DUSTLAND FAIRYTALE

'Once upon a time…….'
She shut the book firmly. That's how it all began. Such a false promise of happiness. Fairytales never came true. They were only a ruse, a mere illusion. Reality was harsher.
If only she could have changed the threads of fate. But the fates were absolute. They could not be changed.
How long had it been? A year? Two years? She could not remember.
She got up and walked to the window, throwing it open. The view was disappointing. There was no light, the moon covered by the clouds. But even in the darkness she could see the vast barren lands filled with dust. Desolate and dead. Void of any life. This was where she was trapped. Leaving was out of the question. If she could have, she would have left a long time ago.
A burst of wind caught her by surprise. Dust went into her nose. She coughed and shut the window. There was a noise. She listened intently. It sounded like boots.
The door flew open and she stared at the person in revulsion.
“I see you have decided to show yourself.” She said barely controlling her voice.
He ignored her and sat at the edge of the bed. His boots were off and he lay on the bed.
“At least have the decency to answer back.”
He laughed bitterly. “Decency? You sound like a child.”
She glared at him. It was best she could do.
“Glaring wont do you any good my dear. Now if you will excuse me, I will slumber.” He said rolling over and falling asleep.
She stared at his sleeping form, the disgust growing in her. It was suffocating. Oh if she could turn back time and change everything.
That day was imprinted into her. She remembered it like it was yesterday. She had been so happy, dreaming of her prince. At first he had seemed like her dream prince. He was young dashing and he swept her off her feet. That was until he told her something.
“You will make a fine dustland queen.” He had remarked to her.
Dustland queen? What did that even mean? She had asked him but he had avoided her questions. Though uneasy, she had put it out of her mind. She trusted him. It was a mistake to have done so.
It was only after she was wedded that she had understood.
His kingdom was a dustland, a desert. Her own personal hell. There was nothing to do here. Going out was a hazard.
But she had braved it. Because she was under the illusion that she loved him. It had been alright, he was everything she needed.
Until he began to draw back. He didn't need her like she needed him. He had other distractions, things more important than her. Maybe it had been her fault. She could have treated him better.
She could not remember when it was that she had started resenting him. It was like she woke up one day and was repulsed by him.
But she had hopes. That one day he would come back to her and everything would be alright again. It was a foolish hope but she clung on to it.
She wondered if one day someone would write about her fairytale. If she herself was writing it, she knew what she would have called it. Dustland fairytale.
Yes it was perfect, she thought as she lay down beside him and went to sleep.