Red Riding Hood

Scene 3

(Scene fades Rachel walking down the path in the woods towards a large stone bridge reaching out across a river. As she crosses the bridge, she smiles to herself)

Rachel: I just hope Granny isn't too surprised to see me. I don't usually come on Saturdays, but why not? It is a weekend, after all. (starts humming "Over the River and Through the Woods" as she makes a left turn after the bridge and walks up the path to a lovely looking house)

(Scene fades to inside the house; an elderly woman with silver hair and blue eyes is seen sitting at a sewing machine and working on something with red fabric. A white cat with bluish green eyes walks up to her and brushes his face against the skirt of her lavender dress)

Granny Lucy: (giggles) Not now, Vanilla. I'm almost done. (Vanilla meows and sits down next to the table) Oh, but I wonder if I chose the right color. Maybe I should've gone with teal or even green, to match her eyes. (pauses, then shakes her head and continues sewing) Nah, I like red and I'm sure Rachel does too. (finishes sewing the last stitch) Aha! Success! (smiles proudly)

(A knock at the door is heard)

Granny Lucy: Hello?

Rachel (from behind the door): Granny, it's Rachel!

Granny Lucy: (gasps in surprise and tenses up) Oh goodness! (turns the sewing machine off and stands up) (nervously) Just a minute, hon! I'm... not decent! (starts looking for a hiding place for the thing she was working on before she finally puts it into the closet) Uh, just a second! Here I come! (jogs over to the door and opens it to see Rachel. They smile at each other) (happily) Rachel, what a pleasant surprise. (hugs her) I certainly wasn't expecting to see you today, but it's still so nice to see you, dear.

Rachel: (hugs Granny Lucy back) Thanks, Granny Lucy. It's good to see you, too.

Granny Lucy: Come on in, sweetie. (closes the door after Rachel walks in) Vanilla, look who it is!

(Vanilla meows excitedly and starts purring as he starts rubbing up against Rachel's leg. Rachel giggles, kneels down, and pets Vanilla affectionately)

Rachel: Hi, Vanilla. Who's a good kitty?

Granny Lucy: (smiles) Can I fix you something to eat or drink, Rachel? You must be hungry.

Rachel: Oh, you don't have to do that, Granny.

Granny Lucy: You're my guest, I insist. How about some fruit? It's fresh.

Rachel: Sure, sounds good. (stands up and sits down on the couch as Granny grabs a fruit bowl and places it on the coffee table) Hey, Granny? Can I talk to you about something? It's... kind of important. (takes a few grapes from the bowl)

Granny Lucy: Oh? Of course, Rachel. (sits down next to her on the couch) What's on your mind, sweetheart? (picks up a couple of strawberries and starts eating)

Rachel: (eats the grapes she took) If you didn't know already, my birthday is coming up in less than a week.

Granny Lucy: (gasps, then smiles) Oh, that's right! I almost forgot. But... is that bothering you?

Rachel: No. I'm still really excited about it. It's just... (takes another grape and pops it into her mouth before letting out a sigh) ...everyone still treats me like I'm a little kid, especially Papa. Daddy tries to rein him in, but still. He never lets me do anything on my own; except visit you, of course.

Granny Lucy: Oh, I understand, hon. Parents are like that and I know how exasperating it can be. When I was raising your Papa, I didn't want him to grow up. And my father and mother didn't want me to grow up. I'm sure your Papa is just doing these things to protect you.

Rachel: I know, I know. But sometimes, it's so frustrating. I want to grow up and go out and make friends; especially ones who are my age... but I have no idea how. I mean, I know I'm not a little kid anymore, but I'm not an adult either. I don't know what I am.

Granny Lucy: Don't worry about it too much, dear. (wraps an arm around Rachel's shoulder) Everyone manages to grow up; some people just do it better than others. But there's no rush, everyone goes at their own pace; you will, too. You'll see.

Rachel: Really?

Granny Lucy: Absolutely.

Rachel: Thanks, Granny.

Granny Lucy: Of course, sweetie.

(They share a hug. Vanilla jumps up onto the couch and curls up in between the two. Granny and Rachel part and they laugh)

Granny Lucy: Oh, I just remembered I have a new book for you. I think you'll really enjoy it. (stands up and walks over to the nearby bookshelf)

Rachel: Ooh, I sure hope so. You always have the best books.

(Granny walks back to Rachel and gives her the book she grabbed)

(Scene fades to later in the day. Rachel is seen walking through the forest on her way home while reading her new book. As she's walking, she nearly trips on a tree root sticking out from the ground and she momentarily looks up from her book. She looks around the forest cautiously. Leaves and bushes rustling are heard all around her a she notices the shadows and the light of the afternoon sun)

Rachel: Has the forest always been this... creepy in the afternoon? (hears a large stick snap a good ways away and tenses up a little) I'd better keep walking, just to be safe. (continues walking at a quicker pace. A twig snaps and she quickens her pace a little more) Or maybe jogging would be better. Or running, better start running. (hears a large branch snap behind her and she starts going even faster) Sprinting, yeah! I just gotta keep sprinting! (accidentally rams straight into a tree. She cries out and holds her arm in pain) Oh, geez! Ouch, that smarts! (calms down and sighs) Well now I know to never do THAT again. (continues walking and disappears down the path)

(The moment Rachel is gone, some rustling is heard in the bushes and soon, a tall figure carrying a large bag emerges from the trees and bushes. It was a man with messy black hair, a mustache and goatee beard, amber colored eyes, and wearing a dark gray coat, a black tie, and spats. He looks around curiously)

Mason: Oh? Now what's this? A path? Hmm, this must lead to the village. But I certainly can't go there; I can't even afford to stay at an inn for the night. (sniffs the air and crosses to the other side of the path. He moves some of the brush aside and finds a shady clearing next to a river a few meters away from the path and he smiles) Ooh! This is perfect! (enters the clearing, sets his back down on the ground, and starts unpacking it) Open space, fresh water, plenty of shade; the ideal place for a guy like me to start a new life on his own. I may need to make a few changes here and there, but I can make it work. (takes a sheep's skin and a cow hide out of his bag and sets them both down on the ground. Then he takes a knife out and unsheathes it. He sits down on the ground and inspects his reflection in the blade, then scoffs) Call me a disgrace? Ha! (picks up a large stick and starts sharpening his knife on it) Who do those high and mighty alphas think they are? They're the ones who turned their backs on me. But what do I care? If anything, the pack was holding me back! If they don't want me around, FINE! I don't need them. (smiles wickedly and chuckles to himself) Just because I got a little carried away and ate that little boy all by myself... but it was worth it. That boy was better than any other meat I've ever tasted before. Oh, the flavor; so young, plump, tender, fresh, juicy, and sweet. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.

(A bunny who was sitting nearby suddenly hears what Mason had said and it hops off in fear)

Mason: Who asked you?! (rolls his eyes and sighs) Well, I'm tired of sharing everything. From now on, I'm only looking out for myself. (takes an oval shaped mirror out of his bag and stands up. He then positions the mirror on the trunk of a large tree and it hangs on a cut lower limb of the tree) I think I'll be perfectly fine right... HERE! (stabs the knife into the tree)

(A couple of chipmunks scurry nearby and they stop and look up at Mason curiously. Mason snarls at them as his eyes suddenly glow gold and they immediately run off in fear. He proudly smiles to himself)

Mason: Who says a wolf can't survive on his own? (leans up against the tree trunk)