SIBLINGS

A HANSEL AND GRETEL QAF FAERIE TALE

CHAPTER 4

BEYONDTHE VEIL

          Nov 1...Evening...

          Gus/Hansel sat in his little prison cell waiting and watching. But it was no use. Craig didn't let up or let them be for even a second. His sister was kept working from dawn until far into the night. And at dinner time another forced feeding commenced with Craig watching over him to eat every bite. He stood there hunched over, like a vulture watching over its intended victim, squinting through that hated monocle.

          "You know, that's really not necessary," Hansel said for the hundredth time, "I like to eat. You don't need to watch me."

          "I know."

          "Look, why don't you take some ME time. Read a magic book. Brush your teeth. Please. Take a bubble bath."

          "Do I look like the kind of guy who takes a bubble bath!!?" Craig yelled.

          "Nope. And you sure don't smell like one too." Hansel said.

          "Why, you little...-" Craig surged forward, his hands outstretched into claws.

          "Ah - ah - ah..." Hansel held up his plate. He took a bite of food, "Eating..." he said, his mouth full.

          "GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!" growled Craig, in impotent rage. But he dared not touch the boy. He could smell the innocent baby fat forming with every bite the boy took. He knew it was only a matter of time before the boy-flesh was reading for roasting and then... And then, HE would feast. But ohhhhhh!!!! What an insufferable little brat he was being in the meantime!

          "Well, how bout this," suggested Hansel, "Why don't you take a few steps back. You're making me nervous, looking over my shoulder like that."

          Craig shuffled back a few steps but he didn't go away.

          Finally, he felt Hansel had eaten enough and it was very late. He made Gretel lie in a corner of the kitchen where she went promptly to sleep and he went out through the extra door, slamming it behind him.

          Hansel waited about a half an hour during which time he lay down in his little space and did regular sets of bicycle pumping of about 60 each.

          He may have been 12 but he wasn't stupid.

          Then he called to his sister. "JR! Gretel! JR! Wake up! Wake up! Come here!"

          There was no response. Poor girl. She must be so tired.

          But Gus had to break her out of her bondage. "JR! JR! Wake up!" he hissed as loud as he could.

          Nothing.

          Gus wondered what to do. Then he thought of a plan so vile, it made his skin crawl. But he had no choice.

          He cleared his throat a bit and then called out, "Girl! Girl! WAKE UP! I need you!" in a voice as close to Craig's raspy, snotty, wheezy voice as he could. "GIRL! WAKE UP!"

          And it worked! JR/Gretel opened her eyes and sat up. "Yes sir," she said dully.

          "Bring me a glass of water," Hansel rasped.

          "Yes sir," Gretel said, in her monotone and got up. She got a glass and filled it and looked around. "Where are you?" she asked dully.

          "Over here. By the boy's cage. That's the way. Open the little window...That's right!" Hansel rasped.

          Gretel handed the water glass to Hansel and Hansel took it. Then, quick as a striking snake, he reached out and grabbed her hand, between the thumb and forefinger and pinched. He pinched her hard and shook her.

          "JR! JR! Wake up! WAKE UP!" Hansel pinched and wouldn't let go.

          "OWWW!! OWWWW!! Gus! Gus! Stop it! Owww! What's wrong with you? Wait! Where ARE we?"

          Oh thank heavens and all the gods if there were any! It worked. Gus released JR from his pain grip but kept his hand in easy reach. JR grabbed it and held on in fear. "Gussy! What's going on? Why am I so tired? And where are we? I wanna go home!"

          "I do too JR! I do too! But before we do we have to stay here for awhile. We're havin...a sort of adventure, OK? And I need you to be brave for me OK? I need you to be brave while I'm stuck in here."

          "OK," JR sniffled, "But Gus, what's happening? Where are we?"

          "We're still in the gingerbread house. A mean man who knows magic is holding us here...he's kinda like a witch only a dude...anyway he...."

