Short Story Contest 01 Winner


Prompt: "Write an opening sentence that is genuinely upbeat, then end your story with that same sentence,  but this time it's dark, horrible, negative."


The Beautiful Day

By: AG









        “It's a beautiful day!” Exclaimed Leo. I smiled. Yes. It was. Today was the day. The day I`ve been preparing my whole life for. I stood in front of my mirror, imagining what I`d look like in my soon-to-be-crown. Leo came up next to me and grinned.
“What?” I asked.
“Oh, nothing. You just look a little nervous.”
“Do I really?”
Leo was about to say something when the doors to my room swung open. In walked Fiona, my stylist.
“Your Majesty.” Fiona said with a curtsy.
I returned the gesture. “I am very grateful that you could come today.”
Fiona nodded then began walking around me. She looked me up and down. 
“Hmmm. We have lots of work to do.” Fiona stopped and stood in front of me. “You’ve picked out your dress I presume?”
“Oh yes.” I sighed. “It`s the most beautiful thing! It's powder blue with sequins that shine like the-”
“Yes! Yes!” Fiona cut me off. “I shall see it for myself once we get you going!”
Leo chuckled. Fiona whipped her head towards him.
“And you!”
She marched straight up to Leo. His face grew red.
Fiona pointed towards the door.
“You`re supposed to be getting ready as well! Lewis is waiting!”
Leo nodded and ran out the room. I stifled a giggle. Fiona was not to be messed with. 
“Now.” Fiona said with a clap of her hands. “Let`s be off!”
Down the many hallways of the castle we went. We passed many maids and servants bustling about making sure everything was clean and perfect for this evening. I felt a great pang of gratitude towards all the hard-working men and women. 
We finally reached the salon. Inside was a large, comfy chair. All around the chair lay hair and makeup products of all kinds on little tables. Nearby was a vanity with an assortment of jewelry laid out on top. The little girl inside of me wanted to try everything. I was about to do so when something in the corner caught my eye. There in its full glory stood my coronation dress on a mannequin. Fiona walked up to the dress and began examining it.
“You were right my princess, it is beautiful. The blue is perfect. It`ll bring out your eyes. These sequins on the corsage add an excellent touch. The skirt is nice and elegant.”
She smiled at me. “You're going to look magnificent!”
I smiled back.
“Alright. Time to get to work.” Fiona said as she pushed me towards the chair. She plopped me down. 
“Fiona?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“How are you going to get me ready on time with no help?”
I gasped realizing what I had just said. One should NEVER question Fiona. She glared at me.
“Don’t worry, I WILL get you ready on time, but I guess it wouldn’t hurt to have some help.”
Right on cue the salon doors burst open. Four women walked in with my parents trailing behind them.
Fiona lined the women up and began giving the women assignments on what they'll be doing. My parents came up to me. My mother's eyes shone with tears.
“Oh, Mom!” I said. “Please don’t start crying again.”
My mother wiped her tears away with a handkerchief.
“I wasn’t going to cry! Why on earth would I cry again? I`m just so-" sniff, "proud… of-” Mother couldn’t finish and began sobbing on Father's shoulder. Father patted her back.
“There, there. My love.” He looked at me. “You’re not nervous, are you?
I shook my head.
“Well, we are both very proud of you Leia. You`ll make a fine queen for this kingdom. I just know it.”
Father tried to kiss my forehead but failed due to my mother still sobbing on him. He laughed.
“I guess we best be off. Oh, I almost forgot, Samuel will be here in a few hours. I'll send him to you once he arrives.”
I blushed. Father chuckled as he guided Mother out of the room. Fiona stopped talking to her team.
“I couldn’t help but overhear that Samuel is coming.”
I nodded a bit too fast. 
“Then I guess I`ll have to work extra hard.”
I could feel the heat growing on my face.
