Fattening Hansel - Modern Fairytale

Chapter 1 - Be careful what you wish for

»Blake! Wait for me.« Hayden tried to catch her breathe while her boyfriend was disappearing on the trail before them. What a stupid idea to spend a perfectly nice free day running through the wilderness.
»It appears, someone is a little out of shape.«
Hayden frowned. She was naturally petite, almost frail, but she could never muster up the motivation to actually do sports or go to the gym. Blake could be such an idiot sometimes. She leaned on her knees and her eyes fell on a perfectly white, round pebble. She reached for it, when Blake clapped her back.
»Someone needs to watch it. Now, you are still young, but sometime soon, your metabolism will slow down and then, you know.« Still laughing, he padded her flat belly, trying to pinch the skin.
I wish you would get fat and round and lazy. Aloud, she said, »don’t you find it odd, that we have no cell reception at all here?«
Blake had picked the trail, after she had agreed to give hiking a shot. In return, he had given in to the all-in cruise she had wanted to do for some time.
»What can possibly be so important on insta or anywhere that you would need to know it right now?« Blake wasn’t a fan of social media.
Hayden looked around, but it seemed as if they were amidst the woods. »I just hope we are not lost.«
Confidently, Blake waved around with a map. »I’ve got it, babe. and besides, there is a small river there in front of us. Let’s go there, take a rest and search it on the map.«
After a few more minutes, they settled on a flat rock. Blake re-filled their water bottles. The water tasted clean, almost sweet when Hayden took a big sip. Maybe hiking wasn’t so bad at all. She yawned. »You search for the river, I rest a little.«
With that, she leaned against Blake and closed her eyes.

When Hayden woke up again, her first thought was, that night must have fallen in on them. Only after her eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, she realized they were in a wooden cabin. »Blake!«
»Oh good, you are awake.«
A tall woman with short, white hair stepped into the light of what seemed to be an oil lamp.
»Where am I? Where is Blake?«
The woman was clearly older, but more like in an elegant, Anna Wintour-fashion. And she aired an aura of authority. Hayden felt intimidated.
»You are in the midst of the woods, where no one really wants to spend much time, but as it happens, you found a wisdom stone and voiced a wish and here we are.«
»You must confuse me with someone, neither did I find such a stone, nor did I wish for anything else, than getting home.« A little sheepishly, she added, »and seeing Blake.«
»Open your hand.«
Hayden did as told and there laid the white, round pebble, hidden in her palm.
»I didn’t know this was a wish stone.«
»A wisdom stone.«
»But I didn’t wish for anything. That’s impossible.«
»I quote: I wish you would get fat and round and lazy.«
»No. That was just ... I didn’t mean that.«
»Then, you should think better next time. But there is nothing to be done about the situation your little lapse put us in now.« The older woman sighed. »The plan is as follows: I will play mean witch, the role of my life by the way, and you will fatten Blake until he is fat, round and lazy. I guess, he will do that for your well-being, right?«
»No. No way, I am doing this to him.«
The old lady’s eyes narrowed and suddenly, she very much looked like the mean witch.
»It is either that, or we share your little wish with Blake. How do you think he will react to your true, unfiltered thoughts?«
»You can’t do that.«
The other woman formed a rectangle with her hands and distended it until it looked the size of a tablet. Hayden could see herself panting, leaning on her knees. Her mental curses towards Blake were clearly audible. Damn it. »He will forgive me. This was out of the moment.«
»Maybe. But by the way, if you deny to have your wish fulfilled, it will be applied by yourself.«
Hayden winced. »Ok, wait.« What other option did she have, right? »How will we make him do it?«
»You are a quick one to give in, hm?« A chuckle run over the older woman’s face. »But if it is any comfort to you, I read Blakes thoughts as well and I am pretty sure, he would do the deed to save his skin. Now, we must make the threat the two of you are in believable for him, therefore ...«
With a little plop the elegantly cut, white hair changed into a felted grey mass and her appearance started to turn into something more in line with the evil hag in a fairy tale.
Hayden stared at her with awe. »Is this the real you?«
The witch sighed. »Let’s say, I am versatile.«