Twisted fairy tale – Mirror, mirror

There once was a queen who had the power to take anything her cold cruel heart could ever want,
no matter what the need was. Every day this wicked queen asked her magical mirror, ‘Who is the
fairest in the land?’, and every time the mirror replied back, ‘you are the fairest my queen.’ This was
until one day when the queen asked the mirror, it not only didn’t reply as usual, but the queen didn’t
see her own malicious glare staring back at her. She saw the face of a small girl, she had hair that
flowed in two brown braids down her back and the bluest eyes that twinkled like the lake which ran
below the palace. The evil queen growled, ‘Who is that girl!’ and all the mirror said in reply was,
‘Mary Jane.’

The first thing I saw when I arrived was the fountain placed directly in the centre of town. As the
carriage stopped beside it I stepped onto the old cobblestones. A group of young girls and boys ran
into the water. I wondered what they wished for, I thought they had everything they could ever
want. Everything I could ever want. But I guess some people want more. I walked past the couple
and they smiled as I walked to my new home. On the doormat, I noticed a white envelope and
written in an elegant script it said my name, Miss Mary Jane

The note inside read:

Mary Jane,
The queen wishes you a warm welcome to her kingdom. She requests you to join her majesty for tea
tomorrow at the palace. Please arrive no later than 10 o’clock.

I wonder why she wanted to see me. Did she ask to see everyone who was new here? Did I do
something wrong already? The next morning I arrive at the gates of the queens palace and to say it
looked like a palace built for gods would be an understatement. The gates opened lethargically, as if
waiting to let me in was exhausting and now they could go back to just sitting on the run down road.
Well you’ll see me soon to don’t get too comfortable I think to myself. The first thing that hits me
when I raise my head is the sickly sweet smell of jasmine. My gaze lifts to the dazzling flowers and it
amazes me that this galaxy of little white stars could produce the very fragrance of a dream.

My trance is broken when I hear a strong mellow voice, ‘they are beautiful, aren’t they’. The voice
belongs to a tall flawless woman, she looks so perfect it feels unnatural. Her posture painfully
straight and her cheekbones sharper than blades and her teeth whiter than the flowers surrounding
my head. After a considerable extent of standing there motionless I realise I am staring so
desperately attempt to think of something to say. ‘I’m sorry.. I mean thank you.. sorry’ I stutter
desperately trying to remember what was happening before I got lost in my thoughts. ‘Do not worry,
there is cake in my conservatory’, she answers in a melodic tone.

I trail behind her through the endless gardens, up to her grand palace. In a way it reminds me of the
ocean; it’s vastness and strength not impeding on its indisputable beauty. The moment we arrive, a
small penguin-like man waddles over and puffs out is white chest, ‘May I pour you some tea
madam?’, ‘Yes please, thank you,’ I reply being as polite as possible. I take a sip from the teacup,
hoping it will calm my nerves and after sitting in silence for a while I feel my whole body suddenly
relaxing. So I ask with an unusual amount of effort ‘this tea is very soothing, what is in it?’, to this the
queen produces a sinister smile showing her abnormally white teeth. ‘it is a floral mixture made
from the flowers in these very gardens, it contains jasmine and rose. But in yours I added foxglove
which you will notice has some, intense effects.’