Page 22 of Hansel and Gerhardt
“Look at these cuts,” Hansel replied, keeping his tone urgent and low. “This was made with a knife. There’s a human in these woods.”
Gerhardt jumped to his feet. “All the better! Maybe we’ll find them. Maybe they can help us make our way to a city.” He took a deep breath to yell out, and Hansel slammed a hand over his mouth.
“What kind of person does that? Just guts a boar and leaves it?”
Gerhardt smashed his hand away, their unclothed dicks flapping with the volition. “I don’t know. Maybe they’re coming back for it?”
“Then why rip its insides out like this?”
“I don’t know! And what’s more, I don’t care!”
“These are the actions of a mad man,” Hansel declared. “Like the trapper the hare was talking about. The one who prefers humans.”
Gerhardt took a moment to consider the predicament, then he gave one small nod before falling to his knees. He summarily thrust two hands deep into the innards of the beast, up to his elbows, sloshing guts all about the place.
Hansel’s body shook with an enormous retch, the squelches and gurgles not helping him get control even when he looked away.
“Calm down, Hansel,” Gerhardt said, not needing to see him to know how sickened he was. “At least this one isn’t speaking.”
“That’s disgusting,” Hansel grit out.
“It’s still warm,” Gerhardt replied, sending Hansel’s stomach into another spasm.
With all his considerable strength, Gerhardt took two armfuls of organs and threw the lot out onto the ground.
Hansel reeled back a few steps. “Why would you do that?”
“This should make it easier to carry, shouldn’t it?” A slopping sound emanated from the cavity as Gerhardt scraped nails deep, ripping out whatever innards he could. “If you think someone’s coming back, then we’d better make away with it fast, right?”
Hansel, impressed with Gerhardt’s foresight, looked around again for any sign of the hunter. “You’re right. Can we get it back across the river?”
“I think it should float. People do.” He stood tall, blood coating him to his biceps, assessing the mess on the ground. “We could throw that kidney back in to eat later. But the…” He searched through the mess, tossing portions of the endless intestines aside. “The liver’s gone.” A little more sifting. “And so are the lungs.”
“Someone killed it for no purpose but to take its liver and lungs? What kind of…”
One terrified meeting of the eyes was all it took, and they’d grabbed two legs each and hauled the carcass down to the water. Gerhardt swam it across, Hansel wading as deep as he dared to help him. The crystal stream turned red, washing Gerhardt and the dead boar in its purifying waters.
Gerhardt strained with their prize in the sunshine, naked and shockingly beautiful, every muscle flexing as he dragged their salvation ashore. Smart, strong, capable. Hansel’s heart swelled in his chest. He admired him with a depth he couldn’t possibly voice, but his eyes spoke it.
Gerhardt looked up, met them, and smiled. His face shone happy and true that beautiful autumn morning. He dived back into the water, surfacing right in front of Hansel. The water ran down his neck, down his chest, all the places Hansel wanted to run his hands. But he held himself steady, shy in his brother’s presence for the first time in years. Sweetly shy. Happy to be near this Gerhardt.
Gerhardt took his hand up in an easy movement, but before he led him back into the water, he said, “We’re going to make it out, you know? Together. We’re going to be just fine, Hansel.”
And, oh, how badly Hansel wanted to kiss him.
He was the sweetest thing.
And Hansel was sure they’d never have so much as another argument to dim the bright days they had ahead of them.
Hansel was Wrong
“Then what are you going to eat?” Gerhardt spat. “Leaves? They’re probably fucking poisoned magical forest leaves. Is that what you want to eat? Magic fucking poison leaves?”
“No, I don’t want to eat magicalfucking poison leaves!”Hansel yelled back.
“Yethere we are in the magical fucking forest, fuckingstarving. Soit’s fresh meat orthe magical fucking forest leavesfor you, matey.”Gerhardt dropped his end of the carcass,reeling dramatically away from Hansel, turning to lean against a tree. “I can’t go on. I can’t! Hansel, I’m fuckingworn out.” Gathering what little energy he had, he raised a shaking hand towards thedeadanimal. “Just how long do you think a man can survive without food?”
Hansel, still gripping the hind hooves, lowered his head. “I’m trying to keep you safe.”
