Chapter 7

Riddle Me This

"Todd dear. Is she going to stay?"

"Yes ma'am" The witch cracked open an egg.

"Good. Good." Todd grimaced.

"Ma'am… why do you have to do this?"

"Do what?" She flipped some bacon."

"Kill… these children." The witch froze and slowly turned around.

"You know why… sweetheart."

"If you don't… you die."

"we. Die dear." She stuck a strawberry into his mouth. "Now run along. I have things I need to do. "

"Todd?" Todd blinked.

"Y-ya?"

"King me." Todd looked down at the checker bored. Noticing that Annie had jumped two of his men and landed on his home.

"You brat." He grinned and moved to flip over the checker piece, He twitched.

"Todd?" His whole body started twitching. Annie put out her hand.

"N-No Annie. Don't come near… me." Terror filled her eyes.

"Todd?"

"N-No…" his eyes rolled up in his head. And he blacked out.

"T-Todd… TODD! Wake up please!" Todd groaned, and opend his eyes. Annie looked scared.

"Annie."

"Todd?"

"Annie go away."

"No."

"Go."

"NO!"

"ANIE YOU BRAT GET OUT OF HERE!"

"NO YOU BIG DUMMY HEAD. IM NOT LEAVING YOU." Todd slapped her. Annie gasped.

"Todd…."

"Get…. OUT!" Annie started crying.

"Your all the same! You act nice but your just mean. Im going home. Its better than here!." Annie ran from the room sobbing.
"What.. NO Annie!" He got up and ran after her. Hearing footsteps behind him he saw the witch. She raised the frying pan and hit him over the head. The last thing he heard was Annie screaming.

"NO! BEATEL DON'T HURT HIM!"

Annie sat, propped against the cold stonewall. Eyes half open, breathing shallow. Beatle had taken her parents, Todd had slapped her and now she was alone in the cold dark room beetle had thrown her in. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Todd.

She screamed. Todd tackled her covering her mouth.

"Shut up or shell here you."

"Mmph!"

"Ill let you go if you don't scream." Annie kneed Todd in the area where you should knee a man. He yelled loudly and relesd his grip on Annie. Annie crawled into the corner and held a shard of glass in front of her.

"What do you want?"

"Jeez do you want my help or not?"

"O!"

"God your stubborn.:

"You hit me."

"You kicked me crotch."

"To-shay. But I don't what your help." Todd turned.

"Then your going to die."

"Ok fine!" Annie grumbled.

"Good now come on." Todd grabbed her arm and pulled her out."

"Ok what do I need to do?" Annie asked.

"Games… She likes games."

"What kind of game?" Beatle asked. Stirring the Macaroni,

"a riddle game."

"Hm… riddles… sounds fun. Ill give you four riddles I myself will give you the first. As soon as you guess the right answer ill give you a clue to where the next riddle is." And so on and so on. Now if you get the answer wrong however…"

"I stay here with you. You sew the buttons in my eyes. ya I get it,"

"Yes."

"but If I win you let me go. You let my parents go and… and you let Todd go"

"Let…Todd go?"

"Yes." Beatle smiled.

"Alright… it's a deal." Beetle held out her hand. Annie hesitantly shook it.

"Alright first riddle. As I was walking across a bridge I met a little to soldier. He tipped his hat and drew his sword. What was his name as I just told you?" Annie blinked. And sat there.

"Times ticking Annie. " Annie took a deep breath.

"As.. I was walking across a bridge… I met a little toy soldier… he tipped his hat… and drew hiss… wait he tipped his hat and drew… Andrew his name is Andrew!" Annie turned too look at the other mother only to find the kitchen empty. On the table was a note card it said,

Good Job. Now your

next riddle is in your room

go find it.

~Todd.

Annie tore her room apart and finally found a card behind the picture in the frame which read.

What has 4 legs in the morning two legs in the afternoon and three legs at night?

"4 legs… well a baby crawls on all fours,,, three an old person uses a cane… two is just… a young person." A mew not.

Good job. Your smarter than

You look. Third riddle is

Down by the ocean'

On the sand in a picnic basket a note card said.

Why is a raven

Like a writing desk.

"It isn't." The beldam cursed. This girl knew riddles. She had one more left. A very difficult one.

Your last one is in the

Drawing room

First think of the person who lives in disguise,

Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies.

Next, tell me what's always the last thing to mend,

The middle of middle and end of the end?

And finally give me the sound often heard,

During the search for a hard-to-find word.

Now string them together and answer me this,

Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss?

Annie started laughing.

"You stupid women! I've read Harry Potter! This is the easiest one yet! A SPIDER!" Silence.

"Annie! You did it!" Annie looked over too see Todd. A loud piercing scream rang through the house. Todd picked Annie up and ran thought the door. The cat following behind him. He kicked open the door and drooped Annie down running over to the fireplace and grabbing the key tossing it to her. Annie caught it and slammed the door shut, fitting the key into the lock and turning it. She heard the satisfying click. And feel to her knees.

"We… we did it Todd… we did It." no answer.

"Todd?" Annie turned around and screamed. There sitting where Todd had stood, was a little Rag doll version of him. She scrambled over to him and picked him up. The witch didn't hold to her end of the deal. Annie paled as she realized… she never got her parents back either…

Annie held the rag doll version of Todd to her chest… and started to cry.