Deep in the forest was a small cottage.
Now it wasn't the cottage that people feared, on no it was what lived within. You see, what resided in the cottage was a monster or what the villager's in the small village only three hundred miles from the cottage, thought. The 'monster' was pale with red lips and long black hair, and the most beautiful most entrancing sapphire blue eyes one would ever see. It was those eyes though that the villagers feared most of all. They believed that the 'monster' could entrance someone with those eyes, ensnare them and force them to do whatever the 'monster' commanded.
Little did the villagers know that, it was no 'monster' living in the cottage nor could they ensnare someone with a mere glance or at all really. For the 'monster' was no more then a girl, one cursed to be hated by all others for all eternity. It was a man that cursed her, and this is the story of how Little Red came to be.
****
A little girl, no more then four, could be seen standing at the edge of the forest. Her black hair in a braid down her back, large sapphire eyes just watching the trees.
"Ceara!" A woman called.
"Coming momma!" The girl, now known as Ceara yelled back, running in the direction of her momma. "Momma? I thought I saw a man in the woods." Ceara looked up at her momma, when she realized that her momma had stopped walking.
"Darling, promise momma that you won't go near the woods." Her mother said.
"I promise, momma." Ceara said. "But why."
"Momma doesn't want you to get hurt." Her mother said, but while that was some truth it wasn't the really reason. For you see, many years ago long before Ceara was born and her mother was only a little girl, demons roamed the forest and would raid the village and the nearby villages at night for anything that caught their fancy be that food or cloth or women or men. Eventually a young man with hair as black as night and sapphire eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness, came to the village. That night he ordered the villagers to stay inside their homes and to not look outside. And when morning came he announced that no more of the demons would ever again attack any village. He was right to and so the villagers offered him a gift, and that gift was young Ceara's mother. But when Ceara's mother was with child her husband fell ill and she and the healer tried everything to save him, but it was for not and he passed. Upon his passing a statue was built in his honor.
But with his death, the stronger demons broke free and formed a tribe. They knew that their prisoner was gone or else they would still be trapped, but they could feel that his blood still walked this earth and they knew that was long as their prisoner's legacy still walked the earth then they- the demons- could be forced into hell once again. So they decided to send one of the younger demon's, that still looked mostly human to search for the child. They told him that he was to get them to fall in love with him and then he was to kill them. When he saw the girl peering into the forest, her large sapphire eyes just a little to big for her face, he knew that this was the child he was looking for. He had thought that the child would be older, he had not expected a girl that could be no more then four if not younger. So his quest had to wait.
It was a lovely day, twelve years later and young Ceara had forgotten all about her promise to her mother to stay far away from the forest and all the creatures that inhabited it. Even if she did remember, she would not heed it anyway; no not with how sun shone on the oh so green leaves or how the wind sent leaves spiraling to the ground. With a deep inhale she said, "Oh why would mother want to keep me from such a beautiful place?"
The question was phrased to no one really, but he answered her. "Perhaps because of me, little one."
"Who're you?"
The demon chuckled. "I am a wolf in human skin. I am wait your people call a, demon."
"Really?"
"Oh yes." He said with a grin. "Come closer and tell me your name. If you do I'll tell you mine."
So Ceara's walked toward him until they were nearly nose to nose. "Ceara."
"What a lovely name, bright red." The demon purred. "The perfect name for the daughter of a murderer."
She frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing for you, little one. Now I do believe I told you that I'd tell you my name." The demon said. "I'm known as Thantos."
"That's an interesting name."
"Yes, yes I know and it suits me." With those words he moved to kiss Ceara, but she had other ideas. Before he knew it Ceara held a blade in her hand and it was slowly dripping black blood. Thantos pressed a hand to his abdomen to help stem the blood loss, but he knew it was worthless so with the last of his strength he poured all of his power into his hand that was covered in his blood. He then through the blood at her. "I curse thee. I curse thee to forever more be seen as a demon!" His last strength waned as he spoke those words and soon he was no more.
****
She stood tall and watched as civilizations rose and fell. She watched it all, always being hated.
The woman walked the streets heading back to little patch of forest that held her home, her little cottage. She ignored the stares and sneers of the few people around her, used to the hatred that the demon had forced upon her. It didn't really matter to her though, she was never very found of people anyway. 'I have no need for their idotic ways. I don't need them.' She thought, as she straightened the collar of her coat, to shield her face from the biting wind.
"Hello?" A small, soft voice asked.
Ceara looked around her, trying to find the source of the voice. "Who's there? What do you want? Are you here to scorn me?"
"No. You looked lonely. I thought you'd like some company."
"I haven't had company for many years. Tell me, what is our name; mine's Ceara."
"Femi. MY name's, Femi, Miss." Feni said, stepping out of the shadows to reveal a beautiful womanwith long ink black hair tied up in a bun and her dark eyes seemed to follow Ceara where ever she moved.
"Thank you." Ceara said. "If you wish, you may acompany me to my home."
She bowed her head, slightly. "If I may ask, why are you traveling alone?"
Ceara sighed her mind wandering back to the demon who had cursed her. "It is a long story, but to make that long story short, people hate me."
"I don't hate you, I think you're beautiful."
"Thank." Ceara said with a smile.
Epilogue
Ceara smiled as she kissed her lovers lips, a smile lighting up her face for the first time, since she was a little girl.
"What are you thinking about, love?" Femi asked.
Ceara smiled a little brighter. "The last time that I smiled."
"You'll always have a reason to smile now."
"Yes and I wouldn't have it anyother way." Ceara said, pulling Femi into a heated and passion filled kiss.
