Snow White and the Huntsman: Revenge From the Grave

Chapter 4

Snow was running through the dark forest as fast as she could. Her beautiful new lavender gown was destroyed by filth and grime as she slipped, slid, and clawed her way from one muck hole to the next. She could finally see breaks in the dense fog as the sunlight tried to penetrate the eerie atmosphere marking the border of the vile place as close by. If she could just reach the sun on the other side she knew she would be safe. Pulling herself free from another sink hole, Snow lifted the heavy, wet remains of her skirt ready to make a break for the daylight ahead. She bolted as fast as her legs could carry her, tree limbs tripping her up so that she went down, her hands scraping the ground as rocks and sticks dug into the tender skin of her palms and her knees where her dress rode up in the fall offering little or no protection. Scrambling back to her feet, she took three running strides and was yanked backwards by her hair, with so much force she thought part of her scalp had detached. A long painful scream followed her down as she was thrown to the ground and someone was atop her, straddling her as she tried to hit, scratch and bite to be free. Large hands ripped at her bodice rendering the material to expose her flesh underneath. She stopped fighting to cover herself and Finn's cruel face gazed down at her vain attempt to hide herself from him. Snow was crying and pleading with him but her voice fell on deaf ears as his face descended to hers in a drooling wet kiss, his tongue scraping across half her face before finding her lips. Snow spat in his face and earned herself a hard smack across the cheek making her ears rang and her vision go fuzzy for a few seconds. Finn began yanking Snow's mired dress up her legs, taking advantage of her temporary confusion to the fullest. As soon as his hands reached under her dress to grab at her flesh Snow went crazy. Pulling his hair, trying to scratch out his eyes, leaving a wicked looking scrape down his face, all the while she was screaming, "Stop!... Please!...Please don't do this... please..." her voice shook and cracked violently.

"Snow! Snow! Wake up! Shhhh... Sweetheart please! Please wake up!" The sincere tone of his voice finally broke through the terror of the nightmare and Snow shot straight up in bed, sobbing.

Strong hands released her wrists where she had been fighting him in her sleep, and muscular arms wrapped her in a protective embrace that she gladly sunk into. She let his soft, soothing sounds continue to lull her as she continued to cry in his arms. "It's ok, shhhh... you're safe now... nothing is ever going to harm you again... I swear it... shush now... sleep... just sleep..."

Snow continued to cry for a few more minutes, until her cries receded into small hiccups and sniffles, and she slowly fell into a more easy slumber wrapped in the shielding embrace. Her fingers wrapped tightly in his shirt even in sleep, as though to reassure herself he wasn't going anywhere.

Eric had needed to stretch his legs from sitting on the floor so he had been wandering the downstairs when he heard Snow start screaming. He had sprinted to the top of the stairs taking two of them at a time, and bolted down the hall to her chamber. He skidded to a halt in the doorway as the sight of William holding Snow in his arms greeted him. He watched in quiet fury with a clenched jaw as William's voice calmed and soothed her to sleep. Eric's own hands made tightly coiled fists at his sides as he watched Snow curl her fingers into William's shirt just before drifting back to sleep. He stood helpless at the sight of Snow in William's arms as the lout cradled her, placing soothing kisses on her forehead and cheeks.

When Eric was sure she was sound asleep he crossed the room to stand at the foot of the bed and stare down William. William just glanced up at him mildly without saying anything.

In a furious whisper Eric called him out, "I think you can get out now. She is asleep."

William looked Eric in the face and pointedly looked down at Snow's hands wrapped in his shirt and her head on his chest. "I don't think she wants me to go anywhere, besides I don't want to disturb her by moving her about." He quietly whispered back and simply looked back at Snow while gently laying his chin on the top of her head.