Part One: The Way You Learn To Cope

Chapter One

"... The five travelers finally left the woods and once again found the sunlight, where they hoped to live happily ever after", the Baker said quietly as he reached the crumbled ruins of his house, the unofficial leader of a band of misfit survivors. They were quite a motley bunch: a bloodthirsty girl, an animal-crazed boy, a former princess, and a motherless child; all enchanted by the reminiscent tale of a lonesome baker.

The spell of the story was broken by the appearance of the haphazard cottage, and the group was quickly stopped in its tracks.

"I guess that Witch wasn't lying when she said the giant made a mess of things, huh?" the girl breathed, fiercely scrunching the hem of her skirt in her tiny palm.

The princess gracefully placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, a silent assurance that all would be fine in time. With the help of the boy Jack, the Baker pried open the splintered front door to reveal a kitchen in a shape of utter disarray. Cracked baking pans littered the floor, and the entire room seemed dusted with a thin layer of flour.

"We've a great amount of work to do," sighed Cinderella, breaking the silence. She scanned the room carefully before turning to the others with a delicate smile. "How do you suppose we should begin?"

"I say we should split up, try to find out what we've got to do," Jack spoke up.

The Baker raised an eyebrow and instinctively clutched his son closer to his chest. "Nothing good seems to come from splitting up. Should we not stay together, and see what we can accomplish as a group?"

"We could split up into small groups, so that we have someone to stay with, even if we lose the way!" Red offered. The Baker considered her proposal cautiously, but only agreed to her suggestion after catching a coaxing look from the Princess. "All right," he sighed, "But we will rest tonight."

Sleeping quarters were settled; Cinderella, Red, and the baby would stay in the master bedroom, while the Baker and Jack would sleep in the living room. The groups parted, but not before Cinderella pulled the Baker to the side for a word. "Shall I go off to market tomorrow?" she asked. "We really should see if everyone in town is all right."

"No," the Baker said. "A trip like that would be far too dangerous with the road in such a shamble, and even if the townsfolk are fine, they would never go out after such a scare. We've enough fresh food here to last us a fortnight; then we can go to market."

The party slept in late the next day, too weary from battle and loss to awaken at a proper time. The Baker woke first, and headed to the kitchen to fix a light meal of squashed pastries. The others groggily came to, and in an hour, all stood together on the living room rug, chattering as they decide what to do next.

Cinderella crossed the room to the wide open doors of the supply closet where a still intact broom patiently awaited her tender touch. As she moved, she said, "I will stay here and begin clearing the house, so we will at least be able to sleep the oncoming week in a clean home."

"I will care for my son, and see to it that he does not cry anymore than need be," the Baker said, tenderly glancing down at the bundle in his arms, still sleeping soundly. Jack, who had somehow found his way to a smashed window, peered curiously out of it and into the remains of a lush garden.

"That witch said that her garden belonged to us now, right? Red and I could go exploring to make sure she didn't leave anything there to hurt us," he suggested, sneaking a hopeful glance at the girl in question.

The very mention of the Witch sent a cool chill down the Baker's spine. He turned sharply to the boy and silently shook his head. Jack's face fell slightly, not expecting a reaction quite so harsh. Red took a step forward, a thoughtful look on her face. "We can stop by Jack's house instead, to see if anything useful survived. I'm think I've passed by it before on the way here, and it really isn't far." She sent a meaningful look to Jack, although he couldn't quite decipher what that meaning was. He nodded feverishly, not willing to let on to his confusion.

The Baker hesitantly agreed and the youths rushed out of the house and down the jumbled road. He softly rocked the baby as he headed off to his old bedroom, sighing at the crib inside. In the destruction of the day before, it had been reduced to little more than a pile of sticks. He fumbled to sit on a pillow in a condition only slightly better than the crib.

My poor son, he thought as he stroked the peachy skin of the little cheek. Looking at that peaceful face, he could hardly regret the choices he and his wife had made to bring the child into the world. If only she was here now, she would know what to do. I wish...

The Baker never had the chance to make his wish, as Cinderella creaked open the door at that moment to check in on him. "Are you all right?" She asked, tucking a strand of dark hair beneath her dirty headscarf. It was strange for the Baker to see the princess in such a mundane atmosphere, despite her insistence that she was merely a fortunate peasant. He couldn't help thinking that despite all that had happened, she looked peaceful with a broom in hand, and more natural in ordinary clothing.

"I'm fine" he said, with a careful nod. "As fine as anyone could be." Cinderella set down her broom and took a seat beside him. She rested her hand on his shoulder and said,"Thank you for your willingness to accept us into your home. We will all live happily here, I can tell."

The Baker smiled then, for the first time in a while, and the two sat still, gently listening to the baby's quiet coos.

Hallo! Welcome to my new multi chapter! This book is three parts, and I've decided to write a full part before each serialization. Part one has 6 full chapters, and I hope you enjoy them!

I love to read your comments and critiques, so pleeeeeease leave me some, darlings!