ONCE UPON A TIME, THERE WERE SIX SISTERS, WHO WERE LIVING IN a castle. A witch had cast a spell on them, forcing each of the girls to wear a single colour. Roxanne, the eldest, must always dress in red; Blanche, in white; Dora, in yellow; Violet, as her name implied; Celeste, in blue; and Griselda, which was the youngest, in grey.
The curse also prevented them from going outdoors at night, and it would be broken the moment they got married. Were they to disobey any of these conditions, a bolt of lightning would strike and they would fall dead on the spot.
Dora's room was bigger. It had originally been assigned to Blanche, but the girl in yellow - often gold - had managed to obtain the change. For that reason, and because holding the meeting in her own room would make her feel even more in charge, she did so, as requested by Roxanne.
She decided that, for the moment, the rifle would stay in the closet - handy, but preserving aesthetics, and hidden.
"I've gathered you, against Father's wishes, because our eldest sister has something to tell us. I ask you to be concise when you speak and to remember that both Roxanne and Celeste are suspected of giving in to the witch's protection."
"What?!"
Celeste couldn't believe her ears.
"Listen," said Roxanne, signaling her sister in blue to remain calm. "There's something very important I must tell you. A secret, which, for your own safety, was best for you not to know."
"So, what's changed now? Why are you telling us?" Violet inquired.
"I know what the big secret is. The curse never existed," Dora anticipated dramatically. "Mr. Harris warned me that they'd be using that story. It's what the witch wants us to believe, so that we go out and she can dominate us like she has them… Now that our weddings are so near."
They all looked at Roxanne and then at Celeste, who was exasperated.
"There's a world outside," the latter said, "very different from what we'd thought. And I haven't had time to see almost anything yet… But I've seen and experienced enough to assure you that you… that we must at least consider the possibility that the curse has in fact never been real. Maybe not even the witch."
"How dare you?" shouted Dora. "Why, then, are you still wearing your colours?"
"They're the only clothes we've got!" answered Celeste, with a quick glance at her eldest sister, who knew she was not quite telling the truth.
"I know what this is all about," proclaimed the golden one, recovering her composure. "You don't want to marry Mr. Harris."