Little Red

TEN

Dani's heart thumped roughly against her ribcage as she slowly walked over to the living room, not even bothering to clean up the mess she'd made as all her attention had been turned to the news.

"Dani?"

She heard her mother's voice call out in concern, but it sounded far away as the broadcast came on again.

"BREAKING NEWS:

Henry S. Wolff has just been released early from his fifty-year sentence under the impression of good behavior. If you remember, Henry was first sentenced in-"

"Dani..?" Michelle called out again...but she still sounded far away...so very far away...

"Dani? Please say something," David called out that time, yet it still sounded far away as the girl remained silent.

Her mind could only think of one thing.

Henry S. Wolff...

"Ellie?...Ellie?" Frankie called out before Dani faintly felt a tugging on her arm.

Had just been released...

"Frankie, sweetie, why don't we go in the kitchen and get some more ice cream, yeah?" Michelle's voice said before the tugging stopped.

"But Momma," Frankie's voice faintly said as they walked away.

"Dani...Hey, Dani...look at me, kid. Can you look at me, Dani?" David's voice now called out from in front of her.

Under the impression of...

"Hey...Hey, sweetheart, listen to me, okay? Dani, listen to me. You have to calm down, Dani," David said as Dani's breathing slowly began to increase.

Good behavior...

"Why are you following me?" Dani called out and turned around to face the already smirking gray wolf.

"Is it so bad that I want to make sure you get to your grandmother's house safely?" Henry asked in that mocking tone.

Dani raised an eyebrow.

"I can make it on my own. I don't need your help," she said as she suddenly felt a burst of confidence.

Henry's eyes shined with amusement as he replied, "Oh, I'm sure you can, my dear, but these woods are awfully dangerous for such a young girl as yourself to be walking through them all alone."

"I said I DON'T need your help!! I can make it there on my own!! Now leave me alone!!" she yelled at him as she was now bothered by his ever reappearing presence.

The wolf's eyes noticeably darkened in color, which caused Dani's eyes to widen as she took a step back, obviously uncomfortable by his sudden mood change.

"Oh, is that so?" he questioned as he took a threatening step forward.

Dani immediately took another step back as she nodded her head. "Y-yes! I don't...I don't need a grown-up following me around! I know where my Grandma Neenie lives, so you can just go!!" she said with a brave face as she tried to cover up the uneasiness she felt inside, but the wolf saw right through her.

"I don't really think I like your tone there, Little Red," he told her with much more anger in his tone as he took yet another threatening step forward.

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't like you!!" she replied with sass.

As Henry took another step forward and Dani took another step back, something poked against her sock-covered ankle, which caused her to look down at the object. The sound of the wolf's darkened tone of voice caused her to look back up.