The group walked extremely carefully over puddles and fallen fruit from the trees above. The forest smelled of pine and poison which made for a nauseating aroma, Evie covered her nose as they walked while the boys pretended the smell was not bothering them. As the four friends walked they had a strange sensation somebody was following them but each time they looked behind them nobody was there except the impending darkness.
"It's getting dark, we should make camp for the night." Ben suggested
"Make camp, in the middle of a poisonous forest?" Jay said raising an eyebrow
Evie walked up to the boys and chuckled "there's a clearing not too far from here, I used to stay there when Grimhilde would pick her poison apples." The boys looked at one another and followed their friend to the clearing,
"Don't get me wrong but do you think Evie is just a little too calm about all of this?"
"well, it's better then her being sad or angry, trust me you do not want to see Evie angry…" Carlos said as they made it to a clearing in the center of the forest. The clearing was more beautiful then anything they had seen, with green grass and trees full of shiny red apples it was almost impossible to not give in to their temptation to be eaten. Evie looked around and picked up something small in her hands, her eyes welled with tears as she remembered something from her past.
Flashback:
"Mommy!" Evie yelled running down the hill as her mother picked some apples and placed them into a sack. She wore a pretty blue dress and her hair was tied back in a neat little braid which created a V shape behind her head. The girls beautiful brown eyes glistened as she held out a small purple flower, although it was dead as all beautiful things were in the forest it still had a sudden beauty about it which made Evil Queen smile as the little girl handed it to her.
"thank you my beautiful little girl, it is lovely." the older woman hugged her daughter gently as she placed it in her basket that held twelve perfectly poisoned apples, Evil Queen reached up into a tree and grabbed another placing it into the basket turning her back on her daughter. Evie reached into the basket and pulled an apple to her mouth and was about to take a bite when Evil Queen turned around and gasped before slapping it out of her hand
"We do not eat these apples Evie, they are for our enemies only do you understand?" as she picked the fallen apple off the ground and placed it back in the basket.
"yes mommy." Evie nodded looking down dissapointedly
"now go run along, I am almost done here and then we can go home." Grimhilde smiled at her young daughter, then sighed as she placed a hand on both of Evie's shoulders pulling her into a hug that felt almost loving. Evie hugged her mother back and smiled, even though saying I love you was the worst thing you could say she knew at that moment she was loved.
"Evie?" a voice called snapping her back into reality
"huh? Oh right. So we can stay here to rest and start back up in the morning" Evie said flatly.
"Evie, are you okay? We don't have to stop if you don't want to.." Ben responded as he looked at the concern on his friends face.
"no, it's fine… we should make a fire and get some sleep."
Ben nodded and looked at Jay and Carlos, "I'll stay here with Evie do you guys mind getting the wood?"
"Not at all, just yell if you need us" Carlos said as he and Jay walked off to gather firewood.
Evie sat down on the grass and Ben sat beside her, the two sat in silence for a little while not knowing what to say until Ben broke the silence,
"so, you have memories of this place… with Grimhilde?"
"yea, and with Mal…" Evie said with a small shiver "she… saved my life…"
Ben raised an eyebrow "what happened? I mean you don't have to tell me"
"I was walking with Mal in the forest, I was trying to make Grimhilde proud and so I thought picking apples would do the trick." Evie said before becoming silent again, the pain in her eyes was visible as she struggled to find the right thing to say. Ben smiled sadly and placed his hand on hers,
"take your time."
"I had given my mother a small flower when I was younger,and I always thought she had kept it… until I found the same flower dead on the ground, thats when I realized she never truly loved me… she just didn't want to waste her time trying to wake me from the poisoned apples…" Evie continued, her face was like stone as she held the flower in her hands, remembering what happened next. She looked at Ben and sighed as she explained what had happened next,
"I..I can't believe it…" Evie said as she picked up the flower in her hands
"what is it Eves?" Mal said looking over her shoulder, she noticed the change in her friends face and it scared her. Evie was walking towards the poisoned apples and reaching for one,
"E! no" Mal yelled as she slapped the apple out of her hand and grabbing Evie by the shoulders
"what are you doing?!"
"My mother never truly loved me, she doesn't care. All she cared about was these stupid apples!" Evie yelled as she attempted to grab another one, "maybe if I eat one she will save me, or maybe then I won't be hurt anymore." her eyes welled with tears as Mal grabbed her tightly in her arms,
"Evie, you are important and wanted. You are my best friend and I never want to lose you... yeah it's sad that our parents don't love us like they should but we will always have each other and I am not going to let you sleep for years until something you and I both know will never happen happens… I love you Evie…" Mal said as the two girls fell to the floor, the purple haired girl soothed her best friend until her sobs quieted down and her breathing normalized.
"Lets get out of here ok?" Mal helped her friend up and led her out of the forest.
Evie sniffled and dropped the old flower, as she nodded her head sadly and followed her best friend out.
Ben looked at Evie with a look of sadness and worry as he pulled her into a hug, "Evie, Mal was right in what she said… It is sad how the villains treated you all… but now you and the others are getting your happily ever afters… I know it's hard and sometimes it feels as though your world is crashing down around you but you will always get through it because you have great friends and a family who does truly love you." Evie looked up at Ben with tears in her eyes,
"we need to save Mal… she saved me so now it's my turn.."
"We will Evie, we will.. I promise" Ben said reassuringly before looking around "hmm wonder whats taking the boys so long.."
"Jay! Carlos!" Evie shouted into the forest as she stood up and squinted her eyes before a noise was heard from behind her. She turned around and gasped as a shadow floated behind Ben, "Ben!" Evie yelled as she tried running towards him, she was stopped however when two arms grabbed her and laughed
"Nice try, but you cannot save your friends and unlike Gothel I will not fail to deliver you to the Queen."
"Wheres Carlos and Jay, where are they!"
The unknown person snapped his fingers and Carlos and Jay fell to the ground coughing and gasping for Air, they looked up and shouted
"Let her go!"
"not happening perhaps, you should take it up with the Queen… but for now the girl comes with me."
Evie's mind was in a panic, the mans voice sounded familiar but she couldn't put her finger on his name.
"I will leave you three here while I take Evie here, and don't think about following us… for I have friends on the other side who will make sure you don't!" The man laughed as the shadows circled the three boys. Thats when Evie figured it out,
"Jay! My bag!" Evie yelled hoping he would understand what she was saying and luckily he did, for Jay quickly dove for the bag and pulled out a necklace.
"Facilier, how about a trade?" Jay shouted as he held up the necklace which was oddly glowing brightly as if beckoning the man to take them.
