Stay on the path

promise

“You should stop meeting him.” The hold voice was hoarse and no louder then a whisper. Yet sharp enough to reach the blonde’s ears. Marioline turned around, eyes narrowed to slits.

“What you mean, Grandma?”

“That huntsman you’re meeting daily, he’s no good for you.”

The girl scoffed, turning her back once more to the old lady.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Now it was her grandmother who scoffed, glaring displeased to her granddaughter as she took a step closer.

“I see you two walking together in the village, sitting at the bench or taking a stroll in the forest.”

Marioline frowned at these words, looking over her shoulders towards the old woman.

“How do you know that? Mother has made you promise to stay in your cabin during the winter. With your weak health it’s too dangerous to go out in this cold after all.”

She now spun fully around, her red riding hood fluttering in the sky for a minute.

“Moreover now a fourth person has been killed by the wolf, you’ve made an extra promise to stay inside.”

She added, her lips tugged up into a sly smirk as she inched closer to her grandmother, inspecting the woman’s face with each step she took. Her grandmother opened her lips in order to speak and defend herself from what the younger girl said.

But red riding hood was first to speak.

“Which means you’ve broken your promise with mother…”

Now that was enough. Her grandmother would not allow Marioline to speak like that.

“I have no need to listen to your mother, not to add MY daughter. I am just fine doing as I wish even at my age. Do not go and tell me what to do young lady!” An old, boney and skinny finger pointed at Marioline.

“Further more, I’m doing this for your own good. Stop meeting that huntsman. He’d only bring you sorrow if you end up falling for him.”

Suddenly soft giggles slipped past Marioline’s lips.

“Oh you’re far to late for that~”

She mused while skipping towards the old door. Its wood was already chipped from the many cold winters it had to go through. Her mother had offered their grandmother to stay and live with them several times already, yet the old woman stayed headstrong, not wanting to leave her old cabin in the woods.

“Now please stay inside and keep your promise to mother, grandma… Then I won’t be forced to tell the wolf you’re going of the path...”

The girl pressed a finger to her lips after saying this, winking at the shocked woman. With that she threw the door open, laughing softly while skipping into the –with snow covered- forest.