Switch It Up

Book 1 --- Chapter 1

Little Red Riding Hood
Red was bored. She sat at the table, her fingers drummed against her cheek. Take these sweet treats to Granny, Buttercup! Red thought.
"Take these sweet treats to Granny, Buttercup!" her mother said, enthusiastically. Don't stray from the path. Red thought as she crossed the room to the door.
"Don't stray from the path!" her mom called. And whatever you do, Red thought. Don't talk to strangers. "And whatever you do, don't talk to strangers," her mom repeated what Red had thought. Red sighed.
"I will mother," she said in a bored tone. She wandered down the path for a bit, until she came upon a crossroad. Usually she went to the left, pick flowers, and tell the Big Bad Wolf all about her grandma. She looked curiously to the right and wondered what was there...
"Don't you dare," a voice growled behind her. She yelped and took a step back.
"Fairy wands!" she yelled. "Don't scare me like that!" The wolf huffed. He wore a tattered t-shirt and ripped jeans. He had the body of a man, but looked like a wolf. Red took a deep breath. "And if I do go?" she asked suspiciously.
"The writer will kill us all!" the wolf growled, angrily. The writer was the person who wrote her story. But what if...
"Are there others?" she asked. The wolf's upper lip curls into a snarl.
"Don't meddle with fate, Red," the wolf warned. Red frowned and peers at the right path. She shot the wolf a glare and said, "You're not the boss of me." Then she ran through the forest on the... right path. The wolf threw his head back and howled.
"Red!"

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Rapunzel
Rapunzel gently flicked the brush across her pinky toenail. She wriggled her toes. The hot-pink nail polish flashed back at her. Her legs flopped down onto a cushion.
"Soo bored!" she moaned. She rolled over, onto her stomach and looked at her room and/or house. It was cozy in a small way. Paintings filled the walls. In one corner, a little kitchen sat. In another, a stairway led to her bed. She looked up the stairs, and groaned, "Oh, how I wish I had an elevator." She got up and walked over to a large window. She sat her elbow on the sill, and watched the birds around her, fly and play. One fluttered down to her.
"You're lucky," she cooed. "You aren't stuck in a tower with..." She looked behind her. Her long golden hair twisted from the ground into the rafters. "With a whole load of hair," she continued glumly. She looked at the other birds and added, "And you get to talk with the other birds while I'm stuck here with no one to talk-"
"Hey!" Rapunzel looked down, startled. Down below, a girl waved at her. Her red cape bounced when she jumped. The girl's green eyes sparkled underneath her hood. Her light brown hair was braided into pig-tails.
"Hay is for horses!" Rapunzel yelled, and waved back. The girl stopped jumping, and frowned at her. The girl looked bewildered, and Rapunzel was tempted to laugh. Then, the girl shook her head, and cupped her hand around her mouth.
"Do you want to leave your story?" she calls. That's an odd question. Rapunzel thought, but nodded. "Then come on down!" Rapunzel grunted with effort as she hauled the hair over to her. She tied the end of her hair to a peg, which was on top of the windowsill. The girl jumped in fright as it landed next to her. Rapunzel was tempted to laugh again. She swung her leg over and looked down. Rapunzel's head started to spin. Mum told me not to go down, she thought. and yet here I am. She gulped and started to go back inside. "You know what?" she said, retreating into the window. "I think I'll stay-"
"No! Wait!" the girl franticly scrambled up the hair and swung inside. She started to heave and gasp because of the long trek. Rapunzel beamed. The girl glared. "Really?" she hissed, almost like a snake. Rapunzel gulped.
"Uh," she stuttered. "I was... uh... wondering why you wanted to leave."
"Oh, I was bored," the girl said, casually, and straightened up.
"So am I!" Rapunzel exclaimed. The girl smiled.
"Oh, by the way," the girl said, "my name is Little Red Riding Hood, Red for short." Rapunzel nodded.
"My name is Rapunzel." Rapunzel replied. Red looked around.
"Nice house," she frowned. "Room?" Rapunzel laughed. Red looked around and stopped short at a curtain that blocked a room. "Have you ever been in there?" she asked, looking at Rapunzel. Rapunzel shook her head. Red walked over to the curtain, and started to open it.
"What are you doing?" Rapunzel asked nervously.
"Oh, grow up!" Red scoffed. "Nothing's going to scare us," she looked at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Or eat us." Then she ripped the curtain open. A layer of dust filled the air. Rapunzel and Red coughed.
"See!" Rapunzel shrieked. "It's trying to eat us!"
"IT'S DUST!" Red roared. Suddenly, her teeth started to grow into fangs. Her pupils narrowed and the eye color changed to yellow. Rapunzel backed up and yelped when she tripped on the rug. Suddenly Red was Red again.
"What happened there!?" she yelled. Red looked terrified.
"I...I don't know," she said meekly. "I'm so sorry."
"It's O.K." Rapunzel shakily stood up. "It..." she took a deep breath, smiled, and then said, "Let's just see what's in the room." They walked over and peered inside. It was a circular room, completely dark, except for the middle where a book stood on a podium. Red walked over to the book. She frowned and started turning the pages.
"Who else lives with you?" she asked.
"Uh, my mom, a witch," Rapunzel answered, frowning.
"A witch!" Red exclaimed, as she turned another page. "How can you sleep-" she stopped short.
"'Cause she's my mom, that's why!" Rapunzel said, and angrily glared at Red, her arms crossed. Red stared at the paper.
"FOUND IT!" she screamed, which made Rapunzel jump.
"Found what?" she scoffed, still angry.
    "This!" Red shrieked, pointing excitedly.Rapunzel frowned and looked at the page.