Status: On A Brief Hiatus

Snow White

Seven Dwarves

I looked out the window to see the sun setting against the horizon before turning and walking back to the fireplace and stirring up the vegetable soup I was making. The smell wafted up to me and my mouth watered, but I had to wait until the seven men came home until I could eat it. I had to make a good impression and hope they took pity on me.

“Did you leave a fire in the fireplace when we left, Adam?” a gruff voice asked.

“No,” I heard what sounded like a young man’s voice answer. Suddenly the door swung open and seven children-no, dwarves-walked in. They started to head to the kitchen when they caught sight of me. Some of them yelled in surprise and alarm.

“What are you doing here? Who are you?” one of them asked, with an angry look on his face. He was the only one who appeared to be angry, most of them looked either shocked or curious.

“I’m sorry I intruded in your house, but I was lost in the woods and I came upon this place and well…I was so exhausted and hungry I just had to come in, but I cleaned the house for you while I was here,” I explained.

“Why?” the youngest one asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I was hoping I might stay here for a while in exchange for cooking and cleaning? Please, I have no where else to go,” I practically begged them. They all gave each other a look before turning back to me. The oldest looking one stepped up.

“You still haven’t told us who you are,” he said suspiciously.

“My name is Snow White.” Their eyes suddenly widened with shock and they began whispering to each other.

“Wait! Snow White, as in, the princess Snow White?” asked the oldest and I nodded.

“What were you doing wandering out in the woods by yourself?” the grumpy one asked in an accusing voice.

“I was running away from my stepmother, the queen.”

“Why?” the youngest one asked.

“She tried to kill me,” I said softly. Their eyes all widened even more in surprise.

“Tried to kill you?! Why?” one with a big belly and laugh lines on his forehead asked.

“She was jealous because my beauty exceeded her own, and she wanted to be the fairest in the land,” I said.

“Then of course you may stay here as long as you like. We would never turn away a stranger in need, especially a lady,” the oldest one said, taking a step forward and wrapping his hands around mine.

“You said you cooked and cleaned?” the grumpy one asked, his expression slowly becoming more relaxed.

I nodded. “Thank you all, so much!” I exclaimed.

“Now, what is that smell? I am famished,” the oldest said with a kind smile.

“Oh, that’s the soup. It should be ready in a few minutes. You’ll find all the dishes washed, dried and in the cupboard.”

They all smiled before walking over to the dinner table while the oldest got the bowls and silverware and set them out for each one of them, and even a special plate for me at the end of the table.

I walked over to the soup simmering in the cauldron over the fireplace and tasted it before calling out, “Soup’s ready!”

The dwarves picked up their bowls and I gave each of them a serving before the oldest handed me my bowl after I filled his. By the time I sat down at the table half of them were almost done and ready for seconds.

“You never introduced yourselves,” I told them and they all stopped eating to look up at me.

“How rude of us,” the oldest said, putting his spoon down. “My name is Harold.”

“I’m Luke,” the one next to Harold said, blushing and twiddling his thumbs.

“I’m Paul,” the one next to Luke said with a yawn.

“Harry,” the grumpy one said curtly.

“My name is Aaron,” the one with the big belly and laugh lines said, sending me a beaming smile.

“I’m-achoo!” he grabbed a napkin and wiped his nose before continuing. “George.”

“My name is Adam,” the youngest one finished.

“Nice to meet you all,” I said with a smile. They all nodded before digging into the food once again. After dinner was over I cleaned up the dishes while the dwarves sat by the fireplace and smoked their pipes. I could hear bits and pieces of their conversation from the kitchen.

“…Poor girl…”

“…Stepmother might find out she is alive…come looking here for her…”

“…Never turned away a stranger…certainly not going to start now!”

When I finished up the dishes I walked into the living room and the chatter died down.

“Now, my dear, can you tell us your story?” Harold asked kindly, gesturing towards an empty seat on the couch next to Adam.

“Well, it happened exactly like I said, my stepmother became jealous and tried to kill me, twice actually. Once she tried to stab me, but Henry walked in just in time and-”

“Wait, who’s Henry?” Aaron asked.

