Once upon a time, there was a sweet young innocent girl who lived in a village near a forest.
Every time this little girl went out, she would don a old and patched cloak which was dyed bright red.
She wore it so often that people called her little red riding hood, or Red for short.
Now this girl was by no means rich, but neither was she poor. She was a baker's daughter and the bakery would attract a multitude of customers each day, bringing money to the family.
This girl, whom we will now call Red for convenience, lived with her mother and her father. Her grandmother, who was an aged lady, lived in a small little cottage in the middle of the forest.
Red once asked her why she did not come to live with her mother and father. Her grandmother had just smiled and told her that she wanted some peace and solitude after an entire life of action. She did not want to inconvenience Red's father with problems of housing and provisions.
Red was confused. But she always never said anything. For when she saw that warning look in her grandmother's eye, she always saw bitterness. Being an innocent little girl, she did not understand.
This little girl always brought cookies and sweets to her grandmother. Her grandmother always complained about having problems eating sweet food but she never once turned Red's basket of goodies down. The smile on her grandmother's face always brought joy to Little Red, which was the main purpose of her doing this act.
To make her happy.
It had been weeks since Red had seen her aging grandmother. Her mother had never allowed her to go and visit her during the chilly winter season.
When Red woke up one fine morning, she realised one very important thing.
It was spring time.
Winter was over!
In a flash, the little girl changed out of her night gown and ran down to the kitchen with great haste.
"Mummy! Mummy! It's spring! Can I go and visit grandmother?"
"Well, I suppose you can, child of my eye. You've been an extremely good girl this winter." Red's mother replied. "We can start packing grandma's basket only after you have eaten. It's not good for little girls to be missing breakfast. I've heard that you children your age skipping breakfast tends to make them shorter."
The red cloak wearing girl's face brightened. Fearing that she would grow up to be like one of those dwarfs she saw when they were buying one of her father's freshly baked bread, she gobbled up her breakfast with much haste.
Together, both Mother and Daughter stayed at home, preparing Grandmother's basket. Unknowing of the ghastly fate awaiting them, or at least, the girl nicknamed little red riding hood.
When the basket of goodies was ready, Red gave her mother a kiss and a quick hug before rushing to the door, basket in hand.
"Red, remember to go straight to grandma's house. No dilly dallying. Whatever you do, my daughter, don't talk to strangers and trust them. The woods are dangerous to little kids your age! "
"Don't worry, mummy!" The little girl shouted as she ran through the door, grabbing the famous red cloak off the rack and donning it as she ran past the gate leading to the house.
"Now if I only could divert that much energy into her studies..." Her mother said to herself as she watched her one and only daughter run off before disappearing from view around a corner.
"I don't think I should have ran." Red thought as she came to a stop from her run.
The girl was sweating profusely. Her legs hurt and she was panting like there was no tomorrow.
She dropped the basket onto the dusty road and bent over, trying to catch her breath.
It was only after a while when she managed to control her breathing.
Red looked up.
All promises to her mother at home disappeared from her mind completely. She noticed some brightly coloured flowers growing at the roadside and reached down to pick a few. She watched the butterflies flit around for a while and listened to the wildlife around her.
It was very peaceful. The little girl spent a lot of time enjoying herself and watching the wildlife.
In fact, she enjoyed it so much that she never noticed the ominous shadow that approached her from the forest.
"Lost, are we?" A deep voice sounded behind her.
Red jumped in fright and whirled back only to come face to face with a large, brown wolf.
"What are you doing here, little girl?" The wolf asked in a friendly tone.
"No Mr wolf, I'm not lost. I'm going to visit my grandmother who lives beside the crook at the edge of the forest." Red replied, quite proud of herself that she, at her young age, remembered exactly where her grandmother's house was.
"Ah, I see. Well,... err what was your name again child?"
"The village calls me little red riding hood! But you can call me red!" Red told the anthropomorphic wolf happily. Not everybody got a nickname in the village.
"Ok then, Red. Did you know that you are a very lucky girl?"
Red's face had the word "Curious" written all over herself.
"Today, on this fine morning, I decided that I would share a little secret to the first person I came across when after I woke up, and I found you." The animal said as he started to form a smile.
"I wanted that particular person to know that a sweet old lady lived beside the creek and was extremely hospitable. But she was always lonely and wanted company. Little did I know that you, Red, are her granddaughter. She mentioned your name many times, Red."
"Really?" The red cloak wearing girl's face brightened.
"Yes! And she said that if I ever met you, I would have to tell you something." The brown furred wolf said.
