Cinderella A T 10....

“Mom, I’m ready and I’m going out”
“Great,” she said”but please be back before sundown.”
Something along these lines I heard on every single occasion .From a very young age I was taught to take many precautions.

My love for the night, the moon and the stars was always profound. But I was soon taught that for me to explore them was strictly out of bounds.

“But why?” I always asked. “For me to go out was a disagreeable task.”
I mean Cinderella was out until 12, you see and I thought for magical ending, magical nights were the key.

But soon the misconception shattered and reality set in, this is not a fairytale but a nightmare which often wins.

As I grew up they taught me that in dark it’s always hard to see.
I should be careful enough to know if it’s the big bad wolf instead of the prince charming walking beside me.

So my dear, you should know how to put up a great fight and if you should have to go out at night then you must know your weapons just right. Keys between your knuckles and long sharp nails, a punch in the gut that could make your opponents wail.

In school, those martial art lessons weren’t just a sport for me. According to my father, it was for self defence you see.

And still after all this when I ask why staying out is my brother’s leverage, they smile and say “Oh honey, it’s one of his many bias privileges.”

So now please be kind enough to tell why you didn’t do something when you already knew something like this would happen when the night fell.

After this long time and after all that’s been said, you know, those catcalls are my nightmares and not those monsters under my bed.

My quick steps matching my quick heartbeat on my way to home at night time, you know what’s greater that your useless point of view on my work schedule?

The angle of my paranoia’s inclines.
We’ve come to a modern age they say but at the side misogyny of theirs also great.
We are not asking you for totems or magic spells. We just want to feel safecoming home after 12.