Gretel

6

The house was much different on the outside than Gretel had expected. Despite what the old woman had told them, she was very surprised to find that much of what was inside the house was not edible, save for the walls and roof.  In contrast with the ladies imposing nature, the little house was cozy by comparison. A fireplace roared in the back of the main room, giving off a warm glow that in contrast with the eminent darkness inside the mammoth fish that had swallowed them could rival the sun. Warm furs were draped everywhere, over couches, on chairs, even near the mantel place. To the right of this was a doorway, that Gretel presumed must be the kitchen. 

Starving, but not wishing to enter and pillage the woman's kitchen without permission, Hansel and Gretel quickly grabbed two of the massive furs and made themselves comfortable at the fire. Now that they were sitting still, both could feel the rhythmic swaying of the fish as it swam the murky depths. One would expect to constantly be thrown off balance, but curiously the house and all inside it remained steady. Gretel didn't have the time to think about how unnatural this was though, because just then the with-like woman spoke up.

"You too must be starving." the lady of the house commented knowingly. "I'll head into the kitchen and cook something up. Won't be long." She stumbled into the kitchen without another word. 

"I wonder what she's going to cook for us." Hansel asked curiously, and Gretel could tell he was resisting the impulse to get up and check.

"I almost don't care." Gretel replied anxiously, her stomach grumbling, despite the fact that they had just taken several tastes of the house. "

"I know what you mean." he replied earnestly "but if it's as good as her house, I think I'll die happy." Both twins burst out laughing. 

Safe and warm the waiting was the most difficult part of their whole situation at the moment. Still, with what they had gone through, it wasn't easy.  Leaving the fireplace, but still draped with fur, Hansel began pacing. He looked, Gretel thought like he was heavily considering taking to eating the walls again. It was not a pretty sight and it made her heavily anxious. It got worse a few moments later when they actually began to smell what the older woman was cooking for them. Hot and buttery, it smelled just like pancakes. 

Stomaches gurgled. Pacing intensified. 

It was when she saw him start to reach for the wall in order to break a piece off of it, that Gretel could take no more of it "Hansel! please stop!" she cried, closing her eyes as another painful groan from her stomach erupted like mount Vesuvius. 

Hansel looked apologetic "I'm sorry Gretel, I'm just so hungry-"

"It's okay just please sit down." she said in no more than a whisper, feeling as though she too might jump up off the floor and grab a chunk of the wall too. 

Thankfully, Hansel mercifully did as he was told and plopped down next to his sister. It wasn't a moment after that that the odd woman came back into the room. "Alright children, come with me. You two are going to have the feast of your life." Liking the sound of that, both Hansel and Gretel hurried to follow their hostess as if they might be left behind somehow if they dodled even just a little bit.  

The mysterious woman was true to her word. When they arrived in the kitchen, they were greeted by what to them, was a glorious sight. A great table stuffed with saucers and saucers of pancakes, berries, sausage, and potatoes greeted them, and Gretel wondered how and when their hostess had time to make all of this on short notice. She also noticed there were only two chairs set at the table, instead of the usual four. It was almost like the old woman had been expecting them

Gretel's stomach churned- and not from the lack of food or delicious smells. 

As usual, the young girl didn't have time to think about the strangeness of the whole situation because she was ushered into the room by the home own owner and hastily made to sit down. "Now you kids eat as much as you'd like and if there's anything you need just let me know." her voice was laced with a thick goopy sweetness, and the girl wondered for just a moment if this seemingly feeble older woman was actually who she claimed she was. Gretel looked across the table to see if Hansel agreed with her, but of course his hunger had gotten the better of him, and he was already stuffing his face as if there was no tomorrow. Deciding she would talk with her brother about it later, the young girl decided that she would follow suit. 

Both children gorged and gorged themselves devouring the meal like wild animals, having little care for table manners. First, Hansel hastily took a stack of pancakes, slathering them with butter and surup. He hastily began stuffing them in his mouth. Gretel filled her cheeks with berries, reminiscent of that of a squirrel. Finished with that, she buttered a pancake, downed it, then finished it off with a swig of maple syrup. 

They were truly disgusting, but they were so ravenous they couldn't be bothered to care. 

Biting into a potato like it was an apple, Hansel showed no sign of slowing down and neither did Gretel. She had a few more pancakes, this time covering them in syrup and breaking them into pieces with her bare hands before she ate them. The sticky condiment drizzled and splattered all over her ripped and soiled dress, adding to its destruction. Food quickly started to disappear from the table, but it was no bother because whenever one thing would run out, the older woman would simply bring out more fresh and ready to go, all the while smiling like the cat who swallowed the canary. There was something remarkably odd about the food- no matter how much they ate, they were never satisfied. There stomachs ached and threatened to burst, but the only thing both twins could consider, was the next morsel, the next sweet, the next meal. Obviously, something was off, and they both should have noticed the odd little woman's expressions. Questioned her motives, or even how she came by all this food in a famine and living in a giant fish for pity's sake. Sadly Like the young children they were, they thought about none of those things.

They really should have.

Eventually, both children became so tired that they both passed out right there at the kitchen table. Seizing her chance, the crone scooped up Hansel, grabbed a lantern,  and in a flash was out the door, leaving her home and going deep into the belly of the beast. It was dark, and it was a difficult journey, for an older woman- not to mention the added weight of the child in her arms, but she eventually reached her destination- a rickety, dilapidated, dry old well. 

Wasting no time, the wicked woman got to work, set him down, and gingerly placed him inside. That done, distractions eliminated, the witch went slowly back to her cottage, ready to deal with her new apprentice- for that was what Gretel was now- whether she wanted to be or not.