She'd have done anything to be picked as Lord Lloyd-Webber's Nancy. Queued for hours to get into the auditions but was rejected as too young. Same thing with Maria, and too old for Dorothy or the dozens of Matildas that came along later. Frustrated, she restricted her singing to the occasional karaoke competition just to remind herself that she did have a talent.
Long after she swore she'd never join the cattle market that was the X Factor auditions, she was scrolling through her Facebook updates and there it was, her dream job:
‘Promoted by Princess Parties: Can you sing like a Disney Princess? Do you love kids and want to earn a second income? Click here!’
She sailed through the audition and turned up for Princess Practice that weekend. It was all quite straightforward - parents with more money than patience booked a 'Disney Princess' to entertain at their kid's party. Singing talent was a bonus but mainly it was crowd control.
Home exhausted after her first booking she snapped. She just wanted to make some money from her talent and, yes, get some recognition. How had it come to this? She didn't sleep that night. By morning she'd come up with her action plan.
The next party would be her swan song and to make sure people remembered her name she was going to take everyone with her. It shouldn't take the investigators long to spot the method. Just a slight change to the plot of Sleeping Beauty - all the little darlings joining her to take a special sleeping potion, but the twist is they'll never wake up.
Tiny twinge of conscience about the distraught parents. Anyone's little one off to a party this weekend? It could be you.
FlashFlood is brought to you by National Flash-Fiction Day UK, happening this year on 27th June 2015.
In the build up to the day we have now launched our Micro-Fiction Competition (stories up to 100 words) and also our annual Anthology (stories up to 500 words). So if you have enjoyed FlashFlood, why not send us your stories?
More information about these and the Day itself available at nationalflashfictionday.co.uk. 
Our event could not have gone more smoothly. Huge thanks to the amazing managers at convention center for their consummate professionalism and outstanding hospitality. We look forward to many more years at this lovely place.
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