The Grimm Diaries Prequels Volume 11- 14: Children of Hamlin, Jar of Hearts, Tooth & Nail & Fairy Tale, Ember in the Wind, Welcome to Sorrow, and Happy Valentine's Slay. (4 page)

“Wolfy? Tree? What’s all that nonsense?” The boy kept crying. “And you have a mother? I’m starting to suspect you’re not really Death, but a loon.”

“Take it easy, pretty boy. I am Death. You can’t escape me. And again, stop whining. I might have a good idea for you.”

“What do you have in mind?”

“I will take you to Wolfy’s inn, the Belly and the Beast. How about you meet up with some of my friends, and have some fun on the night you die.”

“Your friends? Who are those? Tormentor, the  Hangman, and the Caretaker?” He mocked her as he stopped crying.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t make fun of me. Let alone those respectful people you have just mentioned. They are doing an important job.”

Ladle pulled the boy by his hand, shook a tree until a coconut fell from it, and gave it to the boy. Then she walked him to the Belly and the Beast...

The first set of Wolfy’s friends arriving to the Belly and the Beast was Peter Pan and Wendy. Wolfy raised an eyebrow when he saw Sleeping Beauty wearing a dress that wasn’t stained with blood. Usually Wendy appeared with bloody teeth, came with mayhem, and all the trouble in the world. Today, she seemed more of a regular girl, engaging Peter as he hi-fived Wolfy once he saw him. Well, they didn’t call it hi-fiving yet in 1812.

“So what’s happening?” Wolfy had to ask. “Wendy, why are you looking so girlish today?”

“Behave yourself, Wolfy!” Wendy snarled at him, showing her fangs. Wolfy snarled back with furry hair and fangs. Thank God the bar was still empty or they would have exposed their identities. It had never been a good idea to have Wendy and Wolfy in the same place.

“Easy with the fangs, mammals!” Peter said, pouring himself a strawberry drink.

“She started it,” Wolfy said as his face returned to normal.

Wendy laughed, cutting the roses from a bouquet in her hand and throwing them on the tables.

“I am not sure if she’s enjoying tearing up roses or if she is trying to decorate the tables,” Wolfy whispered to Pete.

“It’s both,” Pete said, burping on purpose. “Don’t you know what today is?”

“What? Is it a special day?”

“Of course, you fury-fury creature,” Wendy answered.

“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Pete said as he pulled Wendy closer and started dancing with her between the tables. “Please, no fangs, darling. Pull them back. You know how I feel about that.”

“Oh, sorry,” she said. “Just got exited, Pete.”

Wolfy shook his head, irritated. “So what is Valentine’s Day? Is it something like Rat Catcher’s day?”

Wendy laughed at him. “How could you read all those books, and still not know what Valentine’s Day is?”

“It’s lover’s day,” Pete said, still dancing. “Lovers celebrate and give each other flowers all over the world.”

“All over the world?” Wolfy wondered. “How come we never heard about it in Sorrow?”

”For some reason, it’s prohibited,” Wendy said “That’s why Sorrow sucks,” she laughed again.

“So should I be bringing Ladle flowers today?” Wolfy wondered.

“A hammer and a nail would be will do,” Wendy mocked him, although she didn’t know Ladle was Death. It was Wendy’s dark nature that made her sense things without even knowing why. She had always thought of Ladle as weird, and she had enjoyed setting her toes on fire when she was asleep once, like she loved to do with Hunchy who was  guarding the inn outside.

“A kiss would be alright, Wolfy” Peter said, pulling Wendy closer to him. “For you and Ladle, a kiss on Valentine’s Day would be just about right,” Peter pulled Wendy closer to him and kissed her passionately. Wolfy had to pretend he wasn’t eagerly watching. He didn’t know why seeing two people kiss made him hungry again, so he pulled out a raw piece of meat and ate it behind their backs.

“No fangs, darling,” Pete said, pushing Wendy away. “How many times do I have to tell you, no fangs when kissing?”

“Sorry, Pete,” she said with a trickle of blood on her lips. “Got carried away again,” she winked slyly at Wolfy.

Peter wiped the trickle of blood from his lower lip. He was used to her biting it.

“Ladle and I’ve never kissed,” Wolfy said softly, swallowing his food while Peter burped on his behalf. Peter always did that. Whenever someone ate or drank without burping, he did it for them. This time he also yanked the chair upside down for the fun of it.

“What?” Wendy’s eyes widened. “What do you guys do when you spend time together?”

“A lot of things,” Wolfy said, scratching his sideburns.

“Like what? Reading her Anguish Language?” Wendy snorted.

