Entry #9

October 9'th, Tuesday

Living in a cage is a filthy thing. It's cold, and when you have to go to the bathroom....well, I'm not even going to go there. I think my toes are all frozen into little blue piglets now. It's a boring business too, you just sit there waiting to get packed off and eaten. Hansel (the boy in the cage next to me) told me about himself and his sister today. What a nasty business, being abandoned by your parents like that. I doubt I would be able to stand for it; of course, Hansel is in a cage, so he has no choice but to stand for it. His sister won't leave because he's here either. I can understand that; he's the only true family she has left.

The witch is really a whacked up piece of work. She came in today just to polish her knives, chuckling the entire time about some recipe or other. It gave me a nasty cold sweat. She walked up to my cage and viewed down at me as if measuring the size of my bones. I can't describe the gaze of those eyes; it was like looking down into the very deepest abyss of fire and chaos. She didn't mutter a word to any of us; she truly just views us as food. The horse, cow, and pig are just as bored as I am. Whenever the pig sees the witch it yells "Not me!" over and over again. It gets on my nerves.

A little bit before noon I was pacing back and forth in an unhappy mood like a trapped animal(the horse,cow, and pig do that frequently) and in a burst of anger gave the door an unhappy shake. I touched the lock with my pinkie, and all at once something fell out of my hair. I bent over to pick it up, and found it was one of the rough feathers from off my arrows that I desperately wish I had. It must have broken off somehow and stuck onto my hair, but why hadn't I found it until now? It was longer than the ones I remembered too. I waved it about, amused at my brand new discovery, and to my surprise it grew red-hot and I dropped it. I watched it as it grew into an arrow.

I picked the lock with the arrow. I pulled it out once and saw that the end of it had been shaped into a key. None of the gingerbread men came out. Bewildered, I stepped out and proceeded to do the same to the other cages, whom the living in them became interested. I had freed everyone except Wendy, when the witch came stumbling running down the stairs and confronted us. She was sweating.
"Play time's over, children."
Gingerbread men appeared out of nowhere, engulfing us in a sea of fighting, kicking, and cursing. The horse kicked and neighed, while the pig squealed and ran about worthlessly. The cow mooed and stomped on them, while Hansel grabbed a dangling knife and ran at the witch screaming vengefully. The witch only smiled, and the moment where Hansel stabbed her in the stomach, she reached around and pulled Hansel's neck in line while removing the protruding knife from her stomach. She put it around Hansel's throat. We all froze. "Now," said the witch calmly. "If you don't want to see this boys blood spilled on the floor, I suggest you all turn back into those cages this instant."
A scream erupted on the stairs. Gretal.
Without thinking a split second, I threw the arrow at the witch with my bare hands with as much strength as I could muster.  It glided through the air and started to grow larger into a familiar, furry shape. The witch stood star-bound as the wolf finished its aerial leap and bit her deeply into the neck. She let out a soft gasp and let go of Hansel, backing away with her hand to a death wound that was seeping blood. It ran all the way down her arms and bosom, dripping to the floor. I can still see it in my minds eye. The gingerbread men all disappeared. "You....," the witch whispered, pale-faced with effort and shock. "You...how are you free? Fenrisulfr!"

The wolf stood erect with eyes I've never seen before. The witch backed away to the edge of the large fireplace. It was then my attention was drawn to a small yellow dot whizzing through the air. A ginormous bonfire sprang up from the ashes, and as the witch turned in surprise, the horse snorted and hind-quartered kicked her into the flames. The witch's screams will forever give me nightmares. They echoed through-out the dungeon kitchen, high-pitched and horrible. I had to cover my ears.

Tinkerbell let Wendy out, and we all headed up the stairs and out into sunlight that it had felt ages since we had last seen. We bathed in it, while relinquishing all the events that had just happened. Wendy was certainly happy to see Tinkerbell. Gretal had hidden her instead of drowning her, in her apron pocket. She floated a jar containing a firefly instead down the river to fool the witch. A band of dirty boys snuck out of the bushes and stood looking guilty. Wendy ran over to them screaming and yelling for joy, and hugged them all. They were all dressed quite strangely. The leader of them named Peter Pan was dressed in a funny green outfit. It didn't seem to mind him though. It turns out they were the ones that had shot the sleeping darts at us. Wendy was a friend of theirs, and the witch kidnapped her, thus blackmailing them to do what she wanted. The cow and I easily forgave the bunch, but I think it will take a little time for the horse and the pig. They did endure harsh memories, after all.

We spoke rashly together until dusk. Hansel and Gretal are going with the pig and the horse back to see their village, while I watched Wendy and Peter Pan's bunch become sprinkled with Tinkerbell's Faerie Dust and fly off into the moon when it appeared nice and full. I am jealous. They call the place they're going to 'Neverland'. I wonder where that is. The Dairy cow joined them, and jumped over the moon, mooing in ecstasy. We all said our tearful goodbyes, and I believe I have made some very good friends, even if I will never see them again. I am very fond of them all. The pig did look strangely at the wolf though. I wonder what that meant.

I am once again alone with the wolf, and we are camping outside. I don't mind that so much anymore. The stars are bright and beautiful accompanying the silver bowl of a moon. It was a little awkward at first between the wolf and I, when I tried to thank him. He just sort of laid there and grunted. But that's how it usually is, so I won't think on it too much. But I wonder about what the witch called him back there. "Fenrisulfr." Is that his real name? And how did he shape-shift from my arrow? I think I'll ask him about it tomorrow. Too many things have happened, and I'm simply happy to be outside again. I'm happy to be alive.