Hansel & Gretel [NaNoWriMo 2016]

CHAPTER FOUR: Hansel

In the autumn evening, Sors was a city beyond description. While normal villages had huts that, while clearly have had a lot of work put into them, were not as stylish or solid as the buildings in the capital city of Loress. These buildings were made of brick and there were varying colors. It was as if someone had taken all the colors of the world and had poured them into the bricks that made the shops and homes in Sors. The buildings were not the only things that caught Hansel's eye upon stepping foot into the town. It was the bustle of its occupants and the number of people. Some people were standing off to the side, happily taking the time to chat with a friend or neighbor with a basket of food in hand. Some were in the middle of shopping, picking up fruits and vegetable with a careful eye. Some were just walking and clearly going to some place or other. There were even children that were running, playing, and enjoying the nice weather.

It was more than Hansel had dreamed.

"Could you imagine growing up here?" he asked Gretel with a wistful tone, smiling as he watched a game of tag commence.

He saw Gretel shrug out of the corner of his eye. "I suppose. But it doesn't matter, does it? We have already grown."

"Yeah," he answered her softly. "But it still would have been nice."

"Yes, it would have," Gretel said gently, her face softening slightly under Hansel's gaze.

Realizing the slump he was swiftly heading towards, Hansel shook off the dreary feeling of wistfulness and gave his sister a large grin.

"Let's go find the pub, shall we? With a city this size, it might take a while."

Gretel nodded and without another word passed between them, Hansel and Gretel worked their way further into the large city. Sors had to be the size of a hundred large villages combined into one and it truly appeared to be the capital of Loress and home to the king and queen. The towers of the huge castle could be seen over the rooftops of the homes and businesses, giving the impression of giants watching over the capital city.

"Loress' capital is so much bigger than Arne's capital," Hansel commented as he and Gretel passed a bakery.

"That's because Loress is a bigger country than Arne. Thus, a larger capital," she said as her eyes were aware of everyone around them.

Silence fell between the twins as they continued to search for the single pub in Sors. Frida had told them that was where they could hopefully find Pela once again. However, it wasn't a guarantee.

After half an hour of searching and asking for directions, Hansel and Gretel arrived to the pub's front door. Much like the other buildings in Sors, its walls were made of brick with shades of brown and tan and a second story that most likely housed the family of the pub's owner. The door was made of dark wood with a typical metal handle. It seemed almost too easy to pull the door and head it towards their future.

Yet they didn't.

As Hansel reached for the door handle to open the door and go towards the truth, Gretel grabbed his hand and clutched it with a grip as tight as a vice. He frowned, confused as to why she was stopping him and he turned to look at her.

"Don't," she whispered. "Just don't."

"Why? Isn't this what we've been waiting for?" he asked her, unable to comprehend that even after their talk, she was still apprehensive about knowing.

Something he couldn't identify flashed in Gretel's eyes. "I can't explain it, but I feel that the moment we step in there, we won't be able to leave. We'll be trapped in a path that we'll wish we hadn't crossed. Everything in my being is telling me that we should run from this place as fast as we can."

"Run?" Hansel repeated, his face unbelieving. "After everything we've been through? After all this time?"

Gretel bobbled up and down. "Yes. We can go back to Arne or maybe we could go to the East. We could do anything and go anywhere, anywhere but here. Please, Hansel. Please."

While Hansel could see the desperation on her face, he couldn't just turn his back on this pub and walk out of Sors without at least trying to get answers. He couldn't just accept the fact that maybe Gretel's gut feeling was right and they should run fast out of Sors and Loress. He couldn't go on being orphan when there was a possibility that he wasn't, that their parents were alive. He couldn't go on drifting from place to place and having no family other than his sister. He couldn't take the envy anymore. He wanted a real family.

"We can't," Hansel argued. "I can't. What have we got to lose going into here? If it turns out that you're right and it isn't safe for us, then we'll leave. We'll go anywhere you want, but at least let us find out the truth, Gretel. We deserve to know."

Hansel saw her shoulders sag and her grip loosened, freeing his hand. There was defeat in her body's movements and for some reason, Hansel knew this moment would be forever burned into his memory.

"You promise?" Gretel asked him, a fire in her eyes.

Hansel nodded. "Yes."

". . . I'll hold you to it. Don't think that I won't drag you away even if you're kicking and screaming," Gretel said, seemingly appeased to Hansel's eyes.

He laughed as he pushed the door forward, stepping forward to what he felt was happiness. "I wouldn't expect anything else otherwise."