When Gretel woke, she woke screaming. She shook and shivered violently, dry-retching. Hansel's head rolled again and again in her mind. Her mouth was dry and her tongue was fuzzy. She sat up and picked up the glass of water. She drank deeply, but no copious amounts of water took away the slight pain at the back of her throat from too much sugar. She drained the glass. Her back was aching slightly and she felt dizzy. Maybe a side effect from whatever spell the witch had used? She tried to force Hansel from her head. Looking around, she saw the dog on the floor by the bed, whining. Gretel leaned over to stroke her head and ruffled her ears. Sweetie pie licked her hand.
Gretel grimaced. Sweetie pie. Stupid name.
The door opened.
Gretel stood up suddenly and had to support herself against the doorpost as the blood rushed to her head. She looked up as her vision cleared. Asha was standing in the kitchen. Gretel walked quietly to the door at the side of the room and tried it. It opened silently. She walked through and came into a corridor, with 5 doors in it. She opened the first and saw Asha standing in the kitchen, with her back to Gretel.
Frowning, Gretel closed it with a quiet click. She opened the others, and they all lead to the same room. Hoping Asha didn't notice, she returned to the kitchen.
"Done exploring?" Asha asked wryly. Gretel flushed and walked nervously towards her.
"Peel." Asha handed her a basket of beans. They were in green pods. Gretel washed her hands in the bucket under the witch's gaze, taking care over her nails, which were rough and filthy. Once they were moderately clean, she started shelling beans. She soon lulled herself into a rhythm. It was curious, that she had been shelling these for a while but the basket didn't empty. Her mind only drifted over it.
When Gretel woke up, she was in her room, lying on the bed. Her thighs and shoulder hurt. By her bed was a basket of leaves and a glass of water. She was hungry, so she ate. She was thirsty, so she drank. She was tired, so she slept.
When she woke, her arm was missing. There was a bandage over it and it didn't hurt, but it was gone. It was gone, but it itched. It was the same arm that had an injured shoulder. Gretel tried to sit up, but she couldn't move. How queer. She could wiggle her toes, individually, but her muscles just couldn't work together. She gave up, and slept.
The next time she woke up, there was another basket of leaves by the bed and a glass of water. She was propped up against several pillows and she used her remaining hand to eat and drink. Out of a dull sense of curiosity, and because a little part of her mind was screaming at her and might stop if she did what it said, she uncovered the blanket.
The first thing that she took in was that she was naked.
The second, was that her thighs had halved in size and were covered in small bits of cotton wool.
The third, was that her left leg ended at the knee.
There. You done? Part of her brain asked the screaming part. However, the screaming part, being annoying and stupid, didn't stop screaming. The horror in its voice unsettled the part controlling Gretel, so she covered herself and went to sleep.