Regina walked alone in the dark through the forest surrounding the castle. Her breath vaporized with every step she took. Her mind wandered aimlessly as she did, dreaming of another life. One where she was happy.
She shivered hugging her arms around herself. Her loose white nightgown flowed like a ghost around her as snow fell from the sky, white specks sparkling in her dark wavy hair. She thought about Daniel as she looked up at the stars between the towering trees. She touched the ring that dangled from the chain around her neck.
She barely noticed the cold, she barely felt anything anymore. She was a ghost in her own castle these days it seemed. While she tried hard to sell love to another man, her heart would never be rid of her first true love.
"'Gina? Why do you look so sad?" A young girl's voice asked cautiously. Regina turned to face a young Snow White. She tried to put on a smile but it was faltering, she was just so dejected with her life it was hard to fake happiness.
"I'm not sad," she lied, putting a gentle hand on Snow's pale cheek.
"Your face though," Snow protested. "It looks like you're sad… like you're stuck in a bad dream," she said with a sad frown.
"I think I just need some air," Regina had said as she tucked the little Princess into bed.
"But… It's snowing! You'd freeze to death!" Snow said, shocked that anyone would want to be outside during such a harsh winter.
"I'll be alright, I won't go far my baby Star." She replied reassuringly, smoothing Snow's hair away from her face.
Regina smiled softly. Death sounded so much more appealing to her now than it ever had before. Before, she'd been frightened of death, of something so unknown. But here in this castle, in a loveless marriage; with a child that looked up her as if she were an angel, whom she despised; she welcomed death. For in death, she would finally be with Daniel, truly and forever.
And so after putting her step-daughter to bed, and waiting for her husband to leave her bed satisfied and pleased with her, Regina crept past the servants and guards out of the castle to the forest surrounding it.
There she walked barefooted through the wintery woods. She wished for a better life, to sail to another land.
Her ears and throat ached from the cold and she laughed; a musical sound that echoed through the icy air. It was so cold she felt like a flake of snow just whisking through the air, wasting away with each passing day. She picked up a handful of snow from the earthy ground at her feet, watching it crumble through her fingers. Her face fell as she continued her journey.
She felt along the tree trunks searching for the right one, a poisonous tree that would only grow in the dead of the coldest, fiercest winters. As her fingers touched the cool white bark of her salvation, she smiled sadly. She pulled a piece of the bark off the tree, gently fiddling the flexible nature between her pale fingers.
She found a spot on the ground, lying down in the clearing. She lifted the poisonous bark to her lips, inhaling the musky smell, closing her eyes slowly.
She inhaled deeply before nibbling on the soft chewy bark. She instantly felt her body go numb and she clutched Daniel's ring with frozen fingers.
She breathed in the glittering snowflakes as she whispered, "The worst things in life come free to us, my love."
She briefly saw Daniel appear above her, shimmering and glowing, "It's too cold outside for angels to fly," his quiet voice echoed.
She closed her eyes with a smile and took one more glacial breath.
It's too cold outside for angels to fly. Angels to fly, fly… Angels to fly, to fly, to fly… Angels to die.