How Snow White Met Rapunzel

The forest is a great place to hide, if you are running away from you evil stepmother, that is.

Kendra, a fifteen-year-old who unfortunately angered her stepmother, flees for her life deep into the forest. Poor Kendra cries as the sound of her stepmother's horse became fainter and fainter. Stepmother's gonna kill me.

Finding a bush good enough to hide her, she waits behind it until the horse's footsteps disappear. Instead, it went louder and louder, making goosebumps appear on Kendra's pale skin.

"Kendra~," a woman's voice says. "Where are you, my darling?"

Kendra covers her mouth, making sure that her breath couldn't be heard. She knows that once her stepmother hears her, she's as dead as a rat in a mousetrap.

"If you won't come out now, I won't give you your favorite cookies~" The aura became darker. "FiNE tHen yOu cAn't ReTurN hOme."

As the horse's footsteps began to disappear, Kendra slowly steps out behind the bush. Relieved, she sighs and studies the environment around her.

It is a typical forest. The grass and leaves are in a beautiful shade of green. The flowers are swaying slowly as rabbits hop into their burrows. There are ladybugs and butterflies resting on plants. Up above, the sun is shining as birds flew. It is a beautiful sight to see.

But what is this strange thing that this girl is feeling? It's like she heard about this forest from a book she once read. Or she heard it from someone.

Kendra slowly walks deeper into the woods, keeping guard. Her ordinary village maiden clothes are torn and muddy. She stops for a moment to take out a pocket knife. She begins to cut her dress short until its skirt is below her knees. Satisfied, she continues her journey into the forest.

"Hello, human!"

Kendra looks down and sees a squirrel looking at her with its beady eyes. Startled, she steps back a little before sitting down to talk to it. "And I thought princesses are the only ones who can talk to animals."

The squirrel nods. "I found it strange too." It points at a cottage. "It's getting dark. Do you want to spend the night in my master's cottage? I'm sure he'll understand. Besides, you look pretty tired and famished."

Kendra thought about it. Well, I want an adventure, don't I? She smiles. "Sure, lead the way."

"Good evening sir! May I spend the night here?"

An old man with a long beard stares at Kendra for a few seconds before inviting her in. "My squirrel led you here?"

"Yes sir," Kendra says. "The squirrel said you are kind."

The old man chuckles. "You don't need to call me 'sir'. 'Hermit' is what they call me."

"Okay, Hermit."

The Hermit points at a mat. "Rest for tonight. I don't sleep anyway."

"You don't sleep? Are you one of those magical creatures?"

"Yes, I guess? Anyways, just rest for now."

Kendra still doubts her safety in the cottage. Yes, it looks like an ordinary hone, but the fireplace made her question her trust for the old man. The Hermit notices, and he rolled his eyes. "Magical creatures like me can't stand the cold, you know?" He looks out the window. "I'm not one of the Snow Queen's servants or whatever." He squinted. "She cursed this place."

"The Snow Queen did?"

"Apparently, she locked a girl here. She cursed the poor girl, you know?" The Hermit readies himself to meditate. "Rest. You must be tired."

The next morning, Kendra continued her journey after eating breakfast with the Hermit. He warned her not to go near any sign of snow. The young lady took his warning seriously and waved goodbye.

After hours of walking, a sign appears before her. It is illegible, probably from decades ago. The only word she could make out is "beware".

Beware of what? Kendra asks herself. Is there something like a dragon or something? She giggles. I hope not. Dragons are extinct centuries ago-

Wait, it can't be.

A balete tree stood tall, no bird daring to touch it. Its aerial roots are swaying slowly, revealing a grassland behind it. Kendra walks around the balete once, but there is no grassland behind it.

This is like a portal, huh? She smiles. This is a good day for an adventure.

Moments later, Kendra finds herself in a beautiful grassland where a tall tower stands. Its red roof shining as the sunlight hits it. Curious, Kendra looks around to find a ladder that may help her climb it. There's none.

Disappointed, Kendra decides to leave when steps on something that made her stumble. She investigates it and finds a trapdoor handle. She pulls it up and finds an underground passageway. She takes out her flashlight and turns it on. She jumps into the underground to explore, not knowing that someone is watching her.

The underground passageway is as dark as a rabbit hole. If it weren't for the flashlight, everything would be pitch black. At the end of it, there is a ladder for going up. She climbs it until she reaches the topmost part. She pushes a plank of wood to make way for her. She goes into the new room and sees a beautiful sight.

There is a girl with long blonde hair which is as long as a kilometer. She wears a flower crown that made butterflies go near her. Her lips are cherry pink. She was looking out of the tower's window when Kendra saw her.

"Who are you?" the girl asks. "How did you...?"

"Kendra. That's my name," Kendra replies, still in awe of the beautiful girl in front of her. "Who are you, whose beautiful emerald eyes capture my heart?"

The girl smiles. "Elaine. I am Elaine." She silently observes Kendra's features. "You're not a man. I thought typical fairytale 'knight in shining armors' are male."

"Hey! Don't underestimate me!" Kendra pouts. "I can be stronger than those men, you know!" She returns to her normal state. "Did the Snow Queen lock you up here?"

Elaine nods. "She's been dead for three days and I'm trying to escape." She looks at Kendra with puppy eyes. "Can you let me go with you?"

Kendra takes Elaine's right hand. "Let's go now then! What are you waiting for?"

Elaine lets herself be dragged by Kendra. A tear falls down her face. "Thank you, Kendra."

The two girls went down the ladder which Kendra used. Elaine begins to lament about how stupid she is not to find the ladder. Elaine had to go down first because of her hair. The two then began their adventure to who knows where. Besides, this is the start of their not ordinary fairy tale story.

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Hey guys! Weird story, isn't it? Well, this is a short story, after all! A very short story. Meep. Please vote if you liked the story!