“That’s one thing we do,” Wolfy nodded. “It’s nice. I like to read for her.”

“Shame on you, Wolfy,” Peter said. “Your wolf brothers wouldn’t be proud of you right now. I bet they eat their lovers, not just kiss them.”

“I really want to kiss her,” Wolfy explained. “She just doesn’t let me. You see, we met in an awkward situation, and I have to do a lot to gain her trust.”

“What awkward situation? Was she bathing naked in the lake? That’s how Jack met Marmalade.” Wendy laughed, dancing around again.

“It wouldn’t be as awkward as when I met Wendy,” Peter mumbled. Wendy shot him a dark look, but then kept dancing again on a table.

“You never told me about that?” Wolfy asked.

“And I won’t. It was a deliciously awkward moment,” Pete said, approaching the bar and helping himself to another drink. “So who is coming tonight?”

“I don’t know,” Wolfy said. “The regular guests, I suppose,” Wolfy cleaned more glasses.

“I bet Jack and Marmalade aren’t coming,” Wendy said. “Jack’s always so introverted, loving his quiet time in the beanstalks.”

“He isn’t introverted,” Pete said. “He’s an amazing boy. He just doesn’t think too many people are good company.”

“But he should take Marmalade out more,” Wendy said. “She isn’t yet comfortable with anyone but him.”

“I don’t think he is coming,” Wolfy agreed. “We had Rumpelstein here, two days ago.”

“Whoa!” Peter raised his glass. “That’s weird. Why’d he come to such a place? No offense, Wolfy, but your place stinks. That’s why we love it,” Peter hailed.

“What do you mean by that?” Wolfy wondered. “I have had many honorable visitors from the castle.”

“All I have seen are goblins, more goblins, and then more goblins,” Wendy said.

“They are bad, but they are a good customer,” Wolfy said.

“That’s why you’re lucky Jack doesn’t come often. Goblins and Jack are simply fire and ice.”

“Or werewolf and vampires,” Wendy stuck out her tongue at Wolfy.

“I am not a werewolf,” Wolfy said. Peter shot him an eye. “Alright. I am, but I am trying not to be one. I am doing it for Ladle.”

“Good luck with that,” Peter smirked. “That’s like me saying I decided I will grow up tomorrow and be a man. Do you have that yoyo thing you showed me the last time, by the way? I’d love to play with it again.”

“Stop it, Pete,” Wolfy said. “Can’t you ever grow up?” he stuck out his tongue at him.

Peter laughed hard at this, clapping his hands together.”

Why are you laughing?” Wolfy raised an eyebrow.

“I just remembered when Jack said that someone should write a book about us,” Peter said. “Imagine if someone writes a book about us loons. That would be a fun book to read. We’re the most horrible kids in the world.”

“He said someone should write a book about him, not us,” Wolfy said.

“How do you think Jack gets written about and we’re not mentioned?” Wendy commented. “Unless it’s just a book of lies.”

Suddenly, the door sprung open.

It was Jack. He came in holding Marmalade’s hand, and shaping his finger like a gun with the other.

“Hands up, you filthy, stinky werewolves, vampires, and neverlanders!” Jack joked. “Or I will enchant you all into nasty, croaking frogs, and no matter how many princess kiss you, you will never be saved.”

Peter laughed, seeing Jack. Wendy didn’t. They didn’t get along well. Jack thought of her as Peter’s biggest mistake, but someone he didn’t comment. Jack had witnessed something awful happen to Wendy when they were kids, a night he preferred not to remember. In many way, he understood why she was what she was.

“Even your grandma will not be able to save you,” Jack added cheeringly.

“What granma?” Wolfy cheered. “I eat granmas for breakfast!”

Marmalade laughed. “Jack told me otherwise, Wolfy. He told me grandma was going to eat you, and she tied you up like a helpless sheep!” she giggled. Marmalade knew a lot about Wolfy’s secret past that he hadn’t told anyone, even Ladle. When she was a Moongirl, she had seen him transform into a werewolf many times, but she preferred not to tell anyone.

“That’s not true,” Wolfy hesitated, averting his eyes from the others.

“
Is
true…” Peter shot him another look. “We all know Ladle saved your ass. Hansel and Gretel told us.”

“Speaking of them,” Jack acted as if puffing smoke out of his imaginary gun, adjusting his hat. “They are outside, and wanted to get in. Only that bodyguard of yours, Hunchy didn’t allow it.”

“Of course, not,” Wolfy said. “They’re not sixteen yet. You’re not allowed to enter this bar if you’re under sixteen”

“I am not sixteen, yet,” Wendy said.

