Red Riding Hood Loves the Wolf

Hunt and Heart

I wake up and get dressed in my blue and white dress and red cape. As I walk down the stairs, I notice Mother isn't home. I retrieve my basket from the corner before heading to the bakery. I lock the door before I start down the stone road. People are busy as always, greeting, buying, riding, something.

After purchasing some sweets for myself and Aiden, I start towards the woods. This is the first time I've brought something to Aiden. I keep thinking about Daniel's warning. Could Aiden attack me? No, he's too nice and gentle. But what if it's an act?

Soon, I get to our meeting point. I realize that the tree went from dead to having a few leaves to being full with blossoms and now it produces red apples. Red apples that dangle from the green leaves like Christmas ornaments. It's new but you can still see the twisted trunk, the original.

When Aiden doesn't show after a long while, I decide to search for him. I count my paces from the dark tree. Shortly after travelling into an unexplored part of the woods I hear running feet. I grab my pocket knife and turn towards the sound.

"Sarabeth!" He breathes out my name.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?"

"There's a female human hunting me. She looks like you. Cursing the wolf who hurt Sarabeth."

"My mother wouldn't hurt you"

"She's trying" He takes my hands in his paws. "I love you. But we cannot be together. We are opposed. We are in the wrong story. We will always just be 'Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf.' I will not be able to see you, but I will always be on the other side of the twisted tree that bares red apples. Always."

Tears in my eyes, Aiden runs off. His figure receding into the woods. My mother wraps her arms around me from behind as the last glimpse of sun blond hair disappears.