          Gus proceeded to recount the day to JR/Gretel. He told her that she'd been working all day and that she had been controlled. She didn't believe him at first. But after pointing out how tired she was and the fact she couldn't remember anything, she reconsidered. She began to cry.

          "Oh Gus! I don't wanna be controlled!" she sobbed out.

          "Well be quiet and you won't be. I just snapped you out of it, didn't I? And if it happens again, I'll give you a good pinch as soon as I can! But you can't let on! You have to make out like you're still enchanted and do everything he says until I can get us out of here. Like this." He showed her. "Now, you." She practiced. "Good. Now, tomorrow, here's what I want you to do. It's very important..."

666

Next morning...

          The nightmare continued.

          Craig got up and kicked Gretel awake. There was a moment where she showed that she was awake and her eyes went wide with fear at the sight of the fearsome warlock. Then Hansel cleared his throat noisily and she remembered. She schooled her features into a blank stare.

          "And what's wrong with YOU??" Craig whirled around on him.

          "I'm just choking on a bone from all the slop you shoved down my throat last night," said Hansel.

          "Shut your mouth or I'll cut out your tongue!" snarled Craig, "I'll be doing that anyway but I think I'm beginning to think I'd like to hear you scream while I do it."

          Hansel gulped. But he looked over at Gretel. It had been worth it. She had schooled her features into a blank stare.

          "What are YOU waiting for?" Craig turned on her. "Go draw the water for the coffee and then make the eggs."

          "Yes sir," she said dully, and went out.

          "None for me thanks, it'll stunt my growth," said Hansel with his tongue in cheek.

          "No indeed. And we can't have THAT!" Craig cackled with evil glee. "No it's pancakes and syrup and eggs and bacon and tarts and sugar and more sugar for you this morning. Ohh, what a wonderful chubby, fat morsel you are going to become!" He laughed again in terrible evilness.

          "Oh, not those dreadful walnut tarts again!" complained Hansel, "There was barely any nuts in the last batch at all."

          "What!? You ungrateful whelp! There were plenty of nuts! My walnut tarts have been the favourite of little boys and girls for 16 generations!"

          "I don't know what to tell you," Hansel said. He pointed to his mouth. "More nuts. As my daddy used to say, "You can never have too many nuts in your mouth."

          "Somehow I don't think he was talking about tarts," Craig quipped.

          "Huh?"

          "Never mind. Fine. You want nuts, I'll shove you so full of nuts, you'll think you are a squirrel!"

          When Gretel came back with the water, Craig took a big burlap sack full of walnuts and set her to shelling them. Gretel didn't like the way he was talking to her but she didn't want to be controlled again either so she started cracking nuts. Craig set about making dough. Hansel just waited. For a while there was blessed silence.

          Soon Gretel had a big pile of shelled nuts in front of her.

          "That enough, Your Majesty? Or do I need to keep your sister working?" Craig said in a cruel tone.

          "Those look good," Hansel decided.

          Craig got a wooden cutting board and a wooden mallet. He put some of the nuts on there and set Gretel to crushing the nuts.

          "I don't understand, sir."

          "What do you mean? Hit them with the mallet and crush them. An infant would understand!"

          "My daddies never let me use a hammer before. I don't get it. Would you show me sir?" Gretel continued in her dull voice.

          "OHHH!" growled Craig in frustration, "You kids have to be the most spoiled pair I've seen in 5 generations! Like this!"

          He picked up the mallet and started hitting some nuts with it. Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! "There! You see! Like that!" He pounded again. "Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!  "Like that!" He pounded again.Crunch!...

          Quick as a blink, Gretel grabbed the monocle that was hanging by Craig's waist and put it on the cutting board along with the nuts.

          ...Crunch! Smash! Tinkle, tinkle!"

          "AHHHHHH!!! What have you done!?" You stupid girl! I needed that to see properly! You...you...!!!" Craig was incoherent with rage.

          Gretel looked over at Hansel. Hansel gave her a big smile and a thumbs up. Phase 2 complete.

          "My daddies never let me hold a hammer before because they were afraid I was going to do this!" Gretel grabbed the mallet from Craig and smashed it down on his foot.

