Kate here, back to tell you more about my adventures in fairytales. There I was, walking in a dark forest with an odd boy named Hansel. The glow of the moon helped to illuminate the tiny white pebbles Hansel had dropped along the path. To lead him home. It was a really long walk. And I could hear strange eerie sounds in the forest. Sounds that caused shivers to run down my neck. My heart was beating a strange quickened rhythm that left me gasping for breath. I kept reminding myself that this was only some kind of dream and that it wasn’t real. But the cool breeze that ruffled the flowered dress that wasn’t mine, and the very real ache in my feet from walking in ill-fitting buckle shoes didn’t feel like a dream. The wolves howled near us, and I thought they were coming closer. I wanted to run, but I didn’t know how far we had left to go. At the same time, my brain was searching its memory for the rest of the Hansel and Gretel story. My grandfather read fairy tales to me when I was little. I could remember the house made of candy, and that there was a witch. But I couldn’t remember why the kids were alone in the forest. Something was dancing in the shadows of my mind. I just couldn’t bring it into the light. So I kept moving forward, not knowing what the future would hold. Or when I would wake up from this very strange dream.
“There it is!” Hansel exclaimed, pointing to a swirl of pale smoke in the sapphire sky. “We’re home!” As we drew closer, I could see the smoke was trickling out of a small chimney set atop a quaint little cabin made of wood and brick. Hansel began to run, but I held back. The door opened and I could see a man standing in the doorway. Suddenly, I was gripped with fear. In the light, surely I would be recognized as an imposter. What would happen to me then?
