Macabre

Red

Once there lived a young girl with hair as red as blood and eyes greener than the moss that crept along the forest floor. At the tender age of sixteen, this girl lost her parents. It had been a nasty thing, a horrific crash that led to a slow and painful death for the both of them. She was told it had been a grisly scene, and even though it mortified her to think of her parents perishing in such a way, she couldn't help but wish she'd seen it for herself. She would try to picture their final moments, twisted in the metal framework of their car, blood and tears flowing like rivers.

For she was a curious thing and curiosity often gets the better of us all.

It was not long after losing her parents that the girl was sent to stay with her only living relative, a grandmother. The woman belonged to her father's side and was practically a stranger. The girl had asked about her when she was younger, wondering why the family never visited. Her parents would never say much, other than she was a strange woman that preferred to be left alone.

Her grandmother's house was deep within a forest, secluded from the rest of the known world. It was odd to think that a home could be so isolated in modern society, but there it stood, a small cabin situated in an equally small clearing. There was an old road that led to the home, its gravel loose and untraveled. The old woman did not leave her abode very often, only to retrieve groceries once or twice a month.

The girl had to be driven to her new home as her grandmother refused to make the trip. The only vehicle she owned was a small and very old truck that wouldn't make it more than ten miles let alone one hundred. Her chauffeur was a police deputy belonging to the local station. He was quiet, but not in an unfriendly way. It was a long and boring drive, the road seemed to stretch on for thousands of miles along with the forest that shrouded it. The girl watched the trees as they whisked by, wondering what creatures lived within. She was sure there were squirrels and mice, birds and bunnies, but were there other things? Dark and scary things that lurked in the shadows and fed on your flesh? Perhaps not, but it was an amusing thought. The girl was, strangely enough, excited to see her new home. She had always felt entranced by the wood and nothing brought her more joy than the thought of living in them.

Her driver did not speak much and when they reached their destination, he simply dropped the girl off. He did not stay to make sure she got in safely, but sped off as soon as the door slammed behind her. The girl was not surprised as in her short time in town, she'd heard the many rumors about this area. It was said by the local townsfolk to be cursed. They whispered about its gruesome past and told tales of monsters that lurked in the trees. The girl, of course, knew not of the stories and legends, only that people were wary of the place.

In the clearing grew wild flowers and shrubs. The girl stopped to admire them before following a small stone path up to the house. The home appeared to be made of logs and its door was painted a deep red. She noticed a strange moss hanging from the knocker, it was gray and resembled fur. It gave her a funny feeling, perhaps of dread. A pain in her chest that made her stop for a moment. She tilted her head to the side and reached up to touch the evil looking thing. As her fingers stretched upward the door opened revealing a frail old woman. The girl jumped back in shock as the woman smiled down on her. The smile seemed sincere, the wrinkles around the woman's mouth stretching to meet her eyes, dark and secretive. She welcomed the girl with a warm embrace and told her how glad she was to see her, even under the awful circumstances. Being none the wiser the girl shook off her previous feelings of uncertainty and followed the woman inside happily.

A room was made up for Red, as the grandmother had nicknamed her granddaughter in that short time, and dinner was made not long after. The two seemed to get along well and Red began to think she just might like it here. There was one peculiar thing, however, that was requested of the girl.