The next few hours were a blur. Fiona and her crew sped all around me. They did my hair, makeup and picked out the jewelry for me to wear. Many instructions came my way. I had to close my eyes, tilt my head, put my chin up, or pucker my lips out. Suddenly, they all stopped. Fiona inspected me. She didn’t want to miss a single detail.
“I think,” She said with a satisfied voice, “We're done.” Two helpers rushed over to a mirror and pushed it in front of me. I was gorgeous. My hair was put half up with the bottom half curled. Gems that glittered were weaved in as well. My makeup was simple but was still perfect. My lips were a light pink. I had rosy red cheeks. The crew had made my simple brown eyes stand out. I turned to Fiona and her team.
“I love it.”
The women bowed in return. 
“There is still one thing you need.” Fiona said as she gestured to my dress. I quickly took of the simple gown I had on. Everyone helped me put the huge dress on. I stood in front of the mirror to see myself again. Fiona came up behind me. 
“Now you look like a true queen.” She said.
I turned and hugged her. She jumped and I could tell I startled her. I began to worry if I should’ve hugged her at all. Then she surprised me when she put her arms around me.
“Thank you.” I whispered.
Fiona gave a small laugh. “Of course.”
There was a small knock on the door. Fiona let go of me and went to open it.
“Hello.” Came a deep voice.
My heart skipped a beat. Fiona curtsied and said,
“Prince Samuel. How lovely to see you. We shall- ”   Fiona waved to her crew to follow her. “Leave you and the princess alone.” 
The team left quickly. I could hear the four women whispering and giggling to one another as they left.
My ears and face burned. In walked in a tall handsome man. He closed the door behind him.
“Hello Samuel.” I said.
Samuel smiled that amazing smile of his.
“Wow. That’s all your future husband gets? A simple hello.”
I chuckled. We hugged and he gave me a peck on the cheek. He then took a step back. 
“You look stunning.”
I did a twirl. “I know.”
“Are you nervous?”
I took a shaky breath. “Why is everyone asking that?”
Samuel pointed to my hands. “Well, for one, whenever you're nervous you always fidget with that ring of yours.”
I glanced down at my hands. He was right. I put my hands on my hips. 
“I do not!” I lied.
Samuel rolled his eyes.
“You're going to be a handful when we`re married.”
I stuck my tongue out at him. He stuck his out right back. Another knock came at the door. 
“Come in!” I called.
Leo stuck his head in the room.
“Is she gone?” Leo asked.
Samuel became confused. “Who?”
I grinned. “Don’t worry Leo. Fiona is gone.” 
Leo walked in, a picnic basket in hand. “Good.” 
His eyes then turned wide. “Leia! You look awesome!” 
Leo dropped the basket and grabbed my hands “I was going to ask if you wanted to have a picnic with me. Just the two of us.” Leo glanced at Samuel. “Oops. I forgot you were here. You can join us too.”
Samuel shook his head. “I’d love to, but it looks like you two need some sibling time.” He kissed me on the cheek. “Besides, I promised my parents I would show them around.”
He winked at me and left. Leo let go of my hands quickly.
“Ugh. Why did I hold your hands that long?” He wiped his hands on his shirt. 
I rolled my eyes. “That’s the Leo I know.”
“We have not time to waste.” Leo checked his watch.
“Where should we eat?” I asked.
“You see we can’t actually go out in public. I mean… look at us.”
He was right. I had a huge dress on, and Leo had his uniform on.
“We'll just eat here.” Leo said as he opened the basket.
He laid out a blanket for us to sit on, he set out plates and glasses, he placed a small vase of flowers in the middle. Lastly he took out containers of food. 
“Wow.” I said, “It looks like you robbed the whole kitchen.”
Leo set a tasty sandwich on my plate. “You don`t know the half of it. So many people I had to avoid.”
I bit my sandwich. “Mmmm. Totally worth it.” I said with a mouth full of food.
Leo grabbed a bottle of soda and canister out of the basket. “You must not talk with food in your mouth!” he said in a high voice that reminded me of our etiquette teacher. 
