A few weeks back I asked Ciao to introduce this category for several reasons. My first idea was to take a fairy tale and adapt it to modern-day stories thinking this would be a challenging experience for many of the excellent writers on Ciao. My second reason was to allow people from different cultures to share their own folk stories with us. My third and maybe more important reason was to see if a writer could come up with a story to suit the times in which we live.
I am sure that many people learned a love of reading and writing through the old fairy tales some grim and dark, others full of wonder and delight. It was through fairy tales that I personally gained a reading age of an adult by the time I was ten years of age something I passed down to my daughter who went on to excel in English and read English at University gained a 1st class honours degree, something of which I am justly proud knowing that the stories I read to her at the tender age of three years old inspired her to love the written word.

I had given up on Ciao allowing this category so posted my attempt at trying to modernise "Little Red Riding Hood" with my story called "Rosie's big Adventure" under "weird facts, daft stories". I was quite pleased with the reaction but when Ciao allowed my proposal today I hadn't written anything else to put this category to use. I had an idea but wasn't sure if it could work. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, so my following story will be an adult version of a good old-fashioned fairy tale.

Before I continue with my story I want to say that I hope other members use this category in any way they like but can't resist issuing a challenge: Tell a story from a fairy tale and bring it up to date. I can't offer a reward but I guarantee to read each and every one review fairly. For my many friends from different cultures please share your own mythology with us, I would be fascinated to read them.

Sleeping Beauty
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Marie sat in the consultant's waiting room wearing her tissue into rags with nervous tension. As she saw the opulence surrounding her the urge to run away was overwhelming pounding her heart and draining the strength from her muscles. "Please God" she silently prayed, "don't let me have an attack now." Why had she refused to let her mother come with her, at least then there would be someone to talk to apart from the snooty receptionist who was eyeing her with ill-disguised contempt? She knew that her appearance was ill-suited to Harley Street but her navy trouser-suit and clean white blouse were the best she could buy on her poor salary and her mother's sacrifice to send her here meant that two train tickets would drain the last of her mother's savings.

The receptionist answered the phone and with a curt "You can go in now" washed her hands of the pitiful mousy blonde with her cheap suit and anxious face. Her mind was on Justin and the fabulous date lined up for tonight in the new wine-bar that had recently opened. She couldn't help looking at herself in the beautiful bronze mirror her hair perfectly arranged and the Versace suit clinging to her body accentuating her curves. With a dismissive glance she soon put the cheap little women out of her thoughts.

Dr Harris stood up to welcome his new patient acutely aware of her fragile condition. He was a kind man despite being forced by his domineering wife to give up general practise to keep her in the luxury she yearned for. If not for his sons…..? The thought was pushed away and bending forwards he took the trembling hands in his own strong grip.
"Good afternoon my dear, you must be Marie Travis" the question was rhetorical he had the bundle of notes on his desk.
"Pleased to met you Dr Harris" her voice betrayed her nervousness.
"Take a seat my dear," he pointed to the comfortable old leather chair taken from his study at home, a legacy of his early years when he was still a struggling young doctor.
Marie lowered herself into the chair a bit relieved by it's battered appearance in the modern surroundings.

"I've had a chance to look at your notes and I find Dr Kingston has a very good understanding of your condition" it wasn't patronising he had a lot of faith in this young GP.
"Yes, he has been kind to me and my family".
"I'm puzzled Marie, can I call you that it's more informal?"
"Thank you Dr Harris I would….um ….feel better about that."
'Poor child he thought to himself, she must be so desperate and confused with the whole experience. His heart sank as he knew he could do little more than her own family doctor'.
"Marie," he tried to sound as gentle as he could given the circumstances, " I am sure you are fully aware of your condition and the limitations it has on your life?"
"I am but I thought, well that is what my mother thinks, you may have some something new, something that will help me to lead a normal life?"

