Little Red Riding Hood

The strange boy

  Once upon a time, there was a young woman of about sixteen years old who was loved by everyone in her village. She was beautiful. Her brown hair always behind her as she wore the red cape her grandmother had given her over her dress every day. She had heard the rumors spreading around the little town about a young man being spotted walking around the trail leading into the town.

The boy was described as having brown hair, brown eyes, and wearing a white button up shirt with a brown vest over it. Others had claimed that he had seemed to be a completely ordinary boy until they noticed his ears.

"Little red! Little red!" her mother called out from the house. "Will you please come inside?"

Addison, also known as little red, looked over to her mother and walked inside. "What is it, mother?"

"It appears your grandmother has fallen ill, and I need you to go deliver this basket to her. Would you do me this favor?" she asked.

Addison nodded and took the basket from her mother. "Don't worry about the basket. I'll make sure to get it to grandmother before the sun goes down."

"Addison, make sure you don't talk to any strangers along the way," her mother warned. "There have been some strange people seen outside the village. You don't want to get mixed up with those people."

"Strange, as in how?" she couldn't help but ask. "James is pretty strange, but you don't warn me from him."

Her mother looked at her daughter with humor before saying, "James isn't cursed. Hurry along now, before the sun goes down."

As she made her way into the woods, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched by something. She pretended not to notice anything until the sound of twig snap behind her frightened her. Addison couldn't help but run away, dropping the basket without giving it a second thought.

"What was that? Where's the trail?" her eyes grew wide as panic began to settle in. She had ran off the trail, and was now lost in the forest filled with creatures that would want to devour her. "How will I get back home? Most importantly, grandmother. She never got her goodies."

As Addison began to cry, another twig snapped close to her. She looked up to see a young boy around her age coming around a bush, holding her basket out to her. "Are you alright?" he asked in a calming voice. "I hope I didn't frighten you."

"Wh-who are you, and how did you find me?" Addison asked as she took the basket from him. She looked him over, but couldn't see anything strange about him. He was handsome for a boy his age, much more than the other boys, but much more filthy.

He backed away from her a bit before saying, "I'm Zero. You ran by me and dropped it." He began to look very uncomfortable so he took another step back. "If I may ask, what are you doing out here? Shouldn't village girls stay in the village? After all, it's not safe for you after dark."

Addison nodded. "Normally yes. Village girls shouldn't leave the village without the company of a man, but I am only trying to get this basket to my grandmother. What are you doing here, Zero, and why such a strange name?"

"I live near here, and this is the name given to me by my mother. She chose it for her first born son when she was a young woman in the village," he answered. "What's your name?"

"Addison, but the villagers call me little red." Addison stepped toward the boy, hoping he knew the way back onto the trail. "Um...Zero, do you think you can help me find my way back?"

He began to shake his head no. "If I take you back, they will kill me. I'm sorry, but I don't want my head cut off."

That was when she noticed it. His ears were hiding under his hair and a tail behind him, brushing against the bushes he was backing into. "You... You're a member of the cursed family?!" She didn't know whether she should be scared or not. He seemed like a good guy, but he was still a stranger to her.

His ears perked up at her voice. "Is that what we're called down at the village? Cursed? They make it seem as if we were evil or something." When he met her eyes, he said "we haven't done anything wrong. The reason why we don't go out to the village is because we don't want to scare them. They judge me because I look different from them."

"Have you tried to befriend them?" Addison asked, stepping closer to him, despite the better judgement in her head.

He nodded, "my family happens to have one friend from the village. She was the only one who accepted us, and even kept us from starving when there's nothing to hunt." He watched her, a bit curious about her. "Look, this isn't going to change the fact that I can't help you. Like I said, the villagers would kill me if I take one step into the village."

"Please, I could get killed if I can't find my way back. I am begging you to help me," Addison pleaded. Before she could step any closer to Zero, a larger, much stronger wolf jumped out at her. It growled at her, warning her to back away before it turned to the boy.

"Zero, what are you doing communicating with this mortal? You know very well that she could get you killed," it said in a human like voice.

Zero looked over at me before saying, "yes, father. I know very well what may happen, but she needs help."

His father growled at him, but Zero stood his ground. "Return to the den. This girl is now my prey."

With that, Addison stepped away from them, frightened. "Um... Zero, is he going to eat me?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

He shook his head no. "I won't let him. Run now, Go ten miles straight then make a left at a large oak tree. There is where you will find our friend."

His father launched himself at her, and in return, Zero blocked his attack. The angry wolf was not pleased with his son and had started to growl at him. "Return home, Zero. This girl must be silenced or you will be hunted down."

"Addison, run! Don't stop until you get there!" Zero tried to hold his much stronger father back as best as he can. "Hurry!"