Hansel & Gretel [NaNoWriMo 2016]

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Hansel

Once the twins had reentered the castle and had quickly bathed, they decided that they would discuss their plan further in the morning. Hansel had been emotionally wrecked while Gretel was in pain so they found that they could wait a little bit longer to figure out the rest. However, this did not mean that Hansel was at peace. It was quite the opposite.

His mind was pumping out thoughts and fears as if he were a cow and they were milk. No matter how much he adjusted his position in his new, soft bed, sleep wouldn't claim him so his mind had all the time in the world to torture him with possibilities such as the following.

If their mother did give them up for a good reason, why hadn't she told them to leave? Was it because it was already too late like Pela said? Or was it because Serane thought they were safe now?

What would their deaths be like? Would it be painful? Would Hansel go last? Would he have to watch Gretel die? Or would they go together like everything else they did in their lives? What if no matter what they did or what they learned, they died anymore?

What if there wasn't anything they could do to stop it?

Though Hansel was exhausted, he dreaded the nightmares that his mind would produce if he fell asleep. This left him with a single option: stay up. However, he didn't think he could lay in his bed and stare at his ceiling all night long. He couldn't afford the waste of time. No, if he was going to stay awake, then he would put it into being productive.

He sat up, weighing his options. Surely there was a library in this place. He could see if it had anything relating to the dragon and where it came from. That might be a stretch, though. No one knew where the dragon had come from. It was as if it had once been thin air, but had found a way to turn itself into a bloodthirsty beast. So that might be a waste of time. Besides, how would he find the library without getting lost in the process?

It was better to try to sleep, he decided, but still couldn't find a way to soothe his mind. His eyes stared at his pillow until he recalled the last time he had felt this way. It had been about five years ago and the Witch had just perished, the twins escaping with their lives and newfound abilities. While they had been unable to find a village, they had found an abandoned house made of wood. It had a single glass window, but it had been shattered long before they laid eyes on it. Its roof had been caved it and with it, two of house's walls. But it had given them a kind of shelter that was better than a tree. There had been a single bed with a ratty blanket and that was where they slept that night. Curled next to one another under a thin excuse of a blanket, they had been tired, but could not sleep due to their fear. Instead they talked until their eyes could no longer stay open and they fell asleep, resting for the first time in a long time.

It was one of his favorite memories with Gretel. So much had happened before that night in the abandoned house that Hansel was forever grateful for, but it was that single night that he held dear to his heart. It was the start of a new life, though they hadn't known it then. It had their last night as children and in that following morning, they had become adults in Hansel's eyes.

Murder did that to you.

A creak shook him out of his thoughts. He moved to grab his sword until he realized who was standing there with a candle in her hand.

"Gretel, you startled me!"

She rubbed her eyes, shrugging. "It's not my fault you weren't paying attention. Now let me in your bed."

Hansel's face softened. How was it that she always knew when he needed her? Perhaps it was a twin thing.

"I mean it. Move," she said as she sat down the candle on the nightstand, putting it out before climbing under the covers. "I want to go back to sleep."