8
Tell the story Calliope, muse of the epic, of the young children who strayed too far. The bold and the naïve who were overcome by greed and succumbed willingly. They who did not fight the temptation of the deadly siren, who overcomes and evolves to fulfill her mission. Tell us daughter of Zeus, muse of the epic at whatever point you shall.
"Hansel, the sign says do not enter, maybe we shouldn't go in."
"Gretel don't be such a pooper scooper. I want some candy!"
"Fine, but I am going to say you kidnapped me against my will."
"Whatever, just come on." Naive Gretel and bold Hansel broke into the candy house. When they entered, they saw a young woman standing above a sparkling tray of delicious cookies. She was covered from head to toe in flour the way the resourceful Odysseus was covered in the suitor's blood after he viciously reclaimed his home from the encroachers who were vying for sweet Penelope's hand.
"Welcome children to my home. I am Thelxi, who are you?" Deadly Thelxi introduced herself to the children, surveying them coldly with a smile on her face.
"My name is Gretel, and this is my brother Hansel."
"I saw the smoke coming from the chimney and I smelled the candy. I will have some," declared bold Hansel.
"Of course dear child, you both must help me consume these delicious cookies."
"Good," bold Hansel rushed towards the plate and stretched out his grimy hands towards the sparkling tray of delicious cookies as a scavenging vulture extends his dreadful talons towards the food he wishes to steal away into the darkness.
Deadly Thelxi smiled down upon Hansel. Hope for them was lost as it was for the young sacrifices that were sent to the fearsome Minotaur to be eaten. Every tribute felt the hope for life flee their bodies as they were chosen. If only bold Hansel and naïve Gretel could be so lucky. She beckoned towards naïve Gretel.
"Come dear, come and join your brother and help me consume these cookies. Before we eat, we must first sacrifice to the forgiving Demeter, goddess of agriculture, who brings us the supplies to make these wonderful treats."
"You're crazy lady," bold Hansel proclaimed. "I am not sharing my cookies with anyone."
Naive Gretel cringed at her brother's lack of manners. "Maybe we should Hansel, we are only guests.
"Shut up stupid and eat your cookies or I will."
Deadly Thelxi grimaced at the mistreatment of forgiving Demeter's dues. Thelxi looked over to the fire in the corner and proceeded to throw two cookies into it.
"Accept my sacrifice oh forgiving Demeter in repayment for the loss of poor Persephone." Thelxi murmured, closing her eyes and lifting her face to the to the heavens as the majestic eagle raises his majestic head to give reverence unto the mighty king of gods, the powerful and all-controlling Zeus. Finally she turned to the children.
"You must eat quicker dear children, don't you want to help me. Please, consume these delicious cookies, and when you are finished I will have more for you."
Hansel didn't look up from munching on the delicious cookies, but naïve Gretel looked at Thelxi suspiciously.
"Is something a matter dear child? Do you not enjoy the cookies?" Thelxi noticed Gretel's stare.
"These cookies smell funny and I have allergies. I don't want to have to go to the hospital."
"Don't worry dear one, you won't have to go to the hospital for helping me. I am sure of it, so do eat. These cookies are so delicious that it wouldn't hurt you to assist me in my need." Thelxi gently held out a delicious cookie to Gretel, who was thoroughly chastised. Naive Gretel reached out and the cookie was palmed into her hand. Looking down at it, she quickly started to nibble on it.
Meanwhile bold Hansel had sat down with the sparkling tray and had quickly and efficiently polished it off as did Irus, the hungry peasant at Odysseus's home. When food was tossed out to him, he quickly jumped on it and ate, defending his catch from anyone who might think to take it away from him. His position and stature made it so no one would question his right. Hansel turned back towards deadly Thelxi.
"Give me more," he demanded of Thelxi.
"Of course," Thelxi rushed over to his side bringing a plate of mouth-watering snicker doodles. Soon Hansel had put away seven plate of sweets and Gretel had put away two.
"My dear children thank you so much for your wonderful assistance. I am afraid it is time for you to go home; we don't want your mother to worry. You will come back to me? To help me that is, you must! I couldn't do this without you dear ones."
"We'll be here, we promise. Mom won't mind at all. Cross our hearts." Naïve Gretel spoke for the siblings.
"Good, now neither one of you are to tell anyone about this. If you do, you won't get any more treats from me." Seeing their nods, she gently pushed them out of her home and then shut it quickly behind them. The children looked around the deserted park and shuffled home, stuffed full of sugar with promises to dream of more.
Deadly Thelxi smirked as she watched the two children hobble away with full tummies. At the way Hansel ate he would be ready in a week. Gretel however, the cautious girl, would need more time more codling. At the rate she was currently moving she would be ready in one to two months. This was absolutely not acceptable; there was a deadline to be met. If the child was not to leave… the timetable could definitely be moved forward.
The next morning Thelxi started her day slightly earlier than normal. She walked over to her refrigerator and pulled out a box of cookie dough. She set the cookie dough next to the sparkling tray and waked over to her flower box. She plucked two lotus flowers and placed them in the fire. When the flowers turned to ask, she picked it up and covered the cookie dough with it. After dishing out the cookie dough, she put the tray and the oven and turned it on.
