Snow White: Love

2

He swings a punch towards me, but I dodge it easily. I swing my sword in return, slicing through his chest.

He falls down to his knees and looks up at me in shock.

“Goodbye, King Grimclaw,” I tell him.

And then I stab him again.

And again.

Until he doesn’t move anymore.

I stand there for a moment and stare at the body that lies in front of me. He is dead. I did it.

And then I run. I run out of the room, out of the castle, and out into the forest.

I run until I can’t breathe anymore, until my body feels as if it has given up on me and can go no more. And then I collapse down on the ground.

* * *

I am not sure how long I have been lying there, but I hear the rustling of branches. I try to sit up, but my body feels too weak and sore. I look around me and see that I am completely alone.

I lay there, fighting the pain and the tears that come with it.

And then I hear another noise.

Footsteps.

I am scared.

They are coming for me. I am alone in the woods and they will kill me.

I close my eyes and try not to listen to the noise, but then I hear them again. Closer now.

I open my eyes to find a dwarf standing in front of me.

He looks like a man, but is much shorter. He has long, thick hair and a beard to match. His eyes are blue, and his smile is warm.

He bends down next to me and looks at my body.

“I can help you,” he says in his deep voice. “Come with me.”

I stare at him for a few moments, wondering if I should trust him. But then I look at his face and decide I do. He looks kind and honest, not like the monsters that just attacked me.

So I nod, and he bends down towards me. He picks me up and cradles me in his arms, as if I were a child. He walks through the woods and I see we are not alone. He is one of seven.

They all smile at me, and one of them picks me up out of my dwarf’s arms.

“Don’t worry,” he tells me. “We’re here to help you.”

He takes me to their home, a small house they built on their own. It has only one room, but it has a bed and a place to eat. I feel grateful.

“You are safe here,” the dwarf tells me, the one who found me in the woods. “The King will not come looking for you here.”

“Thank you,” I reply. “Thank you for saving me.”

He smiles and nods his head.

“We’ve been watching you,” he says. “We saw what they did to you.”

“Why didn’t you stop them?” I ask.

“We couldn’t,” he replies. “Not until we had enough men.”

“But why help me now?” I ask. “Why save my life?”

“Because you deserve to be safe,” he tells me. “And we can help you.” He pauses for a moment, as if unsure of his next move. “We have to take you away from the King,” he says.

“What?” I ask, shocked.

“You have to be safe from the King, and we can’t protect you here,” he explains. “But we know a place where you can live in safety.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“With us,” he replies.

I stare at them all for a moment, not sure of my next move. But then I realize I have none. If the King finds me here, he will kill me. And if these men want to help me, I have to accept their help.

So I nod.

“Okay,” I tell them. “Okay. I will go with you.”

They smile and thank me. They take me in their arms again and carry me away from the woods, away from the castle and away from danger.

They take me to a small, secluded cottage, one they have built themselves. Inside, I see that it is warm and welcoming. It is not big, but it is enough. They all sleep in the same room, on mattresses they have laid on the floor. They eat at a small table that has been placed in the corner of the room. There is also a closet where they keep their belongings.

One of the dwarves shows me to the closet and then takes out a dress that belongs to him.

“Wear this,” he tells me.

I take the dress and thank him. I walk into the bathroom and take off my clothes, putting the dress on instead. It hangs down on me, much too big for my body. But it’s better than wearing my old clothes.

I walk back into the room, and they all stare at me.

“You’re so beautiful,” one of them says. And then they all laugh.

“I’m sorry,” the one who showed me the closet says to me. “Don’t mind them, they are drunk.”

I smile and walk over to them. They make space on one of the mattresses and I lay down, my head on one of their shoulders. They stroke my hair and I relax into their arms.

It feels nice to be taken care of, to have people watch over me for once.

“Thank you,” I tell them before I fall asleep. “For taking care of me.”