it to the fireplace, where she laid it on top of the dying fire. The flames flared up and one of the logs beneath it broke with a loud
crack!
Annie was climbing back up the ladder when Granny Bentbone came into the room.
“Who are you?” the old woman demanded. “What are you doing in my house? Are you a thief? Did you come to rob me?”
“No, Granny Bentbone. I’m your guest, remember? I just came downstairs for a drink of water.”
“Oh,” the old woman said. “I don’t remember where the water is.”
“That’s all right. I can wait until morning.”
Annie could feel the old woman’s eyes boring into her back as she climbed the ladder. Her hands were shaking when she closed the trapdoor and she didn’t move until she heard the floor below creak as Granny Bentbone returned to her room. Her heart was still pounding when she lay down beside Clara, but the sound of the little girl’s soft breathing helped calm her and she dozed, only to startle awake at every noise. Suddenly the floor beneath her groaned like an old man with an aching back. Annie’s eyes shot open. Although the floor had been level when she lay down, it was now sagging under her weight. She was confused until she remembered that magic was holding the gingerbread together. Her presence was diminishing the room’s magic, making the whole thing unstable.
The floor creaked when Annie stood up. Afraid to move for a moment, she waited to make sure that it was sound enough to hold them before waking the children. She woke Tomas first, shaking him by the shoulder until his eyes blinked open. “We have to go,” she whispered. “Make sure that Clara knows she has to be quiet.”
Tomas nodded and woke his little sister with a nudge. They whispered together while Annie moved toward thetrapdoor and raised it just enough to see down. When she was sure that Granny Bentbone wasn’t there, she led the way down the stairs and to the door.
Annie had her hand on the latch when Clara said in a loud voice, “I don’t want to go yet. I’m hungry. Can’t we have breakfast first?”
“Shh! Clara, I told you to be quiet!” Tomas told her.
“I wasn’t being loud,” said Clara. “I just—”
“What are you children doing here?” Granny Bent-bone said from the door to her room. “How did you get out of your cages?”
Annie shoved the door open and pushed the children across the threshold as the old woman hobbled toward them. “Remember what I told you, Tomas,” Annie told him. “Run!”
“No!” shrieked Granny Bentbone as the children raced across the clearing that surrounded the house and into the forest beyond.
The old woman moved faster than Annie had thought possible. While Annie was reaching for the satchel that she’d left beside the door, Granny Bentbone hustled across the room and whacked her with the cane. Annie stumbled back until she bumped into the peppermint support post.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” the old woman said, shaking her cane at Annie. “You came here to let those children out of my cages. Well, that’s fine and dandy, because now I have you to take their place!”
Annie recalled what Tomas had said about the woman remembering some things sometimes. If only it hadn’t happened now! She was wondering how she’d get past the old woman and her stick when she realized that she could feel the hard candy post softening under her hand. Leaning back, she wrapped her fingers as far as they would go around the post and squeezed. The candy softened faster now, the surface dissolving just like it did in a child’s mouth.
Granny Bentbone stepped closer, ranting as she tried to force Annie toward the room with the cages. Annie squeezed the peppermint post, digging her fingers into its sticky surface. Suddenly the post cracked and buckled, sending a chunk of the ceiling crashing down in a shower of sugar dust. Annie jumped aside, nearly knocking over the surprised old woman, who staggered and
crack!
Annie was climbing back up the ladder when Granny Bentbone came into the room.
“Who are you?” the old woman demanded. “What are you doing in my house? Are you a thief? Did you come to rob me?”
“No, Granny Bentbone. I’m your guest, remember? I just came downstairs for a drink of water.”
“Oh,” the old woman said. “I don’t remember where the water is.”
“That’s all right. I can wait until morning.”
Annie could feel the old woman’s eyes boring into her back as she climbed the ladder. Her hands were shaking when she closed the trapdoor and she didn’t move until she heard the floor below creak as Granny Bentbone returned to her room. Her heart was still pounding when she lay down beside Clara, but the sound of the little girl’s soft breathing helped calm her and she dozed, only to startle awake at every noise. Suddenly the floor beneath her groaned like an old man with an aching back. Annie’s eyes shot open. Although the floor had been level when she lay down, it was now sagging under her weight. She was confused until she remembered that magic was holding the gingerbread together. Her presence was diminishing the room’s magic, making the whole thing unstable.
The floor creaked when Annie stood up. Afraid to move for a moment, she waited to make sure that it was sound enough to hold them before waking the children. She woke Tomas first, shaking him by the shoulder until his eyes blinked open. “We have to go,” she whispered. “Make sure that Clara knows she has to be quiet.”
Tomas nodded and woke his little sister with a nudge. They whispered together while Annie moved toward thetrapdoor and raised it just enough to see down. When she was sure that Granny Bentbone wasn’t there, she led the way down the stairs and to the door.
Annie had her hand on the latch when Clara said in a loud voice, “I don’t want to go yet. I’m hungry. Can’t we have breakfast first?”
“Shh! Clara, I told you to be quiet!” Tomas told her.
“I wasn’t being loud,” said Clara. “I just—”
“What are you children doing here?” Granny Bent-bone said from the door to her room. “How did you get out of your cages?”
Annie shoved the door open and pushed the children across the threshold as the old woman hobbled toward them. “Remember what I told you, Tomas,” Annie told him. “Run!”
“No!” shrieked Granny Bentbone as the children raced across the clearing that surrounded the house and into the forest beyond.
The old woman moved faster than Annie had thought possible. While Annie was reaching for the satchel that she’d left beside the door, Granny Bentbone hustled across the room and whacked her with the cane. Annie stumbled back until she bumped into the peppermint support post.
“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,” the old woman said, shaking her cane at Annie. “You came here to let those children out of my cages. Well, that’s fine and dandy, because now I have you to take their place!”
Annie recalled what Tomas had said about the woman remembering some things sometimes. If only it hadn’t happened now! She was wondering how she’d get past the old woman and her stick when she realized that she could feel the hard candy post softening under her hand. Leaning back, she wrapped her fingers as far as they would go around the post and squeezed. The candy softened faster now, the surface dissolving just like it did in a child’s mouth.
Granny Bentbone stepped closer, ranting as she tried to force Annie toward the room with the cages. Annie squeezed the peppermint post, digging her fingers into its sticky surface. Suddenly the post cracked and buckled, sending a chunk of the ceiling crashing down in a shower of sugar dust. Annie jumped aside, nearly knocking over the surprised old woman, who staggered and
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