Highwayman

Cinderella was so excited. Her fairy godmother had appeared to her out of nowhere and given her a total remake for the ball. She was now in her magical carriage being driven by a magical coachman on the way to the ball. She was thinking about how she could potentially meet a prince and was excited to go to her first ball.

So she totally unprepared when a horseman, clocked and masked, rides out from the trees and points a sword at the coachman, who pulled to a jerking stop. “Stand and deliver” is the command that she heard in the carriage.

Dismounting, the rider strolled casually up to the carriage door, and invited her to step out.

Cinderella was confused, but decided to go along with it. A whisper of satin preceded her as she walked down the stairs of the coach. "Easy does it." the masked rider says as he helped her down, his words rolling pleasantly with a kindly English accent. "I shall" she answered, head held proudly.

Her fairy godmother had done well for her, dressing her in a beautiful shimmering silvery blue frock that adorned her pretty figure, the gowns long skirts come cascading out as she stepped down to the ground. She had on lovely jewelry as well with a long diamond necklace that lay glistening along her throat, and a set of drippy gold earrings that swayed freely, twinkling merrily about its forlorn wearer. Diamonds sparkle along her slender fingers.

” Nice of you to come dressed up this lovely evening, my pretty lady.” He smiles boyishly at the confused woman, who sternly blushed. "I need you all to hand over your valuables. I am a highway man, and I am afraid that that what highwaymen do.” His words come across in an almost embarrassed apology.

Cinderella sputtered, "But, but.. I'm supposed to go to the ball. My fairy godmother set all this up for me.."

"I don't know about that, but I do know about this sword here. Would you please raise your hands my lady?", he remorsefully asks.

She smiles innocently at him, in a mocking manner she asks sweetly, "Why, Is there something you desire sir?" The Highwayman moved forward with his sword drawn, and he brought it up, lifting her necklace from her throat. "Yes", he whispers genially, "This for starters. Now please raise your hands." He gave a look of lustful desire to the area where her diamonds lay upon her throat, just above her ample bosom.

She could feel her hair prickle along her neck as he did this, and reluctantly she obeyed. As her arms lifted above her head, her gown's long flowing sleeves slipped back, revealing the pair of bracelets encircling each of her slender wrists. One is full of flickering diamonds, the other is solid glittering gold.

The highwayman's eyes smiled innocently at her, through the eye slits of his Zorro like mask, as he takes quick inventory of her bejeweled figure. He stepped back, a hand thoughtfully placed upon his chin. As though finally deciding what to do, he finally spoke.

"Your jewels, then, miss", he asked her with a daunting voice. Her mouth pursed in a whimper, she sadly lowered her hands, reached behind and unclasped her necklace, It exploded into dazzling light as she lay it upon his outstretched palm. She tugged her earrings free and adds them to the pile. She slid the bracelets off of each wrist, then looking sadly at her shimmering rings, she slipped them off her fingers, one by one, adding them to the pile. Finished, she stepped back and watched miserably as her pile of jewelry glistened in his palm.

“Now the hairpiece!”

"But it's woven in!", she pleaded.

“The hairpiece” he repeated sternly, eyeing the diamonds that adorned it.

She raised up her arms and tried to work it free. He raised the swordto her chest and she picked it up a notch, working at it with shaking hands.

Finally it came free and she handed it over, her disheveled hair covering over one of her eyes.

She blinked at him with the visible eye. A sadder specimen he had never seen.

"Sir", she says brightly, "Certainly you do not wish to leave me without anything but my dress to wear this evening?" She grimaced as he chuckled and turned away from her.