Red Riding Hood (#wattys2016)

Chapter Thirteen

I never really knew where the Cave of Wolves was, but I ended up finding it. It was actually a small cavern surround by large sharp rocks. The structure of the cave reminded me of a wolf's head. I stood breathless at the edge of the cavern. Meet me here. Her words replay in my mind. She will be here, I think to myself. She will be, and I know it.

I took a deep breath as I took the first step into obscureness.

***

At the end of the narrow cave hall I found a staircase leading downwards. Wooden stairs. There are people here. Torches lined the walls of the spiraling stair case. Every time I stepped a loud creaking noise emanated throughout the cave, so I took light steps.

Once I reached the bottom I heard a muffled talking. A mans voice. I backed away, confused. The werewolf in my dream was a- woman. Suddenly the voices stop. I realized my shadow is visible to him. I held my breath and stayed as still as possible.

It doesn't work.

"Who's there?" asked the man. His voice was soft. I stepped out of the hallway.

Archways lined the circular room. An iron chandelier hunger from the center, over a pile of rugs and a few chairs. The man had been standing next to the love seat which was turned in the other direction. He seemed to have been talking to someone.

Now he was talking to me.

"Who are you?" To be honest, I had no idea. "Leave immediately or else-"

"Emilio!" yelled a woman, standing up from the couch, "Leave the poor girl alone! I'm sure she's probably just-" she was looking at me now. She was speechless. For some reason, she seemed surprised.

And so was I.

She was the woman from my dream.

And she knew me. She somehow knew me. I could tell. And somehow, I did too. "Silver..." she mumbled. She was speaking of my eyes. I really hadn't noticed until- "Red?" Her voice cracked at my name. I shook my head slowly and waited for her embrace. It came. It came fast. And for once in my life again, I felt loved.

"I need some catching up, don't I, Mom?"

***

The thunder crackled above the house so loud it shook. Rain pounded hard on the windows in an attempt to break the glass. I was scared. I was huddled underneath the brim of my mother's dress as she sewed quietly in her chair, humming. She was singing the song she sang to me every night before I went to bed.

Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,

Go to sleep my little baby.

When you wake you shall have,

All the pretty little horses.

Crack-a-boom!

Blacks and bays,

Dapples and grays.

She folded me in her arms as she wrapped a large cloak around me. It was velvety and red. From that moment I would wear it everyday. Little did I know that night would be the last time I saw my mother.

All the pretty little horses.

***

I had awoken by a stream, a large animal by my side.

A horse. A howl followed behind me.

"No, Red!" said my mother, who turned back into a woman willingly. "You have to learn to control it!" I sat up, rubbing my hand to my forehead. I hadn't remembered much of last night.

"I don't know how!" I whined.

"Yes, you do. Stay calm, be the wolf."

"What if I don't want to be the wolf! I don't want to hurt animals like this one! I don't want to hurt anyone!"

"You have to, Red. Does it even matter who does or not now? We need to survive. Whether it's on animals, or people." I froze, unable to reply. Does my mother not care who dies or not?

"Why did you leave?" I ask.

"Red, you know I didn't want to. I couldn't be that close to the town."

"Why leave me with Granny?"

"She was once a werewolf as well, but she's grown quite old."

"And quite crazy! Do you know how much I've been through with her?"

My mother sighed and sat down beside me. It was quiet then. "We're planning to overthrow them."

"Them?"

"Humans make us seem that we are the monsters. The moment you believe them... that's when you become one." I was getting scared. I didn't like the idea of killing off the townsfolk.

"I don't understand. Why me? Out of everyone I've ever known, why me?"

My mother smiled and replied softly, "Don't you see, Red? Everything revolves around you."

I already knew what she was going to say.

"You're a fairytale."