Based on the Horror/ Fantasy Movie from Korea called "Hansel and Gretel"
This story is M for violence. Sexual violence is only referenced and never shown. There is mentioned UK/ fem France
Arthur Kirkland is about to find himself in a gruesome fairy tale, one that may not have a happy ever after. In the House of Happy Children live: Alfred, Matthew, and Nataliya.
Three little angels who want Arthur to take care of them. Forever.
Don't go, Arthur. They'll be good.
The First Night
"But wishes are only granted in fairy tales,"
— Simone Elkeles
Fog hid the road.
Although Arthur should drive slower in his yellow VW Beetle, he kept forgetting as he held his flip phone to his ear.
"Yes, I realize you're furious, Francine," he said. "I know you're angry, but I have to visit my brother."
"How am I supposed to raise Peter without you?" Francine's voice accented by her native french dialect. "Our son is not even a month old and you go off like this!"
He heard her soft sobs.
"Please don't be like this. You know I'll be back as soon as I can," Arthur said, thumping his forefinger on the leather of the steering wheel. His phone began to beep. "Hold on. There's another call."
"Don't you dare hang up!" her voice was shrill and Peter began crying in the background.
"It'll just be a moment," he said, fumbling with the phone. He accidentally hit the button to end both calls. "Bollocks."
Only glancing at the road, he tried to dial the number for Francine when he suddenly saw a large rock on the road. By instinct he swung to avoid and fishtailed, spinning in a three sixty in the road.
The inertia threw him against the driver door as the car squealed and slammed into the guardrail hard enough to bush through. His eyes widened as it gave and the car slid over the side of a steep hillside to roll.
At some point he blacked out.
"Ughn…" he muttered. He smelled blood and oil.
Vision coming into focus he realized he hung upside down, held to his seat by his seat belt. When he hit the button to release it he spilled into the roof of his car. The windshield had shattered.
Touching his temple, he pulled his hand away to find the pads of his finger smeared with blood. Spotting his phone, he grabbed it and crawled out, across shattered glass, through what had been the windshield of his car.
When he flipped open his phone, he was relieved to see it still had power, but disappointed to see no signal. Staring up the steep hillside that vanished into fog, he realized how lucky he was to be alive.
"Hello!" he called up, voice swallowed in the mist.
Woozy, he followed along the conifer forest, stepping over mossy fallen trees, ones coated in mushrooms, and through bushes and ferns. A wave of nausea hit and suddenly his legs gave out and he collapsed.
When Arthur woke it was night.
He squinted, eyes coming into focus on a soft, golden glow. Sitting up slowly, he pulled a piece of moss off his cheek and stared at the owner of the light, or glass lantern, a young man, perhaps thirteen.
Puberty had started on the lad who had a prominent cowlick sticking proudly out of his mop of golden hair. Despite the dim light, his eyes had a clear blue. He wore no glasses and had broad shoulders, a hint that he'd be a strapping man when he grew up.
His outfit was old-fashioned: a pair of brown breeches, vest and a white button up shirt with rolled up sleeves. It looked like clothes from another age.
The boy grinned, cocking his head left, as he regarded Arthur.
"What's with the caterpillar?"
"Caterpillar?" Arthur scowled, face heating up with indignation when the lad pointed at his eyebrows. "They are not caterpillars! Thick eyebrows are a proud family trait of the Kirkland family."
"Family?" the boy perked up at the word.
"Yes. Family." Arthur stood up, dusting off his sweater vest and grey slacks. "Speaking of family, is yours nearby? I'm afraid my car went off the road and I need assistance."
"Oh yes," the boy said, pointing deeper into the woods. "My family lives that way. We're a very, very happy family! You'll like our house. It's just like a fairy tale."
"I see," Arthur said skeptically. He secretly loved fairy tales and could not wait to read his favorites when Peter was old enough, but he did not vocalize that. "Would it be a bother if I impose on you?"
"What?" the boy face, still rounded at the edges from baby fat, took on the most adorable expression of confusion. Arthur imagined he must have been an adorable child, one any parent would spoil. "What's impose mean?"
"It means 'be a burden'."
"Oh, it's no burden! After all I'm the hero in the story." He said with a cocky grin. "Follow me! I'll show you the way. Wait, til you meet my younger brother Mattie and our sister, Nataliya. She's only eight, but cute as a button."
"I can't wait," Arthur said dryly, picking twigs and moss off his clothes as he followed the boy. "By the way, what's your name?"
"Mine?" the boy said over his shoulder, grin widening. "I'm the oldest. I'm Alfred. And what's yours?"
"Arthur."
"Arthur?" Alfred seemed to consider that name. "I'll call you Artie! Big Brother Artie!"
"You bloody will not!"
And, as their banter continued, Arthur followed Alfred deeper and deeper into the dark woods.
TBC in "The Perfect, Happy Family".
Inside a fairy-tale cottage lives a happy family. Every day is like Christmas. There are presents and plenty of food and three children with two lovely parents. (Elizabeta and Roderich)
But is everything as it seems?
Don't go, the children will be good.
Summary:
Once upon a time, three very unhappy orphans were given the power to make wishes come true. They created a fairy tale home; the only thing missing were perfect parents.
Determined to complete their happy family, they started to lure adults into their world, but the grown-ups always disappointed. They lied, deceived, and tried to escape the children.
Still the children believed if they remained good, they'd get their happy ever after, just like in the storybooks.
And Alfred, Matthew, and Nataliya were very, very good.
It was the grown-ups who were bad. And naughty grown-ups have to be punished.
Even if that means chopping off their limbs or turning them into stone.
Remember. Behave in the House of Happy Children…