“You’re an exception because you come with Peter, “Wolfy said. “Peter is, and always will be, sixteen.”

Marmalade lowered her head for a moment. She wondered if anyone would ask how old she was. Since her transformation, she assumed she was around sixteen because of her looks. When she was the moon, she always thought she was around that age too. She never really thought about it before, because she was immortal then.

“I’ll be sixteen next summer,” Jack said. “And actually, no one is sure Wolfy is sixteen,” Jack laughed. “So we’re all illegal. We are breaking the Queen’s law here. You know what that means?”

Everyone looked hesitantly for a moment. Jack’s moral compass was usually off the rocker. He was a thief but always wanted justice. It was something most of them didn’t understand, so they were wondering if he’d suddenly decide to report them to the Queen for being underage.

“What do you think this means?” Wolfy scratched his sideburns again.

“It means,” Jack slowed his talk, and looked them in the eyes. “Give me another drink!” he cheered, and everyone sighed.

“Fantabulous!” Wolfy cheered.

“So we’re letting Hansel and Gretel in?” Marmalade asked.

“No, we can’t do that, sweetie,” Wendy said.

“Why? Didn’t we agree we’re all underage already?”

“That’s the point,” Peter said. “We need our scapegoats. As long as Hansel and Gretel are kept outside, people will think that the ones inside are over sixteen. I guess you’re new to the gang, Marmalade,” Peter laughed. “Shame on you, Jack. You should teach her about our lunatic rules and our unethical moral compass.”

“She’s new, guys,” Wendy said. “Give her a break.”

“That’s the sound of reason,” Jack muttered at Wendy. “I never saw you wearing a nice dress and looking so girlie like today,” Jack commented. “What’s the occasion? Killed your mom and dad and now celebrating?”

Wendy drew out her fangs and prepared to attack Jack without even thinking. Peter could do nothing. It was Wolfy who turned into a werewolf instantly, and jumped over the bar to protect Jack.

Wendy and Wolfy snarled at each other flashing their red and yellow eyes for a while.

“No one messes with Jack when in my bar,” Wolfy said in his creepy werewolf sound, drool falling off his mouth. “Understood?”

Wendy turned back slowly into her girlie form, and painted a seductive smile on her face. “I was just joking, Wolfy. I like you though when you’re so… Wolfy.”

“Awoooo!” Jack and Peter clicked glasses.

“Wendy is a vampire?” Marmalade wondered, taking a step back.

“It’s alright,” Peter said. “She is not one of them, the intruders. She is on our side.”

“How can she be on our side? She’s a vampire. They are trying to consume the kingdom, having come from all over Europe to get the Queen’s daughter.”

“We don’t know if that is even true,” Wolfy turned back into human form. “And although Wendy and I don’t always see things eye to eye, I think she is alright. At least as long as Pete says so. Right, Pete?”

Peter nodded, a little hesitant though. He had never told anyone how he had met Wendy and why she was a vampire. Jack always wondered why he loved her in the first place.

The door broke open and Ladle came in. She had a boy with her.

Everyone gazed back at Wolfy, wondering if Ladle had dumped him for a new boy. He looked cute.

“Hey. Hey. Hey!” Ladle cheered. “This is,” she pointed at the boy. “What’s your name again?” She didn’t want to pull out the paper from the fortune cookie to remember his name. No one knew she was Death but Wolfy.

Before the boy was about to say his name, Peter approached him with a drink. It was Strawberry Stardust, one of the loveliest drinks in Wolfy’s bar. Nobody knew what was in it exactly but it tasted like sugary strawberries, a bit sour though. “No names, tonight,” Pete told him. “Drink and have fun.”

The boy who knew he was going to die in a couple of hours, felt happy all of a sudden. The company seemed unavoidable, and he decided if this was his last day on earth, he’d make it absurdly hilarious. Looking at the teens in the bar, they seemed just like the right crowd to accomplish that. He had never had cool friends in his life. Having them for a day was the perfect ending.

“But we have to give him a name,” Wendy said. “We’ll call him Nobody.”

“Nobody it is,” Peter clicked glasses with Nobody, who didn’t seem offended by his new nickname.

“I’d say we call him Nobody Knows,” Jack raised an eyebrow. “So let’s make a toast for our new friend Nobody Knows.”

“Whoa!” Wendy interrupted. “We need to know what he is first.”

“What do you mean?” The boy asked, a little weary of Wendy.

“Are you a vampire?” Wendy asked.

“No,” the boy shook his shoulders.

“Are you a thief?” Jack wondered.

“Of course, not. That’s awful” he said as Peter omitted a laugh, looking at Jack. It was funny how people considered a thief more horrible than a vampire.