Little Red Riding Hood

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

I walked towards the square hearing banter and noise. My eyes narrowed as I approached. I pulled my hood around me tighter, feeling the rough draft against my skin. The frozen dew crunched beneath my boots and flicked up wetting the bottom of my dress. Today I had changed into a green dress with silver swirls lining the bottom of it and the lining of the bust. My boots were the same as yesterdays.

In the distance I could see my father standing on the wall that was around the well. He had a stern look on his face and he had his arms crossed over his chest. People stood before him shouting at each other, people were red faced and mad. I wasn’t quite sure what was going on.

“Everyone quiet!” my father screamed at them. Their quarrels turned into quiet whispers then nothing. “Now I would like to get back to business.” People mumbled. “What happened yesterday was nothing that we have ever seen before. A lot of our livestock was brutally murdered and my daughter and Matthew almost. We can’t have that. If it endangers our town then it can’t happen. I don’t know what I or Mrs. Traully would have done if our children had been slaughtered, if any of you got slaughtered.” People  gasped and talked amongst themselves.

As I approached people’s heads turned and stared at me. They weren’t looking at me because I was the mayors daughter or the kind helpful girl, they looked at me because I was the girl who almost got eaten by the wolf.

My father watched me approach before he ushered me beside him. I stepped up onto the wall and looked confused at the audience. My father had never done this before, but I guess it was a completely different situation. “Now Alice I want you to tell the town what happened yesterday and ever single detail.”

I looked up and him nervously. “But you all were there.”

“Yes but only for a part of it and we weren’t close enough to see everything. We only saw the aftermath.”

“Please father,” I whispered, “Can’t I tell you and then you tell them later? I really don’t want to talk to all of them.”

“Now come on Alice don’t be shy.” I didn’t want to tell everyone that I had heard the wolf talk to me. They would all look at me like freaks. If I told my dad he wouldn’t judge me because I am his daughter, then he could decide whether to tell everyone.

I took a deep breath. “I was finishing up my jobs that I was doing yesterday when Matt came to tell me something. Halfway through what he was saying he looked at me shocked and frightened. I was confused until I turned around and saw it. The wolf. It was huge, bigger than a horse in length and height. It was stronger to by the way he preyed on the livestock and horses. It ripped them apart like they were flimsy and easy. It was so horrifying.” My voice was cracking in fear again. The town just watched me intensely soaking every word up. “Then it saw me and Matt. It came for us in speed that I have never seen before. Not as fast as a bullet but not far behind.” People looked at each other worried.

“Go on.” My father urged. I smiled weakly at him and continued.

“The wolf came so close, its eyes were unusual and those of a man. It looked at me like it was studying me. It was acting unusual for an animal. And he was going to kill me if Eruphial didn’t save me. He fended him off but he would have died if you guys didn’t come in. I have to go father I need to see Eruphial.” I begged.

My father nodded and I ran off the wall and towards the stable. Yes, I didn’t tell my father that the wolf had threatened me. I would have been called a witch and most likely burned at the stake or hung. I didn’t want to die yet. Dramatic yes but I’m too young to die!

I looked over my shoulder and saw my father being swarmed by panicked questions. I would have to talk later. But on my mind at the moment was Eruphial.