The Ugly Hashbrown 2

One day Hashbrown's mother had to take Brownie to the dentist, her evil stepfather made her pull the horse carriage for his sheer entertainment. He told her he was doing it for her own good as he cackled ruthlessly from his shaded perch on the porch. When he was satisfied with watching her humiliation he went back inside and went to sleep. Drained of all energy, Hashbrown could not find the strength to sneak off into the woods. She lay down on her cot and closed her eyes.

She was soon rudely awaken by the evil stepfather who demanded she clean the kitchen that instant! She dragged herself out of bed now wishing she had just gone to lay in the forest. She swept the floor and washed the dishes. Anticipating his next order, she started making dinner. Chicken soup and bread seemed a good choice. Thinking of how good it would taste and how proud her mother would be lifted her spirits. She boiled the chicken. She chopped the celery, onions, and carrots. The dough her mother made was fully ripened. She rolled it into the baking pan and sat at the oven door to watch it rise.

Hashbrown didn't get to see it rise. Instead, sitting there on the floor, head propped on her hands, she went into a deep sleep. She dreamt she had wings and flit about with colorful fairies, sniffing flowers and playing a game of tag with hummingbirds. She was so tiny she fit perfectly on the petal of a purple lily. Her favorite color. She lay there looking at the leaves above her. She inhaled deeply.....and she smelled... smoke? She woke with a start. The bread!

She heard her stepfather's angry footsteps approaching. She scrambled to her feet. He came around the corner, a whip already in hand. She ran for the door and made it out of the house. Into the woods she ran, not turning around to see how closely he followed. She knew how angry running away made him. She was not going back this time no matter where she was going. She ran and ran until she could not anymore. She collapsed to the ground trying to slow her breathing and quiet the fire in her lungs.

Hashbrown lay there. Her tears started to well up. She thought of her mother and Brownie missing her. She would not go back! She couldn't.... She would live in the woods by herself if that's what it took!