"Summer Hayes!" I jumped at my own name being called but before I could turn all the way around, I was tackled into a hug by some tall lady with black hair and skin white as snow. I realized I was no longer in my world. I was in this whatever place it might be. Just then I remembered everything, The book of fairytales my grandmother gave me before she died. All I remember was sitting in my room a few minutes ago and reading snow white and the seven dwarfs. Was I in the story itself? I could not tell. my hands were trembling but I hugged the lady back and with a low voice I replied "H- How do you know my name..?" Just before I could even stand up, she looked me in the eyes with tears forming. "I know who you are because...you are related to Jules walker..? correct..?" When she said my grandmothers name I could hardly speak. but I happend to choke out the words. "Yes..she was my grandma..." The lady scanned me up and down then pulled me into another hug. "I have been expecting you dear child. Your grandma used to come here when she was your age." She said those words so carefully as if they were a vase that if they fall, they could break. She broke the hug and looked at me in the eyes. "Are you willing to stop the curse?" My jaw almost dropped at that, a "curse"? I am just a normal human girl who still needs to pay her taxes. I stood there for a moment and thought it over.

"What curse and why do you need me?" She smiled at me a little and grabbed my two hands into hers. "Because your grandma held something special and you carry it with you as well. I don't know much of the curse but I will have to take you to queen Cinderella. she will know what to do and how to end this. But the land is depending on you Summer Hayes." Her smiled faded a little when the word curse came out of her mouth but I did not blame her. Living in a world full of curses did not sound fun at all. "Okay. I will help defeat the curse." The moment I said those words, she dragged me into her cottage and went to find her map.

Prince Avenant awoke to the sound of pounding at his chamber door.

“My prince,” a voice called out, “forgive the intrusion, but the book has been opened.”

Avenant was already sitting up.

“The book?” he repeated, “You’re certain?”

The servant, young, pale, and visibly disturbed. “The ground rumbled. The water in the reflecting basin began tom churn, just for a moment. Madame Blanche says it hasn’t happened since… since her time.”

Avenant stood, pulling his cloak together. The old stories were no longer stories. The riddles hidden in nursery rhymes, the promises sealed in ink and colours stirred at last.

“Then it has begun,” he said quietly. “Which world?”

“We do not know yet,” came the reply. “The trail is… new. Human-new.”

Avenant allowed himself the faintest smile. He crossed to the window and tapped twice against the glass. A moment later, a small silver-scaled fish surfaced in the fountain below, blinking up at him with knowing eyes.

“Seems we’re needed again, my friend,” Avenant murmured. “A girl has stepped into the tale.”

Just as the woman got me into her cottage, she ran to a chest which was located in the corner of the room. She opened it and looked through the chest and started throwing items out of it. "Miss-" Before I could even finish my sentence, random items from her throwing them while trying to search for what she was trying to look for started flying at me, I dodged them with ease. After a few seconds of her being silent, she finally pulled out the item she was looking for. It looked like a ancient map. Something that could easily be torn if you touched it. "Ah-Ha! there you are! we are going to need you today." She put the map gently on the table then glanced over at me. "Come here dear child, we need to figure out how to get to the castle." I nodded and walked closer to the table, just close enough to see the map. "If you don't mind me asking, what is your name? you never told me..." Just then, she looked up at me with a gentle smile. "Snow White." There it was, the answer to my question I had been asking myself for about 20 minutes now. I was in a story. "So if you are snow white, where am I?" Snow white looked back down at the map and grabbed her pen to mark something on the map. " The land of fairytales sweetheart."

Then it hit me. I was really in a fictional world. I pinched myself just to make sure this was not a dream but to my surprise, this was definitely not a dream. it was real. As I stood there question reality, Snow White had already found a easy way to the castle. Before I knew it, she threw a bow and arrow at me, I caught it as I raised an eyebrow. "What is this for?" She smiled at me as she pulled her short Black hair in a tiny bun as if she was about to go do manual labor. " To protect yourself you silly goose." My hands were shaking as I held the bow, not even sure if I could kept it steady. "I love how you think I can use weapons but I am not experienced with this at all.." She put her hand on shoulder and smiled at me. "We never are. But don't worry, I will teach you. It's easy if you ask me. Now come on." Then once again, she dragged me out the house and into the dark woods. I sighed, wanting this to be over. So I could just wake up and have a normal boring morning. But guess not now.

