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!
