My cloak was sitting by the fire when I woke, and this was the sign I'd been waiting for. Rushing about, I managed to prepare myself in a quick second. I chose my favorite white dress, which is made of thick cotton to keep me toasty, and has many layers in the skirt – which makes walking fun and swishy! My stockings took forever to pull up, but I managed, and shoved my feet into my shoes before rushing for the cloak.
Pulling it over my shoulders, I admired the warmth it brought me and the way the red complimented my outfit. I planned it to look perfect – the white dress with the red cloak, and white stockings with red shoes. I even gathered my hair up into a ponytail, and tied it off with a red ribbon. Racing towards the kitchen, I took my basket from the table and headed for the door, pushing it open before I was even ready to go.
"Mother," I called down the hall, hoping she'd hear me but not get up to come bother me. She was a worrier, always a little antsy when I made my trips. "I'm going to Grannie's, thank you for warming my cloak by the fire!" I was just about to step over the threshold when I heard her scramble to get out of her rocking chair. She was almost as fast as I was, getting to the door!
"Hold it, Red," she said sternly, and I sighed. She reached out with soft hands and a smile to fix my cloak, tying the strings to keep it securely around my neck and shoulders. She even put the hood up for me, and then looked down at my shoes. In my excitement, I forgot to buckle them. She reached down and did that for me, and I had to resist tapping my toes in impatience.
"Please, Mother, can I go now?" I begged her, my hand on the door knob, ready to shove it all the way open so I could bolt. It was dark out, but I could see the sun on the horizon and I wanted to get to Grannie's before noon.
"Give me a minute," she shook her head at my impatience, and I watched her perfect blonde curls bounce around her face like a halo. She leaned over the box we keep in the hall for shoes, and took out a flashlight. Tucking it into my basket, she gave me a pat on the head (which made me frown) and then nodded. "You better be safe in those woods! Don't stop on your way to Grannie's, not for anything! And don't stray from the path!" I heard her call. I was too busy to see her face when she said it, because I was already spun out of the house and racing towards the bakery.
I ran down the dusty cobblestone road towards the Baker's house. He was a nice man, and always gave me treats to take to Grannie when I visited her. I got to his front door and knocked, three times. Tap! Tap! Tappy! Then I waited, humming a little tune. I could hear the Baker inside, shuffling to the door. When he opened up, I nearly bowled him over to get inside.
"Hello, Mr. Baker!" I cried, a great friendly smile on my face. He looked perplexed – maybe he was a little sleepy.
"Why, hello, Red! Isn't it a little early for you to be up?" He asked. I smiled to hear his nice voice. It was so low and melodious – the Baker was one of my favorite speakers. I thought he sounded quite lovely when he wanted to. I thought to remind him later what a wonderful story teller he would be.
"It's not that early!" I replied, and skipped over to the case of baked goods that he had sitting out by the oven. "I'm going to see Grannie, though, so I'd better skedaddle out of here soon. I don't want to be in those woods too late!" The Baker stood behind the case and took out a tray of pastries and bread loaves. They were all very tiny and cute looking – I thought I would get a bunch of them, so Grannie and I could have a tea party, if she was feeling up to it.
As I unloaded the Baker's tray of tasty foods into my basket, he talked to his wife and I thought of Grannie. I hadn't seen her in a while. Grannie lived so far out in the woods, if it weren't for the path, I would forget the way every time. I loved my Grannie dearly, she was always so nice to me. She let me have as many pastries as I wanted when I visited. Today she was sick, but I figured she would still like pastries all the same.
When the tray was empty, I looked up at the Baker and he barely seemed to notice. He was too busy talking to his wife – she was such a pretty young lady. They wanted a baby together, that's what Mother told me. It would be nice to have a baby living so close by. We could be friends if it was a little girl, and I could teach her how to play with dolls and sing songs. If it was a boy, we could still be friends – but I would have to learn how to play like boys do.
