Fabulous Fables

Scarlet

 "The night calls me in,
Invites me to the sin
The day holds no charm,
In light there's none to harm..hmm hmm hmm" she hummed while watering the roses in the backyard. They were wilting fast; courtesy of the biting cold winds. The bright crimson in them turning into a dull red. Scarlet shuddered, slightly cursing the weather. She thought of her beautiful coat; a lush scarlet, just like her name. She had a sudden desire to go to the woods. The smell of the earth, the rustling of leaves, the long pine trees, the song of the birds and everything else about the forest invited her in.

    She picked up her coat, basket and waist band. "Mama, I'm going to the woods to pick apples" she chimed. "Come back home before dusk dear." "And be careful Scarlet" she added with a note of warning. There was a pregnant pause. "Yes mama. I'll be back before dusk." she said with reassuring smile.

   Her mother smiled back, but her eyes still held worry. She hopped off, swinging the wicker basket as she went. The passers-by looked, as she passed. The men bowed deeply and the women curtseyed at the lovely Scarlet. As pale as the moon with long chestnut brown hair and eager blue eyes, she looked like a damsel. She was the town's darling.

   Their eyes had hope in them, and also something akin to worry. She smiled brightly at them all and sauntered into the woods up the hill, moving deeper and deeper inside. The sun was dying and the thicket of trees cast the forest into a deeper shadow.

   The eerie silence put her on guard. Adrenaline kicked in. She waited with bated breath. She was the bait. Or not. And then she heard it. The faint rustling of leaves. She thought she hallucinated it, until she heard it again; louder this time. The rustling grew closer. Her hands moved instinctively to her waist band where two silver daggers were tucked in.

   She drew them both, in time to see the familiar set of yellow eyes, and black fur of a wolf. Its pupils dilated and its step quickened. She rolled to the side just in time as it pounced. And before the wolf could even get up, she sprang into the air in a masterful move and stabbed the wolf with the poisoned daggers. The poison instantly showed effect and the wolf slumped with a gut-wrenching howl.

    Relieved, she walked towards the town with apples in her basket and blood on her daggers. The villagers saw the blood on he daggers and applauded with delight. "She did it again. Red riding hood relieved us of another man-eater."

She was called Red Riding hood not just because of her scarlet coat.