Little Red Wolf

Chapter Seven~

 

                                                                              Chapter Seven~

Rebecca sat in the woods until night fell. At some point, she had used her exhausted limbs to crawl back to the cave she knew was located further in. She hadn't been there in nearly fifty years, yet the sight and smell of it eased a sense of homesickness she hadn't known she'd felt. The thick, wool blanket she'd been given by Grandmother was still bundled up in a corner and a pack of matches sat beside a kerosene lamp.

Rebecca crawled through the entrance and stood upright. With shaking hands, she lit the lamp and placed it on a hook. The flickering orange glow created shadows on the stone walls and Rebecca's homesickness swelled even more in her chest. She hadn't been in the cave in nearly fifty years.

She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders like a shawl, the wool scratching her neck in a comforting way. Slumped against the wall, Rebecca sat in silence. While her body was physically in the cave, her mind was in the past. Remembering what had happened in almost this exact same spot fifty years ago.

Rebecca laughed at Grandmother's shadow puppets dancing along the walls. The rabbit was her favourite. Mother clapped in excitement beside her and Grandmother turned the dancing into a race. "More," She cried happily. Grandmother complied immediately.

"Let's wrap it up," Mother said, wrapping her arms around Rebecca and squeezing her tightly.

"No!" Rebecca squirmed in her Mother's grip. "I don't want to go home! I want to stay with Grandmother." She smiled at Grandmother.

"My darling," Grandmother dropped her hands and the shadows disappeared. "Let's go back to my house and have a cookie before you go home." Rebecca nodded.

"Mother," her mother scolded, "She doesn't need any sugar."

Grandmother shook her head and shared a secret smile with Rebecca. "Cookies, Mother, cookies," Rebecca sang. "I want cookies." She beamed and darted out of the cave.

The night was dark and the moon glittered behind the trees, a sliver of white against the black sky. "What are you looking at, darling?" Grandmother joined Rebecca outside.

"The moon," Rebecca pointed it out and Grandmother sighed. "It's so beautiful, isn't Grandmother?" Rebecca looked over at Grandmother with wonder shining in her eyes.

"Yes, darling, it's wonderful," Grandmother agreed in a murmur. She seemed to be caught in the spell that Rebecca had been under seconds ago. "We should go," Grandmother said abruptly, reaching for Rebecca's arm.

Rebecca had the oddest feeling of loving and loathing her Grandmother at the exact second when Grandmother grabbed her arm. Rebecca shrieked loudly and a few ravens soared overhead.

"Rebecca whatever are you doing?" Mother came running out of the cave. "Rebecca?" Her voice shook and Rebecca couldn't figure out why. "Rebecca let go of Grandmother right now," Mother cried. Her eyes were wide and terrified, the light of the moon reflecting back at Rebecca in them.

Rebecca didn't know what she meant. She looked down and saw that now she was the one gripping Grandmother. Her nails seemed to be longer and they were dug so deeply into Grandmother's arm that beads of blood had run over the skin. Rebecca cried out and tried to let go.

It was as if some unseen force was keeping her hand pressed down to remain on Grandmother's arm, forcing her fingers to stay in Grandmother's skin. Her eyes were drawn to the blood that ran over Grandmother's arm and dripped onto the ground.

"Rebecca, now!" Mother screamed in terror and then Rebecca had one hand dug into her flesh as well. She tilted her head upwards and saw the moon pulse and swell. The more blood that was spilled, the more the moon grew, lighting up the trees. Rebecca parted her lips and howled, long and high.

Her cry was answered, but she felt no fear. She looked back at Grandmother and Mother who were both pale and terrified. Mother was gasping, and Grandmother was silent.

Rebecca looked up at the moon again and it seemed to glow red. She felt terror for the first moment and her arms shook. She yanked them away and then Mother and Grandmother crumpled to the forest floor. Their arms were covered in their own blood, and large chunks of their flesh had been stripped away by what looked like claws on the ends of Rebecca's fingers.

"Mother," Rebecca crouched down and looked at her Mother.

"You are not my daughter," Mother said weakly. "No daughter of mine would ever do this." The amount of scorn in her voice was enough to make Rebecca look away. Rebecca peered over Mother's head and listened as she coughed loudly and then her breathing was cut off. Rebecca felt tears roll down her face and drip onto her knees.

"Grandmother," She whispered, her voice the only sound in the dark night.

"My darling," Came Grandmother's reply. "Do not be frightened, my darling," Grandmother told Rebecca. "You are strong and brave, and you must fight the beast that is inside of you. Do not succumb to the hunger."

"What beast? What hunger? Grandmother!" Rebecca's voice rose into a prolonged howl as Grandmother, too, ceased to breathe.

Deep inside Rebecca's stomach something tightened and she felt evil rising inside of her. Grandmother's words rang in her head. It had to be the beast, but how did she stop it?

Rebecca dragged Mother and Grandmother's bodies away from the cave and dug holes in two separate spots. She dug Mother's hole beneath a blackberry bush, and Grandmother was buried in a place of honour. The spot was empty, but it resonated power and Rebecca knew Grandmother's body needed to be here. She felt as if everything would be alright, as long as Grandmother's body stayed in its' spot.

Once she'd covered the bodies, Rebecca felt the evil sliding into her throat. It tasted vile, and she felt a hunger she'd never before experienced. She had to eat, but to eat, Rebecca knew she had to kill.

Once she'd had the thought, she couldn't take it back. Pain had her body contorting and shaking. She nearly blacked out. Only after the pain was gone, did Rebecca realize what had happened.

She had become the beast. And she would remain the beast because she was completely alone in the world.

Rebecca curled herself tighter, and sobbed once again. She was still alone which meant that she was still that beast. And she would remain the beast forever.

As she thought it, her stomach rumbled and she felt regular human hunger pangs and nearly sobbed in relief. While the beast was now active, she had to be careful about being around others. She figured everyone would be safe enough if she went out now.

Rebecca left her shawl and blew out the lamp. She exited the cave into the darkness and looked at the sliver of the moon as she had done so long ago. She felt connected to it, in a way that she couldn't explain. Rebecca parted her lips and howled, long and high, before taking off at a sprint towards the village.

*********so now you know how Rebecca became the wolf. Anyone think they know why she's the wolf?  Comment your theories!***********