"Goodbye, Mr. Baker! Have a nice day, Mrs. Baker!" I sing-songed my farewell as I skipped out of the shop, my basket in hand. Our town was a small town, at the very edge of the woods. We were safe out where there weren't big huge trees and scary animals and shadows. I didn't very much like the woods, but it was still fun to skip along the path and whistle or dance. I just had to be careful I wasn't going to fall or trip or stray off the path. That would be quite bad.
As I walked along, a spring in my step, I admired the woods. When you entered the woods, things felt a little different. The shadows were scary and the trees were very tall, but it was easy to forget that when the sun was shining. There weren't so many dark places then, and the woods had it's own kind of music that made me happy. I tried to explain to Mother once when I heard the woods making music, but she didn't understand. Grown-ups don't really get much of the magical things that happen around the world.
The woods make their own special music with the sounds you hear. The tree branches clack together and the birds, if they're happy, like to sing songs to each other. Then there's the chipmunks and squirrels scrabbling around in the dirt and the leaves. Not to mention the bugs buzzing about and the wind whispering in your ear. The woods were nice when it was sunny out, and as the day got brighter, everything felt a little better. The more I walked the path, the happier I was.
Traveling on my own got boring fast, however. The trees weren't great company because they couldn't walk with me. Chipmunks and small animals didn't talk much, and most of the time they just ran away. I was going to Grannie's, so Grannie wasn't with me. I didn't have anyone to socialize with, and I was getting too lonely and tired and frustrated. Where did the path end? Couldn't I just cut through somewhere?
"Mother said not to stray from the path!" I reminded myself aloud. I couldn't help looking to the side, though. The trees seemed to be thinner on my right, and easier to travel through. "If I just walked through those trees… I could still see the path if I looked hard enough, couldn't I?" I reasoned, and skipped off to the edge of the path without hesitation. I looked down at the point where the path met the wild woods, and noticed my red shoes looked dusty and scuffed from the road I had been walking. I was sure to be collecting a great amount of dirt on my clothes, as well. "If I walked on the grass, my shoes would stay clean, and Mother would be happier with me when I return home."
Placing the toes of my right foot over the edge of the path felt a little strange. As if, when I strayed from where I was supposed to be, something might happen. It didn't feel like something bad, though, more like something unusual. I hadn't had any adventure at all in my whole life. It would be fun to do something out of the ordinary. It wouldn't be disobeying Mother if I was safe and careful about it! She said to stay on the path… but if I could see the path from where I was, that wasn't technically ignoring her, was it? And I would get to Grannie sooner, and then we could have lots of fun together, and my whole trip would be a wonderful experience! I clapped my hands, barely able to contain my excitement, and hopped over into the grass
"See, Mother said to be safe and I'm quite safe in the woods. In fact, if I were on the path, something scary could see me out in the open like that! Now I can stay hidden and very free from harm!" I chirped, dancing along through the thicket of trees. I even pretended I was a sneaky spy, and hid behind one for a few minutes, then ran to the next tree and hid behind that! It was like a game to play, and it made me feel quite protected. Maybe the trees weren't so scary after all.
I wrapped my arms around the closest tree, threw back my head, and looked at its branches that were very high above my head. "You know, Tree!" I addressed it. "You're quite alright! You bring me shade – it was much too sunny out there on the path – and you're very fun to play with, and you know you're like a guard dog, the way you keep me safe." I smiled and squeezed the tree as tightly as I could, pretending that it could feel me and was hugging me back. The bark felt rough and tickly against my arms and I had the thought that maybe that was the way of the tree giving me kisses!
"Are you hugging a tree?" I jumped away from my tree and looked at it. It didn't seem to be the one asking me questions! I spun around and stared, whipping my head from side to side as I tried to find who had been speaking to me. I squinted, looking around for the source of the voice, but I was alone in this patch of woods, or so it seemed! It took me a minute to collect my thoughts and still this mystery person didn't come out to say a proper hello.
