Snow Black

So Brains magazine is having a contest to see who can write the best "Undead Fairytale"  So anyway, I'm thinking this will be my entry: 

The last thing Snow White remembered was the apple . . . so deliciously crisp and fresh, far fresher than any beggar should have possessed.  After the first bite the world turned to a muted fog then her knees folded, collapsing her to the frigid cobblestone street.  Then there was only the blackness.  Suffocating blackness, wrapped tightly around her like a blanket over her head.  It had no beginning, no end, it simply was.

Snow White floated weightlessly in the dark. There was no ground, no sky, no moon or stars.  Just that tiny point of light, seemingly just out of reach but at the same time millions of miles away.  Her brain couldn’t make sense of any of it.

Her long ebony hair hung loosely over naked pale white shoulders.  Where are my clothes?  She wondered with only mild concern.  What has happened to me?  Am I dead?  Am I dreaming?

“Snow, my love . . . don’t trust . . . he is not what you think . . .” A lovingly gentle voice long forgotten from her childhood called from the light.

“Mother?”  she exclaimed, not even sure how she knew it was her.  She’d died the day Snow was born.

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall,” another familiar voice, one far more sinister, whispered from the deep dark depths beneath her.

She gasped.  It was her stepmother’s voice.  An icy chill cascaded across her skin, sending goose pimples over her naked flesh.  The last time she’d heard that voice was the night of her father’s death.  She’d been roaming the forgotten dungeons of the castle when she’d come across her mother whispering to a mirror.  Mirror, mirror.  Mirror, mirror.  She’d heard repeated in countless nightmares since that fateful night.  The next morning she’d been exiled into the wilderness by one of her father’s most trusted men.  The Huntsman.

“Hello?” Snow cried out into the abyss.

Hello.  Hello.  Hello. Hello . . . her voice echoed into the darkness.

Hello little Dove,  An unfamiliar man’s voice called softly from nowhere and yet seemingly everywhere.

“Where am I?” she whimpered softly.  “What is this place?”

You are in that place between life and death.  A place known only as The Veil.

“The Veil?  I don’t understand.”  Snow asked, her voice trembling.  “Who are you?”

I am no one.  I am the forgotten.

“Are you God?”  Snow asked, suddenly very aware of her nakedness she covered her bare naked breasts with her hands.  “Am I . . . am I dead?”

God is the Alpha, the beginning.  I am the Omega.

Snow White trembled.  “You didn’t answer my question.  Am I dead?”

Yes and at the same time, most certainly no.  It is an anomaly to say the least.  You are the first mortal to be given a choice.

“What happened to me?”  she shivered.  She didn’t know if it was because of the cold or the man’s inhuman, emotionless voice.  

You were poisoned.

Snow thought back to memories that seemed to have taken place a million years before.  Again her thoughts returned to the old woman with the apple.  “The beggar?  She poisoned me?  Why?”

That beggar . . . that creature, was your stepmother.  The same woman that poisoned your mother and father.  A poison that should have killed you at birth.   If not for your father’s loyal friend she would have murdered you with her own two hands.  She is a devious one that one. He said with a touch of pride.    Even now her army assembles to burn the Dwarven villages from existence, to bury them alive in their mines.  She will kill them all without remorse.  The men, women, and children, all will burn.

“That evil old witch!”  Snow cried out in anguish.  “Why?  They have done nothing to her!  I have never done anything to her!”

The Dwarfs sheltered you.  All of these many years you were hidden right under her very nose.  For that they will all suffer

 “But they are no threat to her!  The Dwarfs are a peaceful, kind people!  They have never hurt anyone!”

Only you, little Dove, can stop her.  It is your destiny.  What you were created to do.

“How?”  Snow stuttered.  “I am just . . . just me!  I cannot possibly kill a queen!  She has guards!  Entire armies at her command!  I would not get within ten miles of her!”

You have great power within you Little Dove. Your mother was a powerful witch.  More powerful than any that came before her.  It was her blood, her spell that spared your life from the poison.  It is why you are here now.  She breathed life into you that cannot easily be snuffed out. 

Snow White bit her bottom lip in anger.  “Tell me how.”

With my help you will bring your stepmother to justice and all of those that serve her.  All I ask in return is for my freedom.

“Your freedom?”

Yes.  I like you have become trapped in this place.  By the creature that now calls herself Queen.  It is you, Snow White that must set me free from this cage.  Only with my help can you destroy her.

