Rendered homeless after the deaths of their parents, Jacob and Wilhelm were submitted to an orphanage for boys. The building was a giant, stone structure with a wrought iron gate. Upon the boys' arrival Wilhelm had clutched at his older brother's hand in terror.

"Don't be scared, Will. It's a castle, don't you see? I'll bet there's even a treasure room inside!" The pudgy, bald man who was serving as their escort, scoffed.

"Ain't got no treasure where you're going, lads. The gruel they feed you only offen enough ye don't starve'll be the only precious thing you'll find in 'ere!"

Jacob held his head high as he and Will stepped through the gate.

The months that followed weren't easy. The loss of their parents was a heavy weight to bear, and being the oldest, Jacob refused to allow his brother any fraction of that burden. Naturally curious, Will posed a lot of questions. Among those most difficult to answer were Do you think the fire was really an accident? And, Were mamma and papa in a lot of pain?Jacob was sure that the fire that destroyed their family was no accident. The way his father had acted the day he died suggested he knew his fate. The questions that remained were why did it happen and who was responsible. The answer to Will's second question started its own fire within Jacob. There was no doubt in his mind that his mother and father had suffered. They died choking and burning, helpless and terrified. The fact made Jacob's heart ache with grief and rage until he became sick to his stomach. He told Will none of this.

Instead he would smile and say "Of course it was an accident, everyone loved our parents. Do you really think anyone would want to hurt them?" He would wait a moment for Will to shake his head before adding "and you know how tough our parents were. They wouldn't have gone down without a fight. Our mamma and papa in pain? I'll bet they gave that fire more hell than it gave them!" Then the thought of his parents' heroics would put a smile on little Will's face.

Will's smiles were rare at the orphanage. As soon as the Grimms had arrived, they'd been separated. Jacob was taken to the third floor where the boys ten- years and older were housed, Will to the second floor with the other five to nine- year olds. The arrangement was one Jacob protested vehemently and for a moment Will was unsure which he feared more; separation from his brother for the first time in his life or the lengths Jacob would go to prevent it from happening. The scene Jacob caused resulted in immediate detainment and when Will went to visit him in his room that evening, he found his brother rope-tied to a bed by his wrists and ankles. His face was flushed and glistening with tears. Will sat beside him.

"Jacob?" He said softly.

"Yes?"

"Promise me you'll never do this again. Please?"

Jacob lifted his head high enough to meet his younger brother's hazel eyes. With a sigh he dropped his head back onto the mattress. "I promise, Will. I'm sorry."

Will nodded, satisfied for the moment. Then he curled his small frame into a ball against his brother, closed his eyes, and dreamt of a better day. But they only grew worse. Will was a great deal smaller than the other boys and using him as a punching bag had become their favorite game. He was careful not to have Jacob know about the bullying. Even though he'd promised to be on his best behavior, Will doubted his brother would be able to control his temper if he found out. So it remained his little secret.

Now, I myself am no stranger to secrets and can say with complete certainty that they always have a way of revealing themselves. Will's was no exception, but we'll come back to this a bit later. I feel that albeit, the story of these extraordinary brothers is (excuse me a pun just this once) rather grim, I should mention that there were also happy times. Not all of the boys Jacob and Will met were monsters; they even befriended a few. On Thursday nights, Miss Becker, a comely young woman who worked as a cook at the orphanage, would make a dessert for the boys. With her rosy cheeks and bright smile, many of the boys had spent time dreaming about her. Jacob referred to her as Princess and Her Highness.

"I told you we're living in a castle, Will!" Will couldn't explain Miss Becker's fairness or goodness any other way, so he deduced that his brother was right; there was a real-life princess in their midst. Princesses, castles, and hidden treasure, these things filled the majority of the boys' happy time. Like his father, Jacob was a natural storyteller and he used his gift to make their bleak lives a bit more colorful. The boys Jacob's age described his stories as kid stuff, so at night he would sneak down to the second floor and entertain his favorite audience, his brother. They would pitch Will's blanket like a tent and Jacob would whisper excitedly about dragons and magic spells.

This continued for three years before a nine-year old Will said one night, "Jacob, you should write your stories down! Remember the journal papa gave you?"

Jacob was hesitant. "I'm not sure, Will."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm not sure they're good enough. I've been waiting to use it for something special."

Will grinned. "Jacob, you've kept us both from going crazy in this place! That is special. Papa would love your stories if he was still alive. Mama too."

The familiar wave of sadness washed over Jacob at the mention of their parents. Perhaps his brother was right. The journal was hidden safely under his mattress, collecting dust. That was not the purpose for the book his father had intended. There are no limitations, Jacob. You have the power to create life through words.

