Wow, this is turning out to be more of a book. Well, I started, so I suppose I'll finish. Here's section four. Maybe I'll make a little short, paperback book out of it when I'm finished! *we'll see.*

I walked outside and heard Mike and Snapgul,‭ ‬talking by the gate.‭ ‬I walked towards them,‭ ‬smiling in the warm sunshine and feeling my bare toes in the dirt.

‭ “‬Are you ready to go,‭ ‬then‭?”

Mike’s voice sounded warm and friendly.‭ ‬I nodded and followed Snapgul.‭ ‬I tried to remember far back,‭ ‬when there was anything but darkness in my sight,‭ ‬but I could not.‭ ‬I knew how many steps it was to the large,‭ ‬roomy cottage,‭ ‬but I couldn’t remember what it looked like.‭ ‬Sight was,‭ ‬in fact,‭ ‬a foreign concept to me now.‭ ‬I turned to Mike as we walked along.

‭ “‬Mike…what does it look like out here‭?”

He sighed.

‭ “‬Oh,‭ ‬Vivian,‭ ‬it’s beautiful.‭ ‬There is a small stone path that leads away from the big dusty road into the green,‭ ‬lush forest.‭ ‬We are in that forest now‭ – ‬completely surrounded by beautiful trees,‭ ‬and the sunlight filters through the boughs in green shafts of warmth.‭ ‬The flowers are opening in the clearings,‭ ‬opening to the light and warmth.‭ ‬There are small woodland creatures‭ – ‬squirrels,‭ ‬rabbits‭ – ‬following us at a distance.‭ ‬You have beautiful lands,‭ ‬Vivian dear.‭”

I smiled at this wonderful description.‭ ‬Trust Mike to describe it so well as to make me wish I had my sight back for the first time in years.‭ ‬I shook my head and stumbled slightly.‭ ‬Mike caught my elbow and I almost wished I could stumble again,‭ ‬just for the comforting warmth of his hand on my arm.‭ ‬The walk was over too soon,‭ ‬as all of the things I did with Mike were.‭ ‬Snapgul’s thin,‭ ‬nasal squeal cut into the pleasant air of the morning.

‭ “‬Here we are,‭ ‬my lady.‭ ‬Will you come in‭? ‬You’ll find Snow White in her rooms,‭ ‬I trust.‭”

I blinked.

‭ “‬What did you call Aurore‭?”

I heard the sheepish grin in his voice as he answered,

‭ “‬A foolish name that my lady’s sister has given herself.‭ ‬She asked us to call her Snow White from now on…er,‭ ‬I believe it’s because of the beautiful color of her skin.‭”

We went into the cottage.‭ ‬The dwarves were the cleanest creatures I knew,‭ ‬and their cottage smelt and felt as fresh and shiny as I’m sure it looked.‭ ‬I began to remember how it had looked,‭ ‬back when I could see‭ – ‬the dwarves didn’t sleep in normal beds,‭ ‬with four corners and a mattress.‭ ‬They all slept in the same room together,‭ ‬in separate little beds that were shaped like…like coffins.‭ ‬They were long and narrow,‭ ‬made of wood,‭ ‬with soft blankets tucked around the one who would sleep inside.‭ ‬They were exceedingly comfortable and I would have enjoyed sleeping on one,‭ ‬if it had not reminded me so terribly much of a coffin.‭

“Where is my sister‭? ‬Where can I find Aurore,‭ ‬my friend‭?”

Snapgul must have pointed,‭ ‬for I heard a rustle and then a mortified gasp.‭

“I’m sorry,‭ ‬my lady…five steps to the left and then turn right and go twenty more steps.‭ ‬You’ll find her room the last door down the tile hallway.‭”

I nodded in thanks and Mike grinned as he sat at the table next to Snapgul.

‭ “‬Do you mind,‭ ‬Vivian,‭ ‬if I stay out here‭? ‬I have a feeling I’d rather not be caught in this little family issue.‭ ‬Just scream if you need help.‭”

I rolled my eyes.

‭ “‬Thanks a lot,‭ ‬Mike dear.‭ ‬If I’m not back within ten minutes,‭ ‬you’ll know that I’ve been talked to death or strangled.‭”

I turned and took five steps to the left,‭ ‬twenty to my right,‭ ‬pacing down the clean,‭ ‬bright hallway,‭ ‬brushing my fingers against the wall,‭ ‬feeling the doorways go past my sensitive fingertips,‭ ‬until finally I reached the last door on the right.‭ ‬I knocked briefly and heard a little,‭ ‬long-suffering sigh,‭ ‬then Aurore’s light,‭ ‬grating,

‭ “‬Come in‭!”

