Little Red Wolf

Chapter Twelve~

 

                                                                          Chapter Twelve~

The procession out of the forest was slow. Archer refused to let anyone else carry Rebecca's body, and instead clutched her to him tightly. He needed to stop constantly to cry and attempt to catch his breath.

Heidi walked behind Archer, her hand clutched tightly in her father's. She was crying, tears rolling down her cheeks faster than she thought was possible. She had failed Red.

"Daddy," Heidi whispered, her voice cutting through the trees and echoing in the silent woods. "Is Red really dead?"

Her father stopped walking and bowed his head. "I think so."

Heidi felt light. "You think? You don't know for certain?" She rushed ahead to where Archer was leaning against and tree and crying into Red's hair.

"Heidi," Her father called. "Don't get your hopes up. She hasn't been breathing."

Heidi shook her head. "She's alive, daddy," She said firmly. "I know she is."

Archer looked up, his eyes filled with hope. "She's alive?" He looked from Heidi back down at Rebecca's pale face.

"I think so," Heidi said urgently.

"She's dead, kids; let it go," The mayor said sternly, stepping in between Archer and Heidi. "Pass her to me, son," He said, holding out his arms for Rebecca.

Archer clung to her tighter. "No," He said while shaking his head. "She's alive."

Heidi darted underneath the mayor's arm and reached for Rebecca's hand. Her skin was cold, but she thought she could sense the blood moving slowly through her veins. "She's hungry," Heidi murmured to Archer. "She needs to eat."

"Eat what? My mom's always cooking we can just take her there." Archer started moving, his steps sure and full of purpose.

"No," Heidi stopped him. "She needs a different kind of meal."

Archer's eyes widened and Heidi went up to her father. "Daddy if I tell you something will you promise not to freak out?" Mr. Ainslie studied his daughter's face and then nodded slowly.

Heidi started to talk when Archer interrupted her with excited shrieks. "She moved! Rebecca moved!"

Instantly the men surrounded Archer and Rebecca. "Is it possible?" One of them questioned, shaking his head.

"I hope so," Another said jovially. He reached out and clapped Archer on the shoulder. "Let's put her down for a moment, son, and see is she wakes up."

Archer nodded and crouched down, settling Rebecca carefully on the ground. He folded her fingers together and placed her hands over her heart.

"Archer," Heidi said sharply, when he leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You need to get away from her." Archer looked up, confused and then shook his head vehemently. "Seriously, Archer," Heidi protested. "You need to back away; all of you need to stay away from her."

"Heidi what's going on?" her father asked, grabbing her arm.

"She's dangerous," Heidi cried, pointing at Rebecca. "She's the Wolf."

"Heidi you're talking crazy," Her father said as gently as he could manage. He pulled her towards him and stroked her hair away from her face. "I think you've had too much sun today."

Heidi laughed; it was such a trivial thing to have her dad worrying about how much sun she'd gotten when she was trying to tell them that Red Holloway was the Wolf. The Wolf from the legend that had always terrified Heidi as a child. Her grandfather had been the first one to tell her the story. He actually remembered the incident, he had been neighbours with the girl who had been attacked. He used to use sound effects and speak in a spooky voice meant to frighten Heidi.

"I'm not crazy," Heidi insisted as she pushed away from her father. "And I haven't had too much sun, daddy." She threw him an annoyed look. "Red is the Wolf!" She looked around at the group and they all stared back at her in the way that she knew they were staring at her without actually making eye contact.

"Heidi stop it," Archer said angrily. "Stop saying that. You know it isn't true."

Heidi laughed, her voice high and cruel. "Am I lying, Archer?" She laughed again. "Or am I telling the truth and you're all too scared to listen to me?"

"You're a filthy liar," Archer snapped. His voice seemed to hang in the air and then twist itself around until it curled around Heidi. "Rebecca's not the Wolf."

"You'll see," Heidi promised, lifting her gaze to the sky. Clouds were moving in faster than possible, but silver light was raining down. Heidi could sense the tension in the air, and she could almost see the darkness coiled protectively around Red. "You'll all see," She sneered at the group of men who shifted their footing on the hard ground and avoiding meeting her eyes.

"Heidi!" Her father snapped at her and grabbed her again. "We're leaving. I'm so sorry for her behaviour," He added with a shamed smile at his feet. He began walking away, Heidi skipping along at his side.

"I'm so sorry about her," Archer whispered to Rebecca, leaning close so that none of the other men could hear him. "I thought she was our friend."

"Sorry son," One of the men finally said after another few minutes of them standing around and waiting for Rebecca to show signs of life. "It seems like it was a trick of the mind; she's gone."

Archer bowed his head and clenched his fists together. He nodded before standing up. "Someone else carry her," he said in a defeated way, his shoulders slumped. "I can't handle it anymore."

He began to step away, but he'd made it only about a step and a half when something happened.

There was a shout of pain from Archer, and cries and gasps of surprise form all the other men.

"Get her off me!" Archer screamed, shaking his leg and trying to dislodge the claws that were digging into his skin. He shrieked, and it seemed like his voice was rising over the trees.

Rebecca grinned, her teeth sharp and long, gleaming in the dim light. Her eyes were dark and wild, feral almost, and she had the same expression as a hunter finally taking down the prey its' stalked for so long.

"I can't believe it," One of the men whispered, and despite the quietness of his speech he was heard over Archer's screams of pain. "She really is the Wolf."

He pointed a shaking finger at Rebecca who yanked her claws out of Archer leg, hopped up and changed. Her body contorted as thick fur rippled over her spine and covered her entirely. A long, pointed snout grew out of her nose, and her teeth elongated even further, saliva dripping from her lips as she stared Archer down.

Nobody said anything as Rebecca tilted her head up and howled, long and high.