Free Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

snow, say mother.
Put brother and me sleeping with chickens not annoy huntman.
    One night hit her harder whap whap so her voice went big into rafters woke chickens say, Curse you.
    Then on no luck for huntman. Means no meat for us. Brother say mother eat her words. I see only nuts and old bread. She say, Sorry sorry. She put last drops holy water on huntman gun. Still no
luck. One night he come home snowed like pine. Next day lie in smelly furs all day bellyache. Bang fist on wall call angels witness. Say, How can we feed your children when we can’t even feed
ourselves?
    Moonrise I holding chicken for warm hear him through wall. They talking small not like whap whap. She say, It’s their home. He say, What’s a home with a bare table?
    Later after sounds like running I hear him say, Pick one. You can’t feed two birds with a single stone. The little one’s no earthly use not right in the head.
    After mother cry and gone quiet like sleeping I hold my head like apple shake it for see what sick. Sound all right. Never can tell.
    Morning huntman let us come too into woods for rabbits brother and me. I dance like appledust. Trees come thicker round till no sky left. He tell brother go look at snare. He sit me behind tree
for game. Make little fire give bread say, No sound good girl.
    I suck bread soft and wait for them come back. Cold. Sound like crows. Good girl. Want home. Cry.
    Lots hours later fire gone small. Hear feet think maybe lost father coming with acorn teeth and ivy where eyes were. Try run fall on root.
    Brother it was whistling. I call out. Don’t cry little nut I found you I’ll bring you home, he say. Twice as old and ten times as clever. I put legs round waist and hold on.
    Hut shine light. I feared. Stop at door. Seem like dark inside. Brother say, Home again little hen. Lift latch mother cry cry like happy. Huntman angered say, Why did you get yourself lost you
halfwit girl? He not remember game. No food on table. Mother face wet salty.
    Night they talking low again. Brother sleeping. I push nosy chicken away put ear on wall. Huntman say, You want to watch them starve? You want to wait till the cramps buckle them up? Mother cry
Nonononono like punched out. He soft voice now say, Don’t take on so woman. Don’t fight fate. You can have more when times are good again.
    I think of having more more food more fire more shoes till sleep.
    Morning mother not get up. I want into furs with. Huntman say, Woods again today.
    Walk lots hours. Where trees thickest he make small fire say, Rest now like good children while I go deeper in to chop wood for a while.
    Brother want go with. Huntman say, Look after your sister or I’ll beat the skin off you.
    We wait. Lots hours later trees so thick no light at all outside fire. Sound like wolves. Fire tiny. Brother go for wood. I cry so he come back curl round me. Warm fart. Then no fire. He say,
Don’t worry half pint I’ll bring you home as soon as it gets light.
    Wake all covered snow cold laughing. Throw ball brother. Home home home like song loud through snow. When brother wake face like old bread. Say he can’t find way when all white. I say,
Follow me dance like snow home to mother.
    Snow thicker feels like no feet no hands no noses. Brother follow me cry try hide it.
    Get dark again. Brother go up tree see wide round. Slither down say, There’s a light, littie loaf.
    We walk walk walk. When ground dip all dark again I not cry. I not cry. Brother find light again.
    When we see up close dazzle I think morning. When we see cottage I think dreaming. Windows shine like sugar walls brown like gingerbread.
    Brother say, Home. Not home. Then brother say, Come. I feared. I known wormy apples with shiny skin. I seen rotted teeth behind handsome beard. Brother go knock knock.
    When door open I think mother then no. Young. Woman say, What brought you here? No words from brother no words from me. Woman say, Stop here with me tonight and no harm will touch