She could hear their voices echoing through the woods, coming from the direction of the Mines. She began to panic, hiding the small piece of metal she had been slowly sharpening on the stones of the fireplace in the folds of her dress. She hurriedly stood up and picked up a broom, plastering the welcoming smile on her face that she has been feigning for weeks. Perhaps months.
It was hard to keep track of time in the ramshackle cabin she had become a prisoner in. Some days, she wished she hadn't run away from the Queen and allowed herself to be killed for her beauty. She sought asylum with the seven 'kindly' dwarves, and instead she found herself a slave.
She spent her days cleaning everything in sevens. Wash seven plates, make seven beds, tend to seven pairs of torn socks. Every night once she had fed her friends turned captors, she would sweetly ask to be allowed outside.
"Oh, Snow, don't you know... The Queen was spotted nearby."
It came in chorus every time. Followed by a hellish musical number that she would inwardly grimace for, as she clapped her hands and pretended to enjoy the dissonance.
How they never saw the poison under her smile, the disdain, she would never know. They were fools, but they were cunning. And exceedingly wealthy. And exceedingly filthy.
Each night they would return with sacks of jewels from the Mines that they would toss to the floor like rubbish. She had begun to take small handfuls of them and hiding them in places they would never look. Like in the tubs for the washing.
She heard the light patter of their small feet coming down the path. It was a nightmarish parade, all of them in single file, whistling happily as they piled into the house.
She placed the broom against the wall and set her jaw, swallowing the nausea and loathing she felt. She twisted her lips into a jovial grin and flitted to the door, swinging it open.
"Welcome home!" she sang out, leaning down to kiss each of the grimy, gritty, dwarves that reeked of sweat and earth. She palmed the metal scrap under her apron, fighting herself. It wasn't time yet.
Another night passed, she sang and danced with her prison guards, washing up after dinner, and tucked them in. A horrible charade of camaraderie, another kiss on seven filthy cheeks. As they all snored loudly, she sat in the corner, unable to sleep.
She was going to be free before sunrise even if it killed her.
She watched the sky begin to turn to a light blue through the solitary window over the wash bins. She stood silently, creeping over to them and began to remove the precious stones she had hidden away. She dropped them one by one into a satchel she had fashioned from stained threadbare socks.
She removed the sharpened metal shard from her dress and palmed it viciously, prepared to use it if she must. She would no longer be a captive to Queens or Dwarves alike. She was a princess turned prisoner turned predator and she was hunting her freedom.
As she turned to leave, she gathered one last thing. A small bundle of food containing a meager loaf of bread and a mysterious apple that she had found resting by the fires dying ashes the previous day.
She crept to the door, stepping as quickly as she dared, moving swiftly past the rows of beds. She pulled gently on the handle. Sweat formed on her brow, anticipation like little birds fluttering in her chest as she felt the door give and begin to open silently. Soon, there was enough room for her to squeeze through. As she maneuvered herself into the ajar entry, she heard a terrible sound.
The sound of her bag filled with Jewels catching on the jagged door. Soon the dead silent room was filled with the sound of hard, precious stones scattering and bouncing across the cobblestone floor, followed by the sound of seven dwarves being startled awake.
She panicked, wrenching her body, trying to get through before they had her in their protective grasp. She quickly moved the piece of metal and desperately began to cut at the ties on the gem bag around her waist. She gasped as she felt a small hand on her hip.
"Snow, where do you go?"
The voice of Grumpy floated up to her with an accusatory tone.
With a scream, she brought the makeshift knife down with fierce determination, driving it hard in the dark. She heard a warbling scream and felt a warm gush wash over her fingers. She released the metal, throwing her body through the door in abject horror and tumbling onto the ground outside.
She took a moment and looked up at the front of the cabin, smiling with a disturbing sense of satisfaction at the sounds of agony. She heard the others coming to Grumpy's aid and scrambled for the spilled satchel of food, crawling and rising to her feet.
She ran through the woods long after the sun had risen, heading for a mountain that loomed in the distance. Before noon she had reached the base of the monolithic peak and she began to climb until she reached the gaping maw of a cave nestled into the side.
Exhausted, but elated, she crawled into the opening of the cave and surveyed the landscape that sprawled out before her. In the distance she could see both of her former homes, the castle, and the speck of a cabin in the trees.
For the first time in her life, she was absolutely free.
Snow reached her bloodstained hand into the small bag and retrieved the mysterious apple. She had saved it for exactly this moment. Imagining how much sweeter the fruit would taste while eaten in victory.
She sat down and dangled her feet over the stone ledge, looking over the vast valley below and took a hungry bite of the apple. Her eyes roamed across the treeline and back to the castle. Next, she was going to face her evil stepmother and take her rightful place in the kingdom.
Suddenly, everything seemed to get large and small all at once, awash with a vibrating colour she felt as much as saw. Cheeks faded and the poor girl felt tired, so very tired. She looked down at the missing bite of the apple to see a sickly oily liquid oozing from the core. It stank of The Queen. She.. She had left the apple.
"... That.. Bitch!"
Snow felt the mountain turn on its head and the world spin out under her. She weaved, bobbed, and tumbled from the ledge of the cave, soaring down to the ground like a pebble. She landed with a crack on the rocky surface below. She stared up into the trees blurring above and let out a rattling gasp.
Even in this moment, as the light dimmed from her eyes and her body lay broken and fractured at the base of the ridge, The Mirror whispered.
In the castle miles to the East, the Queen once more heard the words that had driven her to madness over the years. But this time, they were said with infinite, unwavering finality.
Me and my ghost writing companion had a great time creating this piece for you!
I hope you have a fantastic day and look forward to your feedback regarding the story we lovingly crafted from the oddest of places, a creative writing prompt from reddit.
I hope you find it worthy and again look forward to your comments in the section below.
Also, stay tuned for the continuation of Eternal Witness coming very soon!
Much love, @SammoSK and Company. <3