“How?”  Snow asked.  “Tell me what must I do?”

At this moment you have a choice.  Life or death.  With one you will have peace and happiness but the Dwarfs will all die terrible agonizing deaths.  With the other you will suffer greatly but with my help you will put a stop to her forever.

“Snow . . . Snow . . . “ her mother’s voice called again from the light but was suddenly silenced.

“Okay.”  Snow White nodded slowly.  “I will do what must be done.  Send me back and I will put an end to her.”

I will send you one of my servants, a great prince.  He will bring you back, but you must promise to set me free.

“She killed my father, she killed my mother.  She tried to kill me.”

Little Dove, The voice said with a touch of humor.  She did kill you.

A rage built up in Snow White that she’d never before felt.  “I will not let her kill the Dwarfs!  They protected me, gave me a home.  I will do whatever it takes to protect them!”

Do you promise to set me free?

“I do so promise.  By my life and soul I will set you free if you give me my revenge.”

Then awaken little Dove, for your prince soon calls.  He shall awaken you with a kiss.

Snow White’s body was thrust through darkness and light, through fire and ice, back into the painful existence of flesh.  She crashed into her poisoned body, her eyes open but her arms and legs unable to move.  She started to scream out in terror but it stuck in her throat.  Not even her freezing cold lips would part.

For hours she lay motionless, staring helplessly at the canopy of snow covered trees that stood above her glass coffin. 

More than once one of her beloved dwarf friends would approach and stand watch over her, shedding tears that would rain down upon the coffin and slowly drip down the side.  I’m alive!  She tried to scream.  Friends, I am yet still alive!  Please help me!  However try as she might they could not hear her.  Insanity pulled at her as she struggled to move a finger, a toe, to blink her excruciatingly dry eyes. 

Shortly before the sunrise her prince finally arrived.  His skin hung loosely from his bones, worms and maggots crawled out of his ears and nose.   A tarnished golden crown hung loosely around his bony skull.

No!  No!  This is not what I wanted!

“You promised Little Dove.”  The Demon’s voice erupted from the corpse’s lips.  “By my life and soul I will set you free if you give me my revenge.” He quoted her.

Please God!  Help me!  She prayed.

“God?” he laughed.  “He cares nothing for you now Little Dove.  Now you are mine!”

The Prince’s bony fist smashed through the glass coffin.  Bits of glass fell, cutting Snow White’s pale skin.  The bony digits wrapped around her neck pulling her closer to his open mouth.  His breath reeked of death and decay.  His mouth enclosed on hers, his mucus covered tongue touched her lips and pushed past into her mouth.

Silent tears fell from Snow White’s unmoving eyes.  I chose life!  I chose life!  She cried out.  The Prince’s teeth sunk deep into her lips drawing blood. 

“No, my little Dove.”  The corpse pulled away from her drawing a long string of blood from her lips.  He licked at it with his black tongue.  “You chose death.”  He smiled a broken tooth bloody smile.  “If you had only chosen the light, you would have lived forever.” 

Snow felt the poison recede and another take it’s place.  It gripped at her organs, her blood, penetrating and warping her very soul.  All of it went black as The Veil.   Her gentle eyes closed tightly, bloody tears stained her rosy cheeks.  When they opened next they were as black as her ebony hair.

Snow smiled and extended her hand.  The dead Prince stepped back and accepted it, helping her from the shattered glass coffin.  Bits of glass cut deep into her legs as she climbed out but she felt none of it.

“Thank you my prince.”  She said brushing off her torn dress and pulling pieces of glass from her face and legs.  “Come.  We have work to do.”

“My dear Snow White.”  He bowed.  “Anything for you.”

“Snow White is dead.”  Her eyes blazed.  “I am Snow Black.”

Omega’s essence pulled out of the dead prince, leaving only dull cloudy eyes.  The dead prince pointed a bony finger toward the Dwarven village less than a mile down the road.  Snow Black shook her head no.  “Leave the Dwarfs.  They are not to be harmed.”

He ignored her command and began walking in that direction anyway. 

“I said, leave them.”  She admonished him.  “You are mine now.  You will do as I command.  Besides.  There are many cemeteries on our way to visit my dear stepmother, many of them filled by her own hands.  Though we must make haste for I fear she will be growing impatient for her army’s return.  Let us not keep her waiting.”

The dead prince nodded that he understood and would obey.

