Hey all, its Cricket.. this is my first fanfic. Woo! Anyhow, I hope you like this! If you don't.. you're a freak. I KID! I KID! If you don't like it, then go ahead and tell me what you don't like and Ill try my best to fix it. :) This is a new twist on the epic and classic tale of Little Red Riding Hood. One of my favorite stories until the wolf died. ._. I'm here to show you MY take on the story! So enough blabbering.. here it is.. 'Howling At The Moon' Enjoy!
The moon set slowly across the sky as a young girl watched out the window. She brushed aside her bright red hair gingerly, and sat up. She saw the sun peak its head over the top of the large East mountain and as the moon set over the West mountain as she smiled. She peered over the small village she lived in. "Today is the day.." She muttered slightly. She slid her legs to the side of her small bed and got up, walking over to her closet and pulled out a poofy white shirt and long red skirt. She pulled out her special locket her father gave her before he was killed by 'Der Wald Damon' Which is German for 'The Forest Demon' which was a monster that hides in the Western forest, waiting for the hunters, like her father, to come in to its territory so it can snatch them up and eat them. She looked down and read the carvings on the golden locket for the billionth time. 'My sweet Rina, this is so you know, I will always be here in your heart, mein kleines madchen. (Which is German for 'My little girl') The young girl, named Rina, who is a very smart young girl at that, always was told the story of Der Wald Damon as a child. Now, she always figured it was a story to scare little children from staying out of the West Woods.. until the day her father had gone into the woods. She still remembers it like it was yesterday.
The sun was just setting over the West woods as her father and his band of hunters were about to go to slay the beast. All the other children were begging their fathers not to go, as their mothers pulled them back, telling them that they were to be just fine. Young, seven year old Rina looked up at her father and stared at his gruff, unshaven face. "You will come back, won't you daddy?" She asked, becoming slightly unnerved about the other children crying around her. He looked down at her, smiling, before picking her up and placing her on his knee. "Of course." He laughed. "Tell you what? You make dinner with your mother and keep it nice and warm for me. I bet you I'll be back before sunrise." He winked at her. She nodded quickly. He looked down at his back pocket and reached down into it. He pulled out the shiny golden locket and handed it to her. She raised a small eyebrow at it, then broke into a large grin and hugged him, before he put it on her. "So even when I'm gone.. Ill still be with you." He hugged her back. "Rina!" Her mother yelled from the house. "Rina, come inside! Its getting dark!" She walked outside to hug her husband before grabbing Rina's small hand and pulling her inside. As Rina turned around she saw her father wave at her before walking with the rest of the men into the forest with their weapons. She went to help her mother cook dinner. After it was cooked, and she had eaten she quickly saved a plateful for her father. She ran back, grabbed a chair, dragged it to the window, and sat with the plate, staring at the forest, waiting for her father to come out with the rest of the men. Slowly the hours past.. One hour, two hour, three hours. Her mother later went to bed. "Go to bed, Rina." Her mother mumbled, before going to sleep herself. Rina waited longer as more hours past. Slowly, she saw the sun peek over the West mountain and she frowned with worry. Her father said he'd be back by now. Slowly, the ideas of the worst became forcing itself into her head as it would do any young child. But, being the rational child she was, she shook off the ideas and sat there, waiting. Slowly, she started falling asleep. Next thing she knew she woke up to screaming and frantic crowds. She sat up and looked out the window to see most of the villagers running with panic and talking worriedly. She stood up and hurried outside. People hurried past her. "Whats going on..?" She looked around. But no one would stop to talk to a seven year old girl, so she had to keep yelling. "P-please..! Whats going on?!" She found the crowd was circling a man. She pushed her way through the crowd and recognized the man as one of the hunting party. He was wide eyed, and quite frantic, mumbling something about a beast. She listened. "It came upon us from behind! Silent as a mouse, it was.. Slowly, it took man by man! I barely escaped! It slaughtered John right in front of my eyes.. I saw its gold eyes flash at me before I ran." He paused, as the crowd drew closer. Rina tugged on the mans shirt. He ignored her, continuing to tell his story to the crowd. "Where is my daddy!" She pulled harder. "Where is my daddy!" She yelled, louder this time. He looked down at her. "He's gone." He shook his head, continuing to tell his story. Rina quickly rushed off to find her mother. She found her and quickly hugged her. "What happened..?" Rina looked up at her mother. The things that man had said couldn't be true.. they just couldn't. Der Wald Damon was only a story.. wasn't it..? Her mother was silent. Rina looked up in horror. Her mother suddenly looked behind her and paled. Rina turned around to see the bodies of the other hunters being dragged by. She looked at the long claw, and teeth marks along the bodies. It was then that she realized oh-how-real Der Wald Damon really was It was true. Tears welded up in her eyes as she grabbed her locket.
