The first day, William became their house-servant’s apprentice. Meaning he was taught the daily chores and rhythm. The servant wouldn’t treat him harshly but neither with sympathy. He was mostly ignored when he wasn’t ordered to do stuff.

At nighttime he could finally rest his tired body, in a designated stack of hay. It wasn’t the greatest resting place, but hey! At least it was clean.

The fourth day, Joss came by to beg for forgiveness. He had felt immensely guilty after the incident with their father and he missed his sister. However they didn’t get to meet. This, Grettel would make sure of. She would keep William busy in the house if Joss came by and ask him to leave without uttering a word. Nevertheless, Joss came by often. Trying to catch the old hag off guard.

The seventh day, William had noticed his brother sneaking about. So he made the classic diversion of: I’m going to the privy, so leave me alone!.. It was during nighttime, so there wasn’t any more work to be done. Grettel simply waved her hand and acknowledged his absence. However he couldn’t take forever, or they would begin to doubt if he carried some kind of deadly digestive disease.

William managed, without any problems along the way, to reach Joss’ window. He knocked softly on the taunt ‘leather parchment’. It made a strange hollow sound. Like a dull drum. Not long after a figure appeared in it’s frame. William knocked again softly. This time with more familiarity. Joss understood the signal and hurried his way outside. When he saw William face to face for the first time in days, he felt his unease grow stronger.

Joss whispered, “Hi… Thanks for coming to see me… Tch! That Grettel! She really perfectly imitates a fly around dung! She kept pestering me away as though I was an intruder. She’s too much!.. That’s why I-”. Joss stopped for a second to calm his nerves, “That’s why I didn’t get to see you… You know, Mirabelle… I’m-”. Joss kept taking breaks to spit out the words he really wanted to say. The notion of apologising was something he found quite difficult...

William wasn’t the type to hold a grudge for that long…

He had totally forgotten his hatred towards Joss for betraying him. That bitterness was solely focused on their father now. So he was a bit perplexed at his brother’s shifts in mood.

Joss finally continued, “Argh! I’m sorry, okay!? I’m really sorry for giving father the recipe back!.. I just… I just didn’t want you to get hit any more… It was selfish of me and I-... Please, don’t be angry at me...”. William took a second to compute. Then he laughed, “Idiot! You’re such an idwiot Joss!”.

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Joss gaped. For this wasn’t the response he had expected. He echoed back, “An idiot?... You think I’m an idiot!? What the!?... You’re the idiot, Mirabelle! You’re plan was a total flop and you got your ass handed to you! And I’m the idiot!?”. William gained more colour from that remark as he barked back, “Why yesh, you are! Haha. And I lwike that about you. So don’t change that and say sowy for being a good friend...”.

Joss blushed from the sudden compliment. His arm bend backwards as he scratched his head awkwardly. His eyes flickered everywhere from his brain short circuiting, until they spotted something worrying. He quickly fell back into character, “Mirabelle! I can see light from Grettel’s house! I think she’s headed towards the backyard…”.

Hearing this, William immediately ran off. He had to be there when Grettel reached the privy. Because he had just gotten rid of the bloody taste in his mouth. And he didn’t want to go around tasting it again, for yet another week...

The twenty-fifth day, William felt the isolation that was starting to kick in… Along with the hunger… For every time he tried to sneak away to play or talk with Joss, Grettel would evidently find out. Either her son’s would snitch or some other busybody. In the end the punishment would be no food the whole day and a few good whacks. Yet the current disciplining methods didn’t seem to work…

William was instead getting more and more frustrated. His bravery was at the max from being tired and beaten to what he thought, was his lowest. So he confronted Grettel about her unjust actions. She was eating her dinner when he came and asked, “Why? Just, why can’t I shee Joss anymore?”.

Grettel spat out a gulp of soup, before she vented, “Enough with this obstinate behavior!.. I thought I was getting a sweet and obedient girl… Instead I get this- this… This unruly brat!? Girl you must understand that, that boy is no longer you’re relative! So stop making such a fuss and get over it!”.

Then she wiped her mouth in her sleeve, before adding, “If you don’t change your attitude I have to use harsher means to make you listen… You can blame yourself when that happens… Although…”.

The old woman rubbed her elbows with a wounded expression. Afterwards she looked William straight in the eye. Slowly but surely developing a wicked demeanor, “Ha! I might not want to take out my good ol’ whip to lash your back into ribbed pork! After all, I might want to sell that fair skin of yours one day… But, Oh… There are so many other ways you can wring the humanity out of someone…”.

Her grin grew wider along with her black pupils. Right then and there, she was imitating a cat.

A cat that had spotted a small mouse... It could hardly keep its claws hidden as it imaging which ways to toss the mouse and exactly how it should lick open its belly and swallow it. Bones and all.

William gulped… He still wanted to see Joss. No matter what…

This burning desire to not be completely void of positive human interactions, meant that it was now time to play a deadly game of cat and mouse!