The Huntsman’s armor chaffed tightly around his collar.  For at least the hundredth time that day he pulled at it in vain.  It had been many months since he had last been into battle.  During that time he had gained more than a few pounds and his armor no longer fit properly.  He hated being in the field.  He would much rather be back in his nice warm bed next the fire. 

It didn’t bother him in the slightest that she only used him for her violent whims.  What did bother him was the prospect of losing his head if he did not follow orders.  The last Huntsman had made that mistake when he lied about killing the Queen’s stepdaughter.  She’d tortured the poor man for days on end only ending when the last of his blood finally drained from his veins. 

He lifted the visor on his helmet and turned in the saddle gazing at the three hundred cavalry/archers at his back.  He hated horses, always had, but again orders were orders.  Ahead the tiny Dwarven village sat quietly, tiny puffs of smoke streamed from a dozen different chimneys.

“What are your orders, Sire.”  A man blond haired man who’s name the Huntsman hadn’t bothered to learn asked from his right. 

“What do you think they are?” he replied.  “Raze the bloody village!”

“Any special formations, Sire?”

The Huntsman rolled his eyes, “They’re Dwarfs you fool!  What special tactics could we possibly need?  Charge in and kill them all!”

“Shall we spare the women and children?” the Knight asked.

“Ask another question and your women and children will be next!  I want that village burning in the next minute or I will personally behead and torture your wife and children!  Am I understood?” he screamed, causing his visor to suddenly drop startling him.

“Understood . . . Sire.”  The Knight responded coldly.  He turned in his saddle.  “Archers!  Six volleys!  Set it ablaze!  Cavalry!  Wait for my signal, then give full charge!”

In less than thirty minutes time the village was a burning wasteland.  Screams filled of the dying filled the cold morning air. 

The Huntsman pulled his lance free from a Dwarf woman that had been protecting her three small children.  He’d ridden them down after spitting her through the back.

“We’re searching the hills for survivors now my liege!”  A knight adorned in blood red armor said as he stepped out of his saddle next to the Huntsman.

“Pull the men back.”  The Huntsman ordered, wiping the tip of the lance on the woman’s dress.  “Let the cowards spread the word of what they have seen here today.  So that all shall know the penalty for betraying our queen.”

“My Liege.”  The red knight nodded.

The Huntsman, with help from his two young squires, climbed back onto his saddle with a loud grunt then kicked the two young boys away with his armored boot.  “Prepare to move out!  All . . .” his horse began grunting and stomping the earth.  Around him all the other horses began doing the same.

A lone woman, with a jet-black cloak draped over her shoulders walked into the center of the village.  Another figure stood at her side, his face obscured by a similar cloak.

“Be gone from here wench!”  The Huntsman yelled out trying to control his startled horse.  “This is no place for a woman!”

The woman removed the hood covering her ebony hair.  Her eyes blazed the coldest hardest black the Huntsman had ever seen.  Her companion did the same revealing the decayed head of a man with worms crawling across his face.  A tarnished crown sat loosely upon his brow.

“My God . . . “ The Huntsman whispered, crossing himself.  “Be gone demon!” he cried out in horror.

“Silence!”  the woman screamed in a voice that sent every horse in the village screaming away with their riders still on their backs.  The Huntsman tumbled off his horse and landed heavily in a pile of bodies.

“You murdering cowards!”  she roared.  “These were my people!  You slaughtered them like lambs!”

The Huntsman tried rising to his feet but was unable to get off his back.  “Squires!  Squires!  Where are you miserable little bastards!  Help me to my feet!”

“It’s too late for that now Huntsman.  Your squires are on their way to join your men in death.   Now.  You will serve me!”

“Fat chance Wench!”  The Huntsman rolled onto his side.

She began chanting in a dark ominous language.  “Arise my friends!  Arise and take vengeance on those that have murdered you!  Join me in their destruction!”

The Dwarf bodies the Huntsman lay upon began to squirm and move.  People he’d helped murder mere minutes before began to claw and scratch at his armor, tearing loose fingernails. 

Around him his men pulled their swords and prepared for battle.  Dwarfs with missing limbs, holes through their chest, blood pouring from mouths came pouring out of their burning huts.  Some held pickaxes in their dead hands others used only teeth and nail.  The Knights fought valiantly, desperately chopping and stabbing but their efforts could not stop the onslaught of the undead that poured over them.  Their armor was violently ripped from their bodies.  One by one they fell to the undead Dwarfs.  Through it all Snow Black’s high-pitched laughter eclipsed it all.