He patted her hand gently knowing full well the conflicting emotions she was going through.
"Narcolepsy is a neurological complaint and I believe the symptoms started when you entered puberty?"
"Yes sir, Dr Kingston has explained it in full. "
"You also know there is no cure, no miracle drug?"
"I thought that there may be new clinical trials and I'm not afraid to try them out, anything to stop this awful life", he cringed at the hope in her voice.
"We are still in the early research stages but I'm afraid it may take many years and could come to nothing" he despised himself for not being able to give her a little more hope.

She bent her head in acknowledgment of what she had known all along. The minutes ticked by with each deep in thought. At last Harris broke the silence,
"How do you get on with the drugs especially the anti-depressants?"
"They control the muscle spasms but I still keep falling asleep at the wrong times and the nightmares are awful, I can't move, I can't speak my brain screams at me but I can't do anything" she was deeply distressed recounting this.
" I see you are taking M……" for the sleep problems and "E………." for the muscles?"
"Yes", she hung her head once more. "But I 'm twenty-three, I don't have any life, no real job just something the jobcentre came up with. I haven't got a boyfriend, I don't have any friends I go nowhere and do nothing just make my mother's life a misery." The tears were flowing fast now and despite all his training Harris felt like crying with her. But there were practicalities, new drugs to try to control the sleeping fits and a lot of advice she had probably heard before.

The session was coming to an end Dr Harris had been very kind but all he could give her was yet another prescription and the silver bangle she would have to wear for life. Marie felt it lock into place, a life-sentence with no reprieve. She would continue to fall asleep in the day, reliving the horrors of dates when she had nodded off during dinners, outings, and films and once even in the middle of a long conversation with a young man who seemed to understand her illness up to that point. Her sole consolation was the money Dr Harris had refunded saying he needed no payment when there was nothing he could do for her. She knew it was a gesture of kindness but she accepted it for the sake of her mother.
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Marie felt the familiar sense of waking from a foggy sleep and wondered what had happened this time. Lifting her heavy head she gazed into a pair of soulful deep brown eyes looking at her with some concern. As her mind started to clear she took in the floppy brown hair of a very handsome young man probably a few years her senior. A distant booming sound echoed in her ears and confused her. She had vague memories of tube stations and sitting up with a jerk tipped cold coffee down her clean white blouse.
"Here, let me do the honours" he said mopping up the coffee with a large white handkerchief, " You must be worn out".
She could now see the table littered with empty Styrofoam cups a testament to her need to stay awake in order to catch her train. This was Paddington Station she realised and automatically looked at her watch. It was 7.10pm and she had missed her train to Bristol by a few minutes. That wasn't so much of a disaster except for the fact that she had missed her connection as well and would be lucky to get home before midnight.
The young man must have seen her worried look, " Have you got far to travel tonight?"
Could she trust him? Suddenly the events of the day caught up with her.
"I can catch the next train but I've missed my connection to Gloucester and the bus home"
" That's a coincidence" he replied, I'm going to Gloucester myself but I missed the train as well", his face was clear of any deceit and suddenly Marie knew why he had missed his train.
"Oh God, you stayed behind to help me!" she was horrified.
His face lit up with a warm smile "It's not often I get to rescue a damsel in distress".
How could she answer that, "I'm so sorry, you should have left me."
"You fainted" the reply came quickly and easily, had he seen the bracelet, if so did he understand what it meant?
But the bracelet was tucked away under the cuffs of her blouse.
"I had a long day" she replied " a job interview that went wrong and a missed meal"
He extended his hand to her "David Thomas, rescuer of damsels in distress and…." With a twinkle in his eye added, " Totally harmless I couldn't even dissect a frog in school."
"Marie Travis, a data-entry clerk and no, I couldn't dissect my worm either" she was beginning to enjoy the light-hearted banter.
"So, Miss Travis, we have nearly half an hour before our next train, can I interest you in a light pub meal they do some good baked potatoes or a baguette which will just give us time to grab a bite to eat?"
'Why not she thought to herself, we'll never met up again" the longing to be normal swept her reservations aside.
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For once Marie was able to stay awake long enough to find out a good deal about David, he lived fairly near to her and had been to London on business. Despite the joke about frogs he was a junior vet in his father's practise and undertook the job of seeking out new drugs and new methods of treatments. As he talked his face lit up with enthusiasm and she didn't have to expand on her own background. There was just one awkward moment when she drifted off for about ten minutes and woke up with her head on David's shoulder but it was an easy thing to say she was tired out from her long day. The difficulty came when they reached Gloucester and her bus was long gone. David insisted on driving her home and she was too weary to argue about it. He had left her on the doorstop with a quick goodbye so why did she yearn for that goodnight kiss?

