In a faraway kingdom, a queen gives birth to a baby girl, the ugliest child ever known on this earth. The girl has skin as white as the bloated bellies of worms drowned after a spring rain. Her hair is black as the droppings of a dying horse. Her lips are red as the smears of her mother's blood that streak her skin.

In a neighboring kingdom, another homely girl dreams of attending the royal ball and dancing with the prince. But girls who look like her don't wear beautiful dresses and kiss handsome princes.

You may think this is where the girl's fairy godmother comes into the picture. But fairies are drawn to beauty. Ugly girls have to make their own magic.

This short story is 3000 words long. It is also available in Not Your Heroine, a fantasy short story collection.