Soon after the cookies were done and Demeter had been given her due sacrifice of the lotus cookies. The park was again opened to visitors; Hansel and Gretel showed up at her door and sauntered in.
"I want more cookies! Give me some!" Hansel whined loudly.
"of course my dear child. Here they are, special, just for you."
"good." Hansel snatched the offered tray from her hands and plopped himself down on the couch. Gretel also took the tray of cookies offered to her and quietly sat down at the kitchen table to munch. At lunchtime, Thelxi paused in her cookie making and pulled out two large Danishes.
"Children lunch is ready for you to eat. You must eat all of it, you need to stay healthy."
Naïve Gretel looked slightly confused, but Hansel was on the edge of a full blown temper tantrum.
"I don't want to heat healthy! It's not fair!" Hansel's face turned purple and his fingernails caused his palms to bleed.
Thelxi saw the blood and rushed to his side with a tissue. She carefully wiped up every drop of blood and then carefully tucked the tissue in her apron pocket. She then kneeled at Hansel's side smoothing his hair.
"my dear child, don't worry. If you eat your lunch, I will give you cookies for home.
Hansel nodded and Thelxi placed one of the Danish plates on his lap. He dug in eyeing Thelxi. Thelxi stood up and moved to serve Gretel her lunch. When both were totally immersed with the consumption of their lunches, she pulled the bloody tissue out and wrapped a lotus seed into it. Thelxi smiled down at the bundle and quickly planted it in the flower box.
When the children were done eating lunch, deadly Thelxi laid them both down on small cots to take a nap. The children never said a word, but their stomachs did. While they were asleep, Thelxi brought out more supplies.
"Alright children, time to rise. You've slept long enough. We have much to do with what is left of the afternoon."
"I want more cookies," cried out Hansel.
"You'll get more. Now do as I say. I am going to go into another room. While I'm gone I want you to change into the clothes I've placed on your bed. Your clothes are starting to get too small for you. Then, place your clothes in the basket between the two beds, then tell me when you're done."
"Okay," Gretel nodded and the siblings turned to their new clothes.
"Thelxi, we're done changing," Gretel called out.
Thank you Gretel dear, now here is a scale that I want you both to stand on. Gretel come here," Thelxi saw the originally slim girl was now one hundred forty pounds.
"Good girl Gretel. See what progress you've made. Hansel it is your turn." Hansel, supposedly an athletic boy and originally the same size as his sister was a whopping one hundred sixty pounds.
"Hansel! You're doing even better than I thought you would. How about you try something new, I have candied cake."
"Gimme, gimme, gimme!" Hansel's feet stomped in time to his sister's words.
"Of course, here you are child," Thelxi served them more food.
The children continued to eat all afternoon long. When evening had finally come about, neither one wanted to leave.
"I want to stay here and eat!" bold Hansel choked out.
"Of course Hansel, I would love for you both to stay the night,"deadly Thelxi smiled at how far the process had gone.
"Neither one of you will ever have to leave." Thelxi tucked them both in their cots. Oh, the poor cots groaning under the newly acquired weight of the two children.
Two slow, similar weeks after the children spent their first night at deadly Thelxi's home, the cots collapsed under all of the unhealthy weight. For the first time fat Hansel and plump Gretel heard Thelxi laugh. While laughing was generally a sign of happiness, Gretel knew that that was not the case here. Thelxi's laugh was a series of blood-curdling, high pitched screeches. The glass in the window cracked.
"My sweet, sweet young friends, I'm quite afraid that I have some news that you will find quite devastating." Thelxi's whole face was split into a grin at the thought of delivering this dreadful news.
Fat Hansel's eyes could only fight to keep from closing on Thelxi's beautiful face. Plump Gretel couldn't move her mouth because of all of the rolls that were weighing down on her upper lip.
"You really are stupid children. It has taken me years in the past to get my young 'friends' to the point where you are in only a few weeks. You were just so willing to succumb to the temptations, so much like my poor Persephone. Poor child kidnapped by that evil god, the same evil that will soon be your company. You children shall help me, you do want to don't you?" Thelxi's gaze pinned their immovable bodies to the couch.
Fat Hansel and plump Gretel both tried to nod their understanding, and acceptance. However, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't move.
"When forgiving Demeter sees what wonderful gifts I have readied for her in exchange for the loss of poor Persephone, she will restore me." Thelxi danced around her home, twirling here and there.
First, she swooped down and grabbed the children's old, and small, clothes and bed sheets. Since the children had already put on the ceremonial robes, there was no need to leave any of their things behind.
Next, she plucked a few lotus flowers, the ones grown from Hansel's bloody tissue. She placed all these collected items in a wicker basket. In a pile in the corner was a large stack of firewood, which she then dragged out the back.
"Come. Everything is ready." Thelxi ordered the children from the back door.
If by magic, the children almost rolled to the back door onto a stone path, darkened with old ashes. The path led to the center of a stack of wood where there was also the wicker basket with the children's old clothes and the blood lotuses.
Soon the wooden center began to get warm, until finally the fire consumed them. Even as they quietly burned, they could hear foreign words being chanted all around them.