Once upon a time, there was a girl whose beauty was breath-taking. She was known as Snow White. When Snow White was still a new-born, people came up to her baby carriage and gasped, astonished by her beauty. People in her town whispered about how her hair was shiny as sunlight on snow, her lips red as blood, and her hair black like the darkest nights.
Snow White looked just like her mother, who was a stunning woman from the outside but had a kind heart as well. This made her even more magnificent than she already was. Before she passed away, her mother used to tell her: “Always be kind, Snow White. Even if the others’ kindness is difficult to find. Beauty does not come from the outside, a pretty face on its own will not make anyone satisfied.”
Snow white mother’s death was the start of a lot of changes in her life. When Snow White was 18, her father married a new woman, who was almost as young as Snow White herself. She was called Stephanie and was beautiful as well, but there was something about her that seemed a bit off.She was not generous and kind like Snow White’s mother, but she was resentful, harsh, and jittery.
You might think that they must get along well since they were the same age, but the opposite was true. Snow White despised the idea of someone replacing her mother, no one could ever fill up that empty space in her heart.
Stephanie on the other hand could not stand Snow White because she looked just like her mother, reminding her every day of what she had to live up to. The ghost of the mother was ever-present whenever Snow White was in the room, and everyone showed her clearly how much she was missed.
Things between them got worse when Snow White began started posting on social media. She started going to the solarium, playing around with make-up and quickly grew on Instagram. Stephanie was successful on social media as well; she engaged in lifestyle and beauty content and had been able to make a living off it for a few years now. However, when Snow White started, it only took her a few months to gain thousands of followers.
It made Stephanie furious, her jealousy grew, and she was filled with bitterness for her stepdaughter. So, she started picking fights with Snow White, accusing her of stealing sponsors and tagging the wrong brands. One grey autumn night their fight escalated, Snow White ripped the phone from Stephanie and before anyone knew what had happened, they heard the fracturing of glass. The mirror, which had been in Stephanie’s family for years, had broken into millions of pieces. “I’m sorry! I did not mean to do that. Please, do not be mad” Snow White gasped. Stephanie’s eyes filled with tears of shock and anger. “That’s it. I will make sure you are in big trouble, Snow White, no words anymore. Otherwise, I will make sure that for weeks, you will not be seeing any daylight’’.
Snow White was sent to boarding school. She could understand that her stepmother was furious about the mirror. But that furious? It was an ill-fated accident! Sending her to a boarding school seemed overly extreme to Snow White. She grabbed a bag and started packing. Running away was the only option to avoid the boarding school.
Snow White had made some friends over Instagram. It was a group of seven and they all shared one house. ‘’I must ask the seven dwarfs to let me move in. There is nothing else I can do; this is the only I can get through’’
The seven dwarfs. That´s how they called themselves. They were a group of seven guys who had founded a YouTube channel, followed by millions of people. The Dwarfs posted daily vlogs, and now also took over the platforms TikTok and Instagram. Their popularity increased weekly and there had barely been such a social media sensation as the seven dwarfs.
Snow white grabbed her packed bag and sneaked out of the house. She ran for or hours and hours until her feet could not carry her anymore. She looked around and found herself in a forest.
“I recognize this forest! If the dwarfs allow, I must be close to getting a new home now”, Snow White thought to herself, breathing heavily. She slowed down when in the far distance, the silhouette of a house appeared. Snow White smiled: “Finally!”.
Exhausted she knocked on the door. “Snow White! What are you doing here, at our place? Come in and take a seat in front of the fireplace. Let us have a hot chocolate together, meanwhile, you can explain what happened and warm up from the freezing weather.” she heard, as the door opened. While taking little sips out of her mug, Snow White explained her situation and what made her come to the house in the first place. “Well, I guess you could sleep on the sofa in the `Let’s play´ room, even though it might not be as comfortable as your own bedroom,” one of the boys suggested. “I'll take anything that you assign, for me, anything would be fine” Snow White nodded gratefully.
It did not take long until the seven dwarfs and Snow White started to cooperate on social media. They began to film TikToks, Snow White took over their Instagram stories and they created YouTube challenge videos together. Rapidly, the two communities became one and grew in followership and engagement. Snow White enjoyed herself, yet she did wonder why she did not hear anything from home.
Just then, a week later Snow White received a letter. “Big Family Gathering” was written on the envelope. “They must have seen my content,” she thought to herself, “otherwise they couldn’t know where I was..and the Dwarfs are such a big trend”. The seven dwarfs encouraged her to go to the gathering that the letter invited her to. “You’ll be able to finally solve the issues with Stephanie. You have manifested peace for so long, you see. Now, you have attracted this situation to finally find the closure you need. And the two of you could work together, instead of compete” “You are right. What is meant for me will find me. I’ll go home tomorrow by daylight”, Snow White agreed.
