Title: Tale XI
Prompt: "Done Away With"
Character(s): Snow White/Mary M. Blanchard
One bitter moment brought them to this fate.
Why did it have to end like this?
Crawling out of the bed, Snow ignored the pain that traveled from her pelvis up her back and down her legs. She tumbled to the floor, knees crashing hard onto the marble floor. Her body trembles from the mixture of waning adrenaline and fear of what she'll find beyond the threshold of the bedroom. Grabbing hold of the mattress she struggles to stand on her feet until her legs threatened to buckle underneath her. Upright, the blood rushes to her head, blurring her vision with black spots and fuzziness of unconsciousness that danced chaotically before her eyes.
Using the pillars of the canopy, she hobbled toward the bedroom door. The eerie silence gave her pause but did not stop her for long. The halls that would lead her to the nursery, longer and wider than she remembered them, went on forever and challenged her already drained stamina. As she turned the corner at the end of the hall, she found herself unable to hold back a startled scream. The Queen's men lay sprawled on the floor in their own blood, eyes staring lifelessly up at the ceiling, a sure sign James had made it further than she hoped. Without a second thought she stepped over their bodies, the tail ends of her dress catching in the puddles of blood as she waddled her way toward the nursery's open door.
What little strength she had propelled her toward the doorframe, her fingers wrapped around the frame when her legs started to buckle. Her fingers slid down the frame, catching the splinters on its uneven surface. Using the last of her momentum she made a turn to step over the threshold.
James lay on the floor in manner not unlike his victims and were it not for the blossom of red spread on his shirt, the slack smile on his face, she would've believed him asleep. No, no, no. "Please, no. Please," The moment between the death of her hope and reaching him were lost in the blur of emotions she didn't quite comprehend. Cradling his body in her arms, naivety and despair clouded her mind. "James, wake up." Her mournful smile paused upon her lips; the memory of darkness and the touch of his lips against her own and the breath of life filling her lungs flooded her mind. Of course, it was so simple. A kiss, a kiss would save him as it saved her. Without a second thought she leaned down and pressed her lips against his, ignoring the chill that tickled her skin. Rising, she waited, watched for any sign that he would wake. "Please, wake up."
He remained lifeless and unmoving in her arms. Choking back her cries, she listened to the triumphant footfalls of the Queen approach the nursery. The realization that their future was about to be done away with, made her cling to his lifeless body with all the strength she could muster.