          "OOOWWWWW!" Craig howled.

          "RUN, Gretel , RUN!" Hansel yelled.

          Gretel didn't have to be told twice. She kicked the warlock in the other leg and ran for it. In seconds she had wrested the door open and was out of there!

          "Fools! There's nowhere to go! You're attempt at freedom was pointless! And when she gets back I'm going to..."

          But Hansel never found out what he was going to do. Still massaging his leg, Craig raised his beak nose into the air. He sniffed.

          "Mmmmmmm!!! What is that? I can't see them but I can smell them!" He sniffed. "Ahhhh yes! Two boys! Big boys! I think this will call for a more powerful spell! This is going to be most fun! BWA HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!!!!!

666

          The first thing Sam and Dean noticed after they stepped through the portal was that their clothes had changed.

          "Sonofabitch!" swore Dean, catching site of Sam.

          "Oh HELL no!" swore Sam at the same time, catching site of Dean.

          Both of their uniforms had vanished away. In their place, both men now wore black leather, buckled shoes, lederhosen, short pants down to just past their knees, pristine white linen shirts with bright green suspenders with a horizontal strap connecting the two vertical ones across the chest.

          After the initial shock though, Sam could see the humor in it that Dean could never appreciate.

          "Hi Hansel," he said cheekily.

          "Shut UP!" ground out Dean, "If I'm Hansel, then I guess that makes you...." he left the statement open ended. "Besides, you haven't checked out your head yet!"

          Sam did so and was horrified to find a peaked cap with a long, bright red feather sticking out of it. He swore again, but then put it on again. What the hell? Why not?

          They walked down the short path to the yard of the gingerbread house. It smelled delicious but they were able to resist it because they were adults.

          At that moment, a little girl ran around the side of the house. She caught sight of them and ran over to them.

          "HELP! HELP! You gotta help me and my brother! He's still inside! The mean man's after me! You gotta..."

          Sam bent down and stretched out his arms to the little girl. She flew into them.

          "It's all right sweetheart. We're here to help. I'm Sam. What's your name?"

          "There's no time! We've gotta run! He's got my brother in a cage! If he catches us again, we won't be able t'save him! Come on!" She tried to pull them.

          "Wait! Where's your brother?" Sam asked. But JR was incoherent with fear.

          Dean watched the child with some apprehension. He'd never admit it but he was glad Sam was here to deal with the child. He was no good with that touchy-feely crap and he'd most likely end up trying to interrogate her like some murder suspect.

          And then it was too late.

          "HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!!!!" The laugh echoed around them at once both in the distance and yet was all around them.

Tongue of Dog, Fetid Flowers

Bat's blood boil! Rat's milk sour!

Elder Brother, Younger Brother

Helsech El Sidenth!!!

Make the former my prisoner, put the latter in my power!

AHHH HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!

          A fearsome column of red light shot up into the air from the house and then vanished. And then there was a short silence.

          "It'll take a more than a few pretty words to get the best of us! Right Sammy!" Dean yelled in euphoria. THIS is what he was good at. Hunting down and getting in the face of supernatural psychos and taking them down! "Right Sammy...Right!?"

          He turned around to find the overgrown little Dutch boy standing there with a glazed look on his face.

          "Take him! Bring him around the back!" came the voice.

          Sam advanced on Dean and began trying to punch him in the face. Dean easily blocked these.

          Sammy! Sammy stop it! Sammy, SNAP OUT OF IT!"

          But Sammy didn't stop it. He kept punching and started to throw in a few high kickboxing moves as well. Dean found himself working a bit harder to fend his brother off. However, this did not work out in his favour when it turned out Sam had just been playing him all along. Without warning, Sam kicked Dean brutally in the balls. And that was it. Game over.

          As Dean lay writhing on the ground, he felt himself being placed within a full nelson. He was pulled to his feet and carried, then dragged, then led around the back of the house.

          Gretel, also caught within the radius of the spell was re-entranced. Woodenly, she followed Sam back to the house as he led his captive brother to the back door where Craig was waiting for all of them.

