Toxic Tales

Blood Red Part 7

I lived on my own in the cottage for the next eight years. To keep food on the table, I got a job working for the kindly shopkeeper, Johanna. I became a part of the community and grew to love everyone who lived there. There were times when I even forgot about the horrible ordeal at the palace.

Still, every now and then, the twisted bodies of my dear friend and husband would come to me in my dreams, usually accompanied by a cackling Snow White, holding an axe in one hand and a fistful of dandelion roots in the other. I sometimes longed to know what had happened to my friends at the palace, and what had become of Snow White. I even thought once or twice about going back in disguise just to see what had happened since I'd left.

Johanna was the only person I shared my story with; she had become like my mother during our years together. She listened with love and sympathy, and assured me that she believed me.

"What I'm amazed about is why they still haven't found you," she said one day while she was preparing the vegetables in the back room of the shop. "The palace isn't very far away, so you think they would've discovered the cottage by now. Perhaps you do still have some friends at that place, dearie, and they convinced the princess to call off the search."

I found hope in these words, and told her my desire to know what had happened after I'd left.

Johanna looked thoughtful for a moment before replying, "Very well. I'll go and see what I can find out."

"What? No, Johanna, I can't ask you to do that, it's too dangerous!"

"Pish-tosh," she said, wiping her hands on her apron. "I'll simply go and pretend I'm looking for a position as a maid. I can leave Herman and the children for two nights. I'll report back to you what I've seen. Can I trust you to run the shop while I'm gone, dear?"

I thanked her profusely and promised to look after everything until she got back.

I waited anxiously for Johanna to return from her journey. When she did come back two days later, she had a harried look on her face that worried me. I ushered her inside to the sitting room behind the shop and helped her remove her cloak; she collapsed into an armchair and quietly asked me to bring her a cup of tea. Once she'd gotten settled and taken a few deep breaths, she looked at me with a mixture of desperation and confusion.

"Oh, my dear," she began, shaking her head while patting my cheek. "Oh, my poor, poor dear—you thank your lucky stars if you never see that terrible place ever again."

"What happened?" I felt terrible for dragging her through this.

Johanna took out her handkerchief and patted her mouth and forehead. "Well, I went in and requested to see Martha, just like you told me. She was nothing like you described her, poor thing...she was a good deal thinner, and her hair had turned white."

I shuddered a little. Martha had always been so robust and healthy.

"She told me almost immediately that I shouldn't even try to look for a position there," she continued. "The whole place has gone straight to hell, all under the rule of that monstrous young woman."

"Snow? Snow White, you mean?"

"Yes. I didn't see the woman, but I did hear her—yelling at some poor old butler for some mistake or other. He came out of the throne room looking as though he'd seen a ghost. Apparently, this princess got married just last year, to some bubble-head-pretty-boy prince who can barely write his own name—she's taken to nick naming him "Charming" or some nonsense like that—and as far as the kingdom goes, she's managed to drive it into the ground. Spending all the citizens' tax money on expensive presents for herself and her husband...ignoring all of her diplomatic responsibilities...Martha told me she tried to leave and find a new position, but Snow White wouldn't have it. Her workers stay with her until they die."

I shuddered again. "This is worse than I imagined. Did Martha say anything else? About the King's death, perhaps?"

Johanna sipped her tea and shook her head. "I asked, but she was brief on the subject. The princess ordered a kingdom-wide search for the killer, but they gave up a few months later, when she became preoccupied with her wedding. Martha, dear soul, knew you were innocent from the start. She's not sure who did kill the King, but she knows it wasn't you."

I thanked Johanna profusely and took over the shop for the rest of the day while she recovered. That night, I went back to the cottage and thought about what I should do next.

I walked up the stairs to my bedroom and looked into the mirror. Despite the years that had gone by, I saw myself exactly as I was when I ran away from the palace eight years ago: a frightened little girl who was too cowardly to confess her sins.

Snow White's wickedness was my responsibility. I knew in my heart that I'd created this monster, and now my task was clear. Snow White had to be stopped.

And I would have to destroy her.