Blogfest - Cinderella's Shoe

Here is a bit of fun, courtesy of Madeleine Maddocks at Scribble and Edit

Lucy stood in the queue at the railway station Lost Property counter and chewed at her fingernail. How could such a calamity have befallen her, the luckiest person alive? Or dead for that matter, if you assumed that being dead was, by definition, unlucky. The queue inched forward as a harrassed mother left clutching a wailing girl.

Then, suddenly it was her turn.

"Yes, hello," she said to a supremely bored looking official. 

"I've lost a pocket." she told him.

The official blinked. "A pocket? A pocket what?"

"A pocket, you know, for putting things in."

"I see," he said doubtfully. "And was this pocket attached to anything? An item of clothing perhaps?"

"No, no. Just a pocket," Lucy told him. "It had a ribbon round it," she added, helpfully.

The official gave her a flat stare. She smiled sweetly at him.

"Was there anything in this pocket, Miss?" he enquired.

"Money," she answered promptly.

The official nodded and reached for his pad of forms and an old biro. He was back on firm ground at last.

"How much was in this pocket?" he asked.

"A penny."

The official stopped writing, but did not look up.

"A penny," he repeated in leaden tones.

"It was my lucky penny, you see," Lucy added quickly, in case the official had failed to grasp the gravity of the situation.

The official very carefully and precisely laid down the pen on the pad and looked at her.

"It could hardly have been a lucky penny if you lost it, could it?"

Lucy bit her lip. The official glared at her; a thunder cloud on two legs. She decided a tactical retreat might be in order and, turning tail, she ran from the counter, tears welling in her eyes.

Everything was a blur, so she failed to see the young woman ahead standing at the edge of the platform, who was rubbing a lottery scratch card with a coin. She failed to see the young woman's jaw drop in amazement as she stared at the card. She failed to see the baggage trolley careering out of control. Lucy collided with the young woman and with a shriek they landed on the platform in a tumble of limbs. The baggage trolley swept through the very spot the young woman had been standing and with a steel wrenching screech slammed onto the tracks.

There was a breathless pause, then Lucy climbed shakily to her feet.

The young woman was staring at the trolley, then she gulped.

"Looks like my lucky day," she said. "First I find a pretty purse, then I win the scratch card jackpot, then you save my life, what else?"

Lucy held out her hand to help the young woman up.

"You get to meet your new best friend!" Lucy laughed. "Lucy Locket."

The young woman smiled and climbed to her feet with Lucy's help.

"Kitty Fisher," she replied.

Having just discovered that my daughter had no idea what this story is all about, I realise that I have sadly neglected my duties as a parent. In case anyone else is confused by the ending ... see HERE!