As in any town, there are always an area in which your Mother would say to you to "Stay away from." There are always foolish children who does not listen, which thrive for adventure and driven by curiosity. This story may sound similar to Hansel and Gretel… accept this one does not end as "Happily ever after."
Once upon a time, ten years ago from now, four children went missing within the outskirts of their town. Three weeks after their disappearance, their empty skeletons were found within an empty house five miles from were they lived.
This horrid tale begun at the Jones household, Fredrick Herman Jones, the youngest of the Jones brothers, had invited a small group of friends over. They planned to "solve" another mystery, how foolish, oblivious to the fact that this particular mystery was far too big for even the "Scooby Doo detective agency" to solve. If only they kept their adventures small, then maybe they could have ended becoming greater detectives.
But large headed as he was, Fred indeed wanted to solve the mystery of the woman in the "Candy house", his friends agreed enthusiastically.
Before the children stepped into the wood, Velma, the youngest and most wisest stopped. "Wait. I think we should leave a trial. So that we can find our way back." she rarely spoke on most occasions, only if it was important. The friends agreed, Fred scooped up a hand full of pebbles, ordering his friends to do the same. Even Daphne, the most feminine of the group, reluctantly picked one up. And so, like Hansel and Gretel, the children left a trail to follow.
After an hour or two, the children's enthusiasm drained, when their stomachs began grumbling also, Fred stopped to announce for them to leave. Shaggy a lanky child, who complained about his hunger the moment they stepped from the house, sniffed his nose.
"Like, what's that delicious smell?"
They followed the smell and came to a little house, and when they came quite near they saw that the cottage was made of bread and roofed with cakes, while the window was made of transparent sugar. The children's jaws dropped, astonished by their discovery. "We've hit the jackpot this time!" Shaggy grinned, his tongue held out loosely, a mirror image of the puppy by his side, he greedily rubbed his hands. "I'll eat a bit of the roof, and you, Scoob, can eat some of the window." Shaggy stretched up his hand and broke off a little bit of the roof to see what it was like, and Scooby went to the casement and began to nibble at it. "Hold on, guys, doesn't this seem…" a small crease folded between her eyebrows. "It seems editable. The guys seem to like it." She was not fully convinced to bite into the biscuit like window frame she broke off.
Fred chuckled, his mouth stuffed the chocolate doorknob, "I told you, Daphne, this place was real. Hey? I told you so." Daphne shot daggers at the blonde boy, "This seems fishy." she muttered uneasily, turning to her younger friend, who nodded in agreement.
The boys ignored the girls and went on eating, without putting themselves about. Shaggy, who thoroughly appreciated the roof, tore down a big bit of it, while Fred pushed out a whole round window-pane, and sat down the better to enjoy it. Suddenly the door opened, and an ancient dame hobbled out. Shaggy and Scooby were so terrified that they let what they had in their hands fall. But the old woman shook her head and said, "Oh, children! I see you are hungry, come in, come in." She took them both by the hand and let them into the house, and laid a most sumptuous dinner before them. Dipped chocolate strawberries and sugared pancakes, with toffee apples and stacks cakes of every kind.
After they had finished, four beautiful little white beds were prepared for them.
The old woman had appeared to be most friendly, she had a kind toothless smile and misty blind eyes, though, Daphne briefly seen a flicker of madness behind them. Though, by her kind compliments and sad tale of always being alone, Daphne ignored the madness. Wouldn't anyone be slightly crazy from loneliness?
Fred couldn't imagine why everyone called her a witch, she treated them as her own.
Velma listened to her tales of when she were younger, after dinner she would tell her sad tales of the past. She would mention her own children who left her while she needed them most. She too, felt that their situation seemed familiar.
She was really an old witch who had waylaid the children, and had only built the little bread house in order to lure them in. When anyone came into her power she killed, cooked, and ate, and held a regular feast-day for the occasion. Now witches were extremely rare, and cannot see far, but, like beasts, they have a keen sense of smell, and know when human beings pass by. When the group of children fell into her hands she was overjoyed, her months of hunger would be satisfied.
