you move from?”
“Ashley!”
“What, Julia? Sorry, but come on… he’s dreamy.”
“Tanner Dobbs,” he answered. “I’m from Dallas.”
“City boy… I like that.”
The fact that Ashley had broken the table silence rule didn’t surprise or really bother Julia because the idea of being able to talk to someone about something other than clothes and boy bands was appealing. However, what did bother her was the fact that Tanner had probably already come to the false conclusion that she was cool. And even if, by some miracle, the Princes decided to leave him alone, she knew Tanner would soon discover that her make-up and black clothes hid more nerd than ninety percent of the school population, and that would be the end of that. Besides, she didn’t need the aggravation or another rejection. Therefore, the best thing for her to do was to not even try.
Chapter 2
Tanner had attended a lot of different schools; they all had one thing in common—clearly defined groups in the lunchroom. Not this school. The girl sitting next to him dressed punkish, and another girl at the table looked Goth, and there were the cheerleaders. Ashley, the girl who had asked him the questions, reminded him of the chicks at his other schools who had been part of the so-called “popular crowds.” Also strange, it seemed as though all the students, except for this one table, had a similar appearance and attitude: studious.
“This school’s a real trip,” Tanner said.
The girl sitting beside him scoffed. Her purple hair stood straight up in a Faux-hawk. She wore black, and the slight movement of her head revealed the tiny glimmer of a nose ring. Her appearance ruled out the possibility that the school just had a very strict dress code.
“Julia, right? Didn’t you say something about a princess? I’ve been hearing that all day.”
“Plural—more than one—prince.”
She seemed a bit annoyed, so he put his attention back on his plate. Wishing he wouldn’t have scarfed down his pizza so fast, he picked up his fork and stuck it in what resembled a grape in what he figured used to be fruit salad. He asked, “Who are they?”
“The same guys who stopped you before.”
“Those geeksters?”
Female laughter surrounded Tanner.
“Stay away from them if you want to stay… cool,” Ashley said. “We need one normal guy in this school. You’ll be very popular with this table.”
Everyone laughed again, except for Julia.
The girls began to talk amongst themselves once again, glancing at him every so often. He started to feel a little more at ease and even pretty cool, until he peeked at Julia who still ignored him.
“Those guys back there?” he asked her. “If you’re talking about the guys who stopped me and asked me to sit with them at their table, you don’t have to worry. I’m not a nerd.”
“Not yet,” she said, and without a glance, she stood up.
Tanner watched her walk away and thought about his day and especially about how odd second period had been. Johnny, one of the weird dudes who had stopped him, had been in that class. Johnny was the sort of guy who would’ve been invisible to Tanner at any other school: small, red-headed, and his momma dressed him funny. Yet he seemed like the star of the classroom. When he walked in, everyone hushed. When he spoke, everyone listened attentiv
ely and laughed at the appropriate spots. Girls circled around him, and one totally gorgeous chick held his hand. He remembered thinking: No way is she his girlfriend.
At one point Tanner could have sworn that the teacher had actually flirted with Johnny, and she let him teach. Hell, Tanner even thought he liked him by the end of class.
As he thought about his other classes, he remembered how everyone sat up straight and attentive. How they all raised their hands when the teacher asked a question. Everyone turned in homework assignments. No one talked when the teacher talked, and no one slept in the back of the classroom. Every student was the smart kid, the teacher’s pet… the geekster. At least he had begun to see why the school ranked top in the country. But how could it be possible for the entire student body to be smart and to “apply” themselves?
“Hey, new kid.”
Tanner turned his head to see the group of four students Julia had called the Princes standing next to him.
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