The Girl Who Cried Wolf: A Novella

Three

03 | t h r e e

Red woke up to a loud crash.

"Wake up, child!" Grandma banged two pans together. Her personal alarm clock.

A groan escaped Red's lips. "Stop doing that, Nana? Doesn't the cock crow or something." Red sat up, rubbing her tired eyes with her fists.

Grandma walked over to her and yelled in her face. "Yes, it did like ten minutes ago! These pans are more effective for a heavy sleeper like you."

Red grabbed the nearest pillow and covered her face, laying down again. "Let me sleep in a little. I'll go to the river later."

"Yeah sure, you'll also go to the castle later." At the mention of the castle, Ruby was up on her feet faster than you could say ‘hot cross buns.’

"The castle! I almost forgot about the castle. I have to get ready. I'm going to the river. Please arrange my bags for me. Bye." She closed the door behind her with a bang.

"Silly girl didn't even say good morning to me," Grandma muttered as she left.

*:*:*

"Invitation?"

"Check."

"Flashlight?"

"Check."

"Baking essentials?"

"Check. All in the basket."

"And where is this basket?" Grandma gave her a pointed look.

"Oops." Red walked to the wooden table and retrieved the basket. "Basket. Check. Now can I go?"

"One more thing," Grandma told her and brought out a long red cloak from the box they both shared. "Put this on. For the weather. It's chilly outside." Grandma draped the red cloak over her shoulders.

"Okay, done. Now can I go?" Red was running out of patience.

Grandma Baker's gaze dropped to her granddaughter's legs. "Did you have to wear your man jeans today?" She tutted distastefully.

"Nana!" Red groaned in frustration.

"Fine. You can go." Grandma Baker opened her hands for a hug and she warmly accepted the invite. "Be safe out there, Red."

"Always, Nana." She gave her one last peck on the cheek and left the house before her Nana could change her mind.

To the woods.

*:*:*

Red was starting to regret her decision to go to the woods. Yes, she loved the sweet smell of fresh air and the cool autumn breeze on her face but the mud, yuck, she hated the mud.

Her black leather boots were already stained with the brown soggy mix. She took another dreadful step-

Pluck.

That wasn't mud. She looked down slowly at her foot.

"Ew, ew, ew, ew ew!" Red pranced around, kicking her foot in the air to ward off the animal droppings she just stepped on. "Get it off, get it off!"

Thud.

What was that?

Thud.

It was getting closer. The ground seemed to shake from underneath her. Please, Lord, let it not be what I think it is, she prayed silently, pulling out her flashlight from her woven basket.

A pair of shiny dark blue eyes greeted her in the thick darkness of the forest. Maybe it's a puppy, she convinced herself.

The creature stepped into the luminance the flashlight created with a growl and Red couldn't breathe. She scooted back slowly. "Okay, you're not a puppy. You're a big dog!" She swallowed fearfully.

The wolf came dangerously close to her. The wind played with its clean white fur and its long tail wagged slowly at the back. The creature was three times her size if not four. A good seven feet plus in height. A hunter. The same beasts that killed her parents.

"Nice doggie. Good doggie," she cooed, slowly distancing herself from the creature. With trembling hands, Red picked up a stick from the floor and threw it with all her might at the wolf. "Fetch."

The creature watched as the stick flew past his head and landed a few meters away. It made no effort, however, to fetch. Slowly, it returned its gaze to her and Red could swear she saw it smirk.

"So, you don't like games, huh? How about this." She removed the hood of the cloak from her head and raised her bangs to scare the beast away with her red eyes. The beast stared right back at her, unfazed. If she didn't know better, she'd think that was an amused smile on its face.

A hunter unaffected by her eyes. A hunter like that could—

The wolf let out a loud growl revealing its large and very sharp dentine. It was going to kill her just like it ruthlessly killed her parents. She dropped her flashlight on the ground in fear and ran away, not caring anymore about the sticky mud or smelly droppings.

She could hear its footsteps trudging from behind her, chasing her. Who was she kidding? There was no way she could outrun this beast! It was going to catch up with her. She wasn't fast. She didn't want to die like this. She still wanted to annoy the piss out of her grandmother and deliver cupcakes around the village and maybe someday get married and have kids of her own.

The beast growled again and she ran even faster, her bangs stuck to her forehead with sweat.

Light.

She could see light. Not very far anymore. She was almost out of the woods. She was almost at the castle. She was seconds away from her victory when the wolf gripped the hem of her cloak with its teeth.

No, not like this.

"Let me go, you vile creature." She struggled with the canine. A new surge of determination ran through her veins on seeing the castle. She wasn't going to die. She must live. "I said let me go." With one last pull, she freed herself from the tight clench of the wolf's teeth.

Rip.

Her cloak ripped at the hem but that didn't matter anymore. She was out of the woods unscathed. Alive. She survived being killed by a hunter.

She would have kissed the ground and danced a bit but the sight of the castle in front of her made her forget about her victory.

Breathing to slow down her racing heart, Red marvelled at the castle before her. "Wow," she exclaimed and walked towards the tall iron-barred gate.

"Hold it right there, peasant!" A guard stopped her. "State your business here," he demanded.

She looked at the mean-looking figure that kept the gate, choosing to ignore his insult and simply state her business as he said. "I was given this invitation to bake for the prince's birthday ceremony." She handed him the envelope. He scanned through the letter quickly.

"My apologies," he said to her. "Open the gates," he ordered and the mighty gates were lifted. "This way, please."

She followed him dusting her trousers with her hands and pulling her cloak further down her face.

A sharply dressed man in a crisp black suit walked in her direction with a smile on his wrinkled face. But on seeing her, his smile depreciated and a deep frown took its place.

"I expected a girl, young man," he said to her.

"I am a girl." She uncovered her cloak's hood again.

The bald man jumped back in fright like he'd seen a ghost. "Good Lord have mercy! A lady in trousers!" he exclaimed.

"Yes, indeed. Any problem with that?" She gave him a smile that would have easily passed off as smug.

"Yes—I mean, none at all. I'm the butler, Linton. It is nice to meet you miss..." He trailed off to get my name.

"Red. Just Red." Everyone called her that, why not him?

"Alright, Red," he tested her name on his tongue. "Follow me. I shall show you to the kitchen."

"Splendid."