Scarlett Hood
‘Red! Red! Where are you Red?’ I cried again. My voice was starting to grow hoarse and I didn’t think I could run any longer. I stopped for a moment to catch my breath. The moss covered bark of the tall Oak felt so cool and soft against my hot, sweaty body. I was tempted to stop for good. I just stood there motionless for a moment, but then I saw the shadows cast by the trees around me had started to lengthen. That was such a shock that it snapped me out of my lazy stupor and reminded me of my purpose. I had to find Red!
I started running as fast as I could through the forest again. As the trees sped past me in a blur, I thought back to what had got me into this situation in the first place.
For as long as I could remember, The Granny had ruled over the lands of Nodd. The Granny always demanded offerings (more like taxes!) from the villages every month. She was cruel, cold and relentless, but she had always had a soft spot for Red ‘Riding’ Hood. This was how Red was chosen to take my village’s offerings through the forest where The Wolves, The Granny’s henchmen lived, and on to The Granny’s castle.
Then one night I woke up to the sounds of a struggle and what sounded like a wolf’s howl. I thought nothing of it, even though I probably should have, and went back to sleep. The next morning, Red had disappeared! I didn’t tell anyone about me hearing anything in case I got in trouble….
Word of Red’s disappearance reached The Granny, and her strict reign of Nodd tightened. To make matters worse a group of Wolves came to the village and tried to stead all our food but I, Scarlett ‘Running’ Hood, thirteen years old and Red’s little sister, fought them off myself!
Panic with a capital ‘P’ gripped the village when we figured out that we only had five days until the next deadline and to The Granny, deadline is literal!
Despite the fact that there was four years difference between Red and I, we still looked quite similar and I could pass as her with her clothes and some makeup on. With that knowledge, I was determined that we wouldn’t be punished this month.
With the help of my mother and my best friend ever Ice White, they got me dressed up in some of Red’s old clothes. I was wearing a white frilly skirt, a pressed white blouse, long white socks, black polished shoes and of course a deep red velvet hood. Some of her favourite perfume and the basket with the offerings and I looked almost exactly like Red! The only visible differences were that my hair was curly and hers was straight and that because I am training to be a hunter, I’m covered in scars and bruises. I could only pray that The Granny wouldn’t pay too much attention to me!
I said my goodbyes to everyone and set off into the forest. At first I encountered nothing out of the ordinary. There were delicious apple trees, sweet smelling flowers of every shape and size and little birds sang their songs from the tops of the trees. But as soon as entered the territory of the Wolves everything went dark. The trees were dead and twisted, the flowers wilted and died and not a single bird could be heard. Red had told me about all this but it was more startling in person.
As I walked I was hyper aware of everything around me. The slightest creak would make me jump. With my senses on the alert, I was surprised that the wolf was able to sneak up on me. When I felt his breath on my shoulder I proceeded to jump in the air, scream and kick him in the face. Of course he wasn’t expecting that and landed flat on his tail with a shocked look on his face. I say face because the Wolves are actually men that were captured and turned in to The Granny’s wolf minions. Why she picked wolves and not something nice like, say, bunnies I will never know. Anyway, they look like a man except they have the tail, paws, teeth, eyes, ears and legs of a wolf. So, I kicked him in the face. He got back up and brushed himself off. He asked me in a growly voice ‘What ya got in da basket huh?’ while leering at me. I snapped back in my rudest tone ‘None. Of. Your. Business.’ and trotted off further into the forest.
