Serafina and the Midnight Snow

Serafina twirled in front of the cracked mirror, clutching the soft folds of the dark blue dress she had sewn herself under the yellow glow of her desk lamp. The hem brushed her ankles, white feathers trailing like frost along the edge, and a handmade snowflake tiara glinted in her brown curls pulled into a tight bun. Her reflection, dressed as the Snow Princess for the fairytale-themed Winter Dance, looked back at her with a mix of hope and fear.

“SERAFINA! GET DOWN HERE AT ONCE!”
The shriek cut through the fragile moment.

Serafina sighed, smoothing the fabric before hurrying down the hallway. Lily, her stepsister, stood in her pink sequin gown, glaring. She was the picture of perfection with her blond hair braided into a crown and a silver tiara gleaming atop her head.

“My hem ripped,” Lily snapped, shoving the torn seam toward Serafina. “Guess you can’t even sew properly.”

“I can fix it,” Serafina replied, forcing a smile, though her hands trembled with frustration.

Lily’s eyes narrowed, and she flipped her hair. “Fix it now. Mother wants pictures before we leave for the ball.” She stretched the word, pretending a school dance was a royal gala.

Serafina’s needle moved quickly, maybe poking Lily once or twice on accident as payback for the endless insults.

“OW!” Lily shrieked. “STOP poking me!”

Serafina bit back a smirk as Lily snatched the gown and stomped away. “Brat,” Serafina muttered under her breath.

“Sera!” another voice called.

Serafina turned to find Arriane, her other stepsister—though she felt more like a real sister—tangling with a hairbrush in her snow-white hair, the tips dyed crimson. “Help me, please.”

Serafina chuckled, brushing out the knots and gathering the hair into a loose ponytail.

“Actually, let’s leave it down,” Arriane whispered, letting the hair fall around her shoulders as she adjusted the black dress with its red hem, matching her red heels and the tiny black-gemmed crown she wore.

Arriane grinned. “Come on, let’s go!”

But before they could step out the door, a cold voice froze the air. “Where do you think you’re going, Serafina?”

Jessica—Mrs. Jessica, as she demanded to be called—stood at the foot of the stairs, arms crossed, lips thin. Lily was behind her, smirking.

“I… I was going to the dance,” Serafina stammered, clutching her small bag.

Jessica’s eyes narrowed. “There are chores left to be done. If they’re finished on time, maybe you can go.”

“That’s not fair!” Arriane protested. “She did all the chores this morning—”

“Enough!” Jessica snapped. “The list is on the fridge. And do not step into my or Lily’s room.”

They left, the door slamming so hard the coat rack toppled.

Serafina picked up the coats, tears brimming. “We’re never going to finish, Ari.”

“Never say never,” Arriane said, eyes glinting.

She dragged Serafina to her room and flung open the closet, tossing shoes and books aside. “AHA!” she shouted, pulling out a small, leather-bound book with a pentagram on the cover.

“What is that?” Serafina asked, horrified.

“A spellbook. Grandma gave it to me before she moved to California. Don’t look at me like that.” Arriane flipped through the pages, humming.

“Ari—” Serafina started.

“Shhh!” Arriane found the page, took a deep breath, and shouted, “Ping ding, clean this house with a TING!”

Black smoke swirled through the house, whooshing under doors and up the stairs. A single loud TING echoed, and the smoke cleared.

“What did you do?!” Serafina gasped.

Arriane grinned. “Finished the chores. Now let’s go!”

They ran downstairs, the house cleaner than it had ever been. Serafina hesitated at the door, clutching her small bag, fear and hope battling in her chest.

“Don’t overthink it,” Arriane said, looping her arm through Serafina’s. “Tonight, you’re not the stepsister cleaning floors. Tonight, you’re the Snow Princess.”

Outside, the world was hushed under a soft snowfall, flakes catching in the glow of the streetlights as they hurried down the sidewalk, laughing. The school gym, decorated with twinkling lights and silver snowflakes, looked like a castle of ice as they stepped inside, the music pulsing, the air warm with laughter.

Serafina’s heart lifted as she danced, spinning under the lights, feathers of her dress swirling like snow, a true Snow Princess at last.

And when she glanced at Arriane, who gave her a thumbs up from across the room, Serafina knew this was just the beginning of her happily ever after—one she was ready to fight for.

Moral of the Story:

You are not defined by your hardships. Even in a world of unfairness, you have the power to step into your own light, claim your joy, and dance.