Hunger

Chapter 4

How have the children escaped? How is that possible? Your mind goes blank, and all the control you have so carefully held swiftly slips into the abyss of the hunger. Your breathing increases, your heart pounds in your chest, and a scream escapes your lips. The hunger takes over, exploding through your head, your arms, and your toes. Before you know it, you have launched yourself into the air after the little brats. You have been stronger than any other before you. You have survived without food for nine weeks. No more. You will not be tame for another minute. Your blood is boiling as you attack, flying through the air. But, in your rage, you miscalculate your jump and overshoot your targets, hitting the wall behind them. They run, screaming. You watch as they separate, running in different directions. A chase. Perfect.

A wicked grin spreads across your face. You slink forward, preparing to pounce once more. With a cackle, you leap after the boy, Hansel, who is running in front of your oven. All you want is to alleviate this pain, this sickening and foul hunger that has tormented you for so long. Why must they make this so hard for you? They don't understand what it means to suffer. They don't know what it means to have experienced the pains of this world. They don't understand that, in some way, you are doing them a favor. With a powerful jump, you stretch your hands out and grab the boy by the ankle. You've got him. Now kill him! Just as your prepare to deliver your blow, his foot connects with your head.

Stars. Colors. A spinning world. You let out a low groan. He runs, but you will not give up so easily. Using your magic, you seize him by the neck without touching him. He is unable to move. You stand, your hair falling in your face. The heat of your washes over your back. It's ready. This has gone on long enough. With a gesture of your hand, you lift him into the air. You draw him in, flexing your mind and muscles to mimic the actions of strangulation. Kill him now. Kill them before he escapes. Kill! Quickly! The child reaches up to his neck, trying to break a grasp that isn't there. He gags. You begin to squeeze your fists, tightening the magical grip upon his neck. His face goes red, then slightly blue. The oven is open. All you have to do is drop him into its longing jaws.

You are so enraptured in your rage that you almost don't notice the young girl has stopped screaming. You are so focused on making this a swift kill that you don't realize she is placing her hands upon you. You are so enraged, so ready to finally sate the hunger that you don't notice you are falling backwards into your own oven until the heat engulfs you. And your magical grip is broken. Hot. So hot.

You try to get up, but your head strikes the stone above you, knocking you back down. You are already light-headed from the amount energy you've expelled on your attacks. There is the sound of creaking, and a small click in the background. You look up and suddenly realize that the door has been sealed. The children have locked you in your own oven. At first, your only thought is on your prey escaping. You scream, trying to break through the door. This doesn't last long though, as soon the flames begin to grow around you, licking your flesh with their searing tongues, pulling at your clothing. You feel your nerve endings being burnt away, sending screaming signals of pain throughout your entire body. Hot, searing pain. You cannot breathe, you cannot think. Is this how Annabelle felt? Is this what she experienced? Screams pour loudly from your lips. Pain. So much pain. And yet, as you burn alive, the scream escaping your lips is not from the pain of the fire, but the pain of the hunger, consuming you even as you take your last breath, and the world around you goes black. Heat...pain....Annabelle.....hunger...