Jacob hugged his brother. "Thanks, Will. Goodnight!" Then he bounded out of the room to retrieve his book.

The next morning Jacob brought the book to breakfast and handed it to Will.

"Took your advice."

Will's eyes brightened and he opened to book to the first page and read "Tales of the Brothers Grimm." His forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Brothers. Plural?"

Jacob chuckled. "I just thought, why should I be the only one using my imagination? Surely you've got something in that little pea brain of yours." He tapped Will on the side of his head for emphasis. "I think papa would have liked it this way."

The corners of Will's mouth twitched. "Thank you, Jacob. This is…really special."

"I'm glad you like it. Now keep reading!"

Will turned to the next page. "Snow White. You've written a story already!"

Jacob nodded. "And it's a new one too."

Will bobbed in his seat for a moment, excited to read his brother's first written work.

Now if you remember my cautionary comment about secrets, congratulations! Your cellphone, iPod, television, computer, or other electronic device hasn't drained every cell from your brain quite yet. You still have the power of reading comprehension! Okay, that sarcasm was completely uncalled for. I apologize. It's just tough to live in a world where the written word seems to becoming more obsolete every day. As a guy whose purpose in life has become writing books to dispense extremely valuable information, it's frustrating. I bind my own books and everything. I don't know, maybe I should just write an e-book next time. Heh, who am I kidding, what next time? I'm sorry. Secrets!

Will had barely finished the first page of his brother's tale when the book was snatched from his hands. Both Grimm brothers whirled around to face the culprit, a tall, pimply faced kid with a long, white scar trailing down his right cheek. Will recalled his name was Dierk. He had been living in the orphanage for three weeks and been pestering him ever since.

"Wha's this, a di'ry?" He said with a laugh. The boys sitting at the adjacent table snorted loudly to show their amusement.

"Give it back, Dierk" Will swiped at the book but the other boy held it high and out of reach. Will stood up, a good head shorter than Dierk, and held out his hand. "Look, I don't want any trouble. I just want my book back." Jacob moved restlessly in his seat, reminding himself of the promise he made three years prior. Will was a smooth talker, he had it all under control. Then Dierk kneed Will in the stomach and he fell to the ground groaning in pain. Jacob was on his feet in an instant. Will gestured with one hand for Jacob to sit back down and hesitantly he obeyed.

"Where'dya get this book, Willy? Looks like a real piece o' crap. Let me guess. Your dead parents. You know, I heard how they died. Toasted extra crispy"

Will's nostrils flared and his legs wobbled as he stood. At the table, Jacob's clenched knuckles had turned white.

"I'll bet they cried like babies the whole time. Just like babies. Pathetic."

At that moment, rage unlike any a nine-year old boy should ever feel, flooded through Will's veins and he lunged for Dierk's throat. But the other boy was bigger. He caught both Will's hands in one of his, and grasped Will by the hair with the other. With no mercy, he slammed the smaller boy's face into the table and a crack like that of a whip, echoed through the dinner hall. Jacob sprung to his feet as Dierk was pulling a dull pocket knife from his belt. Jacob kicked the knife from Dierk's hand, vaguely hearing it slide across the ground. In one swift movement, he knocked the other boy to the ground, sat on his chest and unleashed his fury with blows to Dierk's pimply face. Some of the other boys had gathered to whoop and cheer, others were calling out for help. Boiling hot tears leaked from Jacob's eyes as he continued to beat Dierk with his fists.

My parents weren't pathetic! My parents didn't cry! They weren't babies, you stupid, stupid bastard!

Jacob's thoughts screamed in his head long after the other boy had stopped moving. A hand grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the body. All he could hear was screaming. His parents. They were dying again and there was nothing he could do but listen. Jacob's legs were moving, he was running as the world spun like a tornado around him. Where was he going? What was happening? A voice then broke through the chaos.

"It's okay, Jacob. It's going to be okay. Just keep running!" Will was panting, gripping his brother's hand until it hurt, but he would not let go. He ran, pulling his dazed brother along beside him until they were well into the woods. Ahead, a cottage was nestled beneath a canopy of oak trees. Will guided Jacob towards it, noticing as he grew closer, just how tiny the cottage was. Surely a full grown adult didn't live there. No matter, the boys needed a safe place to rest. No one could know where they were because they would never forgive what his brother had done.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Hey guys, I apologize for the two month hiatus. This chapter is longer than the rest so hopefully that puts me back in good graces :) I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season!