Rina clutched the locket tightly and sighed at the memories. But that was the past.. and the past had past. She put the locket around her neck and walked into the kitchen where her mother was baking. "Morning, Rina!" Her mother called. "Morning, mother." She replied. "Happy birthday, Rina." Rina nodded, and smiled. "Sixteenth, mother." Her mother shook her head and laughed. "Your father would be proud, Rina. You know that. Get some stew. Its your favorite." Her mother pointed to the stew on stove and smiled at her. Rina walked over to the stove, poured herself some stew and ate quickly. "Your grandmother left you a package. I suggest you open it." Her mother nodded to the door. "Oh, really?" She looked over to see a small package. She walked over and ripped it open eagerly. Inside was a bright red hood, hand knitted by her grandmother. "Oh, its beautiful!" She put it on happily and turned to show her mother. "Ah. Very nice. You should bring her some treats as a thank you later. Now go run along. Have a good day." Rina nodded to her mother, tied the hood up and hurried outside. As she walked through the village she kept her head down and tried to remain unnoticed. She looked around quickly before darting into the West forest. The West forest was said to be rid of Der Wald Damon a couple years ago, thanks to the man that had escaped from the very attack that her father was in. That man happened to be the local woodsman. He became very famous for killing the famous Der Wald Damon. But Rina didn't believe him. She knew the pelt he had brought back was only a simple Grey Wolf pelt. She knew that the Der Wald Damon was still out there. She knew that one day, she would kill it. Somehow. But all those villagers had believed him. Idiots. She quickly darted through the trees leading up to a large Oak tree. She climbed up its branches to the center of the tree. It was hollowed out to make enough room for a couple kids. She climbed in, looking at all the books and toys that had entertained her as a child. She hollowed out this tree years ago with her best friend. Suddenly, she heard a twig snap in one of the trees outside of the room. She quickly grabbed one of the wooden knifes she had carved and stood to the edge of the tree room. She could hear whatever it was it was coming closer, and fast. She grabbed her wooden dagger as she felt the creature climbing the tree to get in. "Whatever it is, its big." Rina thought to herself. Just as it was about to enter the room, Rina swung herself outside the entrance, knocking the figure back, pinning it to the ground while holding the knife to the creatures neck. "Is that any way to say hello, 'Lil Red?" She recognized that voice immediately. She groaned. "Jack!" She got up, helping her best friend up into the room. "Don't scare me like that, you Trottel!" (German for.. basically idiot.) She grumbled. "I just came to say happy birthday!" He laughed, pulling out a small, horridly wrapped with leaves box. She looked at it curiously. "Is that..?" "For you..? Yes, now open it Red!" Jack poked her. She looked at the boy. He had dark black hair and bright unnatural gold eyes. He was wearing a brown torn shirt, and plain brown pants, both caked with dirt. She crossed her arms. "Is it going to spring out at me? And don't call me Red. I've told you ten thousand times." She poked him back. "Whatever, Red." She groaned. She took the package and carefully opened it. It was the shiny knife she had been wanting! She quickly hugged him. "Thanks, Jack." She laughed. "Although you are a pain, sometimes you're worth it." He looked at her with mock hurt. "A pain? How dare you! After all I've done for you! The nerve." He tried hard not to laugh. He failed. They both broke into laughter. He grabbed a bit of her cloak and looked at her. "Now I have more of a reason to call you Red, you aren't helping your case, my dear." He grinned. She glared back at him. "Its from my grandmother. I have to visit her and bring her some treats as a thank you." Jack looked at her curiously. "What.. types.. of treats?" He said with sudden interest. "Oh, the normal. Pastries, bread, dumplings, you know.. always hungry aren't you, Jack?" She said, suddenly