I ground my teeth in preparation of the irritation that was soon to come,‭ ‬then stepped into the room.‭ ‬I realized that I still had my apples and I set them on the table,‭ ‬then turned my head towards the sound of the scratching pen.‭

“Hello,‭ ‬Aurore.‭”

My calm voice cut through the silence‭; ‬Aurore gave a startled yelp and dropped her pen.

‭ “‬My goodness,‭ ‬Vivian‭! ‬You startled me out of a season’s growth‭!”

I smiled meanly,‭ ‬not feeling at all patient.

‭ “‬My dear Aurore,‭ ‬you’re quite done growing.‭ ‬I doubt it will make that much of a difference.‭ ‬What are you doing‭?”

I heard her hurriedly shuffling papers into a desk drawer,‭ ‬then shutting the drawer.‭ ‬Stupid girl.‭ ‬I couldn’t read the papers anyway.‭

“What have you been up to,‭ ‬Aurore‭? ‬Or should I say Snow White‭?”

Aurore was silent for a moment.‭ ‬When she spoke,‭ ‬she sounded irritated and flustered.

‭ “‬Where did you hear that name‭? ‬Did Grumpy say that‭? ‬He’s always hated me.‭ ‬He sent you here,‭ ‬didn’t he‭?”

‬I frowned.

‭ “‬Grumpy‭? ‬Who’s that‭? ‬I don’t know who you’re talking about.‭”

She hesitated.‭

“Grumpy is a pet name for Snapgul.‭ ‬I found Snapgul a very annoying name,‭ ‬and it doesn’t match his looks.‭ ‬And he is grumpy.‭”

I sighed.

‭ “‬Aurore,‭ ‬what other havoc have you been wreaking here‭? ‬Are you quite ready to come home now‭?”

“No,‭ ‬I’m happy here.‭ ‬You insulted my pride,‭ ‬you know.‭ ‬Deeply.‭”

I grinned.

‭ “‬I’m sorry.‭ ‬Deeply.‭ ‬Now who else have you named‭? ‬There are six other dwarves,‭ ‬and I can’t believe you’ve let them go untouched.‭”

She paused for a long moment,‭ ‬while I pondered whether or not my hands would fit around her neck or not.‭ ‬Then she sighed in a patient,‭ ‬long-suffering manner and answered,

‭ “‬Well,‭ ‬I could never remember all their other names,‭ ‬so I just called them whatever I wanted to.‭ ‬They answer to the new names just as well as the old ones.‭ ‬There’s Sleepy,‭ ‬Dopey,‭ ‬Doc,‭ ‬Happy,‭ ‬Sneezy,‭ ‬Bashful and Grumpy,‭ ‬who never liked me.‭”

I sighed and rolled my eyes.

‭ “‬Dopey‭? ‬How does Dopey feel about being called Dopey‭? ‬And Bashful‭? ‬Those names are awful,‭ ‬Aurore.‭”

She poked out her bottom lip in a lovely pout as she answered,

‭ “‬Vivian,‭ ‬I know you didn’t come here just to annoy me.‭ ‬So what are you really here for‭? ‬And why did you bring those apples‭?”

“I’m here to check up on you and invite you back to the palace…if you promise not to insult Mike.‭”

She gave a little startled gasp.

‭ “‬Mike is still living with you‭? ‬Vivian‭! ‬How scandalous‭!” ‬Real interest crept into her voice as she continued in a whisper,‭ “‬Have you,‭ ‬you know…done anything‭?”

I clenched my fist to keep myself from slapping her nasty little face.

‭ “‬No,‭ ‬Aurore,‭ ‬we’re just friends.‭ ‬I brought these apples for the dwarves,‭ ‬because they’ve had to survive your cooking for so long.‭ ‬You can’t have any.‭”

That was my mistake.‭ ‬To say‭ “‬you can’t have any‭” ‬to my sister was like inviting her to attack you.‭ ‬I could almost hear her delicate pride being wounded,‭ ‬her jealousy goaded and stung into action.‭

“Who’s going to stop me,‭ ‬you hag‭?”

Her voice was sharp and angry as I heard her lunge forward.‭ ‬Quickly,‭ ‬she snatched an apple out of my basket and I heard the crunch as she took a huge bite.‭ ‬She deliberately chewed noisily,‭ ‬revolting crunching sounds coming out of her delicately hued lips.‭ ‬Then,‭ ‬as suddenly as she’d attacked me,‭ ‬she stopped chewing.‭ ‬She said,

‭ “‬Oh‭!”

In a faint voice,‭ ‬then crumpled to the floor in a graceful heap.

‭

TO BE CONTINUED...ONCE AGAIN!