Dark Red

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"Why thank you, little girl," the customer says.

   Flashbacks of Clawd fill my mind. He's the only man who has ever called me a little girl, but I just shrug it off.

   Clawd has been locked away in the Pied Piper Prison and is a wolf, obviously not this traveler wanting a loaf of bread.

   "Bread's almost ready," Mr. Sully winks and I check the oven.

   The bread has risen and I open up the oven to a warm and fresh smell. I close my eyes and take a whiff. I've baked probably hundreds of loaves and every single time I take in the smell, it brings me back to my early childhood, visiting Mr. Sully.

"Well, good morning Ruby! What brings you in today?" Mr. Sully smiles as I walk into his bakery.

   "I just need an escape," I say truthfully.

   Cameron chugged a bottle of whiskey and threw it at me last night. His mystery mistress dropped off another baby last week and I can't bear to be in the house with a second screaming child. And also the way the baby makes Cameron throw things at me.

   "Ruby you have a big scratch on your face. Is everything okay at home?" the old man asks me with concern.

   "I'm fine. Everything's fine," I lie.

   "Ruby," Mr. Sully says and raises his eyebrows. "Don't lie to me."

   "Cameron threw a bottle at me last night because the new baby was crying," I say and look at the floor.

   I can't look up, I can't.

   "Again? That's ridiculous," Mr. Sully huffs and gives me a big hug. "I'm going to talk to King Nicholas or something and try to adopt you. I can't stand you coming in here with cuts, bruises, and emotionally scarring memories," he shakes his head.

   I smile up at him, probably the biggest smile I've had in months. It would be a dream if I could live with Mr. Sully. No broken glass on my face and no crying babies sounds like heaven to me.

I burn my hands and pull myself out of that day when I thought there was hope.

   "Alright, the bread just needs to cool down quickly then you're all set," I say to the customer and set the bread down on the counter.

   I smile and look up to the man and he's smiling too, but with a giant dagger in his hand in front of his face.

   My smile fades and I'm frozen. I don't know what to do.

   Who is this guy and why the hell does he have a dagger?

   "Leave my bakery now," Mr. Sully says and raises his brows. "I will not allow any kind of weapons in here."

   "Oh I'll leave as soon as precious little Ruby's blood is dripping from this dagger," the man says as his grin gets wider and wider and sharp pearly white teeth show.

   It's a very familiar smile that I know all too well. Clawd the wolf has a pretty similar smile.

   I'm still paused at the moment, barely processing what the hell is about to happen. I know this can't be the wolf, I mean the wolf is a wolf, not a human.

   "Who are you?" I ask and back away as far from this man as possible.

   "Oh, I guess you don't remember me with my new look," the man says. "I thought you'd always recognize my grin, little girl."

   "Clawd," I whisper.

   My suspicions were right.

   This is Clawd.

   The wolf who ate my grandmother. The wolf who tried to eat me. The wolf who was supposedly sent to the Pied Piper Prison. The wolf who's supposed to be a freaking wolf for goodness sake.

   And now he's here, right here in the bakery, yet again in a place I feel safe, trying to kill me.

   I don't know how he escaped prison or became a human but at this moment in time, I don't care. I need to protect myself.

   "Ah, so you do remember. I'm glad you could, because I will never forget. That nasty drunk huntsman had me sent off to prison but oh were you wrong about thinking I'd stay there. With the help of the ex-queen of this lousy kingdom, a pirate, and my girlfriend, I escaped. And now I'm here to seek my revenge on you, little girl," Clawd practically growls.

   "How dare you try to come and kill me? I did nothing wrong. You were the one who tried to kill an innocent little child," I argue.

   "Well, I just don't like you. So I'm going to kill you," he growls and raises his dagger.

   Fear consumes me.

   My mind is hazy and I can't think properly.

   I am about to die. I'm going to let the wolf kill me, I've accepted defeat.

   My vision is hazy too and I can make out Clawd raising the dagger higher and higher, closer and closer to me.

   "Not on my watch!" I hear Mr. Sully yell and jump in front of me.

   Clawd's dagger lowers and stabs Mr. Sully right in the chest.

   "No!" I shout.

   No.

   This can't have just happened. Not Mr. Sully, not him.

   "How dare you?" I whisper.

   I can feel a singular tear roll down my face. Thousands of emotions run through my mind. Fear. Sadness. Anger. Rage.

   "How dare you?" I say again, this time raising my voice.

   "I can do whatever the hell I want. Just know little girl, this isn't the last time you'll see me," Clawd says and walks out the bakery door, letting the little bell jingle.

   I immediately rush down to the floor to the sweet old man whose white apron is now stained red.

   "Mr. Sully," I say with more tears streaming down my face.

   How could Clawd stab this innocent old man?

   Mr. Sully had so much more life in him and it's all been taken away by a selfish wolf man who wanted some sort of revenge.

   "Ruby, Ruby, my favorite girl," Mr. Sully says slowly. "You are an amazing girl. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise," he says then his eyes shut.

   I touch his body and there are no signs of life. A chill rushes through my body.

   Mr. Sully is gone.

   "No!" I cry out.

   No.

   I refuse to believe this sweet old man is dead. All because of me. He saved my life and lost his own. Even in his last moments, he put others before himself and the thought makes me cry harder.

   I go to the back room to grab some blankets and wrap them over Mr. Sully's cold and lifeless body.

   The tears keep flowing. I can't process that he's dead.

   When I finally place the last blanket over Mr. Sully, I eye an unopened bottle of whiskey.

   I told myself I'd never touch alcohol but I think at this moment I should be allowed to.

   I open the lid and take a sip. I didn't expect whiskey to be so bitter and almost smokey. It's foul, I don't understand how James drinks this every night.

   But right now, I don't care. I need to erase this memory. I refuse to believe Mr. Sully died at the hands of the stupid wolf that haunts my memories.