Red Riding Hood

Chapter One

Even A man who is pure of heart,

and says his prayers by night.

May become a wolf, when the wolfbane blooms.

And the moon is full and bright. 

 

Streaks of red and black disturb the eerie stillness of the collaged greens that expand throughout the forest. Light seeps through the large canopy that seems to cover the whole forest, casting shadows onto the lime green undergrowth of the forest floor. Scarlet, a local village girl sprints over thickets of thorny briars and fallen branches as she races through the wild valley, like she's done so many times before. Her crimson red coat and hood swims in the air behind her as she runs. Scarlet lifts her face up as she stops running and starts walking, letting the light and shadow dance across her skin. The early morning birds hum and sing their sweet melody whilst gliding from tree branch to tree branch. Scarlet Inhales the earthy smells surrounding her and continues her way further into the dark, ever-growing abyss of greens and browns. To anyone else in Scarlet's village, the forest makes people retreat back to their man-made wooden boxes they call houses, but to Scarlet, all the smells, sounds and scenery make her want to run deeper into it, exploring every valley and mountain. Which Scarlet would gladly do if not for the shining white orb that hangs in the darkening blue night sky; calling forth the monsters that are created from its silvery white light.  Unlike most villages, Scarlet's is plagued by a monstrous beast that feeds on the blood of the villagers and their livestock. A werewolf. Every full moon, during wolfstime, the villagers lock themselves away inside their prison like houses, hide their children, and pray that the beast doesn't get past the fortified wall the encases the entire village. Scarlet treads lightly as she approaches her usual hunting grounds, bow in hand with the string pulled halfway out in case unexpected game comes her way. The crunching of fallen leaves is barely audible beneath Scarlet's soft, brown leather knee length boots as she creeps up hill towards a downward slope, where rabbits usually lounge around. 

 At the top of the ridge Scarlet scans the sloping basin, only to be disappointed. Besides the over grown shrub-life the basin is barren.

 "Damn." Scarlet whispers to herself, pouting at her uneventful start to her morning. She continues along the rim of the basin, stopping every now and again to examine her surroundings. When she reaches an old, deformed maple tree that splinters out four main branches, creating a perch like area in the centre of the tree, she slides her unfired arrow back into her quiver and slings her bow over her shoulder and attempts to find the right footing. She finally reaches her perched area after about five minutes of slipping and climbing. The perched area proved to be higher up than she had expected. She pulls her bow and quiver off her back and reclines into the largest splintering-out branch so that she has the best view of the sun-dappled valley below. She loosens her black corset slightly so that it makes it easier to lay against the branch. She whistles along with the birds chirping around her as she pulls an apple out of her cloak pocket, she slides her father's hunting knife out of its holder that's wrapped around her left thigh and starts slicing wedges of apple and lifting them to her lips.  When she finishes the apple she places the core next to her instead of throwing it to the ground, in case it scares away lurking prey. The sun slowly rises higher and the village bells begin to ring. Scarlet whistles the six note tune twice, glancing in the direction of the town, but is unable to see it through all the layers of forest in between them. The bells ring every morning of wolfstime to let the villagers know that it is safe to come out, eventhough everyone knows the beast returns to its cave in the mountains before the first lights of dawn even reach the horizon, most villagers wait inside until the bells sound there tune. But there are a handful of hunters that leave at the same time as Scarlet, they usually travel together in a pack in case the beast still lingers in the shadows of the village, but Scarlet prefers to hunt alone. She enjoys the peace of the woods better when there's no-one there to spoil it for her, and as for the beast, Scarlet doesn't fear it like the rest of the village. No-one has actually seen it in over 10 years and the last human life to be taken by it was over 20 years ago. Yes, a few cows and chickens are found slaughtered every now and again but the town agrees that it is a small price to pay in exchange for their lives being spared.