THRICE Upon a Time...

3. ESCAPE!!

Snow White's Tale:

Sneezy blew his nose viciously on a piece of autumn leaf flapping by. Bashful wiped his red eyes on his sleeve. Dopey sat sadly on the grass, his pointy purple hat drooping. Grumpy folded his arms with a shudder, and Happy was---well, not really happy anymore.

"T-that stupid little ma'am!" Doc stammered, pushing Sleepy, who was muttering nightmares, off of his shoulder. "I-I t-told her! What did I tell her?? I even w-wrote her notes!"

Snow White lay in a delicate white coffin with a thin glass panel as the cover. Her bright, shining brown eyes were shut, and she lay as still and alive as stone. 

"That wicked, blasted old witch of a step-mother!" Grumpy howled. "Damn her to hell!"

"HIC!" Dopey hiccuped, and then he was off into tears again.

The dwarfs had come back to their cottage to a horrific sight. Their beloved, forgetful Snow White lay dead on the floor, half a dark shining apple in her nails.

She was dead. Snow White was dead.

The dwarfs could not stand to have their Snow White buried in black, dirty earth, so they lay her gently in a glass coffin and carried it to the top of an mountain. There they sat, morning and crying for the third day in a row.

By chance, at that very moment, the well-loved and respected King Dortman's son, Prince Winston, was passing through the forest on his mighty black horse.

Prince Winston was a real 'lady's man'. He went out with all the woman in the world, and they ran after him like a herd of demented sheep.

Today, he was out in search of a good slinky fox to shoot and skin as a birthday present for his mother.

As Prince Winston glanced fearlessly around, he suddenly heard the faint rustle of leaves. His irresistible blue eyes brightened. Finally, something to shoot!

He jumped noiselessly off his horse and slowly pulled out his rifle, reloading it quietly. He creeped forward, pushing away branches carefully. The rustling noises grew louder.

Prince Winston's ears perked up. He was sure that he had heard the murmur of voices. He took a few steps forward. There is was! Clear as day. 

It was the voice of an old man, deep and sorrowful. "...that stupid, stupid woman...." the man seemed to say.

"Wasn't she? Oh, but how I miss her!" another voice wailed. And then another. And another. And another and another.

SEVEN old man in the forest! Wailing about the same woman! Prince Winston dropped his rifle to his side and ventured more casually forward.

The dwarfs stopped talking when the prince appeared. He was handsome, with striking deep blue eyes and short blonde hair.

"Waddup bro!" Prince Winston laid out his hand for the dwarfs to smack. The dwarfs blinked.

"Ain't you all a shorty?" the prince cackled, ruffling Grumpy's hair. Grumpy snarled. "Real temper too." Prince Winston grinned. "Now, where's the pretty lady you were all whining 'bout, eh?" the glass coffin reflected off the sun, as if winking, inviting the prince. Prince Winston strolled over and bent over the coffin.

Snow White lay inside, her blood red lips slightly apart, her ebony black hair still spread like ink around her snow white face. She was still beautiful, and the very sight of her made Prince Winston's knees weak.

"Say...what's up with her?" Prince Winston asked casually.

"S-snow White?" Dopey garbled, sniffing. "She's died. Oh, SNOW WHITE! DEAD! DEAD!!"