chapter one

I watch as the door to the car opens, and a man gets out. Not tall, but couldn't be considered truly short. And chubby.

"Dammit!" he cries. "We don't know where we are even. Stupid rental car! Gretel, call AAA."

A young woman, several years his junior, steps out of the passenger side of the broken down car "I let my membership lapse", she said.

"What?!" he cried.

"You don't have student loans, Hansel!" she cries.

From the darkness and safety of the woods, I try to figure out their relationship quickly. Franklin, my butler, and all around servant and helper in life, stands behind me, armed with a taser, bags, and masks.

"You want him?", Franklin asks.

"Yes", I say, licking my lips.

"A man-pig", Franklin confirms, "It's been a while. And the female?"

"Surplus", I say, "But we can't risk letting her go and having her reveal our location."

"It has been a while", I say, excited. "Now!" We rush forward out of the trees.

What happens next is rote to me at this point. The struggling, screaming, kicking, fighting, most of the violence actually came from the female. She actually had to be tazed twice.

After that it wasn't hard to drag them back to my farm. I have a cow for milk, several pigs and chickens for meat, and about 10 acres. It's small, but in the middle of the woods,nice and private for a woman like me. A woman who still practices the dark arts.

Franklin and I toss both of them in a sty in the barn, taking the hoods off their heads once we have them secured.

"Hello", I say, "My name is Esmerelda. But you can call me m'am. The first thing you should know is that your life, as you knew it, is over. You belong to me now. You..." I point to the chubby man, "Are you my piggy now. You will grow and fatten according to my specifications until the time comes when you've fattened enough for eating. You..." I point to the woman, "Are...a maid I suppose."

"You're going to let us go right ***ing now!!" she screams. "We will be missed. And when the police catch up with you...you're going to jail for the rest of your life."

"Go clean something."

"When the police find you....." she starts.

"They never have, why would they now, dear? The police cut me a wide berth. Trust me, no one is coming out here, and no one will find you. This..." I point to Franklin, "Is Franklin, my employee, friend, and helper." At 6'5, he's intimidating. "He can provide any muscle necessary to make sure you obey, and this..." I point to a black cat, "Is my familiar, Lucifer. Lucifer knows what you're going to do before you do. He knows what way you're going to go, what you're thinking, and every escape route out of this place. He'll come get me if you attempt any escape."

"Your familiar?" the girl asks. "You're a..."

"Witch", I confirm. "My power is the nursery rhyme. You see I'm a kind of archetype of all witches...childhood fears."

The male jumps. I can't take my eyes off him....or his burgeoning belly. "Mmmmmmmm", I moan, "I want you so bad. Or at least I will when you're a bit bigger."

He's still just staring silently. "I know you want that. You like to eat and grow, right?" I whisper, my fingers moving to his zipper, "You already like this don't you?"

"Let him go!" the girl screams.

"Do you want to die already? Really? You might attempt an escape if you're alive long enough to try", I suggest, and she falls silent. "Because I really have no use for you. It's your brother here I want. He is your brother right? Gretel?"

Her head snaps around.

"And your name?" I ask him.

"Hansel", he says.