"You know," I put my hands on my hips. "It's silly to hide away when you ask a person a question. How am I supposed to answer you if I can't see you? I don't much like talking to people who aren't there." I replied, a little indignant. The way he – and I was only supposing it was a he at that point – asked me about my hugging a tree seemed a little rude. As if he couldn't believe a person would do such a thing!
I walked around in a little circle, looking for the person who had been there. I was beginning to worry he wasn't there anymore, when he replied, "You're one to talk about silliness!" And he stepped out from behind a nearby tree (not the one I had been hugging) and looked at me like I was a strange creature. I looked at him like he was a strange creature too – because he was one, in fact.
He had the body of a boy, a human like me, but he wasn't quite a natural looking fellow. His ears were pointed and when he talked I could see pointy teeth. They poked out over the tops of his lips, and I thought they looked rather impressively frightening. Not to mention his eyes, which were quite dark and looked unrealistic, staring me down with such intensity I felt like I should run back to the path. When he moved farther into the light, I could make out how hairy he was, with fur on the backs of his hands and running up his arms!
I didn't want to dwell on that though, not when he was being such a rude thing and calling me silly. That struck a note in me, and it made me frown so hard I thought there would be permanent marks in my face. "What do you mean?" I pouted my lip out, trying to look just as fearsome as he did. "I'm not as silly as a person who hides, instead of talking out in the open."
"I'm standing right here, now, aren't I?" He said, and I wanted to tell him to just leave me alone, but he continued. With a step forward, he smiled wolfishly, and I gulped. "I'm not the one hugging trees and talking to myself." He said, and his smile was so satisfied, like he had caught me doing something ridiculous.
"It's not silly to do that." I replied, but there was a blush on my cheeks. "I was just having a conversation. It gets bored, walking alone, you know." I felt my frown loosening as I continued to talk. "I'm not a silly person. I just prefer to see the fun in things! If I feel like talking, I'll talk to myself. If a tree seems to need a hug, I will give it one. There's no reason to walk around thinking sensibly when you can have the grandest time by using your imagination!" I informed him, and he gave me a look of pure wonder.
"Who are you, strange girl?" He asked, and stepped forward once more. From up close, I could see his handsome features, and I realized what a magical thing he was. He was a good looking gentleman, and when he stood only five feet from me, I could see he was older than me by a few years. His eyes, still striking, resembled those of a wolf's. His nose was a bit more pointed than normal and his teeth were so large and dangerous looking. I
"I'm Red." I replied, my gaze transfixed upon his appearance. He was quite a bit taller than I, and as thin as a board. But through his tattered jacket, I could see the tension of taut muscle under his skin. As I looked him up and down, I noticed new things about him that I hadn't seen before. He wore pants that were once tailored, but were now full of holes and rips, almost falling off of his thin frame. He had no shirt under his jacket, and I wondered how he stayed warm in this chilly weather, until I looked closer. His skin was lined with hair, almost like fur, and though he seemed to have no fat on his body, he did not shiver. I wondered what had made him this way, so animalistic and curious to look at.
He noticed my gaze and the almost mocking grin returned. "I'm the Wolf," he introduced himself. He put one hand out, offering it to me as he bowed with a flourish. I took his hand, and he straightened, then gave me a firm shake. I noticed, of course, how warm his palm was. Something made me want to never let go of his fingers, but he released me and I stepped back a bit.
"The Wolf?" I looked at him, expectant for an explanation of his odd name.
"Haven't you heard of me?" He asked, and I shook my head no, bewildered. He just chucked and smiled. "You have, you just don't remember in what context you've heard of me." I stood still and watched him as he began to pace in front of me, beginning some sort of story. "They call me the Wolf, because of my features." He started, "You've noticed my unique state of appearance, I know - as did everyone else in and near these woods. The unusual amount of hair," he ran his fingers through the bush of wavy dark hair upon his head. "The claws," he held his hands up and wiggled his fingers, with a wicked smile. "And… the teeth!"
