I opened up the door to the house and stepped inside. My stepfamily hadn't even bothered to lock it or they hadn't known how. I didn't know how or if they had lasted without me.

"Cinderella!" An all too familiar voice screeched. I watched as my stepmother came storming towards me. The echo of her shoes hitting the floor could have been heard from across the house.

"Ma'am" I greeted her. I watched as she raised her hand and slapped me. My cheek stung and was probably turning red. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I refused to shed them.

"You ungrateful brat. You actually tried to run away. Be glad you came back when you did. I was planning on destroying your mother's grave tomorrow" my stepmother yelled at me.

"I still have to do something to teach you a lesson..." she murmured.

"Since you tried to run, that tree in your mother's garden will be cut down" my stepmother finally announced. I knew which tree she spoke of. It was a tree that stood over her grave. My mother had planted it when she first moved into the house with my father. I loved that tree. My father had loved that tree. That tree had meant the world to my mother.

"Please don't ma'am. I'll never try to leave again" I pleaded.

"If you want me to keep the tree, then get down on your knees, like the worthless animal you are, and beg then" my stepmother declared. If it was for my mother, then I would do anything. I fell onto my knees and started to beg.

"I'm sorry ma'am. I don't know what I was thinking. I shall do everything you ask without complaint from now on. I shall never disobey you. You have my complete obedience and loyalty. All I ask is that you leave the garden alone. Please leave the garden alone" I begged.

"You're list of chores is on your bed. Finish before morning. I'll leave the garden alone for now, but if you ever disobey me, then I will personally cut down that tree" my stepmother threatened.

"Yes, ma'am. I shall have everything finished by morning, ma'am" I quickly agreed. My stepmother left and I ran to the attic. As long as my mother's grave stayed safe, then I could tolerate anything that my stepmother did to me.

I found the list and saw that it was what most would consider to be three days worth of work. I only had one night. I scanned the list and scoffed at how ridiculous some of the chores were.

One was to bake bread that was perfectly round and another was to bake bread in the shape of an oval. I was also asked to repaint the entire house, except it was on there twice once as grey and again as white. If I asked my stepmother which color to use, I would be yelled at, but if I painted it without asking, she would say she wanted the other color.

There was no way for me to finish the list, but I had to try. I threw on an apron and made sure my hair was tied back. Rolling up my sleeves and grabbing the list, I got to work.

The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and I was wishing they would shut up. I had been up all night and I was almost completed with all the chores on the list. The only problem was that it was already morning. If my stepmother woke up before I finished then my mother's tree would be chopped down.

I started cleaning the fireplace getting covered in cinders as I did so. My stepfamily would love that. This was the last thing I had to do aside from making breakfast. I finished just as I heard the sound of my stepmother's shoes. I rushed over to the oven and acted as though I had been in the process of starting to make breakfast.

"Cinderella!" She yelled. She always seemed to yell my name in greeting. Perhaps she was overjoyed to see me. She stormed in with a scowl on her face disproving my previous thoughts.

"Yes, ma'am?" I asked. At this point it had become routine. She held out her hand and I gave her the list with everything checked off. She handed me a new list and then proceeded to check that I had done everything by walking around surveying my work. It took a long time, but she insisted on doing it.

I continued to work once she left the kitchen and soon breakfast was ready. Before delivering it, I checked what was on the new list. This time, I had the whole day and night, but it was five days worth of work instead of three. I had no idea where she came up with all these chores. It was as if she destroyed the house simply to make me clean it.

I sighed and quickly delivered breakfast and then delivered the extra tray once I spilled one on the floor. I also then cleaned the floor. Then, I finally started in on finishing the list.

Hey everyone! Notice how I didn't forget to write the author's note this time. Hope you're all doing good. Aside from my impending murder everything's going pretty well. Speaking of which hasn't killed me yet. I may be planning her murder so that she doesn't kill me first. Murder the murder right? She understood and she was with me while I plotted. Anyways, didn't kill me, but she did challenge me to write a story about a fruit cup. Yes, you read right. She challenged me to write about a fruit cup and I did it. So, hope you check out that story. It's called The Forever Unsolved Mystery of the Fruit Cup. It's already finished and very random. Please vote and comment. I want feedback on both stories. Till next note

P.S. I almost forgot to mention pandas in the author's note of my other book