"What is it? Tell me, please, Mr Wolf!" The girl practically shouted.
"Okay, okay. She told me that there was a faster way to her house. A route so secret that this way to her house is only known to a few particular people. She wants you to be part of this exclusive group."
Red gasped.
The young child looked left and right in an odd manner before whispering, "I don't see anyone here Mister. Please tell me now!" The almost demanded to the animal.
"You see that bush over there? Go to that bush, turn right and go straight until you reach a yellow maple tree, then turn left and watch for a lighting struck tree. From there, go......"
The wolf finished his instructions and made the girl repeat it twice before letting her go on her merry way.
Red, oh so very gullible, fell for the devious Wolf's trick hook, line, and sinker.
"Now to get myself lunch." The wolf muttered as he heading down the trail Little Red Riding Hood was supposed to travel.
The wolf ran as fast as his legs could carry him. Adrenaline pumped through his bloodstream as he neared the little wooden cottage located near the creek.
The anthropomorphic wolf ran round a corner and came to a stop. From where he was standing, he could see Red's grandmother's house.
Saliva dripped onto his chest as the wolf jumped over the gate.
The animal strode past the neatly kept lawn and knocked on the front door.
"Who is it?" An elderly voice sounded from the house.
"It's me grandmother! I brought you some goodies!" The wolf said, mimicking Red's tiny high pitched voice.
"Goodness, child. You sound like you are having a sore throat."
The wolf winced.
"Come in, come in! The key is under the flower pot to your left."
The shaking with excitement and hunger, the wolf, who had to eaten in days, all but broke the flower pot and swiped the shining key from the ground.
He shoved the key into the lock and turned in, barging into the house.
"Red, why are you in such a –"
The aging woman, who was lying on a bed, did not have time to scream before the wolf jumped onto the bed, biting her neck and savagely tearing it out. Blood splattered against the walls and floor of the little room as the animal feasted on human flesh.
It was only later when the wolf looked up from the remains of his meal.
He was still hungry and longed for the tender flesh of a human child.
Smiling with glee, he disposed the remains of his feast and discarded the evidence, before taking a nearby towel and started to wipe the blood off the surfaces of the little cottage.
Once the animal was done with the task at hand, he dressed himself with the late resident's clothing before jumping into her bed.
And the wolf waited for his prey.
"I wonder when I would reach grandmother's house."
A girl wearing a red cloak came out of a nearby bush, sweating profusely.
"I must have followed the wrong directions from that kind wolf back then." Red mumbled to herself, scolding herself in her mind.
It was already an hour after she split up with the anthropomorphic wolf.
"Ah well, I better go back to where I started and take the usual route there."
Red found the road and walked down, using her normal direction of travel.
"That's odd; I see wolf tracking heading towards my grandmother's house. Mr Wolf must be telling grandmother about meeting me." The little girl sighed. "Grandmother will be so worried."
The girl donning her red cloak finally reached her grandmother's house.
She strode up to the door and knocked on it three times.
"Grandmother! I'm here! I got you some goodies!"
"Hello dear, it's been so long since you came. The door's not locked. Come in and put the basket on the table before coming to meet me." A voice that somewhat sounded like Red's grandmother sounded.
"Goodness granny, your throat is terrible!" Red said as she walked into the house.
Placing the wooden basket on the dining room table, Little Red Riding Hood, opened her grandmother's door before stopping in shock.
"Grandmother, what big arms you have!"
All the better to hug you with, my dear."
"Grandmother, what big legs you have!"
"All the better to run with, my child."
"Grandmother, what big ears you have!"
"All the better to hear with, my child."
"Grandmother, what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to see with, my child."
"Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!"
"All the better to eat you up with!"
With that said, the big bad wolf tore off the covers of the bed and pounced on the small child, knocking her down.
"Please....don't..."
"Your grandmother was all stick and bones. It was barely a meal. I'm still hungry."
"Wait...no...-"
The wolf's neck stretched down and bit into the little girl's delicate and tender neck, tearing the innocent little girl's head off.
And Little Red Riding Hood, the daughter of a baker and a housewife, was no more.
It was only a day later that the police came to the wooden cottage near the creek.
All that was found was a room totally stained with blood,
Wolf tracks leading into the forest before disappearing,
and a crimson stained red cloak.
Fin
This was on my mind for quite a long time. It has always been a possibility that the huntsman never arrived. Or if the wolf did not swallow but chewed his poor victims up.
I may do another one soon!
T&R