OptionalFiction

Elle couldn't believe her luck. Here she was dancing with the most dashing prince. They were alone in his grand ballroom. There wasn't even a band, the instruments magically played themselves. Earlier this week she had gotten a letter from the prince inviting her up to his castle. At first she had thought that her step-sisters were having a laugh at her expense, but the seal turned out to be genuine. The prince hadn't left his castle for five years now and Elle had wondered how she came to the honour of being invited. Another problem had been choosing what to wear. Her step-mother did not pay her a wage for the chores she did around the house nor was she getting an allowance. When she had asked her sisters for clothes they said: “Here's something for you.” and had thrown rags into the mud. But on the evening of the visit the prince's butler arrived at her house and had given her a yellow dress. She had been surprised to find it fit her perfectly, as if it had been tailormade for her. When they had arrived in the castle's entrance hall and the butler called for the prince Elle began to worry. Nobody in the village had seen the prince these past five years. Maybe he had been disfigured in a fencing accident? Or simply not getting enough sun had turned him pale and week? But when the prince appeared at the top of the grand staircase all worries immediately had faded. He was muscular and wore a dark blue suit with gold cufflinks. He had a handsome face with a clean shaven, angular jaw. He had brown hair with some light curls. His blue eyes immediately enchanted her. She was in love. They had had a few drinks and then he had asked her to dance. And that's what they had been doing for the past hours. She was amazed by the prince's endurance as she could feel her own legs aching and her lungs were begging her to take a break as well, but being held in his arms she felt home and thus willed her muscles to endure another dance, and another. But then the clock started striking. “Is it midnight already?!” “What is it to you? You are a prince.” “No, you don't understand! Go, leave!” He turned away and ran off to some door. “Will I see you again?” she called after him. He did not respond and disappeared behind the door. Elle decided that he had probably just not heard her question and decided to follow after him. When she reached the door she heard strained moans and coughing on the other side. She carefully opened the door just a tiny bit to peer in. Elle was shocked at the ghastly sight she beheld and her hands immediately went to cover her mouth to stop her from gasping. She could not make out any details as the only light was the full moon shining out through the opposite window. But she saw the black silhouette of the prince hunched over, holding his stomach and vomiting up some dark liquid. Then something on his back began to move. Or was it his back that was moving? Lumps grew across his spine. Then they consolidated into spikes that violently shot out from his back and ripped his jacket. All this had been accompanied by pained cries and belching, but the sound of these now started to change into a terrifying shriek. And when the body shifted position against the moon Elle could understand why. The head had become extended, the neck had widened and the mouth and nose area was no protruding in a point, the eyes had fallen back and the ears had completely vanished. The prince had transformed into some kind of reptilian monstrosity. Elle couldn't believe what was happening. She stumbled backwards in fear and tripped. She still hadn't mastered high heels. The shrieking from the other room stopped. Elle rushed to get back on her feet, but in her terror it took her three attempts. By the time she got up the. . . creature was standing in the door, just a couple paces away from her. Its nostrils widened and narrowed in its breathing. It began slowly circling Elle. She was completely frozen and was only able to slowly turn her head to follow the creature. Suddenly, it shot forward and its teeth tore into her neck.