The House on Misty Woods Lane

Hanz tossed another beer cap onto the street, the tinny sound echoed in the emptiness of the night.

Stopping, Greta swung around angrily. "What are you doing? Stop littering you little shit." She was beginning to regret letting her brother tag along.

Taking a swig from the bottle, Hanz smirked when he replied. "Hey Sis, just leaving a trail so we can find our way home. Then he laughed as if it was the funniest thing anyone had said.

Shaking her head she continued walking. "I should have left you at home." In truth she was relieved he agreed to come, even though he was a pain sometimes she knew he would never let anyone hurt her. At sixteen he was big and strong, right now she felt safe with him.

"Where is this place? I've never been to this side of town. The streets are empty, and this sidewalk is weird. It hasn't run straight for more than ten feet at a time."

Greta thought it was strange as well, the neighborhood was all walkways and no roads, they had to park the car and continue on foot, fifteen minutes ago.

"Dex said it is the last house on Misty Woods lane."

"Why are we going again?"

Pausing, Greta leans up against a tree, and lit up a joint. Taking a long drag she passes it to her brother who inhales deeply.

"This is some good shit sis."

"I know, I stole it from Dex.

Shaking his head he caught on to why they were here. "He found out you stole his stash and now we have to replace it. Correct?"

"Nailed it little brother."

"Fucking Dex, I don't know what mom sees in him. He's lazy and sucks at playing a father figure."

"Thank Christ mom isn't married to him. If she does, he will never be a father to me." Greta lazily flicked the bud into the yard in front of them. "Hey look, there it is."

Hanz was baffled that he hadn't noticed the house and now it was right in front of them. Weird. An ankle high mist swirled around the house, giving the illusion that it was floating on a cloud. As they stood staring at the place they watch the front door slowly open. No one stood in the opening, but they felt a tug and found their feet moving slowly towards the home. Their heads felt heavy, yet they continue to move forward. Soon the siblings found themselves standing in the hallway entrance. Before they could speak the door behind them slammed shut and a soft melodic voice from with in the home sang out.

'Come hither, come dither

come one, come all

Your treats they await you

Beyond the great hall

Down the stairs to the cellar, you go

What you desire lay in the rooms below

Come hither , Come dither.

Come one, come all'

In a dream like state they follow the voice, not far away another door opens which led to a set of stairs going down. Hanz tried to step back but Gretal took his hand and they found themselves staring down into darkness. Together they placed their feet upon the top step then the next and the next. The room below was damp and smelled of rot, the floor was dirt. A single bulb lit the entire room, their breath was taken away as they gazed on shelves and shelves full of every narcotic known to them and some they never saw before. Bags of snow-white powder, jars of uppers, and bundles of weed everywhere.

Without being fully aware the two began shoving the narcotics into their pockets and filling Greta’s backpack. In a dream like state, they were so consumed with grabbing as much as possible, they failed to see a shadowy figure enter the room. Until a high pitch cackle brought reality crashing down. Hanz froze in mid motion as he was stuffing a bag of weed in the pack. Their eyes met, in their entire lives they never indulged in hard drugs, sure they smoked some weed and indulged in the odd gummy or two but the urge to try anything else never cross their mind until this moment.

The clang of metal on metal woke them completely from the hypnotic state they were in. The single light swung lazily giving a slow-motion strobe light effect. It was then they realize the clang was the closing of a door in a jail like room they now found themselves in. The cackle became a wheezy laugh and from the shadows appeared an old hag with crazy grey hair, long nose and one tooth crookedly sticking out of her mouth.

"Well, my pretties, what have we here?" The old woman whispered.

Greta and Hanz both began to yell, begging to be told what was happening.

Dangling a set of keys in front of the two. "Well, my darlings you two entered my candy filled home and began stealing my treats, for that you will have to pay. You will remain locked in here until I say differently."

Once more the two pleaded and begged to be let go to which the old lady replied. "GO? Oh no you won’t be going anywhere just yet." Pointing to Greta with an arthritic index finger she said. "You my sweet thing, with your beautiful blonde hair and precious blue eyes will fetch a high price in the market. Men will desire you and I will charge them plenty for them to spend time and have their way with you."

The old lady chuckled yet again as she watched her two captives desperately try their cell Phones.

“They won’t work here little ones.” Turning to Hanz. "And you my young stallion will make a fine servant to work in my meth lab."

It was then the two noticed the chemicals piled high. Leaning on the door Hanz smiled and spoke. "Never you hag, we will never be yours to use."

"Oh, but you will, not yet, but soon. You see, other than water I shall bring you nothing, you will learn to love the little samples in this room. You will do anything for me just to have more."

Hanz laughed and started to whisper softly then laughed again.

Intrigued, the witch approached the cell and with a puzzled look asked Hanz what he said. Placing his hands upon the bars Hanz leaned closer and spoke. "We won’t be staying but thank you for the offer."

"And why do you think that? You are not the first and you will not be the last."

Showing his pearly whites, Hanz stated simply. "Because you old fool you didn't lock the door." And with that he swung it open so hard the steel bars smashed into the hags face shattering her cheek bone and nose. Sending her flying back against the brick wall and collapsing like a bag of wet rags on the dirt floor.

When the lady opened her eyes she found herself in the cell. Hanz and Greta standing on the outside twirling the set of keys. Greta growled and began throwing the drugs through the bars, white dust covered the old lady. "Now hag, you will be locked in your own cell, never will you harm another child."

Slowly the two walked up the stairs towards freedom. Hanz began to recite a little something that popped into his head.

'Come hither, come dither

you wicked old witch

no more children

shall you bait and switch.'

As they closed the door at the top of the stairs, they flicked the switch, casting the cellar in darkness. The two siblings exited the scene so quickly they never heard the pop as the light bulb burst, sending sparks cascading below, which ignited the dry leaves and chemicals. They were far away before they noticed a glow in the sky as the candy home went up in flames.

Greta turned to her brother. "Nice rhyme on the fly."

"Thanks."

Smiling Greta added. "I don't think ‘bait and switch’ was the proper term.

Hanz shrugged. "I was rushed, I’ll do better next time. Let’s go home sis."

Greta gave her brother a hug. "What are we going to tell Dex?"

"Fuck Dex."

Thank you,

Jason- JBaz

This was for L.C. Shafer Fucked up fairy tales challenge: But like an idiot I went just a tad ...a wee bit over the official word count by a thousand or so....Now that is Fucked up. I may attempt to do another with in the word count.