Little Red

4

The sun was relentless to my exposed skin. It was hotter up in the mountains, much to my surprise. The wind was hidden by the angle of the mountain. Not a single breeze disturbed us. I focused my attention on the old woman kneeling down into the soil.

There was dirt smeared across her cheeks. Her hands were covered with thick, black gloves and her pants had many stains and holes in them. I'd offered to help her retrieve the crops, but she only mumbled something about how it was her and Cassie's thing. Me helping would only be an intrusion.

Instead, I turned on my heel and gazed out beyond the cliff. Far, far away, I could see the village. It sat blissfully unaware, cascaded by the shadows of the many scattered trees. Far and wide, there was nothing but trees. The forest consumed the village and maybe that was why everyone grew to fear it so.

I thought about that man. He certainly wasn't from the village. I would have remembered a face like that. It was imperfect, yet tantalizingly alluring all in the same. I dreamt of that man. Of how his voice held pure threat and his scent wafted a strong pull to me.

Honestly, I just wanted to get back home. I spent so many years desperate to venture off into the forest and, yet, my first opportunity, I was already regretting it. Even Granny wasn't much company for me.

"Here." Granny's voice suddenly spoke from beside me. I jumped at the suddenness, eyeing the overflowing basket of mine that she handed me. In her other hand was the red robe. "They don't like the colour red."

"The wolves?"

Granny nodded once, not meeting my gaze. "Safe travels, Sophia." She spun around and began stalking toward her house.

"Granny?" I called, watching as she stopped with her back to me. "Why are you alone?"

She paused a moment. For a while, I figured she wasn't going to answer at all. "I have nothing left in the village," she murmured before vacating into the safeties of her home.

With the sun as my friendly guide, I turned my back to the lonely home and began my journey back to the village. There were not disturbances in my travels, much to my fortunes. Even so, I could not shake the unsettling feeling in my stomach. As if to say my premonitions were warning me that something was about to happen. Something detrimental.

When I saw the familiar gates to the village, I exhaled through pursed lips. I half ran for the rest of the way. The guards opened the gates to my arrival. I didn't stay to pay attention to their expressions, all I could think of was making it back to Essie and telling her everything that happened.

Many people were outside that day, most sparing me befuddled glances as I zoomed past them. The hood had long flown off of my head and continued to smack against my back. When I made it home, I burst through the doors to find it completely vacant.

"Hello?" I called warily. Something didn't feel right. "Is anybody home?"

Carefully, I sat the full basket on the table. I knew there were herbs in there, ones that healed the sick.

I went back outside. Cassie would be busy with her suitor, whoever he turned out to be. Essie, on the other hand, could only be in one place; our secret hideout. It wasn't necessarily secret, per say. There were eyes and ears all over the village. It was just a place we found more calming than others. One that guards didn't bother running in on us.

Shadows loomed from the buildings, harsher since the sun was so bright that day. I had taken off the robe and left it inside. I was walking at a normal pace, yet everyone seemed to be watching me with furrowed brows and pointed looks.

I swallowed hard. My walking turned into a faster pace to rid myself the feeling of their menacing stares. Taking a sharp turn down a narrow alley, I found myself alone. There was a hole in the wall at the back end of the alley, one only someone my size could fit through. The guards could never squeeze their over ground muscles through that, let alone their egos.

Casting one last glance behind my shoulder to find myself alone, I fell on my hands and knees and began crawling into the darkened area. Inside of the abandoned building was slightly colder than outside. The walls and floors were made of cement and there was only one window.

I stood up and began brushing off the dust on my pants. It was hard to see but I knew my way around. Several steps ahead, I planted my hands on the chilly walls and began walking toward the right up an inclination. Up ahead, there was one single window that overlooked the village. Standing by the window was a silhouetted figure, pacing back and forth.

"Essie?" I whispered into the heavy air.

"Sophia?" Her voice hissed. She sounded... scared, almost.

I walked up to her, noting the tense set to her jaw and red rimming her eyes. Cautiously, she peered out of the window. "What's wrong, Essie?"

Essie breathed heavily, not yet meeting my gaze. "Lots has happened, Soph. Everything's turned into chaos. Oh God, I don't know what to do."

When she started pushing her fingers through her knotted hair, I planted my hands on her shoulders to still her. Finally, she looked into my eyes. "What the hell happened, Ess?"

"Cassie's suitor is Nathaniel Clayton."

Well, shit.

"And you..." her voice trailed off. With force, she ripped from my hold to look out of the window again. "They know," Essie whispered.

My heart dropped. "Know what?" I asked, voice just as quiet.

Slowly, Essie glanced over at me one more time. "They know they you broke the rules, Soph."

My eyes widened as I processed her words. A chill ran down my spine, relentlessly causing my entire body to be cold. "How?"

"I don't know."

I backed up until I ran into the wall. There, I slid into a sitting position and pressed the palms of my hands to my face. "What do I do?"

"I don't know," she repeated. "Cassie has been going insane. Dad's getting a lot of heat at work. This is so messed up. Why did you do it?"

My attention was set on the stained floors beneath me. "I don't know. I heard something following me. I didn't mean to stray from the path... It just sort of hap-"

"Wait, what?"

I looked up at her confusion. "I strayed from the path. That's the rule I broke."

Essie shook her head, causing strands of her hair to graze her tear-stained cheeks. "No, Sophia. That's not why they're after you."

I blanched. "Why, then?"

"They said you killed Nathaniel Clayton."