That Risen Snow: A Scary Tale of Snow White and Zombies (Wattys 2014 Award Winner)

Chapter Seventeen

Grouchy

“PLEASE DON’T KILL US.” Merry holds up his hands, palms outward. “We’ll tell you everything.” He smiles sideways at Grouchy. “Won’t we, Grouchy?”

“Grouchy, eh?” The captain kneels in front of Merry. “And what’s your name? Happy, I suppose?”

“Merry, sir. And you are?”

“Aggravated. Captain Aggravated. Merry and Grouchy, those don’t sound like any dwarf names I’ve ever heard.”

“We received new names when we joined the Collective,” Merry says.

By this time, more soldiers have gathered around, many dressed only in bedclothes. All practically boys, they stare down at him and Merry. That’s what swobs do. They look down at dwarfs.

The dog whines and stares down the path. Grouchy looks, too, but he sees only twisted shadows and murky moonlight.

“Wouldn’t it be easier if we just tortured them?” Battson says. “Just saying.”

“Enough, Battson.” The captain alternates his gaze between him and Merry. “You dwarfs live here, on human land?”

Merry nods. “We were outcasts in our own villages. Bones, our leader, brought us together to form the Collective. We—”

“Shut your shithole, Merry,” Grouchy says.

The captain shoots him a hard stare. Still holding Grouchy’s eyes, he says, “No, Merry. Continue.

“We work in the mine, gathering gemstones. Otherwise, we live off the land—”

“You poach gems from King Francis? You’re brave dwarfs, I’ll give you that.”

Merry shakes his head. “No, Bones had an arrangement with King Francis. We paid a rent of valuable gems. In exchange, we were left alone.”

“Where is this Bones? Can you take me to him?”

“He’s become one of the monsters.”

“Of course he has.”

“If we’re done with bedtime stories,” Battson says, “I’ll gladly beat the truth out of these little stumps.”

“Battson, go away.”

“But, Captain, I—”

“Now, Battson.”

Muttering, Battson trudges a respectful distance away, though still within earshot. Grouchy shoots him a dirty look and spits on the ground. The dog whines more urgently, tugging against its leash.

“Hays, control your animal.”

“I’m sorry, Cap’n. She’s shaking like a pig passing a poker.

In unison, the horses whine and buck. Balls. Something sinister this way comes.

The captain considers the dwarfs. “Tell me, Merry. What happened to the Prince? Is he okay?”

Merry looks at the human, then at Grouchy. “He’s a monster, too.”

“And how did that happen? How did the Prince become a monster?

“He was bitten.”

Grouchy can’t take it anymore. “Balls. The Prince kissed our lady Snow. She woke up cursed. Rabid. She bit the Prince and Bones. The curse spread to them. They attacked us. And I stabbed your precious Prince through the heart.”