“Oh, he’s the queen’s huntsman and my dearest friend,” I said and I couldn’t help the smile that spread across my face. When the dwarves saw this smirks appeared on each of their faces and they all gave each other a knowing look.

“What?” I asked.

“Tell us about this Henry,” Aaron prodded.

“Well, he’s eighteen and he’s the only one who calls me Snow. He’s a very skilled hunter-” I began, but Adam cut me off.

“Are you two in love?” he asked eagerly. My eyes immediately dropped to the ground and I could feel my face heating up at the question.

“Well…” I began, but they already seemed to know the answer just by the expression on my face.

“I knew it!” Luke exclaimed, but then blushed and quieted down when everyone turned to look at him.

“Well, what happened the second time your stepmother tried to kill you?” Harold asked.

“She told Henry to take me to the meadow and kill me, and then to bring my lungs and liver back to her.” They all gasped at this and leaned forward in their seats.

“And what happened then?” Adam asked impatiently.

“He told me to run. He said he would find a boar and kill it and bring the lungs and liver of the pig back to my stepmother so she would think I was dead and I would be safe,” I explained.

“How long are you gonna be staying here?” Harry asked with a frown, and all the other dwarves turned to glare at him.

“You hush! She can stay as long as she needs too!” Harold huffed at Harry before turning back to me.

“It’s about time for us to get to bed,” Paul interrupted with a yawn and all the dwarves nodded in agreement.

“Wait, where is Snow White gonna sleep?” Aaron asked as they all stood up.

“Oh…hm. Well, she can sleep in one of our beds and one of us can sleep on the couch down here,” Harold finally said.

“Oh, and you don’t have to if it is an inconvenience-” I started to protest, but Harold held up his hand.

“Nonsense. You have done so much for us already, we want to make sure you are comfortable here,” he said.

“I’ll do it!” Adam volunteered with a smile. “I have always wondered what it is like to sleep on the couch.”

“Alright, then it’s settled,” Aaron said with a clap of his hands. They all shuffled up the stairs and I was about to follow when Adam’s soft voice called me back.

“Yes?” I asked, sitting down next to him.

“Do you ever think you’ll see Henry again?” he asked.

“I hope I do,” I answered before giving him a smile and walking up the stairs to the last bedroom at the end of the hall. I climbed into the bed and had to curl up in a ball so my feet wouldn’t hang off the end, then I fell into a deep sleep. I dreamed of a meadow with wildflowers and Henry standing there in front of me, so close our lips could touch if I just leaned forward…

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I walked past the queen’s bedroom on my way to my chambers and heard two voices talking inside. My curiosity got the best of me and I leaned up against the door, pressing my ear to it.

“Mirror, mirror, on the wall, now who in the land is the fairest of them all?” she asked with a smug tone.

“You my queen are fair, it is true, but the young Snow White is still a thousand times fairer than you,” a man’s voice answered.

“No, impossible! I ate her lungs and liver tonight for dinner. She is dead!” she declared.

“The young Snow White is indeed still alive. She lives beyond in the dark forest, in the house of those who give her room and food,” the man’s voice answered. My eyes widened. Oh, no! Now the queen would go after Snow White!

“Wait…whose lungs and liver was I eating if Snow White is still alive?” she gasped and a minute later a terrible scream echoed through the halls. I quickly looked around before I darted behind a drapery hanging on the wall that went all the way down to the floor.

“Huntsman!” I heard her screech a moment later as her door flew open. I had to warn Snow White before the queen could find her! Suddenly the drapery fell down and I saw the queen standing in front of me, an evil sneer on her face and a fire burning in her eyes.

“Huntsman! You will pay for this trickery!” she bellowed before calling for the guards. I tried to run but the guards appeared at each end of the hall and surrounded me. They grabbed my arms and twisted them behind my back before dragging me back before the queen.

“What should we do with him, your majesty?” one of the asked.

“Throw him in the dungeon. Once I kill Snow White I want him to see her dead body.”

“Yes, your majesty.” They started to drag me away but the queen held up her hand, stopping them.

“Oh, and one more thing,” she added, sending me a merciless smirk. “Execute his entire family right in front of his eyes.”
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This story is going by fast, and I just want you guys to know the story's not gonna end when she's woken up with a kiss. It'll go a little longer than that, and it'll be more action-packed! =)