Hansel & Gretel [NaNoWriMo 2016]

CHAPTER ELEVEN: Gretel

Gretel took charge of the conversation once more.

"Who is our birth mother?" she asked, clutching at Hansel's closest leg to prevent him from leaving or ignoring what was happening.

He needed to hear the words come straight out of Pela's mouth. He needed to hear the truth so he couldn't deny whatever they learned. Gretel didn't think that she could handle whatever was said next without him. They had always been a team and while she considered herself to be independent, she couldn't deny that the emotional support she needed from him.

Pela frowned, her desperation forgotten momentarily. "Surely you know this. She's Queen Serane. Weren't you taken to the castle and reunited with her?"

Gretel nodded. "We were, but we needed to know for certain."

Gretel wasn't sure what she was feeling and how to separate it. On one hand, she thought that perhaps she was slightly unhappy that Serane was really their mother. This meant that their lives were definitely changed and that they couldn't try to escape the death that Pela said was fated for them. On the other hand, her heart warmed at the knowledge that Serane was truly their mother. In that moment, she could understand why Hansel had been so adamant that they had found their birth parents and couldn't leave.

But that was swept away when she remembered how Pela said they were going to die.

"Is that why Serane gave us up?" Gretel questioned Pela, her mind connecting dots as she said this.

It would make sense except when she tried to come up with an answer as to how Serane had known that they would die. There was no way that she had any magic because Serane would have had iron chains around her wrist before she could defend herself. Because of witches that dealt out harm, magic was something forbid and considered to be unforgivable if you were caught having magic.

Pela nodded, but refusing to explain as desperation once again consumed her. "Yes."

Gretel grew irritated with Pela's avoidance on the matter. "But how she did know? And why was it so important that we not return to Sors?"

Hansel leapt off his seat, his hands shaking as he looked at his sister. "I can't listen to this anymore, Gretel. I can't. It can't be possible. Our mother didn't give us up and we are not going to die! She's crazy, Gretel, crazy!"

Gretel's mouth opened from surprise, but she didn't have the chance to respond.

"I'm going home."

And with that, Hansel was gone, leaving Gretel alone in her quest for the truth. Bitterness was a poison that swam in her mouth and affected her mind. She knew that Hansel couldn't deal with this kind of truth, but it didn't mean that she wasn't hurt that his bravery melted away in this moment. She knew that he was a sad, poor, orphan boy at his core and this was almost unbearable to hear that their world was once again going to be shattered, but did he have to leave? It was then Gretel could remember the selfish, little boy that he had been when they were young. How long had it been since she had seen that side of him?

But Gretel wasn't selfish.

That was why she stood up and raced after her twin, almost tripping down the stairs as she did so. It was only when she pushed the pub's front door open and stepped into the rain, frantically searching for Hansel's back that she realized that Pela had followed her.

Rain drops landed on Gretel's head as she kept looking for her brother, but talked to Pela.

"Why did you follow me?"

Gretel didn't know why that was important. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't. Between their supposed impending deaths and her brother's emotional state, Gretel saw little importance in why Pela did the things that she did. Even though she knew instinctively that Pela wasn't lying about their deaths, it mattered little to her right now.