Ch. 4 – What Happens Now
Hansel wanders down to the town square in search of the Town Hall where the reception is taking place. His demeanor cool and aloof, but secretly he is brooding on the inside. Hansel reaches the hall and peers inside briefly, not wanting to call attention to himself, he ducks his head back outside the door after spotting Josef at the far end of the room engaged in a chat with two matronly women and a rather pretentious older man.
Hansel figures he will wait outside awhile until the crowds thins a bit, before approaching Josef to discuss the matter of dinner with Gretel. He fumes as he silently tries to calm himself down, no easy feat as he considers his earlier waking vision of Gretel straddled atop him, her breath ragged and hair tousled and fanned out across his chest.
"I must be going fucking crazy", he laments in a hushed tone under his breath as he shakes his head side to side.
As he is waiting, his watch timer goes off, "Time for a little sugar fix" Hansel says to no one as he walks to the side of the building to take out his medication and give himself a shot in the leg. He reaches down to undo the black leather bag fixed to his side. As he makes ready the needle and medication, he looks up to find Josef watching him.
"Pardon my intrusion, but I noticed you stop by the hall, may I ask what you are doing with that?" Josef inquires about the contraption in his hand.
With a quick flick of his wrist, Hansel punctures his upper thigh with the needle and injects the serum. "God damn witch screwed me up with candy when I was a kid", Hansel fires back at Josef.
Josef swallows the lump in his throat, knowing the stories of how the famous witch hunter siblings got their start.
"I assume that you are here to see me. Will you come in and join me for a few minutes?" Josef motions to the front door of the Hall.
Hansel follows him inside and many of the townspeople stop and stare as they walk to a private room in the back of the hall. Most of the folks are smiling as Hansel passes them, they know he and his sister are responsible for life returning to normal for them and they nod in appreciation as he passes. All but one person, the bearded red-haired man from the night before, the damn coward who dared to touch his sister.
"I'm surprised that asshole made it out of bed this morning", Hansel grimaces after passing the guy, not caring who hears him.
Josef picks up on Hansel's attitude and snide comment about the man. He also notices the bandage he is sporting over his nose and his black eye. Josef cautiously glances back at Hansel as they reach the private room. Josef guides Hansel inside and shuts the door for there is more than one busy body in the main hall who would be most interested in hearing their conversation.
"Do you mind telling me what issue you have with Volker?" Josef inquires to Hansel.
"Who the hell is Volker?" Hansel's eyes widen and he cocks his head slightly with a puzzled expression on his face.
"Volker is the man you assaulted last night, I see from the bandage and the black eye that he did not win the fight." Josef replies hastily.
"Oh, you mean Big Red, well that broken nose and black eye didn't come from me", Hansel smirks, "courtesy of Miss Gretel" he adds mockingly. "If you want to see the marks I left on him, you'll have to remove the scarf he is wearing around his neck today."
"I see and I assume this is something that could not have been worked out with discussion?" Josef searches Hansel's eyes for a flicker of insight into his world.
"Not likely, especially after he insulted my sister and laid his hands on her." Hansel points out as he clears his throat and raises an errant eyebrow showing his protective side.
Lowering his gaze to match Hansel's irritation at such an act, Josef ponders aloud, "Such a shame what you both have endured over the years, but many are grateful for what you and Gretel have done to aid in eradicating witches from our midst. I can't help but wonder how Gretel will feel about leading this transient life as she grows older." Josef tries to engage Hansel into considering what long-term effects this life will have on Gretel.
He looks up to gauge Hansel's reaction and continues, "Perhaps since she is still young enough to marry and have a family, she could be persuaded to leave the witch hunting to men and settle down."
"Gretel will do as she always has, I am merely giving her the opportunity to learn what is in her heart." Hansel states simply as he walks towards the window tossing a casual glance back at Josef and then retreats inside himself to calm the uneasiness tightening his chest.
Hansel wonders, "With the size of this town, why the hell would you want to concern yourself with a girl who is just passing through?", Hansel nearly growls.
"Are you serious Hansel? Have you not truly seen the beauty that is your sister?" Josef counters, calculating his next move. He knew the siblings were close, but he believes he may have misjudged the bond they share as he studies Hansel's hardened frame.
"I know what my sister looks like, I've been with her ever day her whole life, but I don't know why you are wasting your time with her." Hansel shoots back as crosses his arms and leans against the window frame, the taste of acid rising up in his throat. "She will only leave tomorrow."
Josef artfully moves across the room to face Hansel at the window, stands tall and proud and in a low calm voice counters to the man he now considers his opponent, "I felt a connection to her the moment I met her. I can only do my best to persuade her to stay and give me a chance to know her", he pauses for a moment and then adds, "and perhaps love her."
With that Hansel bristles, returning Josef's intense stare. "You are mistaken, but I'll humor you anyway because I would not deny my sister an opportunity for a free meal." Hansel smirks.
"Well then, Hansel, I should like to come by and call on her at 4 o'clock if she chooses to dine with me." Josef smiles, turns and exits the room, leaving Hansel alone with his thoughts once more.
After Hansel left their room, Gretel begins to pace back and forth across the creaky wooden floor, contemplating her next course of action, only stopping briefly to run her fingers across the covers of the bed. A blush fills her cheeks and her stomach dances inside. Thoughts twisting back and forth from Hansel's taut body beneath her in bed earlier to the piercing sapphire eyes of Josef smiling at her under the soft glint of the morning sun, Gretel knows what she should want.