The Huntsman rose to his feet.  His armor bent and scratched.  His eyes, lips and nose were missing from his face.  “Well done little Dove.”  Omega’s voice came from the man’s torn and broken mouth.  “Well done.”

“Mirror, Mirror on the wall.”  The Queen asked, smiling at her reflection.  “Who is the most powerful of them all.”

A dark misshapen face replaced her image.  “You are powerful.  There is no denying that.”  The demon in the mirror answered.  “But there is one far more powerful than you.”

The Queen ground her teeth.  “Do not play games with me, demon.  You are my slave now and forever.  So do not insult me.”

“I would not dream of it my . . . queen.” He said grudgingly.  “However I do not lie, there is one stronger than you.”

“What is this creature’s name?”

The demon smiled a crooked smile.  “Snow Black.”

“Snow Bl . . . “ she started to exclaim but the castle’s warning bells began ringing.  “My Queen!  My Queen!”  the head of hear guards exclaimed from outside her door.   “We have . . . we have . . . I am not sure what we have!  It is as if . . . “ he whispered.  “as if the dead are at the city gates!”

“What are you talking about, fool?” she exclaimed rushing forward and jerking open the heavy red curtains that covered her windows.  As far as the eye could see stood thousands upon thousands of the undead.  Dwarfs, soldiers, half rotted corpses buried for years shambled across the fields surrounding the city walls. 

In the middle, sitting upon an undead horse sat the woman once known to her as Snow White.  On one side of her sat the broken corpse of the Queen’s Huntsman on the other a decayed Prince that she had not seen in over two hundred years.  Charming . . . the girl raised Charming from the dead.  Gods of the North help me!   With a wave of her hand Snow Black sent the undead into a mad charge toward the gates.

“Close the gates!  Man the walls!”  the Queen screamed at the Captain.

“But Mi Lady!  Most of our men are in the field quelling the Dwarven Rebellion!  We are undefended!”

So this is how it ends . . . “Lock the doors!  Lock the doors!”  she screamed shoving the guard out the door.  “Stop them!  Send everyone against them!  You have to stop them!  Stop them now! Now!  Now!  NOW!” she stomped her feet like an angry, scared child.

“It is too late now my queen.” The mirror laughed.  “Your time has come.  For I am the Omega, the end of all things.  Even you.”

The door cracked and groaned as dozens of undead dwarfs and knights pressed against it.  The queen cowered in the corner, tears stinging her coal black eyes.  “Please . . . “she begged.  The door crashed open with a thunderous crack as the undead poured into the room.

Snow Black with the undead Huntsman and Prince Charming at her side entered the room.  “Poor, poor little witch.”  Snow Black smiled.

“Please.”  The Queen begged.  “I can make you more powerful than you have ever dreamed!  I know things amazing things!  Please I will show you!”

 “My Prince.”  Snow Black nodded to her companion.  “If you please.”

The prince smiled a mouthful of broken teeth, which he slowly sunk into the queen’s neck.  Black blood sprayed out covering his face and hair.  The queen writhed in pain, her body spasming until with one last kick of her leg she slumped lifelessly to the floor.  After a few seconds she rose again and shambled back and forth.

“Leap from the window.”  Snow Black ordered the undead queen.  Without questioning she turned and through herself over the edge.  Snow watched as she crashed into the ground, splattering her brains over the cobblestone streets below.

“Now little Dove.”  The mirror beckoned.  “Set me free.”

Snow Black turned to her Dwarf followers.  “Bury this cursed thing.  Bury it in your deepest mine.  Seal it, make sure no man will ever find it again.”

“You will pay for this betrayal!”  The mirror quaked. 

“It was you that betrayed me demon.”  Snow Black said coldly.  “If you had told me the truth I would never have . . .”

“Never have what?”  the mirror replied.  “You humans are all the same.  Evil, spiteful creatures.  One day you will return to the veil and you will be mine!”

“Until that day then, demon.  Until that day . . . “ she smiled and evil grin.  “the Earth is mine.”

“We shall see about that.”  The mirror smiled.  “You cannot trap me forever.”

“Perhaps.  Perhaps not. “ Snow replied.  “For now the dead and the living alike will serve me, and you my friend.  You will spend your days in a very dark hole.”