Red Riding Hood Loves the Wolf

Lying Flowers in the Field

I don't know what I was thinking. I just asked, but she agreed. She followed behind me, wither her knife in her hand in her pocket. Off the path, past the dark, twisted tree, and to a small glade.

The grass is lighter here due to the exposer to the sun. In the middle of the glade sits a pool of blue bells, and calla lilies, and daises. She sees the flowers and instantly runs to them; it seems like she has forgotten my fangs and claws.

I sit by a nearby tree and wait for her. The sun makes her gold hair glow. She hums that lovely melody as she picks the plants and places them in her basket.

"Mr. Wolf?" I open my eyes and Little Red is sitting across from me. "Thank you for showing me this. It's beautiful and now I'll be able to bring my family lovely bouquets." I can't help but smile at her.

I tell her my name is Aiden and that I prefer that to "Mr. Wolf." She introduces herself as Sarabeth. She stands and claims she has to go home. She hands the red apple to me saying she has no use for it. I thank her and lead her back to the her worn down path, toward the village.

I sit in the twisted tree thinking about Sarabeth. I bite into the core of the red apple and spit it out. I lay the seeds next to me and leave them. Hopefully I see Little Red Riding Hood tomorrow.

*********

Everyday since the day in the field, I have met up with Aiden. I've told him about my mother at home and my Grandmother in the woods. He tells me about his a many siblings. All these days, though, my knife never leaves my side. He never attacks me nor seems to think about it.

I'm walking down my normal path through the green, thriving woods. I arrive at the dark brown tree that has the branches that twist and have a mauled look about them. I wait for Aiden under the tree. Suddenly, a deer runs away from something. I stand up and look around, cautious and hopeful.

A large figure runs after the deer but I cannot see anything except the blond hair and a tail. All the birds have flown away and the woods are silent. I turn around and see a tall man, a few years older than me, is looking down at me. He looks like Aiden but his hair is darker and his fur is more dirty.

"Hello, little Miss Red," he says in a deep, gravelly voice. "The woods are such a dangerous, scary place for a maiden, especially one so small, who draws so much attention to herself." He eyes my red cape.

I step back and put my hand into my pocket with my knife. I swallow my fear as much as possible. "Well it shows hunters that I am not a wild animal to be hunted."

he smirks and steps back. I ask if he's related to Aiden. He says he is and that his name is Daniel. He walks around me at a safe distance. I grip my knife as he goes on.

"You poor girl. My brother has you fooled. He will draw you close and swallow you down." His tone, his walk, and is presence all strike fear into me.

"Aiden isn't like that. He's kind and sorta awkward, but wouldn't dare to hurt me." Despite what I'm saying a small part of me thinks that what Daniel has said could happen.

*********

After my conversation with the girl, she had told me she was going home. I thought to myself that by severing Aiden's contact with Red, he'll break from his good dog kind of thinking. This should toughen him up, he's not normal for us.

Aiden showed up at that mangled tree where he meets Red everyday. He sees me and turns away. I tell him Red went back home. Aiden doesn't realize that he needs to change. When I was younger, our older sister dressed up and chased me in the woods with a gun to get me to be less lazy. It worked. So maybe I'll use the same idea she used.

He climbs up the mutilated tree that now bears a few green leaves and a few buds. That's peculiar. He doesn't move from there but glares at me. I don't understand why he's mad at me. Is not like I made her leave. intentionally... whatever.

Now I walk through the dimly lit village. My cap keeps my ears hidden, my hands in my pockets, tail in a trench coat. I walk down brick and dirt streets searching for Little Red's scent. Past all the oil lamps lit outside homes and past closed doors of closing shops, until I get to a small shop that's got Red's scent all over it. The ship is still open at sundown, so I knock on the door. The woman waves me in. She's got dirty blond hair pulled back in a bun and sort of resembles Red.

"How can I help you, Sir?"

"Oh, I'm just here to tell you what I saw. It has to do with your daughter." She asks me how I know and found her, I just say someone directed me. "While I was walking through the woods, I happened to see a wolf with your daughter. He had blond hair and gray fur. She walked toward the village, the wolf ran off, and I headed here. I don't know what happened, but she was left alone. The woods can be a very dangerous place." She thanks me and I go about on my way. Let's just let Red's mother deal with the situation.