"How could I not want a stunningly handsome man to show me attention?" she muses.
She checks the satchel in her right pocket to see how many coins she has left from the payment and embarks on a quest to find a suitable garment to wear. Gretel figures she will start with the Innkeeper's wife to inquire about purchasing something she could wear on short notice. If she really is going to have dinner with Josef Graf today, there would be no time to tailor anything to fit her.
"Thanks Hansel, I hope you're happy" she mutters to herself as she walks downstairs.
Frau Sprenger, the Innkeeper's wife crashes into Gretel as they both turn the corner at the same time. Gretel steadies the stout woman who almost topples over. Gretel braces herself, takes a deep breath and asks the question, "Frau Sprenger, might you know where I could buy something else to wear?" Adding, "I need something to wear today."
Pausing for a moment to collect her thoughts, Frau Sprenger answers, "Of course my dear, what did you have in mind?"
"I prefer pants, but I think a dress will have to do." Gretel smiles slightly, she hates dresses. She does not like how the make her feel. Vulnerable.
"My daughter works for a seamstress, I could escort you to her place to see if she has anything you could make do with today", Frau Sprenger concludes, "I can't speak for her, but she may have time to take in a seam or two if needed."
"That would be wonderful Frau Sprenger, thank you." Gretel sighs, hoping she doesn't end up looking like a hillbilly in a sack. Gretel follows the woman out of the tavern.
About 2 hours later, they return, pale sky blue dress in hand with a lace up bodice that would give any man pause for checking himself before getting up and walking away from her.
"Thank you for everything Frau Sprenger", Gretel reflected to her hostess genuinely.
"Hope you don't mind me saying so, but it sure looks like you could use a bath." Frau Sprenger points out delicately.
"Well, we have a fresh bowl of water and a clean towel upstairs, so I am sure I can make do." Gretel explains.
Feeling grateful for what she and her brother had done for her town, Frau Sprenger takes a deep breath and politely insists, "I think I could spare some hot water and soap and allow you the use of my personal tub, if you promise to clean it up when you're done."
Gretel beams, she hasn't had a hot bath in weeks. Not since she and Hansel took down that freaking nasty swamp witch and they had to both take multiple baths to get the stench out of their hair and skin.
"I will go lay the dress out in my room first", Gretel asks, "How far is your tub?"
"Tub is on the first floor, down the back stairwell at the end of the hall from your room, first door on the left. You can use the steps and sneak back into your room, no one will bother you, I promise." Frau explains, "Everything you will need is in there, plus a kettle to heat the water."
With that Gretel returns to her room, lays the dress on the bed, removes her knife and satchel and places them neatly on the table before running off to the bath.
After his meeting with Josef, Hansel wanders into a blacksmith's shop to see about getting more bullets made and have his knife sharpened. The man is nice enough and tends to his needs.
While Hansel waits, Josef's words taunt him, eating away at his brain like a crow. He cannot wait to get back to the Inn and get a drink to drown the chatter.
"Say, do you know a man called Josef Graf?" he blurts out to the blacksmith.
"I know Josef. He lives near the lake. Do you have business with him?" the blacksmith asks.
"Not really, I met him today and I wanted to know what kind of man he was." Hansel infers, "He seems a little out-of-place here."
"Yes, that is Josef, his kindly manner makes you think he's got royal blood." The blacksmith offered. "My wife says all the young women wonder why he hasn't taken a wife yet, came to live here about 3 years ago from Munich I think", he adds scratching his head.
That comment makes Hansel groan audibly. "For Christ's sake, that figures." Hansel remembers back to studying there briefly when they were children, when a kind couple took the children in for a while out of pity. He never liked Munich, it was too big, too many people, and witches were able to hide there in the shadows. That town possessed a ghastly underworld. At least it did, until Hansel and Gretel started hunting the vile creatures at night, which greatly pissed off the couple that had let the two live in their house.
As the blacksmith finishes up, Hansel thanks him and makes his way back to the Inn in hopes of being drunk by the time Josef shows up to see Gretel.
After cleaning up the tub and wrapping herself in the towel Frau Sprenger left for her, Gretel cracks open the door and peeks out into the hallway. Sensing she is alone, she hurries down the hall and up the back stairwell. At the top of the stairs she pads along in her bare feet, smiling as she inhales lavender oil in her hair and enters her room.
Gretel removes the towel and works it through her tresses trying to sop up as much water as possible. With her back to the door, she doesn't hear the click of the door as Hansel enters.
"Put some clothes on!" Hansel stammers. Gretel turns around, slowly pulling the towel from her hair letting it snake down and around her body until it partially covers her. The action freezes him to his spot on the floor and he fears it is too late for him as the scent of lavender overpowers his senses. Hansel feels himself falling, his body rushing towards a never-ending bottom, consuming him until there is nothing left, just the image of her.
"What's your problem? You're the one who told me to get cleaned up, so I don't smell like dead witch", Gretel furrows her brow, cocks her head to the side and throws him a matter of fact glare.
Author's note: Trying to improve on active voice, hopefully this chapter reads better than the last. Thanks to Dynamiic for the input. I was hoping to put chapters up quicker as the story is already complete in my head, but you know how there never seems to be enough time. I will go back and re-work Ch. 1 - 3 as time permits. Thanks for the reviews! I know it seems like it's taking a long time to tell what happened 5 years ago, but I promise the back story development figures prominently into the time the movie is centered on and afterwards.