Hansel And Gretel [contest version]

‘It was the eve Halloween. In a crowded village, just off to the left of a bustling city children were running around, screaming and laughing whilst adults admired costumes and gave out candy. Tea lights in pumpkins gave a soft glow to the happy village people, the plump faces of small ghosts and vampires lit up with happiness, their palms sticky with sugar. At the end of the row of houses, a small room was lit up with the glow of candlelight and giggling was emerging from the open window…

“Hansel! Give it back!” a small girl cried, trying to snatch back a pink veil. The boy ran out the room and the small girl frowned, placing her hands on her hips. “Daddy! Daddy, Hansel took my veil!” she screeched, picking up her skirts and running down the stairs.

“Gretel, calm down!” an older man said, pulling her into a hug. She smiled, and pointed at the young boy. “Hansel, give it back, or you can’t go out trick-or-treating” he said firmly, holding his hand out. The small boy sighed, and handed it over. The man smiled and Gretel ran up the stairs to fix it on her head. When she was finished, she dashed downstairs to say goodbye to her father. Her and Hansel stood on the doorstep, grinning eagerly.

“My, my. Don’t you two look lovely” said a woman with her arm round their fathers shoulder. Her face was pinched and her teeth were clenched, making Hansel feel nervous. He rolled his foot around on the ground nervously.

“Be back by nine kids” their father said, smiling warmly. Hansel immediately felt better, bounding off down the road and dragged Gretel after him. They were giggling and laughing as they knocked at the first house.

“Trickle treat!” they chanted, making the old lady at the door laugh and clap her hands with delight.

“Oh, how wonderful! Is that…little Hansel and Gretel Kasser?” she said, chortling. They nodded, holding out their candy bags. She held out a bowl full of marshmallows and they sunk their hands in, grabbing as many as they could in one handful. The tottered off, laughing some more.

At the next door, a young woman greeted them, dressed in a long black dress. She handed them both a toffee apple, which they held carefully, thanking her and walking down the path.

“Mmmm! These are lovely!” Gretel said, sinking her teeth into it. Hansel nodded, toffee all around his face. They continued down the road, their bags getting fuller and fuller. At the near end, they ran into Tommy Perkins, one of the boys who went to their school.

“Hi Hansel, hello Gretel!” he said cheerily, waving a hand. They nodded in response, looking jealously at his bulging candy bag. “Want to know where I got it?” he said, and the twins nodded eagerly. He leant in, and said in a low voice. “That crazy woman. You know the one?” he said, and they nodded eerily. “Well, see you around!” he said, walking ff.

“Gretel, shall we go?” Hansel said, looking her straight in the eye. Gretel looked at her watch, it was half past eight.

“I don’t know, Hansel. Maybe we shouldn’t…” but Hansel had already walked off down the winding road that led into the woods. Gretel followed closely, jumping at the small scurrying of animals and the low hoot of owls. “Hansel, I’m scared” she whispered, gripping his hand. He tore it away, scowling.

“Don’t be such a baby. And make less noise!” he said, walking quickly ahead.

“It’s not my fault” Gretel whined, running to keep up with him. “It this stupid dress!” she said, grabbing hold of his arm.

“Well, if you’d dressed up as a witch, or a vampire like I wanted, you wouldn’t have that dumb dress on!” he said angrily, storming ahead. Gretel sighed, running again. She heard something cracking and looked around. Her eyes were wide with fear and she screamed as the floor suddenly gave way. Hansel shouted something, but her sobs and hysterical tears blocked out his frantic yelling. Suddenly, he was yelling and his footsteps died.

“HANSEL!” she screamed, clutching desperately at her princess dress in stress. She sat on the floor for what seemed like a lifetime before she heard Hansel returning, talking quickly. There was another voice and Gretel shouted out, jumping up and down. “I’m here! Hansel, please save me! I’m here, I’m HERE!” she cried as loudly as she could. There was a small thud and a ladder hit the bottom, allowing Gretel to climb out. She fell into her brother’s arm, laughing with happiness.

“Look, Gretel! I got help! This is the old lady, Mrs. Spinner!” he said proudly, gesturing to the old lady who was looking hungrily at Gretel. She gave a nervous smile, and turned back to Hansel.

“We should go now, Daddy with be worried” she said, looking back at the old woman. She gave another fearful smile, jumping as she settled her bony hand on her shoulder.

“You brother said he would like to come back to my house, I have lots of delicious candy there, my dear” she said, her voice rustling like dry leaves. Hansel nodded, following after the old woman who had already started walking. Gretel followed reluctantly, feeling jealous at the attention the old woman was giving her brother.

All emotions faded out of her mind as she saw the old woman’s house. It was a deliciously sweet like cottage, with pretty flowers growing in the garden and a thatched roof.

