Page 49 of Hansel and Gerhardt
Then a surety hit him that Herr Candy would like him to bite it. Would like him to eat and eat and eat until he was plump and firm and ready.
Ready for what?
Hansel was speaking, but he was behind Gerhardt now. And Gerhardt was running down the stairs. Running through the living room. Running to the back of the house and to the table andOh!But that table…
It was laden with every sort of good thing.
And Herr Candy, handsome, but repellant somehow, stepped forward, his fingertip blood red, and he brought it to Gerhardt’s lips and Gerhardt didn’t want it, not like that, but his tongue shot out, met the heavenly sauce, and his eyes shut out the world.
He was in the woods. He was in the woods, and it was hot and heady, and it was Hansel. Hansel and his big body flush against him, and he wanted his finger deeper in his mouth. He sucked him in, wrapped his tongue around him, dug his teeth gently into his flesh, and they weren’t going to stop this time.
He reached out a hand, seeking the press of Hansel’s cock, but his hand was caught. Wrenched around and away, some semblance of the candy house flew by, all of it over Hansel’s shoulder as he ripped him from the kitchen, and he ran, Gerhardt stumbling after him to a blank wall, where Hansel shouted, “Where’s the door? What have you done?”
“There is no door,” Herr Candy drawled. “Why would there be a door?”
“Why would there be a door?” Gerhardt repeated, aiming his words at Hansel. “And why do you always say such stupid things?”
He’d heard the words on his lips, but he hadn’t said them.
Hehadn’t.
He hadn’t even thought them.
And Hansel, who was strong and true, looked at him with so much fear and hurt in his eyes that all Gerhardt wanted was to throw his arms around his neck and apologise.
Instead, he said spitefully, “I wish there were one. And you could leave us alone. Then I would be happy, if only you were gone, you boring oaf.”
It was agony. The one precious thing he’d ever had in his life was Hansel’s heart, and he was tearing it all to pieces with his words. And he couldn’t stop them.
Hansel was barely breathing with the ache of the wound, and had there been a door, Gerhardt was sure he would have fled right then and there. And there should have been a door. And some confused part of him was scared Herr Candy would put it back just then.
It took all of his strength, every last spark of energy in an exhausted body, but he reached out and he gripped Hansel’s hand. He gripped him so tight he bruised his flesh. His short fingernails clenched so hard he pierced Hansel’s skin.
Hansel’s other hand was on his cheek, and Gerhardt was locked in, and he couldn’t grab him. He couldn’ttellhim. He looked clear into the sapphire eyes, and he said, “I need to eat.”
“Like hell you will,” Hansel responded. He ripped his hand from Gerhardt’s, curling it into a fist. He took two steps towards Herr Candy, raised his arm high, and froze.
Deafening silence took the room. Gerhardt was bolted to the floor by some magic, Herr Candy not even flinching back from Hansel, and poor Hansel, struck with abject horror, stood with his arm utterly immobile.
“Oh dear,” said Herr Candy. “Look at your arm.”
It had turned to biscuit. The entire arm, from shoulder to fist, had become a curling biscuit, coated in icing sugar and roastedslivered almonds. His hand was rich with dripping chocolate, as if it had just been dipped. His shoulder too.
“How delicious you look,” said Herr Candy. He ran a finger through the chocolate, looked Hansel in the eye, and slowly raised it to his mouth.
“Stop!” cried Gerhardt.
Herr Candy’s finger paused a millimetre from his lips. He lowered his brow, and he smiled. “How are you still doing that?”
Gerhardt could barely understand him. It were as though his words were coming from far away, the nausea pounding in his ears drowning them out. “Stop,” he whispered.
Herr Candy reached out and wiped the smear of melted chocolate down Hansel’s cheek before making his way over to Gerhardt. “There’s something very peculiar about the two of you.” He raised Gerhardt’s chin. “Such a shame. You’re so, so pretty.” He dropped his hands to his hips and gave a heavy sigh. “Very well. Would you like him to have his arm back, dearest?”
“Yes,” Gerhardt begged. “Please.”
“And you’ll promise to behave and be a good dinner guest?”
“Gerhardt!” came a warning from Hansel.
