"When the clock strucks twelve,

And the lights go out,

Cinderella runs away home and unveils herself!!!",sang Ana

A hysterical guffaw followed.

John opened his eyes.He seemed to have passed eons,when he woke up from an ethereal sleep.He  saw Ana swing a knife right across the outline of his face,as if she wanted to create a replica of it,by repeating patterns.

John teetered on the brink of consciousness.

"Is she....is she trying to..kill me?",his delirium spoke.

As she was nearing the threshold, he recoiled and threw himself against the wall as she slowly tried to encroach upon him.

"What happened honey?Don't you love me?",she said,slightly tilting snd twisting her head,as her voice descended into a shrill tone.

His eyes turned to the ribbon dangling from the life-threatening knife she was now aiming at him.

The same knife with which they were supposed to cut the cake and celebrate that night.

"Whaaa...whaat are you ta...lking...about?",he tried to speak with his utmost efforts.

Ana held him by his collar and strangled him.

"YOU LOVE IT WHEN STELLA TOUCHES YOU,AND,YOU JUST FEND ME OFF WHEN WHEN I TRY TO COME CLOSER TO YOU.HOW DARE YOU BE IN LOVE WITH MY BEST FRIEND,YOU BLOODY LITTLE BRAT!"

John regurgitated as he tried to speak further.He tried to battle the unfathomable chemical that was gradually gorging on him.

"I HAve loST My VOIce",he squeaked out,as his voice meandered through a cascade of pitches.

"You sound like a mouse.So what shall I call you....umm....Jerry?Alright Mr.Jerry,Tom has caught you in the mousetrap,outright",said stella as she swung his head behind her back and another brief ripple of laughter resurfaced.

Stella composes a RAP and starts singing it.

"John goes to the lawn,

At the crack of dawn,

But there comes in a swan,

John kisses the swan and it turns into Stella,

John as Edward and the swan as Stella,

PERFECT!

And Ana stands there looking at them like wretched Cinderella!"

John bolted straight up,through the searing delirium.

"I cAn'T Believe ThIS Ana!YoU ARE speculating THAT I HaVe ChEATed on You,jUst Because I held her Tight When she was SUFFERING FROM the brain CONCUSSIOn?Good Heavens!She needed Love and support and...."

"SHUT UP,YOU WRETCH!I WANTED TO CHOP OFF YOUR HANDS RIGHT THERE WHEN YOU TOUCHED HER!",she screamed with a ghostly voice.

John finally battled his delirium and staggered across the floor where Ana stood.

He rose from the floor,thick torso straining his T-shirt,exposing the muscles of his body.

With smoldering fury and trembling lips,his palm cracked across her cheekbones.

Stella staggered back, eyes stung with peals of unconventional laughter,tasting blood on her lips.

"JUST DON'T EVER SHOW ME YOUR FACE AGAIN!"

And with that,Stella's hysterical laughter took the shape of unfathomable doggerel.The silence of the walls raved about it.

John stomped out of the house.

On the balcony of the apartment right across the street,there stood a complacent Jenny.

"MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.Now that they are separated,I do not have to see my love with someone else again",she patted on her back,with her lips curving into a wry smile.

***************************

"BUUT....Was it black magic?How did you do that Jenny?",Harry asked,his eyes brimming with questions.