She ran, and ran, and by the time she found a little cabin in the woods, she was so tired she wanted to crawl. It was like an oasis in a desert; Red had absolutely no idea where she was, and taking a rest among the trees didn't sound like a great idea. Of course, if Red was thinking straight, she wouldn't go near that house either, because anyone could be in there. But Red had very little energy to waste on being logical. If the only other option was getting lost through the dark forest or return to that bloody scene, she would rather pick the cabin.

The little house had laundry hanging outside, a small garden, and birds singing around it. It felt very welcoming, even nature implied it; the animals seemed to be at rest around this house, and the trees lessened, giving way to a small garden. Because of this, against her better judgement, Red took a couple steps to the door and started to knock, three taps. This feels like Grandma's house, a weak voice protested in the back of her mind, why are you here?

Red called out, "Hello, hello? Is anyone there?"

Red expected someone like an old couple living in that house. That would be great, she thought, as she could lie down, help them out with the errands, and the like. They could give her a place to stay before she found her way back to the village. What she didn't expect was a gorgeous girl about her age to open the door.

"Are you okay? Oh, you look so tired! Come right in." The girl's voice was sweet, and Red felt that she could give up dessert forever if she could hear that voice every day. Screw that logical voice in her head, Red's love for pretty girls trumps all! So Red trudged her way into the cottage, wiping off her shoes and following her hostess into the cozy kitchen.

"Come sit! I just made some pie, but my housemates won't be back from work anytime soon." The scent of blueberry pie was strong, yet comfortable; even in this beautiful stranger's house, it feels like home at her mother's bakery.

"Oh, really? Thank you so much! You literally saved my life. I'm Ruby Vanderwood, but everyone calls me Red." Red tiredly smiled at her hostess, still talking too much even through her lethargy. It was worth it to see the pretty maiden's whole demeanor seemed to light up.

"Ruby? What a beautiful name! I'm Snow White." she said, her voice like twinkling lights, and Red found that it calmed her.

Snow White, huh? Sounds beautiful, Red thought. She also found it interesting, how Snow called her Ruby instead of Red. The only other person that thought of her as Ruby was her mother, so it meant something. It was actually kinda cute. Or maybe I'm overthinking, Red remembered. Just because you are infatuated doesn't mean she is.

Once Snow served her a slice of pie, Red realized how hungry she was. Her fear and adrenaline made her forget temporarily, but the feeling in her stomach was not nice at all. She literally inhaled half the slice before she remembered to thank Snow. "Thank you so much, this pie is delicious! You're a great cook."

Snow's face lit up, kind of like the Christmas lights her village put up for the holidays. "It's nothing, Ruby. Oh dear, you look exhausted! Come with me and get some rest."

Snow led Red past a room of about seven miniature beds, looking about half the size of an average bed. Red wondered how Snow found even one housemate that small, let alone seven of them, and how it was like to be so small. Red heard of nonhuman creatures, magic, and the like, but none really lived in or near her village. Now that Red arrived at Snow's abode, she already felt like she hadn't seen much back at her home.

The pair stopped at a smaller room with a new-looking bed about her size. After squeezing out a small "thanks", Red pretty much collapsed on the bed and surrendered herself to a deep, dark, but ultimately dreamless sleep. Red liked that, because she would not like to have nightmares about what led her to the bed she was sleeping in.