Gingerbread House*SPOILERS*

[avidgamer77]

Any clues or theories as to why Wendy had to rescue Jennifer on that night and not when she's free to roam around the house? I thought Wendy was always monitoring Gregory's movements and deemed nightime would be the best as he would go elsewhere. It could only be after much persuasion that Jennifer agreed to leave with Wendy, so Wendy would want to rescue her as quickly as possible, which coincides with nighttime. Wendy already had a plan to rescue her so other alternatives like rescuing her when she's not locked in the basement were not considered.

[PrincessJennifer]

Maybe he kept the doors locked? But Wendy got in pretty easily...

[Azure Princess]

Maybe she stole the key off him or something?

[PrincessJennifer]

That sickly little twig? I somehow doubt it.

[avidgamer77]

Any more theories/thoughts that anyone would like to share? I couldn't think of other possibilities...

[PrincessJennifer]

So, we are all in agreement that he did not keep her locked in the basement during the entire day, as it originally seemed?

Maybe they planned the escape at night in case he noticed Jennifer was missing and came to look for her? It would be harder to find two kids in the dark than in broad daylight.

[avidgamer77]

Assuming the house is really locked from the main door, Wendy could have sneaked in through the hole at the left side of the house into the living room. That hole was large enough for a child to go in, and Wendy could have made that hole by some means (e.g. farming tools). Since she was always monitoring Gregory's movements, she could have stolen the key/s (that open the main door and the basement) from Gregory while he was low-guard or drunk. So Jennifer was most often locked inside the house by Gregory, and in the basement every night, that also explains her restless behaviour and her desire to explore every part of the house including Joshua's room, though I think she has no intentions to escape. But Jennifer does have some fear of Gregory, as you can see her being stunned whenever she saw his strange behaviour in the rooms that she explored/eavesdropped.

[PrincessJennifer]

She didn't seem stunned to me, but remorseful.

I really don't think that hole would have been big enough for Jennifer to fit through, and even if it was, it would take too much time for them both too struggle through it. I also can't see her making a hole of her own. Most likely she did find some way to get the keys to the front door.

[avidgamer77]

But the hole did penetrate into the living room, which is at level with the floor, so Wendy could have wriggled her way inside, stolen the key and both escaped out from the main door. Judging how "strong" Wendy was in whipping Gregory, she could have used sth heavy to slam a hole into the wooden exterior when Gregory's not around, though creating that hole will take some time.

[PrincessJennifer]

I'm pretty sure Gregory made the hole. Either way, I still can't see Wendy making a hole in the house. Her dress is also way to clean for her to have done that. And I still don't think it was big enough for even a child to fit through. I also doubt there was a time when Gregory was far away or out of it enough to not hear something like that.

[avidgamer77]

Well, maybe Wendy made the hole when Gregory went out marketing/farming? As for what tools she used, I guess she must have been smart enough to use something sharp and requires minimal effort. It must be a gradual process. I still find that hole suspicious as it's quite large and leads into the living room.

[PrincessJennifer]

I'm still saying it was Gregory who made it in a moment of anger. We all know how strong he is. Besides, Wendy just does not strike me at that point as the kind of girl who would or could go smashing holes in houses and crawling through them.

[bucketsquire]

The Gingerbread House is from the fairytale of Hansel and Gretel. In that fairy tale, children are lured by sweets (as is also the case with Stray Dog) and are (except for H and G who turn the tables on the cannibalistic witch) killed and eaten by the inhabitant of the Gingerbread House.

If one considers this story in light of Gregory's diary entry where he says he fed "Joshua" some "pea soup" (and this is shortly after local children start disappearing), and one also considers Gregory's pea poem which includes the peas screaming before being eventually "planted," the implication is somewhat grizzly.

Good night little pea!

[PrincessJennifer]

A piece of advice when posting in this section: Read ALL the posts before you yourself post.


As I stated before, I believe it being called the Gingerbread House is most likely due to Wendy associating everything in her life with a fairytale. She knew Gregory as the man who gave her and the other orphans sweets. The witch in the story does the same. In both cases, there are two children, one who must rescue the other who is being "held captive". We know that Wendy likes to associate things with fairytales, because she refers to her self as a "Princess" and Jennifer a "Prince" who is "in distress". I don't think Gregory was luring kids to his house and killing them, otherwise, the orphans would have probably fallen victim to it.

[avidgamer77]

Onto the topic, what I was thinking is that Wendy could have sneaked inside that hole just as Gregory exits out of the main door (after locking Jennifer). Since the other doors are locked or hardly accessible, if Wendy had entered through the main door, her cover could be easily blown. It's only after rescuing Jennifer did they escape by the main door because Gregory was standing by the basement window adjacent to that hole.