The next few days were taken up by her part-time boring job and getting used to the new tablets. They left her mouth feeling dry but her own GP was very optimistic about them and answered all the questions she had on side effects. She continued to doze off in work but the episodes were getting less frequent and for once she could see an improvement in her condition.
The next week shattered her illusions when the florist delivered a bunch of red roses with an invitation from David to attend a barn dance with him. Against all reason she wanted to see him again but knew that late nights and alcohol were liable to set off another episode of her Narcolepsy. She held the invitation in her hand for most of the day dreaming about being normal and dancing with David, watching those lively eyes light up with pleasure and the simple things in life. It had been a long time since any man had shown an interest in her and her emotions were running riot.

It took a lot of courage to accept the invitation but she had to see him again even if it was the last time she ever saw him.
Saturday night saw Marie pacing up and down her golden hair freshly styled although she had nodded off briefly under the hairdryer. Her new blue dress echoed the colour of her eyes and her mum had painted her nails a light pink to go with the frosted pink lipstick. She had managed to have a long nap in the day and hoped it would suffice to see her through the night.

The room was humming with anticipation when she arrived with David holding her arm gallantly like a knight out of a fairy tale. His appearance was far from knightly though with a checked shirt and denim jeans but her heart was full and just for one night she vowed to enjoy herself despite her mother's warning and her own trepidation.
She was introduced to David's father, a lean man with the same mop of hair now growing grey. She wanted to ask about his wife but sensed the subject was taboo.
The whole night passed in a blur as she was swung off her feet by so many people but always returned to David and his father Roy. It was easy not to drink any alcohol what with her exertions and the general heat of the place so the ice-cold lemonade went down a treat.

It was nearing midnight and flushed with happiness she allowed somebody to pass her a glass of punch, it was so strong it nearly knocked her off her feet. The band was winding down and now just a few couples were left on the dance-floor holding tightly together as they dreamingly glided around the floor. This was the moment when she knew that she would end up in David's arms and sheer panic drove her to swig another glass of the strong punch.
The dance was everything she had dreamed off as David glided her around the floor with one arm supporting her back and one gently brushing her face in endearment.

Once again she awoke to the concern in his eyes but this time he stooped and kissed her placing feather-light kisses on her eyes, her brow, her hair and then resting briefly on her lips. She was in the back of Roy's land rover and the twinned brown eyes were full of compassion.
Roy spoke first "Marie don't be worried you are safe now and"… He caught his breath.." My wife, David's mother, she passed away many years ago, she had heart problems but never gave up on life".
Now it was David's turn " I'm so sorry Marie, I saw your bracelet but it didn't matter to me. I think I fell in love with you as soon as you awoke and looked into my eyes on Paddington Station. I looked up your illness on the Internet just so I could protect you and go on protecting you as long as you want me to"; the love in his eyes was clear to see.
" Just kiss me again David and this time don't hold back", I promise not to go to sleep on you this time.
Marie closed her eyes but this time it was with ecstasy and as she looked once again into those loving eyes she knew she had come home to stay.

The End. © Lisa Fuller July 2005. Copyright has been verified.

This story took me all day to write as I researched this disabling illness on the Internet and read many lengthy documents pertaining to the effects of Narcolepsy. I dedicate my story to all who suffer any illness that is not understood by our society, there but for the grace of God go I.
LisaX

The rating are for the category, not my story.