The Hunting of Snow White: A Grim Tale - Chapter 3

Everyone said that Prina’s hair color made them uncomfortable. Black hair, of all things. People regarded black hair as inauspicious. Some scornfully claimed she must be the blood of a heretic, while others whispered that she was cursed by a demon.

It was the same at the monastery where Prina had lived. Even in the embrace of the divine, which claimed to embrace and love all, she was a stranger. Even the patients she cared for with such devotion reviled and hated her black hair.

They say that before the shadow of death, everything becomes frightening and terrifying.

She tried to comfort herself like that, but it always took courage to endure being hated. She had lived her whole life under the gaze of dislike and discomfort, but the pain in her heart never lessened.

So she always kept her hair tightly hidden beneath her veil. If she didn’t do even that, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was some kind of foreign substance unable to blend in anywhere.

But the animals she met in the secret forest were different. Unlike the people who found her very existence uncomfortable, the animals paid no mind to something like her hair color. She liked that they acknowledged her affection and care, just as she gave it.

Rustle.

At that moment, a strange sound came from the grass.

With the last piece of bread stuffed into her mouth, Prina held her breath and listened intently. Along with the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, she heard the faint whimpering of an animal.

Prina rose onto her tiptoes and crept toward the source of the sound. Sure enough, in the grass was a rabbit, curled up tightly, clearly injured.

“…Oh my.”

Anyone could see at a glance that the rabbit’s condition was poor. Had something with sharp fangs bitten its side? The skin was punctured, and blood was steadily flowing from the wound.

Prina’s face twisted in distress.

“Does it hurt a lot? It’s alright. I’ll make you feel better soon.”

Prina was a rather skilled healer. If the head nun found out, she’d be scolded, but it seemed better to secretly take the rabbit to the monastery and treat it. If left like this, it would become prey for a predator drawn by the scent of blood, or the wound would fester and it would die a slow death.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely…”

…save you.

The moment Prina carefully reached out her hand, the curled-up rabbit quickly began to flee.

* * *

Prina chased the rabbit into the depths of the forest. The tree-lined path was so dense that even at midday, sunlight barely penetrated, leaving a gloomy atmosphere.

A chill ran down the back of her neck, damp from running.

Haa, haa……

She was out of breath. Even injured, the rabbit was incredibly fast. She had chased after the little rabbit with all her strength, but she still lost it.

…Where is it?

Catching her ragged breath, Prina looked around with a face about to cry. The poor creature seemed to have hidden itself in fear, but if she abandoned it now, the fragile animal would surely perish. She couldn’t just leave, the thought weighed too heavily on her heart.

‘Rabbits are always wary. I should have approached more carefully.’

Blaming her own carelessness, Prina looked closely at the ground and discovered a drop of blood. It must have been from the rabbit. The wary rabbit was likely hiding somewhere in the grass again. And since the wound was severe, it couldn’t have gone far.

She had to save it. If she found and treated it quickly, it could live.

She wanted to help. Where on earth had it gone, dragging its injured body?

‘Maybe… if I follow this trail of blood, I’ll find it?’

Fixing her gaze on the ground, Prina carefully followed the bloodstains.

The faint scent of blood grew stronger and clearer. Surely, predators would be able to smell it, too. Prina nervously hoped the injured rabbit would be alright, hoping she would find it before any predators did, as she carefully followed the trail.

As soon as the trail ended, Prina’s feet came to an abrupt stop.

In that instant, her hair stood on end and a chill ran down her spine. Startled, she looked up… and saw, some distance away, the figure of a stranger. And there, with him, was the injured rabbit.