Chapter One: Born of Sin
A/N: I own nothing but the idea. This idea is actually based on my other OUaT story. The Blind Witch makes an appearance and I gave her a small backstory. This was just made out of boredom so don't hate on it.
So you have come to see if my home indeed is filled with candy? Well, my darling dear, it is not…well not in this world.
Did you really think that those two peasant orphans actually burned me up or that Regina had anything to do with it? You couldn't be further from the truth.
It is undeniable that your curiosity has led you onto my door step, so please come in from the cold and make yourself at home. I promise that there will be no funny business; I don't really feast on children. That was just the unfortunate title I was given in that horrid story.
I must admit that I am a little surprised that you decided to stop in. Usually my cloudy eyes scare away all but the brave of heart.
Go ahead and eat one of my cookies. I baked them myself. I just know that you will love them.
I told you that they are lovely. Have a few more.
So you want to know who I really am?
Well I will tell you exactly who I am. I won't distort anything like the Brothers Grimm have done to me. Thought I must warn you that my tale is disturbing but it does not end with me eating little children that try to eat my home.
No, that's not what my story is about. It is about how unfairly people are treated if even the slightest thing is off about them.
Maybe I should start off by introducing myself.
My name is Ginger and I am the wicked blind witch that owned the beautiful candy house, the house that Hansel and Gretel came to dine upon and I tried to cannibalize them…or so the story goes.
...
"Keep your devil daughter away from this place," I heard the teacher scream at my adoptive mother once again.
Those words I had heard all my life. I wasn't allowed to go to school because I was the gift of sin.
Let me explain. I was born out of wedlock, though I was a beautiful baby I was born blind. And a blind bastard from the inside of a witch's belly is a sin indeed in the town that I was born into.
I watched at the age of six as the town convicted and burned my mother as a witch. That was the day that I had sworn to never let my gift of second sight be revealed.
So there I was, a young girl without an education. Though education was not a necessary thing then, I still yearned for it always. I wanted knowledge and it broke my heart that nobody would allow me to have it just because I was a product of sin.
My adoptive mother tried to help me, but with my disability it was for nothing. She couldn't help me read the words that I so desperately yearned to read. She could only read the contradictions that were in her holy book that she read to me nightly.
I hated that book. It taught me that what my mother was and what I am are horribly vile creatures that only lurk in the shadows to eat children! That was not who I was. I never had any wants to hurt anyone honestly, even the children that liked to taunt me and throw things at me.
My life was hardship after hardship. Children that were my age would throw things at me, simply because I would not be able to fight back. The only thing that I had was that I was blessed in seeing how they would die.
I did not find true happiness until the age of 16.
That day was especially out of the ordinary. It was just before the first snow was to set in and the wind was extremely fair that day. I walked through the long path through the Enchanted Woods just as I had done countless times. I listened to the howling of the wolves in the forest and I yearned to be as them. I would do anything to be free of this town. Freedom and education was what I lusted for more than anything in this world.
That was when something happened to me that was out of the ordinary.
I moaned at the sudden pain that entered my body. I felt around me and groaned at the fact that I had fallen to the muddied ground of the well driven path.
"Oh, I am so sorry," I heard the voice of a young man announce quickly. I knew instantly that he was a stranger to this town because I had never once heard this voice. His voice had a certain dialect to it that was not natural to these parts.
I smiled as his soft hands pulled me up with all the gentleness that a mother would give a child that had fallen and scraped his knee.
"It's fine," I announced and cast my eyes downward, now very self-conscious of my white eyes.
I felt him tense slightly. I knew at that moment that he had noticed my disorder but I was shocked. He did not let my arm go and I could feel that he was smiling at me.
"Why are you alone," he asked.
I smiled as he helped me back onto the path and replied as sweetly as I can, "Because I have no others to accompany me."
"Ahh, so you are the outcast," he asked.
"You would be right Mr…"
"Crane. Ichabod Crane," he answered. "Call me Ichabod."
"Well," I paused at his wish for me to call him with such an informal title, "Ichabod. What brings you to these parts?"
"I have come to teach," he announced happily. "May I have your name as well?"
I beamed with happiness at this information. He had no knowledge of who or what my mother was and he was a teacher! I would have my education if I played my cards right.
"Ginger van Alden," I answered.
"Well, Ms. Van Alden," he asked, "May I ask why you are not in school today? You look as if you are but fourteen."
"I am almost seventeen," I informed him quickly, "and I am not allowed at the school."
"And why ever not," he asked me.
"I am a child of sin," I answered him flatly.
He stopped me and placed his hands against my arms and squeezed lightly. I could feel his gaze looking me over and I had to hide the blood that was rushing to my cheeks. If anyone saw this stranger and me together, there would be even more hatred filled words thrown at me.
"That is no excuse," Ichabod answered quickly. "I will teach you then. Free of charge."
I don't own Ichabod Crane. This is not a crossover. I just used his name and the fact that he was a teacher. There will be no Headless Horseman in this short story at all.
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