When Colin finally became too hungry to pout, he walked over to the witch, who graciously gave him milk and a piece of bread to eat. Exhausted and tired, as well as not used to such luxury food, Colin ate with good appetite, and after this nourishment felt more confident in starting his negotiations.

"If I work hard, will you let me out?"

"You're going to work hard regardless of whether you're let out or not," Katherine replied with clear disinterest. "Listen, Colin, you're a payment, not a prisoner. You rightfully belong to me now, and I get to decide what I do with you - what you do or don't do has nothing to do with that."

"Then what do you want me to do?" Colin asked angrily.

"To clean. To make food. I want you to take care of the household while I'm gone or working, and I don't want you to bother me."

"I can't do any of that," the boy replied and crossed his arms, smiling as if he thought he had gotten an upper hand of the woman.

"Then you learn."

"And what if I don't?"

"I won't give you any food, or let you use the bathroom, or bathe, or sleep on your bed. Trust me, boy, the little comforts in life you take for granted start feeling like a luxury when they're taken away from you."

Colin gulped. As much as he hated all this, the idea of being deprived of all basic human needs was even less appealing than essentially working as her maid.

"And to make this clear: you're not my student. I won't start teaching you any proper magic," Katherine spoke. "But if you're a good boy and do your work well, I can teach you a spell or two to make your chores faster and more effective."

"Would you really?"

"Only if you work hard and do it well - otherwise I'll give you even more work."

"I-I will learn, I promise..."

"That's a good boy," the witch smiled, but this smile lacked kindness or any sort of genuinity. "I will let you explore the house today as long as you don't touch anything, and tomorrow you'll start your work."

Colin stood up from the table, excited about the idea of exploring - he would get a head start on trying to find a way out of the house!

"And really, I mean it: don't touch anything. If you do, you'll high likely return back to me missing a limb or having been turned into a pig."

"I-I won't touch a thing," Colin nodded diligently, scared of the curses and hexes this house would have in hold for those too curious for their own good. Just the knowledge of all this was enough to suck away the previously hopeful vigor.

But off he went, to explore the house that would, from now on, be his home and his prison.