He snapped his jaws at me, and I smiled. The way he told his story was almost soothing and a little bit funny. His voice was growly, like an old storyteller's would be. His expressions were amusing and he made it all better by acting things out. "By day I am your average human," he put a hand next to his mouth, as if telling a secret. "With a little more hair, of course," I giggled, and he seemed to be feeding off of my laughter. "But when I'm hungry..." He growled, showing his fangs, and the smile he gave me during that growl made my heart flutter. Before I could figure out why, he continued, and I listened with rapt attention.
"They say I'm the biggest predator in these woods." He said proudly, stalking in a slow circle around me with his chest out and head held high. "I'm feared far and wide! Children are warned of me, shepherds hide their sheep when they see me coming, women are – let's face it – infatuated and frightened." He snickered and I blushed a little, feeling the comment was directed towards me. I hadn't meant to be staring for so long, he just interested me was all.
"I've been in these woods for a long time, Red." He continued, and by now he was behind me. I didn't want to turn, because I felt like it would break my concentration from the story as he continued pacing. "You've heard the stories. You've seen me – think… what kind of creature is like me?" He let me think for a moment, and I couldn't bring it up from my mind.
"I am a man who looks like a wolf, but is not entirely a wolf – a man who has the diet of a wolf, but the heart of a human being. Many of those who live outside the woods call me a werewolf, or mistake me for a real wolf when they catch me satiating my hunger…" he snarled a little, and this time I was wary of how close he was. This was more than a story, he was telling me what a carnivorous creature he was, and I was standing so close! Yet I wasn't entirely frightened, just curious as to what he was, who he was inside. "They tell tales about me to children, too keep them out of the woods. They say I have a hunger for the flesh of plump… pretty… little girls."
He put his hands on my shoulders and I jolted forward slightly, letting out a small squeak of terror. He released me in a quick second, however, and I turned to face him. He had a smile of a man who had done nothing wrong. He leaned against a nearby tree, crossed his arms over his chest, and smirked. "That's just what they say, it doesn't mean it's true, jumpy." He teased, and I caught the joking in his voice. I shook my head at him, a bit frustrated with his jokes and yet still in awe of him. He was so interesting, I couldn't get enough of talking to him.
"So if that's just what they say, then what's the true story?" I asked, feeling my heart still racing after the scare he gave me.
"I believe you could call me a werewolf, but that's hardly a proper sounding name. I much prefer to leave it at 'The Wolf.'" He looked at me with an expectant stare, and I wondered what he wanted me to get from that. "You've never heard of a werewolf before, have you?" He asked after an awkward pause, and i just shook my head, no. He sighed, as if this was disappointing, and I shrugged. "You've never been read a scary story about werewolves? I thought most humans outside the woods told their children those warning tales..."
I laughed and lifted my shoulders in a half shrug. "My mother doesn't let me read such things. She says they're not suitable material for young minds..." Then I stepped forward and gave him my best wicked smile, "but I like adventure anyway. Werewolves don't scare me!" It felt like I was challenging him, but it was true. Now that he was so up close, I could see he wasn't that scary at all.
"I don't scare you?" He looked at me incredulously. Then, after thinking it over, he just chuckled merrily. "Well that's a refreshing opinion, how delightful!"
Feeling I needed to be off on my way (he didn't scare me but he did make me uneasy), I stuck out my hand for a handshake. He grasped my fingers immediately, a reflex action, but he looked bewildered. "It was very nice to meet you, Wolf, but I'll have to be on my way now. Good day!" I let go of his hand and began to walk away, a little unsure of where the path was exactly, but certain I would be going the right way.
It took him a few minutes, then he grabbed my hand and tugged me to a stop. He spun me around to face him and I was surprised at how suddenly close we were. His warm palm and gentle fingers were wrapped around my wrist, not uncomfortably, and I could feel his claws grazing my skin. He was less than half a foot away, and I had to look up to see his eyes, which glinted with surprise. I gathered from his body language that he hadn't meant to do that - it was an impulsive action. He didn't want me to leave.