“Oh, it’s beautiful!” Gretel breathed, not hesitating to go inside after her brother. He gasped as he saw the table full of food: cakes, chocolate, candy bars, toffee, fudge, biscuits – everything you could possibly think of. At each place set there was a mug of warm hot chocolate, ready for drinking. Gretel and Hansel fell on the food, throwing their pathetically small candy bags on the corner. Gretel didn’t notice the small hole in the bottom of hers.

When Hansel and Gretel finally stopped eating, there was no food left on the table. They sat back, massaging their large stomachs. A clunk of the lock made them jump, and turn to face the old woman. A gruesome smile was stretched across her face, and they shuddered, moving as far away from her as possible.

“We have to go now” Hansel stuttered, gripping his sister’s hand. Fear coursed through his body, making him tremble. The old lady chuckled, shaking her head.

“No, no no. That won’t be happening I’m afraid” she said, advancing on them. Gretel screamed as she wrenched her brother from her grip with extreme force. She pushed Gretel away, who sat there, petrified with fear. The old woman locked Hansel in a cage and turned to Gretel. She gagged her, and tied her to a chair. She pulled the chair up to a table, hissing at Gretel as she struggled. She bared her sharp teeth, making Gretel squeal through the gag. “Shut up!” she said softly, leaving her alone. She returned a while later, a limp body in her hands. It was Hansel.

“Don’t worry, he’s only drugged” she said, grinning wickedly as Gretel’s eyes widened. She lay him down on the table, fastening leather straps around his body. Then she pressed a switch and the table was flipped long ways, letting Gretel see her brother dangled in front of him, suspended by his arms. The old woman picked up a rusty saw, and moved towards Hansel. She took the saw to his leg, cutting through it with a rough, scratchy noise. There was a sudden thicker noise, with which she looked up at Gretel. “That’s his bone!” she said with glee, sawing straight through. She repeated the process with his other leg, laughing as he started to wake up. He saw Gretel and cried out, screaming in pain as he moved his legs.

“You crazy old lay! Get AWAY from me!” he shrieked as she advanced, now holding a large meat cleaver. She shook her head, a smile still plastered over her face. She forced open his mouth and grabbed his tongue, ignoring his pleas of pain. She hacked though the muscle, leaving his mouth tongueless. He made an odd gurgling noise in his throat, and she grabbed a poker that had been heating up in the fire. The end was white hot, and she leapt forwards, shoving it down the terrified boy’s throat. He eyes streamed tears, but he was incapable of crying out. She picked a knife out, pressing it to his naked chest. The skin popped open, blood dribbling down onto his trousers. The gash was large, and she moved her hand from the knife handle to his chest. Suddenly, she sank her hand into his deep wound, and pulled out his stomach. His eyes were closed, and head lolling forward.

“Now he’s dead” she said, turning round to Gretel, who was whimpering and shaking her head. Tears soaked her face and the gag. She fumbled desperately with the knots tying her up, but failed to undo any of them. “There, there darling. It’s alright” the old crone soothed, stroking her hair with her bloody hands. Gretel’s blonde locks were soaked and matted with blood and sweat and her chest heaved as she caught another glimpse of her brother.

Mrs. Spinner left her sitting there, staring at her brother’s corpse. Blood dripped onto the floor placidly, the steady plop of the liquid making her stomach retch. She felt vomit rising in her throat, more tears spilling as she forced herself to swallow it as the gag blocked it’s way.

“Wake up, wake up!” she heard someone cooing gently. The voice wasn’t her daddy’s, or ever her stepmother’s…. She opened her eyes and saw Mrs. Spinner’s face a centimetre from her own and screamed, finding the gag was out her mouth. “I thought you might be hungry” she said, gesturing to the plate in front of her. A delicious haggis was on her plate, and she ate quickly. “Haggis is your favourite, isn’t it?” she said kindly, and Gretel nodded, spitting it out the moment the old lady’s back was turned. She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking as she felt something cold on her arm. She looked down and cried out as the knife sank into her wrist and was dragged up her arm. She squirmed and writhed in her lap as the lady split open her throat, throwing her lifeless body on top of that of her brothers. A smile spread across her lips as they opened, forming words. “Happy Halloween” she said, her voice cracked and broken.’

The book snapped shut, and Hansel looked up, grinning at his sister. She was sitting in a corner, sucking her thumb. A blanket was wrapped around her and her face was only just illuminated by the glow of the torch.

‘Hansel, that was mean’ she squeaked, and he laughed. She shivered again as he looked at her. He had that determined look in his eye.

‘She still lives there ya know’ he said, gesturing to the house at the top of the hill. Gretel shook her head, frowning slightly. ‘Bet you can’t make it up there’ he teased, standing up.

‘Hansel, where are you going?’ Gretel said fearfully, standing up too. He laughed, and ran out the house. Gretel followed out of habit, trying desperately to make him stop.

‘To the crazy old lady, Mrs. Spinner!’ he cried triumphantly, running up the hill.

‘Hansel, no!’ she screamed as he fell down a hole.