Annie’s gnarled hands creaked as she willed her hand to open. Slowly, her arthritic fingers unfurled enough to latch onto the small, tart apple still tethered to the tree by the stem. The effort of simply grabbing the apple sapped her energy but she was determined to taste the sweet flesh of the apple for the last time. She let the weight of her crippled body do all the work as the ninety-year-old woman battled with the tree. It only took a few moments until the stem finally parted from the nearly century old tree. Youth won again.
Annie patted the tree, her old friend, and silently gave thanks for it’s bountiful harvest. Her mouth watered just thinking of the bittersweet juice that filled the fruit. She lifted the apple to her eyes and held it close. Her eyesight had dimmed but she could still see the smooth, unblemished green skin so different from her own leathery skin. She took a bite, savoring the sound as her dentured teeth broke the skin. She waited for the magic to transform her. As the flavorful juice dripped down her hand, her body began to tingle as the first signs of the apple’s power coursed through her veins.
“Muahaha!” Annie cackled as she made her way back to the castle. She leapt and skipped the entire way. Once upon a time, her dream was to be a famous ballerina. Instead, she was cursed with two left feet and an evil heart. She paused in front of a mirror and patted her hair into place. “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”
“Funny you should ask,” the saucy mirror replied, “but honey, your days are numbered.”
“Obstinate fool! Can’t you see my great beauty?”
“My eyes work fine, sweet tart, but that magical tree of yours that you keep in the forest?”
“What about it?”
“Well, let’s just say, a certain beautiful little girl, whom everyone loves, wanted a new playhouse. TIMBER!”
“CURSES!”
So began the infamous rivalry between Snow White and Queen Annie.
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