When the day arrived, Snow White found herself nervously searching for the prettiest dress in her wardrobe. She was anxious and wanted to make a good impression. This was the first time to been reunited with her family. It was an important day. She grabbed her purse and made her way back to her family’s house.
When Snow White entered the room, everyone stopped talking. Then suddenly, everyone started talking. “So good to see you!”, “Look at you- an adult lady’’, ‘Even prettier than your mother, maybe.’’,“Welcome home, Snow White. I truly am filled with delight” Snow White recognized that voice within seconds. She turned around: “Father!” She fell into his arms, apologizing over and over for running away. Her father gives her a hug: “It´s okay Snow, I missed you too. You look just like your mother; I have never seen a more beautiful woman than you. In so many ways, she reminds me of you. Always doing things the way you want to...” Snow white sobbed. Slowly, she let go of the hug. Stephanie stood next to her father. She smiled, but it seemed crooked and artificial. Snow White looked at her remorsefully. “Stephanie, I truly am sorry about the mirror. I know how much it meant to you. Can you forgive me, please? We could start working together, I could really use your expertise” “Of course, my dear. Why don’t you two already sit down? Would you like some cake? You know how I love to bake!”, her stepmother replied with a forced friendliness. “Oh, no I’m gluten-free vegan- maybe just an apple or some other fruits? As long as it doesn’t contain any glutes” Snow White gave her a shy smile. “Oh, well, of course. I’ll get one..This is going to be so much fun”, and Stephanie rushed away.
The apple looked delicious. It was so red and shiny, the inside white as snow... But when Snow White finished the apple, she felt like her skin was tickling.
“Snow White are you okay, my dear? Your skin is covered in red spots!, While a few minutes ago, it was still clear”,Stephanie gasped loudly. Everyone at the table turned around. The tickling became stronger, Snow White’s face started to burn. She took her phone out to see herself: “Oh no, I straight up look like a tomato!” Her face was pure red, it was covered with spots. Mortified, she ran outside.
Snow White ran and ran, until she arrived at the seven dwarf's house. She started crying, never had she felt such humiliation. The seven dwarfs tried to calm her down, but Snow White was devasted: “I’m so embarrassed. I am known for being beautiful like my mother- my whole family thinks of me like that. You do not understand, this is so bad. And now I just look horrible... This can’t be happening; I need to be adorable!!’
“But... that is your family. They know who you are. You cannot define your worth based on your looks, that is bizarre. They don’t care if you have an allergic reaction- they love your soul, not your face...”, “And wasn’t your mum the one who taught you that it’s kindness that matters over everything in the first place...?” All seven dwarfs gathered around Snow White to console her. Slowly, she took her hands off her face. “I mean, yes... It is just... ugh. Ever since Stephanie married my dad, I constantly feel like I need to prove myself, even though I have never felt like I had.” “But your father forgave you even though you ran away- that has nothing to do with appearance, that is just child’s play.” One of the dwarfs responded. Snow White sighed. Her face was still itchy, but for some reason, she felt better. Lighter. Relieved.
She felt as if she was looking into a mirror that finally showed her something else than her appearance. A mirror that showed her who she truly was, regardless of looks and followers. And this girl was enough, with rash or without.
Out of impulse, she posted her experience on Instagram- how an allergic reaction made her come to a big realization. The post went viral, it got more shares than Snow White ever gotten before. Not that she cared now, of course.
A few days later, the doorbell rang. It was Stephanie. “Snow White I have to talk to you. I did something terrible, and the guilt I feel is just not bearable. When I gave you the apple at the family gathering, I dipped it into lemon acid, knowing that you would get a rash... hoping that your beauty would burn to ash. I am sorry. I just could not stand your presence, always feeling like I was in your shadow... And your mum’s shadow. I do not have to feel that way, your father loves me, I know. But...” She took a deep breath, “Of course, what I did was out of proportion. Completely childish. I do not know what I was thinking. I am sorry. I would like... if you want... I’d like to start over, that is what I truly wish.” Snow White could see that these words were extremely hard for Stephanie.
She seemed so uncomfortable and awkward; Snow White had never seen her stepmother like this before. And before she could think about it, she burst into laughter. “Why are you laughing? Did I say something wrong?” “I don’t know, I just... this whole situation is completely ridiculous. But... yes. Yes, let us start over! I am sure we can finally get along” Stephanie smiled relieved.
And before she even knew it, she joined Snow White’s laughter. Because yes, after all, the whole situation was more than ridiculous.
Anyways, they lived happily ever after.