This is based loosely on the "Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Anderson. Did you know that there's also a Japanese version of this story?
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"I am Ugly”
Every time I see her I want to vomit. That plain, featureless face; the dull, lacklustre hair, so unlike my own coppery curls. She thinks she’s doing the right thing? HAH! That empty little head of hers has no idea. NO IDEA of what she’s going up against. Who does she think she is?
I, on the other hand has everything a girl seeks to possess. I am the Autumn Princess, daughter of the infamous Queen of Robbers. My whole life has been an adventure. At five, I was taught how to use the forest to my advantage, blending in with all the green, gold and red hues. As lithe and agile as a fox, I could scamper up a tree with a knife between my teeth and hang on to the branch by the fingers of my right hand. At eight, I could make a grown man cry with just my fists. The veterans even brought me along to their highway robberies. My birthday present when I turned twelve was a lesson from Shadow-Hands Sally on how to empty all ten pockets of a highway patrol officer in less than fifteen seconds. When I turned sixteen, I discovered the true meaning of power. By batting my eyelashes and showing just enough skin, I could mislead men long enough for the rest of my gang to knock and tie up the other passengers. The tales of the elusive Robber Girl spread through the land and struck fear into everyone’s hearts. I was unstoppable and they knew it.
Now here I am, looking down through the bars of her cage. She isn’t pretty and she isn’t strong, but why do I feel so inferior to her? Is it the blazing purpose in her eyes? That strong voice that urges me to let her go because she has to rescue some boy called Kai? Her determination and love for this boy is sickening to watch and yet… why does she make me feel so small?
Next to her, I am conscious of the blood that stains my hands. The screams of the innocent people I have robbed and killed are called up from my memories like dead bodies rising up from a grave. And for what? For a pretty trinket that I liked? Gold and jewels that were earned by hardworking people? Her sense of righteousness makes her pretty. And next to her, I am ugly.
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Copyrighted by Cynthia Luong
