Geschenka's Tower
By TheBrokenWarrior
Chapter 1: The Price for Deceit
11:48 p.m., March 23, 1999
Mr. Gardener desperately held the hand of his wife.
"You can do this, Alice!" he practically yelled. "We've made it this far; stay with me!"
Sweat glistened on Alice's forehead, and she moaned weakly. One hand held Mr. Gardener's, clenching and unclenching; the other rested upon her distended belly. She had lost a lot of blood, and was fading fast. Hans, the family's faithful greyhound, stared up at them with sad, knowing eyes.
As her husband checked his cell phone once again for any signs of service, he felt he had never regretted any decision so much as the one to go through with the labour at home. He cursed the early March blizzard and heavy winds that had taken down the power lines.
When the contractions began, he had helped Alice to her bed, and called the midwife. He caressed Alice's cheek comfortingly and turned the volume up so she could hear the ringtone and the voice of the witch who had promised to be their to help with the birth. After four rings, someone had picked up on the other line, and the familiar voice of Mrs. Barby answered.
"Hello, Mrs. Barby speaking."
"This is Richard Gardener. Alice is in labour."
Instead of a reply he received a dial tone. Then the lights went out.
Now, hours later, Alice clung onto his hand with all of her dying strength. From the classes the Gardeners had taken together, they both were aware of a solemn fact: there was a high probability that Alice, and possibly the baby as well, would not make it through. They had only one hope, and that hope was in the midwife.
If she had heard Richard's statement before the power went out, or guessed the meaning of the call, there was a chance that she was on her way now. Maybe, with her magical powers, she could help Alice survive.
Richard prayed to the powers above that it was so.
July 1, 1998 - Eight months before
"Richard! I have news for you!"
Alice's cheery voice rang throughout the house. It was a beautiful summer day, and the weather, though warm, supplied a cool breeze uncommon in the hotter months. Animals and plants alike seemed refreshed by the gentle weather, and the happy chirping of birds filled the air almost as much as the sunshine did.
"I'm in the garden, dear."
Alice followed the voice out into a delightful little flower garden at the back of the house, where Richard was watering the plants. It was one of the few things he devotedly did, besides playing video-games and browsing the internet. Alice, too, took a delight in tending to the pretty flowers, though less so than gossiping with her friends or attending parties.
She walked towards Richard, tugging at his hand until he set the watering can down and turned to face her. He pulled her in for a gentle embrace, and kissed her. They had been married for three years, having tied the knot almost as soon as they got out of highschool. Their young love was still as fresh as then, and they still had not experienced the deeper troubles of married life.
"So, what is it you wanted to tell me?" Richard asked, smiling fondly as he patted her belly. They had found out she was pregnant a few weeks before, and though her stomach still gave no evidence of the fact, and she looked slim as ever, they couldn't wait until their child was born.
"Well, you know the witch we've heard talk of," Alice got straight to the business of telling him, voice getting higher in the excitement of it. "I went to visit her today after shopping, and she agreed to be our midwife! Isn't that just lovely? I know that we'll be safe with her taking care of us, and I'd much prefer her to those stuffy faced doctors of that horrible hospital we visited. Can you believe it? We're going to be parents!"
Alice squealed happily, hugging Richard once more. They ran back inside to make chocolate chip cookies, as they had nothing better to do at the moment, and Alice felt the need to celebrate. Though they had both already reached their twenty-first year neither of them were very mature or experienced yet in the ways of the world. To Alice, the thought of a child meant baby showers, the envious looks of her friends, a cute little face with a button nose and blue eyes, and best of all, adorable fat cheeks to squeeze. The hardship and responsibilities of being a mother did not exist in her daydreams. For Richard, he didn't care much about having a kid, but if it made Alice happy, he was fine with it. He hoped it wouldn't cry too much or cause trouble.
"Oh, there is one more thing I have to tell you, dear," Alice said with a frown as she stirred the dough, "She will be visiting us regularly to give us lessons and advice and such, as you know, but the rates will be awfully expensive."
Richard said nothing, as his mouth was full of cookie dough, but his eyes darkened as he wondered how to get his parents to pay for it. They were already upset with him for shrugging the rent onto their shoulders, but they liked him too much to force him into anything. However, he wasn't sure how much more they were willing to pay.
"But don't worry, Rick," Alice went on to say, smiling mischievously, "we were, after all, the famous trickster and bad boy at school. She seems old and senile - forgetful, too. She kept pausing in the middle of sentences and getting distracted. I've no doubt we can get away with paying her less than asked for."
"Hmm, it sounds well enough in theory," he said, laying the dough out on a cooking sheet. "But in the event that she gets wind of our plan, we'd need some sort of evidence to use in our favor. The courts don't look favorably upon situations like ours."
"Oh, that'll be easy," she laughed, "we just pay her the money, in checks perhaps, so there'll be evidence at the bank that she cashed them in. Then when she pays her visits, one of us distracts her while the other raids her purse. Simple."
"That," said Rick proudly, poking her nose and getting cookie dough on it, "Is why I love you. You have the brains to come up with plans."
"And you," Alice smiled, "have the guts to follow them."
12:01 a.m., March 28, 1999
"Alice, no!" Richard sobbed, tears streaming down his face and splashing in rude drops on his wife's still face. "Please, Alice… we were to have a life together…"
Hans turned to the door and growled. Richard took no notice until it burst open and Mrs. Barby stepped inside. She was weighted down by bundles of clothing and heavy medical bags.
