A bedtime short short story By Bethany J.

Royer May 24, 2011 The soft whites and pinks of the girls bedroo light fro were fra ed by a tinge of yellow

a single bedside la p that sat between two fl!ffed and hea"ily st!ffed ani al

besotted twin beds. #a$h sister laid in her bed, blankets p!lled !p to their $hins, hands $lasped at their waists, $her!bi$ $heeks aglow, s!rro!nded by their f!rry $olle$tions as their pro$eeded to read to the . %&n$e !pon a ti e, in a land really not so far away,' the other read fro the a other

large book held in her hands as she ro$ked slowly in the $hair that she had p!lled fro

$orner of the roo . (he liked to sit the anti)!e in s!$h a way that she $o!ld look to both her girls so as to see their eyes sparkle, anti$ipation. %&h, b!t we"e heard this one before,' s$offed the eldest, and $rossed her ar s, lips t!rned down in a po!t as her brow f!rrowed. *er other slowly looked !p fro the pages of the book with the slightest ost o!ths tilt !pwards and $heeks grow rosy with

gentle of s ile playing at one $orner of her eyes. %*a"e +,' %-es,

o!th. There was a knowing look in her bl!e

o , o"er and o"er,' said the yo!ngest, followed by an enor o!s yawn,

already sleepy and theyd only .!st gotten settled for their e"ening story ti e. %+ think yo! ay be s!rprised,' their other said as she settled ba$k into the

ro$ker and p!shed gently against the floor with her bare feet, the old wood $reeking

o ino!sly a$ross the pale pink painted walls of her only $hildrens shared bedroo . %+ a betting yo!"e ne"er heard this one before.' %/e ha"e, all of the and any that start o!t with, 0on$e !pon a ti e and there

will be so e girl needing sa"ed by so e st!pid boy.' Their other nodded sole nly, %Tr!e, ost of those stories that start o!t as s!$h

r!n along the sa e lines of the da sel in distress. B!t what if + told yo! this one was "ery, "ery different,' *er da!ghters, only eight and ten years old, glan$ed at one another in $onsideration. %/hat if + told yo! that in this story the wo an is the hero and she doesnt sa"e any st!pid boys, none at all, /hat if + said there li"ed a they liked to ki$k 1o bie arse,' other and her two girls and