Little Red

Fairy Tales

The wolf slept for days, never stirring. Wulf found himself staring at her far too long, he hadn't heard anything from Clari, the old woman who had introduced herself as Clari's grandmother refused to let him see Clari.

After almost three days of this Wulf couldn't take not seeing if Clari was okay, so that night once the grey wolf had gone to sleep and so had the old lady Wulf crept up the stairs, pushing open the door he knew to be Clari's. Moonlight streamed in through the window illuminating the bed. A Clari sized lump sat beneath the covers, curious as to why she was so still he pulled back the blankets to find a wad of blankets. Everything started to make sense, Clari was here, but sleeping. On the couch down stairs, with an arrow wound in her side.  He didn't understand it all but he darted down stairs and knelt beside the white wolf, he had not been allowed to touch her, and the old lady had good reason for that. He had nearly killed Clari.

Hesitantly he reached for Clari's paw, and held on gently.

She stirred, sniffing the air and opening a single blue eye. Wulf smiled so she was okay, but it also didn't prove it was Clari, The wolf quivered, and sneezed. In that moment it was like somebody had turned off the projector and quickly turned it on again, it was Clari and he was sure of it.  He spent the rest of the night close by Clari, later in the night the big grey wolf he had decided to call Markus crawled onto his lap and slept there.

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"Granny." Wulf said at breakfast, helping to stir the oatmeal.

The gray haired woman smiled softly at Wulf while she poured in spices, "yes dear?" she asked, sniffing the cinnamon.

"what if, you know, figuratively speaking; Clari was cursed by the wolf bite, how would one go about breaking the curse?" he asked, stirring faster than nescessary.

The old woman chuckled, "you have quite the imagination. I suppose if our lives were to be written down and made a fairy tale, True Love 's first kiss would break the curse. But fairy tales are not real and our lives have not been recorded. "

"Why does it have to be the first kiss?" Wulf asked, knowing he hadn't kissed Clari... Not on the lips at the least. But if it was supposed to be any where, then Clari would have been fine.

Wulf also knew that he really did love Clari, even though she hated him.

"I don't know."

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After dinner Wulf stood up, and knelt beside The white wolf.

"what are you doing?" Granny asked, sitting on the couch and softly stroked the white wolf running her wrinkled and knobbly fingers through the pristene fur.

"Would you kiss a wolf if, on the off-chance your true love was cursed and the only way to break it was to do so?" He asked, tenderly placing his hand behind the white wolf's ear. He was surprised Granny didn't stop him.

"maybe, tell me, Did you love Clari?" She asked, watching Wulf intently, but her gaze was soft. Wulf turned his head up to look at the elderly lady. He nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. He was afraid it would leap out of his chest and bounce out the door, he felt at peace regardless.

"Then try."

Wulf stared and the peaceful white wolf before him, slowly he planted his lips just below the cold wet nose. And his lips started to burn, instantly he pulled away wincing.

The white wolf grew a little larger with a blinding flash and then sparks raced up and down her fur, and her ears pricked foreward and her eyes opened. Granny stood up, running to a room.

Wolf watched the fur melt away, and her nose shrink in. Granny returned with an ornate blanket and quickly threw it over Clari, just before the transformation was complete.

Sulfate and Granny smiled, Markus ran from under the kitchen table and started lapping at Clari's face, his thick tail thumping excitedly on the floor.

Clari laughed, pushing Markus away gently. Blinking several times before sitting up, clutching the blanket tightly. "Granny!" She exclaimed, wrapping the blanket around her before hugging the old lady tightly. "We should get you some clothes." Granny laughed, helping Clari stand, she was weak in the knees and Granny had to practically carry her.

Wulf hadn't said a thing or moved since Clari pushed Markus-who by the way was now running around happily, Wulf stood up. Hardly able to grasp what exactly had just happened.

Then the door opened, Clari tripped out if the room, falling to the ground with a thud. "Clari!" Wulf exclaimed, leaping over Markus to help her up.  She appeared unharmed, and was smiling widely "Thank you." she whispered, this time kissing Wulf.