Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Disney Version's Remake) [COMPLETE]

Chapter 4: The Forest and the Cottage

Snow White wondered if night had already fallen as she wandered through the suffocating expanse of mist and trees.

Even when her eyes adjusted to the dark, she still found it difficult to manoeuvre through the terrain. She kept getting whacked in the face and arms by branches that seemingly came out of nowhere. Snow White ignored the stings and pushed on through.

All the while, her mind was plagued by the words the Huntsman had said; about her stepmother wanting her dead, about the castle in Germonia she knew she could never return to again, and most importantly... about her father.

What would the King think if he learned that his daughter and only child had mysteriously disappeared? What would the Queen tell him? If the Huntsman's plan worked and the Evil Queen was fooled into believing Snow White was dead, would she tell the King that his daughter died in some horrible accident? Or maybe the Queen would keep the King in the dark and not say anything at all; make him believe that Snow White was still safe and sound in the castle.

The thought of it all made Snow White sick, and she occasionally cursed her stepmother's name. "I should've known," she said to herself at one point while leaning against a massive tree. "I should've known she would do something like this, after everything else she's done! How could I have been so blind?" She knew it was foolish to blame herself for overlooking her stepmother's madness, especially in her current situation. But with no one to talk to, Snow White debated again and again with her thoughts, wondering if she could've done something to avoid all of this.

Unfortunately, the Dark Forest would not let the princess rest.

Something screeched from above, and Snow White glanced up just in time to duck from an owl's incoming talons. It swooped right over her, and Snow White took off before it could come around for another pass.

The further she went, the more Snow White got this uneasy feeling that she was being watched. Everywhere she looked, she swore she saw glowing eyes watching her from the shadows. The princess suddenly wished she had asked for a weapon to defend herself with, but then she remembered that the Huntsman had only brought his dagger – the one that nearly killed her – and Snow White thought better of it.

This is crazy, she thought, wincing from a snag in her sleeve. I don't even know where I'm going!

Snow White had tried going west when she first entered the forest, but without the sun or stars to guide her, she had lost all sense of direction since. It was so dark here, she couldn't even tell if it was day or night! The ground was obscured with a thick layer of grey mist, which never parted whenever Snow White took a step, so she couldn't see any animal tracks.

She eventually came up to a small clearing where a large, hollow tree stood. The whole truck had been cracked in two, making it look like a giant sleeping with it's mouth open. Snow White peered inside, and then leapt back when she saw a dark hole covered with slime and cobwebs, leading straight down into nothingness.

The princess shivered, ashamed that she was letting this horrible place get to her. "I can get through this", she said to herself softly, careful not to spook anything that might lurk nearby. "I just need to find a safe place to rest. Maybe the sun will eventually come up."

Florian had always been the brave one, even while the two of them were growing up. Thinking of him gave Snow White the confidence boost she needed to keep going.

Suddenly, a howling wind blew about the clearing like a blood-curdling shriek. Snow White was so startled that she inadvertently backed away towards the broken tree... and right into the gaping hole.

Snow White flailed her arms out to grasp anything that could stop her fall, but she only managed to grab a thin branch that snapped right off. Snow White screamed as she tumbled through the empty expanse...