The light shining through the cracks was orange when steps approached the shed again. Princess Valerie returned to playing dead the moment she heard the movement.

Someone opened the door and picked up the empty pitcher and bowl.

“If you can eat my soup, you can stop pretending you’re unconscious.”

Valerie’s stomach sank. The steps ran near her, and she backed up toward the wall reflexively. Small hands shook her.

“Wake up!”

Valerie opened her eyes and looked at a young girl. Her hair was tucked under a headscarf, her dress was worn and had been repaired and extended multiple times. The burned and blistered hands told stories of countless hours at the stove, probably.

“The shed is cold. You’ll get sick. Come!”

The girl unlocked Valerie’s chains and yanked them like she was a disobedient dog. Valerie stood up for the first time in two days. The sudden motion made her dizzy.

The girl pulled the chain again, and Valerie barely managed to stop herself from falling to the ground. Without looking back, the girl walked briskly out of the shed, the dishes in one hand, the chain in the other.

Valerie was dragged out into the blinding evening sun. As her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, she could make out the forest and the meadow. There was a bigger stone house a couple of steps from her prison.

And in front of the house, sitting on a tree trunk, was the hunter who had kidnapped her. Valerie froze.

The girl pulled the chain again.

“I said, come!”

Without taking her eyes off the hunter, Valerie followed her. The girl walked up to the hunter, who was staring at Valerie with unfiltered hostility. She handed him the chain.

“Can you hold her for a moment?”

The man took the chain without a word and locked his eyes back on Valerie.

“I’ll be back in a moment.”

The girl vanished through the oak door into the house.

The hunter kept staring at Valerie, hatred brewing in his eyes. Valerie held his gaze.

He then muttered, “You’re lucky April is so nice.”

“Look at you, calling me spineless behind my back,” the girl, April, said while weaseling back outside. She took the chain from the hunter’s hand and pulled on it.

“Come inside. Dinner’s ready!”