I nearly choked on my food out of laughter. Leo began laughing. He poured some apple juice from the canister in a glass for me.
“Here this should help.”
He then popped the top off his soda. I was about to take a sip when Leo stopped me.
“Woah! Woah!” 
“What?”
“I want to make a toast!”
I laughed. Leo raised his bottle up high.
“To Leia! May your reign last forever!”
I smiled and drank some juice. “My reign hasn’t even started.”
A sudden burst of pain went through my head. Leo chuckled.
“And it never will.”
Slowly everything went dark.
I awoke with a gasp. I blinked trying to adjust to my surroundings. I was on the floor in a dark room with dirty black walls. There was no door, but a ladder on a wall that went up to a closed hole in the ceiling. A lever was placed next to the ladder. Each wall had an open pipe at the top. It smelled of dead fish and saltwater.
I tried standing up but was stopped by the chains that bound me to the floor.
“Help!” I yelled. “Leo! Samuel! Father!”
I tried slipping the chains off my wrist but had no luck. I looked at the state I was in. My once beautiful dress was covered in slimy stains, dirt, tears. My eyes began to fill with water. I blinked away the tears. I will not cry. Queens do not cry.
A loud groan came from the hole above the ladder. It opened and someone slowly climbed down. I squinted trying to make out who it was. The person reached the bottom and turned to me.
“Leo! Hurry! You’ve got to get me out of here. Whoever brought me here will be back soon!” 
Leo crossed his arms and smirked. “You really are stupid. Haven’t you figured it out by now? Or is that brain of yours being slower than usual?”
I was taken a back. “Leo… what's wrong with you?”
Leo crept closer to me. His eyes, no longer warm and bright as before, but dark and cold, glared at me menacingly. 
“Nothing is wrong with me. I am simply doing what’s right.” 
I raised my head high. “Leo, I demand you to release me.”
Leo snarled. “You are in no position to give me orders. If I were you I'd be begging for my life.”
I kept my head high and looked Leo right back in the eyes. “Why are you doing this?”
“I'm so glad you asked. Well, you see Leia, I`m saving the kingdom.” He began walking around me. 
“I`m making sure our people get a ruler they deserve. A ruler who is strong and wise. A ruler who will protect this kingdom. I will not sit by and let you, a wretched wench, become our new queen. Our kingdom deserves a king! A king that will be perfect!”
Leo stopped in front of me. “And that king will be me.”
“You won’t get away with this.” 
Leo laughed darkly. “But I already have. No one will save you. Your fate lies in my hands. You should be terrified.”
My courage wavered. I was alone. “When… did you decide this?” I asked
Leo scratched his head. “Now that’s a hard question. It seems like I`ve despised you my entire life. I mean, even when we were children it was always about you. Never me. Ask Father or even Mother who their favorite child is! No hesitation. Leia! Leia! Leia!” 
Leo threw his hands in the air. “NO MORE!”
“Leo…” I whispered. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Leo looked at me with disgust. “I don’t want your pity. You would've been an awful queen. So quick to help others. Weak. That’s what you are.”
I couldn’t hold them back anymore. The tears came streaming down my face. This wasn’t my brother. I was trapped by a monster. I believed there was no escape. Leo bent down and wiped a tear from my face.
“Don’t cry. Your suffering will end.” He checked his watch. “It’s time anyways.”
I began to struggle. Trying to free myself. “Please! Leo! Don’t do this!”
Leo walked towards the lever. With a grunt he pulled it down. Water began gushing out of the pipes on top of the walls. The room started filling up with water. Leo was going to drown me.  My eyes full of terror watched Leo climbed up the ladder. He stopped halfway to look at me. My legs were half covered in water. Leo smiled and I stared back into his dead eyes. 
“Dear Leia. Don’t look at me like that.” His smile turned into an evil grin. “After all… It is a beautiful day.”