catching on to him. "Hey! I'm a growing boy." He joked. She rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall. "You're just like that pesky wolf that follows me when I travel to my grandmothers. Always hungry." She laughed, then she suddenly noticed a long claw mark sticking out of his right shirt arm's sleeve. "Hey, whats that?" She asked as she pushed up his sleeve. He quickly jolted away and shoved his sleeve back down. "Nothing." He said, much more serious. "What are you hiding, Jack?" She gave him a look, hoping to stare him down. "I said nothing. Alright?" He looked at her, frustrated. She had never seen him this upset, so she dropped it. "I think I'm going to my grandmothers soon, care to come? You know she loves you like her own." She smiled. Jack was an orphan. His parents were killed by Der Wald Damon when he was a young child, as Rina. When his parents were killed, Rina's father had taken him in under his wing as his apprentice as a huntsmen. That's how Rina and Jack first met when they were both young children. She remembered the time they met.
"Rina!" Her father called from outside, and she opened her bedroom window and stuck her head out. She saw her father, but he had a young boy around her age with him. "Rina, come meet Jack Lovett!" He smiled, nodding to the young boy with him. "Coming!" She ran down the stairs, trying not to trip on her way down. She burst outside, knocking the boy back to the ground with the door, who was attempting to go inside. She herself tripped on him, toppling over onto the boy. She placed her hands on the ground, pinning the boy to the ground. "Hi." She grinned. "Hi. Can you get off my liver..?" He smiled, through wheezing. Rina's father pulled her off of the boy, then helping the boy up. Rina walked over to the boy and reached out to shake his hand. He looked at her oddly then shook it vigorously. "Rina." He looked at her. "No, my names Jack, but I think Ill call you Red." He said, laughing at his own joke. She frowned slightly. "Don't call me Red." He poked her. "Whatever, Red." He winked at her, and she frowned at him and crossed her arms. She stuck her tongue out at him and he returned it. Her father laughed at the kids' little interaction."Alright you two. You have plenty of time to talk over stew." Rina and Jack both looked up at him. "My favorite?" They both said at the same time. Realizing they both had said the same thing, they turned to each other. "Maybe he isn't so bad after all." Rina thought.
"Well, are you going to come with me..?" She asked him. He looked back at her. "I-uh-have something- I mean- somewhere to be." He stuttered. She looked at him oddly. "Some place to be? You couldn't even join me on my birthday?" She asked, slightly hurt. "Why is it every night you have 'Some place to be?'" She asked, getting upset."Look, I'm so sorry. I want to, I just.. can't. Ill see you tomorrow? Ill spend all day with you, alright? Ill make up for it, I just have to go." He grumbled. Rina sighed and shook her head. "Alright, Jack. See you tomorrow then." She smiled weakly, hugged him then strapped her new knife to her leg. "Thanks for the gift." He nodded. He hugged her back, then slipped out of the tree, running back to the village. She slipped out of the tree, pulled leaves back over the entrance, covering it back up and turned back to the village. She walked back to her little house. She walked inside and yelled back to her mother; "I'm going to grandmothers!" Her mother yelled in response from upstairs. "I packed you a basket! Its on the table, now please be sure to tell your grandmother hi for me!" "Will do mother!" Rina yelled back and walked over to the table and picked up the basket. "Just be back before dark, Rina!" She nodded and walked outside. She stood at the entrance of the West woods and looked at the West mountain. It was also called Amethyst mountain, because when the light of the sun hit it at dusk, the mountain turned a dark Amethyst purple. No one ever dared go near the mountain as it was said to be haunted. Once again Rina always shook her head at this and dismissed it as foolishness. She looked into the deep forest and sighed. It was off to grandma's she goes.