Chapter
2
Snow
A small figure, bathed in
moonlight, perched atop the weather-beaten fence. She squinted her eyes,
straining to see into the distance. Flicking her long, raven, black hair over
her shoulder, she hopped to the ground, but crumpled, landing on her tush. Moaning
in pain and frustration, she twisted around and grasped the fence. Pulling
herself back up to standing position, she leaned on the fence.
A few moments before,
Snow had stumbled over a gravestone, which was under a large willow tree. Who puts a headstone way out here? And under
a tree…
Her leg had been twisted
and banged up pretty badly… She had been able to drag herself over to what
looked like a wooden fence.
How was her plan going to
succeed now? She could barely stand on one
leg, let alone two. So much for being free. So much for escaping… She muttered to herself.
In the distance, she
could see the shape of a large farm-house. Taking her cape of, she wrapped it
around her leg. Gritting her teeth and setting her jaw, she tied it tightly in
a knot. She groped around in the darkness until she found a long stick. It was
about 4 feet long and 5 inches thick – perfect for the use of a crutch.
Then slowly and
painfully, she made her way through the fields and approached the farmhouse.
The dim light of a single lantern illuminated the kitchen window. Peeking in,
Snow saw a girl sitting in the fireplace. Her eyes were squinted from the
tedious task which she was working on, and she was hunched over a bolt of
material.
As silently as anyone on
a crutch can, she waddled over to the barn. She quickly opened the door, and
slipped inside.
The smell of animals
greeted her, and she welcomed it. She was out of the wind, and was already
feeling warmer.
There was a shaft of
moonlight shining through the only window; and several moonbeams came through
the crack in the ceiling. Just enough light for her to make out the shape of a
ladder on the far wall. She carefully made her way over to the ladder to
examine it further. She was hoping for a hayloft, in which she could spend the
night in. Snow shifted her gaze upwards, and was not disappointed.
She leaned her crutch
against the wall, where she could use it in the morning. Gripping the ladder
with both hands, she used her strength to inch up the ladder. It was only moments,
but it seemed like hours before she reached the loft. The sweet smell of the
fresh hay and the comforting warmth it brought her helped to relax her battered
body. She felt safe, which was a feeling that she hadn’t felt in months.
Slowly, her eyes closed, and she was soon dreaming of sweet, precious things.
Things that she doubted that she could ever achieve.
***
Snow’s eyes fluttered
open. Light was streaming through the roof and the cracks in the walls. She
bolted upright. She had overslept. Now how was she going to get out of here?
Then she noticed something… There was a girl – the same girl who she had seen
the night before – sitting a few feet away from her.
“Shhh!” the girl said soothingly. “Who are you?” she
whispered.
Snow frantically looked
around. “Are we alone, or are there more?” she asked.
The other girl nodded.
“In complete solitude…” she added dramatically, smiling at her. She was very
pretty. Blond hair, and deep green eyes. “I’m Ella,” she brushed a loose curl
from her eye.
“How do I know I can trust you?” she asked.
“Well, I haven’t told anybody yet, and I’ve been watching
you for quite some time.” Ella replied, smiling warmly. “I promise,” she
paused, “I of all people you can trust.”
“Who owns this property?”
she wondered.
“Technically, I do…” Ella replied. “But my stepmother, Lady
Hesperia, and her daughters, Abigail and Sandra have pretty much taken over…”
“What happened?” Snow inquired, noticing a bruise that
Ella had on her cheek.
“Well, my mother died when I was 12 years of age… My
father remarried, as he thought it was best that I have a mother.” She paused,
painfully. “He died about 2 years ago… I was but 14.”
“I’m sorry,” Snow apologized tenderly. “My mother died
when I was a baby, and my father also remarried. He died shortly after…”
“What happened to your stepmother?” Ella flicked a piece
of straw off of her apron.
Snow’s face hardened at
the mention of her… “She doesn’t fancy me. In fact, she ordered her huntsman to
cut out my heart and bring it back to her.”
Ella’s eyes widened with
shock and horror. “How horrid…” She sighed. “And to think, I thought my
situation is terrible.”
Snow looked puzzled.
“What’s wrong?”
“My stepfamily doesn’t really fancy me either… They’ve
deemed me their workhorse and they abuse me constantly.” She sighed again. “But
I shouldn’t complain. If there is one lesson that my mother taught me, it was
to brace yourself and do what you have to do. After all,” she continued, “they
are my family…”
Snow suddenly snapped out
of a daze. “I should be leaving!” she attempted to stand, but failed miserably.
“Oh, you’re hurt!” Ella said sorrowfully. “What
happened?”
“On my way through the fields which are behind your home,
I stumbled over a headstone,” she winced as Ella started untying the cape. “I
don’t think it’s broken… Just bruised.”
Ella shook her head.
“This is definitely broken.”
“How can you be so sure?” Snow asked, panic rising in her
voice.
“My stepsister – Abigail – broke her ankle a few years
ago… She was prancing around in ridiculously heeled shoes, and she fell over a
chair leg.” She carefully rubbed the bruise. “Since the family had little money
at that time, I, of course, was the one to tend to her.”
Hot tears began to form
in Snow’s eyes and soon spilled out onto her cheeks. “How can I travel on a
broken ankle…?” she moaned, more to herself than to Ella.
“You’re not,” Ella got to her feet. “You’re going to stay
right here.”
“But I can’t!” Snow protested. “What if they find me?
You’ll be in serious trouble… and besides, I can’t just ask you to take care of
me for 6 weeks, or however long it will take for it to heal.”
“8 weeks… And I don’t recall you asking me. I think I
volunteered,” she smiled softly. “I have to make breakfast for my family now…”
She walked over to the ladder. “Just sit tight in here for the time-being, I’ll
be up afterward. And I’ll have food for you.” She began the dismount. “I will
also set your ankle while I’m up here later.”
“What if they find me?” Snow asked.
“They won’t… I’m the only one who comes to the barn.”
And with that, Ella was
gone.
Snow sighed with relief.
Not only did she have a place to stay and recover for the time being, she also
had a new friend. And she had never had a friend before.
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