" We all have a monster within us , the difference is  in degree , not in kind ."

                                                                                                     -Douglas Preston  

*****

"Hazel, you must come down for dinner!" Cindy said. "You did not attend breakfast, and I don't want myself in trouble so you had better come along."

" I am not hungry !" Hazel protested.

"I know you feel uncomfortable. But do not worry, I'll take care of you." Cindy reassured her.

" But..."

" I'll meet you in the lounge in five minutes."

Hazel sighed. She was getting used to having no say in matters regarding herself.

Be it gran ,who sent her to a whole new world, unprepared ;  Red , Snowflake or Cindy, who would not stop acting like her mother ever since she arrived at the chateau.

*****

When Hazel saw the grandest feast of her life ahead , she wondered why she had made such a fuss about coming down for it.

The dining pavilion was huge. Five long tables which could seat more than twenty people were arranged in parallel rows.

The air smelt delicious.

Hazel followed the happily chattering Cinderellians to the corner most table.

She watched as the children of Snow White entered , or to be accurate , marched in like a regiment, followed by the descendants of Beauty  who carried themselves gracefully and the Sleeping Beauties , who seemed to sway to a lullaby which couldn't be heard out loud.

Nothing was all that peculiar. At times, she saw the trainers regarding her with glances while talking (which had happened quite often in the human world too, but for a different reason altogether) and people whispering with excitement as they passed by her,

" She is the one !"

The most lavish meal in the world had candied pears , glazed apricots , roasted red potatoes with rosemary , mushrooms in wine sauce , a whole lot of beef and whatnot.

Hazel wondered if she could manage to try all of it, because she couldn't resist not to .  As she kept taking everything off the platter and stuffing it down her throat, she realised how hungry she was. Or maybe it was the food . Well , there was something about hungry people and good food.

Just when she thought she was done , a four tiered chocolate cake came her way.

" Easy, Hazel ! You must slow down." Cindy said, as Hazel tried to take a bite of the cake.

Hazel looked one regretful glance at the cake and scowled at Cindy , " Why did you stop me ? How will I ever be able to fulfil any wish of mine , when I have left the 'best thing that happened to my taste buds' only centimetres from completion ?"

Cindy rolled her eyes, and continued eating her cake nonchalantly.

After a few minutes, Hazel put down her fist in resignation and said , " That's it ! I am not going to torture my dear little taste buds by looking at that mound of deliciousness, anymore. I am going upstairs."

Just as Hazel was about to leave the hall, she heard someone call her name. She turned to see Princess Snowflake

" We need to talk." she said, "Right now."

Hazel nodded. "Sure." She followed the Princess out of the hall.

****
Snowflake closed the doors behind her and turned to face the girl, who looked at Snowflake, hints of confusion on her face. The girl seemed to be fearless. Naive and unaware, but powerful.

There was a time when Snowflake had no fear. But fear made you learn.

Wouldn't a child have burnt himself , if he hadn't learnt to fear the wrath of the violent flames ? Had not people performed miracles , which they could swear they weren't capable of doing , in a state of crisis ?

Fear made you careful ; it guided you in your next step.

She finally spoke up. 

"Hazel , do you know why you have been brought here, to this world ?"

" Umm no. My grandmom did not give me any explanation or much of a choice , you see."

" Hazel , may I ask you a question ?"

" Yes."

" What do you understand by evil ?"

The girl blinked in confusion . "Umm...the opposite of good ?"

"  What do you think evil does ?"

" Try to overcome goodness."

" Yes ! Now, think of it as a force ..."

"  A supernatural force ?"

" A formless , supernatural force that intends to overcome goodness. You have heard of the Evil Queen , haven't you ?"

" Of course, every child in our world has. Evil Queen was the stepmother of Snow White ."

" Do you think she was always evil, not a person  ever ?"

Snowflake could see perplexity all over the human's face , as if she was not quite understanding the point of this whole conversation . But she would soon.

" No." said Snowflake," My mother, Snow White, recalls her as a beautiful person who loved her as her own. Everyone has a flaw. The Queen's strength was her beauty and it was her weakness too. Sometimes it's our strengths that serve as drawbacks . It was her beauty that made her insecure about herself.

"Evil spoke to her through the Mirror. It took advantage of her insecurity, her fears. It challenged her power, her aspirations. It made her ask one question everyday. Tell me, when does a person ask the same question repeatedly ?"

"When they are not sure of the answer!"

" Yes. She depended on the Mirror for advice and trusted its judgment. It told her the truth she wanted to hear, and the moment it brought her face to face with reality , her world was shattered. In the end , evil had possessed her completely."

The girl gaped at her.

Snowflake continued , " The Mirror is nothing but the reflection of evil . And the Wicked Fairy from Sleeping Beauty ..."

" She had a lot of self esteem." the girl whispered as if she were beginning to put it all together.

" She was someone who had been forgotten. She had been secluded from the society. No one seemed to care for, she was believed to be deceased. Her identity had been erased.

"She became aware of this brutal truth , at Sleeping Beauty's christening. Evil feeds on despair.  She was a vain person who had prided her position among the eight supreme fairies. Rage fogged her mind. She lost the ability to think clearly."

The human was silent; she seemed to be considering Snowflake's words.

"As for the Stepsisters and Stepmother, isn't jealousy the root of all evil ?"

" You say they were people , they had some good within them , but wasn't what they did absolutely evil ? They never were normal again , were they ?" the girl enquired. 

" No. Once you are possessed , there is no cure. When evil took over them , they could not be called a person or any other folk that lives on these lands. They were another  thing altogether."

" What were they ?"

" The hosts of evil. Evil is formless. It is not very different from a parasite. Without a host , a body to reside in , it is powerless. It needs someone. Evil only makes the weak willed it's hosts ."

" So it is upon a person whether to become evil or not." the girl said.

Snowflake smiled.

"We all have a monster within us ; the difference is only in degree."

***

A hurricane of thoughts and questions whirled in Hazel's mind. Yet , she stood still like a statue.

Snowflake's grim eyes were set on her.

" Hazel , you might be wondering why I've been telling you all this ."

Hell , yeah !

" It is extremely strange how our past is so connected to our future. All beings seek an answer to one simple question- Where are we going? What does our future hold for us? We never realise that the answer to this query lies in our past."

Her breathing picked up pace and her pulse began to race.

" I don't quite understand what you mean , Princess Snowflake." she said , her voice quavering slightly.

" Well , do you not ?" Snowflake smiled at her.

She bit her lip. "No , I don't."

" Hazel , our past has come back to haunt us . We are at a threshold, where we see our future and our past merge to be one . Evil has risen . Its hosts have been resurrected.Their powers stronger and incomprehensible."

" But wasn't evil destroyed, banished by the Four ?"

" Evil is inevitable , Hazel. It can only be weakened for some time.

"  You are our hope . The ways of evil go beyond our understanding , or that of the Four. As we talk , the land seethes into peril. We need you. The prophecies have never been wrong. You are the one, you are our saviour. "

Hazel's world was shifting away from beneath her and she struggled to stand, when everything had fallen.