"Dear, are you alright?" She asked, peering through snow-frosted glasses at his tearstained face. Her eyes moved to Alice, and suddenly took on a darkened intensity. Promptly setting down her bundles, she made a beeline to the bed and felt for a pulse.
Richard sat in a state of shock, sadness, and disbelief. To think that she would arrive no less than a minute after Alice's death! His grief gave way to anger.
"You!" he hissed. The older lady startled and looked towards him questioningly. "You could have saved her! It's been hours since I called! It's been three entire hours!" He stood up to his full height, waving his arms like a madman, hurling insults and curses at her. "How can you?! How can you show up now?"
The witch took this surprisingly well, showing no sign of fear. Neither did she show remorse or sorrow. Rather, a strange smile creeped over her face, as he finally stopped and collapsed in a broken heap on the floor. The smile then grew into a full grin, and she threw back her head and laughed. As crazy as Richard felt at the moment, even he felt the unnaturalness of her reaction, and he looked at her with disbelief and horror written across his face.
"Ha ha! Ha ha ha!" she said, clutching her sides as she shook with laughter. She composed herself, taking on a calm, haughty mask. Her features seemed clearer now, the wrinkles disappearing, and her hair went from scraggly grey to a rich deep brown. Her stooped back straightened, and she stood taller than Richard had a moment before.
"Foolish man," she spat, "Did you take me for an idiot? Deceiving me like that, expecting me to take no notice of the money disappearing from my wages! I can't decide who is more of a fool, you for acting on the plan, or your stupid wife for coming up with it in the first place."
She turned a look of contempt towards where Alice's body lay.
"You thought you were smart," the witch sneered, turning back to Richard. "You both thought that by moving out into the world you had grown up. But you are no more than children. Did no one ever tell you the dangers of insulting creatures of magic?"
She laughed once more, then stepped forward abruptly. Taking his chin in sharp, hard fingers, she thrust her angry face in his. Her eyes were a deadly shade of black.
"Never. Ever. Make a fool of a witch."
It took the sharp slap across his face to get Richard to snap out of the paralyzed state he had been in. He backed away rapidly on limbs shaking with terror.
"Please," he sobbed, "We never meant to. We - we didn't know. Please, I'll do anything! Just save Alice. Save Alice!"
The witch smiled cruelly at him.
"Now why would I do that?" She asked. "I have no mercy. You are paying for what you have done; why should I not give justice where justice is due?" Her eyes narrowed. "Perhaps," she said thoughtfully, looking over at the body, "Perhaps I can change the punishment. After all, I would love to see Alice live on to suffer."
"Yes! Yes! Please!" he said, grasping at her robes, voice hollow.
"Would you give your life in exchange for hers?"
The hope in his eyes was replaced by terror. He shook his head, unable to speak.
"Ahh, I see you are a fool and a coward." She turned to leave the room. "And to think, bravery was what she admired most about you. It seems I wasn't the only one you lied to."
She stepped past Hans, who growled at her.
"Shut up, dog." she said coldly. Hans barked and advanced towards her. "See, Richard, even your dog is more loyal than you are. He certainly did love Alice. No doubt he would give his life for hers, but what value would I hold the life of a dog? Not much." She went to move on, but a thought struck her and she paused once more. "However… I should very much value the life of a child. Ahh, yes…" she didn't bother to turn as she asked Richard the question that would change his life.
"Your earlier call to the hospital did make it through, though they had various problems to prevent them from leaving sooner. They will arrive in a few minutes, and perform a Cesarean section to save the child. She will have a long, boring life, and you will hate her. Hate her for taking your wife. Would you give me her life in exchange for Alice's?"
Richard didn't even have to think about it.
"Yes!" he yelled. "Take the baby; I don't want it!"
"Very well." She waved her hand, and Alice's body gave a sudden jerk. Richard rushed over and looked hopefully at her face. A few seconds passed, then she took a deep breath. Relief rushed over him, and he grabbed her hand.
"Alice." he whispered. Her eyes flickered and opened. "Oh, Alice!" he hugged her, sobbing with happiness. She looked at him, confused, then turned her eyes questioningly to the witch, who still stood in the room.
"Who's she?" Alice asked, voice raspy. "And where's the baby?"
"Oh, Richard…" the witch smiled, shaking her head. "You will have a lot of explaining to do."
With that, she opened the window, and jumped out. Hans rushed over, barking, but nothing was seen outside, no marks on the snow or heap of crumpled clothing on the ground. The sound of sirens filled the air as an ambulance pulled into the Gardener's driveway.
On the outskirts of the forest behind the house, the witch stood, watching. She held a small moving bundle in her arms. Looking down, she tapped the button nose of the blue-eyed baby in her arms.
"Let them think you dead," she said, smiling lovingly, "Their troubles are far from over."
The little girl in her arms laughed and stuck her hand in her mouth. The witch held her close and turned to begin the long journey home.
"You are a good payment for my pains. Really, a much better gift than the pain I could have caused by your fool of a mother's death. I will call you Geschenka."
A/N: This has been sitting in my Google Drive for several months now, and I can't help but want to share it with someone. I know I have two other stories I'm working on, but I need something to work on when I take a break from the others, and I just have so many things I want to write about! This is based on the Brothers Grimm story of Rapunzel. It takes place in the modern day, but includes witches, magic, and princes.