The book was opened and the forest slept no longer. When Snow White and Summer entered in, the the sun shone brighter but the night became darker. Birds sang louder but monsters too, woke from their slumber.

Far to the west, Prince Avenant pulled his horse to a halt. The air itself had changed and his companion, a small silver fish swimming calmly in a lidded glass globe tied to the saddle, flicked its tail once.

“Yes,” Avenant said out loud, resting his hand against the globe. “I feel it too.”

He dismounted and could feel the disturbance, hear the vibrations in the air. Human magic had a way of doing that.

Avenant closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest, the truths spoken by the trees. Somewhere ahead, an old soul and a young one walked the wrong path for the right reason.

“Snow White wouldn’t leave her cottage without reason,” he said quietly. “The curse is no longer patient, the time has come.”

Avenant smiled, sharp and thoughtful. He closed his eyes and spoke to the wind. when the answer came back, he mounted his horse once more and said, “the granddaughter walks where the grandmother once did.”

We walked for what seemed like hours, it was so cold in the woods that I started shivering. No wonder because all I was wearing was a worn out T-Shirt and Jean shorts and flip flops, since it is summer time where I was before.

Snow White happened to look over at me as we were walking, she noticed my shiver. "Oh dear...do you not have any warm clothes?" She sighed and stopped walking for a moment. She took her cloak off, then she put it on me gently with a warm kind smile. "Here, you can wear that for now. It might not be a lot but it should keep you warm so that you won't catch a cold." I smiled a little at her. "Thank you.." She nodded at me, then we started walking again. "Can you light the lamp for me sweetie? it is too dark to walk without light at the moment." Without saying anything to her, I did as asked.

So there I was, walking in the dark with a lamp in my cold as ice hands with a cloak draped over me walking beside a actual fairy tale princess. After a hour of us being on our feet, my feet felt so numb that I wanted to chop them off. " It seems like you rarely ever talk. you remind me like your grandmother. Shy,Kind,brave but scared to show it." I looked up at her, my hands shaking from the cold as I kept my book of fairytales clutched to my chest. "Thanks I guess." Then suddenly, she stopped walking. She stood there as if she heard something odd. Something not normal. "Are you-" Before I could ask her if she was okay, she silenced me. "Shush. I hear something." I listened closely to the noise, at first the noise sounded distant. But after a few seconds, it only got louder. Before I could even turn around, a wolf which was making the same deathly noise as we heard, it jumped on me. The wolf knocked me to the ground and scratched my face. Leaving a possible scar. I tried to kick it off but it was too strong.

Snow White's eyes widened at what was happening. She grabbed a rock and threw it at the wolf. "Shoo! Go away! leave her alone!" The rock only made the wolf more angry and started to growl louder. While the wolf got distracted trying to hurt Snow White with its long sharp claws, I quickly reached for the bow and arrow Snow White had given me an hour earlier. I aimed it directly at the wolf, with my shaky trembling cold hands. The wolf was close to hurting snow White but before it could, I shot it. It fell dead to the ground. Blood spilling from it. I dropped the bow and arrow down, my breath heavy. Snow White stood up and brushed herself off. She looked at me and gasped loudly. "Oh dear! you are hurt! and you saved me...thank you." She had rushed over to me and looked at my face. "Yeah, he sure did leave a nasty one." The wound stung worse then anything I have felt before.

Josh rushed in from what was going on from flying through the woods. But it was too late while the other lady helped Summer from her injuries. He was still in shock from watching that wolf attacking. "Hey... Are you two alright?" He asked as he was holding his backpack with medical supplies since he doesn't need any weapons. He was really relying on his new powers that he has.

