Hansel & Gretel on Hexe's Moon ✓

On Hexe's Moon

"You tell them then," Mr. Woods said with a touch of anger in his tone.

"My love," Mrs. Woods said softly, stroking the stubble on his face with the back of her hand. "You know those...sweet children," she almost choked on the word sweet, as if she wanted to say something else. "You know they've never really seen me as their real mother, so they'd take it better if it came from you."

Mr. Woods turned away from his wife to face the patchwork, metal wall. Soon, he felt his wife's slender arm around his waist, and she kissed his neck.

"It won't be the same without them here," she whispered in his ear. "But it's what's best for everyone."

Mr. Woods wanted to believe her, but he couldn't bring himself to call sending his children away the "best" solution. It might be necessary, in one sense, but it was not best. Somehow, it felt wrong or even evil. But the poor man knew his wife would not stop until she saw them gone.

He didn't want to admit it, but Mr. Woods did feel she had a point. Yes, the Talorians would work his children ragged, but they'd be fed, and eventually freed. There was some hope in that notion, he thought.

"I'll do it," he said with a bitter taste in his mouth.

"It's for the best," she smiled triumphantly.

A deep sigh passed Mr. Woods's lips. He turned away from the wall and stared up at the stalactites hanging from the cavern behind the glass dome; knowing sleep would not come to him that night.

But what he did not know was that Hansel was also not asleep. In fact, he'd heard the entire conversation from the air vent over the living room while trying to charge his hologram tablet.

The little boy immediately set the device down and went to warn his sister.

***

Upon returning to their bedroom, Hansel went to wake his sister, sleeping on the bottom bunk. Gretel's pink blanket was covering her from shoulder to toes, and she was facing the wall.

"Gretel," Hansel whispered, but his sister did not stir. He called her name again and decided to gently shake her awake. However, when he leaned down to touch Gretel, his hand went right through her.

Hansel stepped back and stared, then he saw the image of his sister flicker like an old light bulb about to go out. Gretel started giggling from behind the closet; Hansel rolled his eyes.

"Gotcha!" Gretel beamed. "I love the new projector upgrade," she smiled, looking at the silver-white casting watch on her wrist. "I'd just finished downloading it when you left the room—want me to show you how it works?"

"Not now," Hansel sighed. "We have a problem."

Gretel wrinkled her brow and stepped closer to him. "Are you trying to scare me again?"

Hansel shook his head. "She wants to send us away."

"Who?" Gretel twirled one of her blonde pigtails with her finger.

"The witch," Hansel quipped. "Who else?"

"Papa won't listen to her," Gretel scoffed.

"This time he did," Hansel frowned.

"What?" Gretel yelled.

"Quiet," Hansel said in a whisper that could have been a shout.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Hansel gave Gretel a hug. "I'll figure something out; try to get some sleep, okay?"

Gretel returned her brother's hug and got into bed. Hansel climbed the ladder up to the top bunk, flopped his head on the pillow and gazed at the ceiling. Hansel spent the whole night racking his young brain, trying to come up with a solution. By the time the sun rose across the desert-like landscape of Vidarr, he'd hatched an idea.