“What happened to you?”

The young man seemed genuinely concerned, reaching his hand out to Hansel. The boy clasped it tightly and pulled himself out the water and into the boat. “My sister!” he cried, pointing out to the river. “She’s still out there.”

The young man smiled. “Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly. “We’ll find her.” He steered the boat around, making another sweep.

“There!” declared Hansel. “There!”

The young man guided the boat over toward where the boy had directed. A young girl was splashing in panic, screaming in her fear. Once again, he offered his hand in rescue, effortlessly plucking the girl from the growing current. Her brother embraced her as her saviour lowered her into the rear of the boat. They quickly turned to look upon the young man who had saved their lives, scrambling back to the corner of the boat in fear.

He smiled again, holding his hands up, palms facing toward them. “Have no fear, little ones,” he said, his face radiating kindness. “You’re safe now. What happened to you? How did you come to fall into the river?”

The children relaxed a little as his kind voice eased their concerns. Hansel told him the story of how their stepmother had forced them into the forest, where an old, evil witch had imprisoned them in her gingerbread house. She had locked Hansel in a cage, he said, intending to fatten him up, and to eat him when plump and ready. The witch had also enslaved Gretel, forcing her to do whatever she wanted. “But,” smiled Gretel, “we were too clever for her.”

“Really?” asked the young man. “What did you do?”

“I locked her in her own oven,” laughed Gretel. “The one she was going to lock me in.”

“And you escaped while she burned?”

“Yes, we escaped.”

“How very resourceful,” agreed the young man. “But how did you come to be in the water?”

“Ah!” interjected Hansel. “We were being carried across the river by a large white duck, but he dived below the water when he saw your boat.”

The young man passed a blanket to the children. “Well, you are safe now, children,” he smiled. “My cabin is just around that bend. We can get you dried off. I’ll bet you’re hungry, too, aren’t you?”

The children nodded their heads enthusiastically.

————————————

They sat in the living room, by the roaring fire, gulping down the chicken soup their host had generously made for them.

“Hansel?” he called from the other room. “Please bring me my jacket from the back of the chair?” The boy jumped up, grabbing the jacket in his eagerness to repay the young man’s kindness, and ran through the doorway, the door closing behind him.

After a few minutes, the young man entered the living room and carefully closed the door once more behind him. He stood by the door, staring down at Gretel. The girl felt the hairs stand on the back of her neck, the goosebumps on her arms. “Where’s Hansel?” she asked, fear trembling her words.

The man smiled widely. “Oh, he’s safe, little one,” he whispered. “As long as you do as I ask.” He walked over to her, crouching by her chair, stroking her hair. The girl sat terrified as he gently lifted her skirt, eyeing her soft white legs. “You do realise you have admitted murdering an old woman, don’t you, Gretel?” Tears squeezed from her eyes as she nodded. “And you know what happens to people who murder others, don’t you?” The girl nodded again.

He patted her hand reassuringly. “Well, you beautiful little girl. I will keep your secret, and I will keep Hansel safe, providing you do something for me.” He lowered his head, his eyes looking up at her, then down to her legs once more.

“I have some friends,” he continued, his words menacingly quiet. “They have a… liking… for little girls like you. I want you to make my friends happy. If you make them happy, they will pay you, and you will earn both yours and Hansel’s keep. And you will make me very happy. What do you think of that?”

Gretel sobbed loudly, almost choking in her fear. “I thought you were a kind man that had saved us,” she cried.

“Oh, Gretel,” he smiled, squeezing her thigh. “Those things only happen in fairy tales.” He slowly slid his hand further up her leg.

“And what men do in this world is no fairy tale.”