666

          Gus had never felt such overwhelming disappointment in his young life when two men and his sister trooped back into the house, seemingly under their own power. (Well, one was one captured.) He had so hoped this was the help he had prayed for. But it was not to be.

          Using his magic, Craig conjured up a strong length of chain that was attached to an iron ring on the wall. At the end of the chain was a thick, black leather collar. The collar was studded with big sharp spikes. It looked like a collar that belonged on a big bulldog named Rex.

          "No way! There's no way you are putting that thing on me! Dean growled, struggling mightily.

          "I'm afraid I must," Craig said reasonably, "You're too big to fit in one of my cells." He approached Dean slowly. "Hold him steady," he told Sam.

          Sam complied, tightening his grip painfully. Dean was held immobile.

          "No! Nooooo! NO! Stay away from me, you sonofabitch! SAM! SNAP OUT OF IT! NOOO!!!"

          "He can't hear you. He listens only to me now." Craig said evilly and relentlessly. He fastened the collar snugly but not overly tightly around Dean's neck and again spoke a magic word. A padlock appeared in his hand and he fastened it to the collar, locking it on.

          You can let go now," he told Sam, "He is no longer a threat."

          "Yes sir." Sam said in a wooden voice that gave Dean the willies. He let go of Dean and went to stand beside Craig. Dean lunged at the warlock but the chain didn't allow much leeway. There was about enough room for him to sit down but that was about it.

          Craig laughed evilly and drew a line on the floor with chalk to show the barrier of how far Dean could reach. "Be careful not to go beyond this point," he warned the other two.

          "Yes sir," they said in unison.

          "Well, well! Two sets of children! I haven't had two sets for 10 generations. And I haven't had a set of such big boys in...well...any generation actually."

          "I can't imagine why," Dean said sarcastically.

          "Normally, I don't like older boys. The meat becomes too tough. But I'm sure with a bit of tenderizer, more cooking, you'll be fine."

          "Imagine my joy," declared Dean dryly.

          "Now, since you've smashed my glass, I'm afraid I'm going to need even more help around the kitchen. Fortunately, we have...what's your name, my boy?" asked Craig.

          "My name is Sam Winchester, sir," answered Sam in monotone.

          "Excellent. Well, Sam, I'm going to need a lot of big boy help around the house now that I can't see that well. Are you up for it?"

          "Yes sir."

          "Excellent! Now then, Gretel, you can return to crushing those nuts. Just the nuts."

          "Yes sir," And she returned to doing just that."

          "Sam, go around to the side of the house and get some more wood for the fire."

          "Yes sir," Sam went out.

          Dean lunged again, his hands outstretched and clawed for strangling. He yanked against the iron ring again and again. But it was no use. Craig stayed easily out of the way.

          "You bastard! Nobody bosses around my brother! That's MY job! When I get loose, I am going to break..."

          "Ah...ah...ah..." Craig waggled a finger. "Little pitchers have big ears. Besides, when and if are two entirely different things."

          "What are you talking about? She's not listening to anything we say."

          "She...isn't. But he is." Craig pointed.

          "I think he means me, mister," Gus/Hansel gave his cage door a little rattle. "It's me, Hansel. That's Hansel," he added meaningfully, hoping Dean would get it.

          Dean got it. "Good to meet you Hansel. You doin' OK in there?"

          "I'm OK," said a subdued little voice in the wall.

          Dean turned back to Craig, "You sadistic SHIT! Let him out of there! He's just a little boy!"

          Craig put his hand to his heart in mock horror. "I can't do that! He might run around and get some....exercise!" Craig shuddered. " Then he'd lose all that yummy, mouthwatering,, wonderful fat he's putting on. Just like you'll be putting on as well, my boy."

          Dean's face contorted in rage. Very clearly, he mimed, "I'm going to BREAK YOUR FACE!"

                 But Craig just laughed and laughed in evil triumph. Hansel slumped down in his little cell in total defeat.

                 The warlock had won.

TBC