Snow White and I looked at this man who looked no older than at least 30. I did not notice that he flied all this way here, before I could say anything to this man, Snow White started to question the man as if he were a criminal. " How did you get here? are you from here because it does not look like you are. And were you the one who sent that wolf over here to attack this young lady?" Her eyes narrowed at him as she crossed her arms. I saw that he was carrying a back pack and looked nothing like a threat or someone who had gotten cursed and was trying to hurt people in the fairytale kingdom. My cold numb hands tightened around the book and the lamp.

"We are fine sir. What are you doing out here?" Snow White looked at me in horror after I asked what he was doing out here. She nudged me on the arm and shot me a look. "Don't ask him that, he is probably cursed or something!" I sighed slightly as I looked the man up and down again.

Prince Avenant stepped out from the trees.

He took a quick look at the dead wolf, the blood in the snow, Summer’s scratched face, and the man with the backpack.

He glanced at Summer, steady and direct. “You did well. Shaky hands or not, you didn’t miss.”

Then he turned to Snow White. “You’re right to be careful,” he said evenly. “But he’s carrying medical supplies, not a curse.”

Avenant looked back at Josh. “You got here fast. That tells me you didn’t follow a normal path. Either you’re new to this world, or something changed you recently.”

He looked back to the group. “Either way, arguing won’t help. She’s hurt, and standing still in these woods is a bad idea.”

He gave a small nod. “I’m Avenant. I think we need to deal with the injury and move before something worse shows up.”

Snow White straightened her posture when another man came out from the trees. I looked him over for a second, then I started to remember a story my grandmother used to read to me. He looked just the like prince from the story she read to me. But I did not think much of it, I just picked up the bow and arrow that was laying on the ground from me shooting the wolf with it.

She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes a little. " We were not arguing, I am just worried for her safety! and I guess he might not be cursed since he is carrying supplies." The wound stung worse as blood dripped from it. I put my hand over it to try to stop the bleeding from carrying on. Snow White pulled the hood from her cloak that I was wearing back on my head. " Well where would we move too exactly?" I stood there listening to her talk as my body started to feel numb. I just wanted to go home. So before I could even speak of any words, my body went limp and everything faded to black.

Summer’s knees buckled, Avenant moved instantly, stepping forward to catch her before she hit the ground.

“Stay with me,” he said simply, his tone steady. He looked at Snow White and Josh. “We need to get her out of the cold, now. Help me carry her.”

He glanced down at the blood staining her hand. “We can slow it, but we need warmth and pressure. Josh, your supplies. Snow, make a path, we can’t stay here.”

Avenant repostitioned Summer carefully in his arms. He wasn’t used to carrying anyone, but he didn’t hesitate. “You’re safe,” he said quietly, more to reassure her than anyone else. “Just hold on.”

The woods loomed around them, dark and silent except for the faint rustle of leaves. He took the first steps toward a safer place, guiding them through the forest, careful not to jostle her too much.

“She’s strong,” he murmured under his breath, “and she’s going to make it.”

"No. I'm not guy that sent the wolf Attacking. I just heard some commotions and got confused. Then I heard a woman screaming for help while that dumb wolf was trying to attack you guys. I don't really have a place to stay so I was just traveling."

He said as he was walking to them while he was holding his backpack that has medical supplies "Names, Josh by the way. It looks like you guys may need some help." He says with a smirk.

Snow followed behind Avenant, she clearly looked worried. "How are we going to find a safe place when everything is covered with this curse?" She looked at my cold as ice pale skin because we had been wandering out here for a while.

She happened to look at josh with a weird look but it had approval in the look she gave. " May need some help? My friend just got attacked by a wolf then she fainted! just follow us I guess. I am not so sure where we are headed."

I stirred slightly in my sleep, not knowing I was being carried. Moments later, I woke slowly. Once my eyes where fully opened and I knew where I was again, I looked up at Avenant. My face was full of confusion but the cold wind bite my face that it stung. My wound still bled but not as bad. I finally managed to choke out the words "What happened..?" Because I somehow could not remember that I had fainted before this.

Avenant looked down when Summer began to move.

“You fainted,” he answered. “Lost blood. The cold didn’t help.”

He slowed just enough to make sure she was really awake, then nodded. “You’ve been out a few minutes. We’re moving to get you somewhere warmer.”

