My Beautiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy

Little Red Riding Hood.

Little Red Riding Hood stared at the rain and frowned at the cut that was causing her pain. The blood ran crimson, as red as her cloak, the flesh turning pink where her skin had just broke.

‘That looks like it hurts,’ a voice crooned from the trees. Red’s heart skipped a beat, fear struck her weak knees. The footsteps were sudden and a shadow was cast, a pair of green eyes and a strong scent to last. Red jumped back a foot and clutched at her hand, the man tore from his shirt a small cotton band.

‘Can I patch up your hand?’ he asked with a smile, Red furrowed her eyebrows and frowned for a while.

‘I shouldn’t speak to strangers,’

‘I’m not all too strange,’ he bent low to help her, Red’s whole demeanor changed. The man was very handsome, yet with something of a beast. His face smooth and gentle yet his eyes couldn’t help feast, on the cloak of the Red girl, billowing in the wind, he drew her beneath the trees he was sure he had sinned.

‘Stay out of the rain, you’ll fall very ill,’ he squeezed on her hand, and let the blood spill. Little Red winced and pulled her hand far away, the man apologized and gently asked if he may.

‘Just a little tug and a pull. That should do. What do you say to a nice man?’

‘Thank you,’ Red smiled ever so shyly and the man touched her hair.

‘Tell me little hooded cherub, your destination is where?’

‘My Grandmother’s home, she is falling extremely sick, I’m doing all that I can, and my basket has the trick!’

‘And what’s inside your little basket?’ the man couldn’t help but peek.

‘Uh-uh, don’t open it, this must stay fresh for a whole week.’

‘And where does little granny live, a little way down the lane?’

‘Spot on,’ Little Red smiled, taming her blonde frizzing mane.

‘The rain, it clears up, you should really make your way,’ the man smiled so brilliantly, it made little Red’s day.

‘Thank you so much for your trouble, you should come some day for tea,’

‘Don’t worry little girl,’ he grinned, ‘soon you’ll be seeing me…’

***

It was nice that the man had given Red a quaint little short cut, but she doubted his directions when the moon rose ever so abrupt. It glowed in the ink sky, full like a shining pearl, the woods at night was no place, for a little red-hooded girl. But finally little Red’s eyes set on the cottage close by, she wondered how granny was doing, hope she likes the pumpkin pie!

But the cottage was awfully dark, all the lights, they were out. It wasn’t like granny to forget that Red was about. Suddenly from the quivering trees leaped a giant grey beast, with the posture of a man, body of a wolf and nine feet tall at least. Red jumped back and screamed, her heart in her throat, she whipped around in fear with a flash of her red coat. The beast grabbed her arm and left a crimson gash, from the basket she drew a silver bread knife and with a gory slash, she sent the beast stumbling to the ground clutching it’s neck, on her pale pure face there laid a small blood speck.

‘I know of you, demon, and I’ve seen of your work! The severed head of villagers lying in the dirt! It was years ago you killed my grandmother, you wouldn’t remember but it’s true! I only came today to find and finally sleigh you! ‘

With that from the basket she pulled a shining dagger, and drove it into the beast five times and watched it stagger. The beastly form melted away and now all that was left was the man, quivering in the soil as blood stained Red’s hand. Her face hot with the stuff, it poured down her chin, she slipped the dagger away again, it’s blade strong yet thin.

‘You were bitten and I couldn’t blame the curse set upon you, but you embraced the dark side when you had a good reason not to. You think I don’t remember you, your memory from a time I cannot gather,’ Red turned with the mission complete.

‘Goodnight dearest father,’