The children felt guilty at the thought of leaving the poor woman, even if their parents would be awfully worried. A week flew
"Please! Just another night!" Shaggy begged, Scooby whimpered also, Velma and Daphne glanced at each other and nodded.
"One more, night." Daphne muttered, she noticed the difference in their weight in only a week, usually they would burn off the fat by running or eating something else from candy and chocolate. Lately, the old woman seemed to give special attention to Fred, slightly chubby from the start, Fred seemed twice as fat.
The next morning, the day that the children were to depart, Fred was missing. Daphne met the dining table, asking were he was.
"Oh, I don't know, Daph, I saw him last night." Shaggy didn't stop eating, even when he spoke, "He was with that lady."
Daphne's eyes widened, she turned to Velma, who too was eating.
"Oh no, not you too!" she cried, Velma shrugged, wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
"What are you talking about? I'm sure Fred's fine." She smiled, her round face seemed chubbier than usual.
Daphne backed away from the room, not wanting to feel the desire to eat among her friends. As soon as she was out of sight, she started to run, she realised that she became out of breath after a few strides. She headed to the kitchen, the old woman stood in her path, "Well, well, dear. What's the hurry?" Daphne ignored the old bag's question, and tried to move round.
"I'm afraid you can't go in there-"she held a bone finger out, mockingly waving it round.
"Why not?" Daphne snapped, trying to look over her shoulder, accept she was far too short. The old woman frowned, her eyes flashing a warning. Daphne was stubborn, her intuition told her Fred was in there. She decided to play along, adding a sweet tone, "I'm sorry, miss, I'll be going back to eat my dinner."
The kind old woman returned on her face, Daphne smiled back.
"Eat up, hunny, you seem skinny." she patted her shoulder softly, steering her away from the kitchen. Daphne giggled, her voice smothered with sweetness, "Do you really think, I would let you eat him?" she was so thankful that she worn heals that day, as she stabbed the old witch in the foot. She shrieked in pain, her long fingers reached out for the red head. Daphne spun passed her towards the kitchen door. Hope filled her heart when the door swung open by the small push. Her hope vanished, as her eyes rested on the horrid scene. She halted by the sharp blade of a carving knife coated with fresh blood rested on the kitchen worktop. Blood was covered the floor, as if something was dragged through and chopped up. She choked into sobs, as she pieced together what she seen and Fred's disappearance. Sharp long nails gripped her shoulder,
"When the other's fat I'll eat them up too." Daphne began to cry bitterly, as she was dragged by the hair towards the sink. At first, she thought the old hag would drown her, but instead she chained her to one cupboards below the waiting sink.
"Now. Make more food." she growled, her eyes flickered red. Daphne whimpered, as she began folding the flour; she had to do what the wicked witch said.
So the best food was cooked for poor Shaggy, Scooby and Velma. Daphne got nothing but scraps. Every morning the old woman hobbled out to the kitchen and cried, "Daphne, put out your finger, that I may feel if you are getting fat." But Daphne always stretched out a bone, unhappy, the old woman grunted. Daphne was basically helping her with the horrid scheme. She wondered if the others were still alive. Her question was answered a week later, a brunette corpse was pulled through the back door. Daphne shield her eyes, knowing who it belonged to. Velma. The old woman skinned her. Daphne vomited against the sink, she could feel the warmth of the blood coming from her. She trembled, her mind trying to turn to something more pleasant. She simply couldn't, she vomited again, narrowly missing the sink. She sat on the floor, hugging her knees, rocking back and forth. Not caring about the puddle of sick beneath her feet. She mourned for her friends. The noise of Velma being chopped up was torture, when it stopped, the smell of burning flesh filled the air. Daphne let out a scream, but the hag stuffed her fingers in Daphne's mouth. "Hush." she smiled softly, licking the blood off her free hand. Daphne bit deep into her bony fingers. She shrieked, falling back towards the burning stove, she burned alive before Daphne. She simply watched. As the shrieks stopped. A wash of relieve ran through Daphne. Suddenly the shrieks began again, the old woman raised, fear bolt through Daphne. She hugged her knees again. Now defeated.
"Thin or not." The witch screeched, her body walked over to Daphne, her skin black. Her eyes red as the flames.