He glanced back at Snow White and Josh as they followed. “There’s an old hunting shelter not far from here,” he added. “Stone walls, low roof. It won’t be comfortable, but it’ll block the wind.”

His eyes returned to Summer. “Try not to move too much. Keep pressure on the wound.”

To Josh, he added, “When we stop, I’ll need bandages and something clean.”

The forest became darker the farther they went inside. “You did the right thing back there,” he told Summer. “The wolf would’ve killed one of you if you hadn’t acted.”

Ahead, through the trees, a darker stone shape became more visible.

“We’re almost there,” he said. “Just stay with me.”

I didn't say much but I looked up at him as if studying his face, his eyes were very beautiful. they reminded me of a deep blue ocean. A baby deer started following snow, my eyes glanced over at her. She petted the baby deer before walking again. "Oh alright, that should be safe then" Snow said as she brushed a leaf from her dress.

When Avenant had told me that I did the right thing, I started to think about it. All I remember was trying not to get hurt. My hands have never touched a bow and arrow in my life until that day. " Well I never knew they would just jump out at people like that.." I said in a very quiet voice. Snow held the lamp in her hands and looked back to make sure Josh was still walking along. My head hurt badly that I wanted to shut my eyes again but forced them to stay open.

Avenant noticed the way Summer was looking at him, but he didn’t say a word. He kept his eyes forward, watching the trees and on the path they were headed.

“They don’t,” he answered back. “Not normally.”

He shifted her slightly, trying to make her more comfortable, feel safe. “You reacted fast. Most people freeze the first time something like that happens. You didn’t.”

He glanced at the small deer trailing Snow White and let out a breath. “That’s a good sign. Animals don’t walk into danger unless something’s wrong with them.”

The stone shelter came more clearly into view. Avenant slowed. “We’ll stop there,” he said. “Josh can clean the wound.”

“You can rest when we get inside.”

I tried not to stare at him but it was hard not to. He reminded me of that story that I could not remember the name of. Snow White was busy glaring at josh to keep up. " I just did not want snow to get hurt."

Birds were still on some of the trees, looking as if they were not cold at all. They hummed sweet melodies as if it were not in the middle of winter. "Birds are still out here in this weather?" my voice cracked a little since my face felt numb. my eyes stopped looking at him and moved to the birds as if they were the best thing I have seen all day.

When we were coming close to the shelter Avenant told us about, I took a tiny glimpse at it since it was in clear view now. My book that I had been carrying started to fall out of my hands. Luckily when it dropped to the ground, snow managed to grab it. She looked at it as if it were a artifact from thousands of years ago. "You got you're grandmothers book." Her hands touched it gently as if it would fade from her hands if she dared to let it go. "We should not lose this in the snow, dear. I will keep it in safe keeping until we get in that suspicious looking shelter." She held onto the book and I watched her carefully, not saying a word but knowing that she would not lose it.

“I know,” he replied quietly. “That’s why you acted.”

At the mention of the birds, Avenant glanced up and then frowned just a little. “They shouldn’t be singing,” he said. “Cold like this drives them south or makes them silent.”

When the book slipped from her hands, he noticed it immediately.

“We need to keep that book safe,” he said. “It’s not just a storybook. If your grandmother brought it here, then it knows this world better than we do.”

He adjusted his hold again, careful not to touch her wound. “You’re doing more right than you realize,” he added. “Protecting others. Paying attention. You are here for a reason.”

The cabin was only a few steps away now. Avenant angled his body to shield her from the wind as they approached the doorway. “Once we’re inside, you sit. No arguing,” he said simply. “You should probably sleep.”

Josh shrugged as he went to them to fix their injuries. "I'm on it. I'll tag along since it looks like we're on the same boat. That does look ugly... Hang on." He crouch to get some medical supplies to heal Summer. He grabbed a few things.

"Apparently... You got attack by a wolf... Now hold on to your seat because this is gonna sting. In 1. 2. . . .3..!" He poured some peroxide on that wound holding on to Summer's hand, as he quickly wrapped that wound so it could heal before she starts screaming in pain.