Little Red Cap
Summary: She called out to him to save her but it took too long for him to realise.
Oneshot
He was asleep again.
And he could hear her soft steps… stepping through the woods, a little girl barely out of her mothers skirts walking the path to her grandmother's through the woods.
It way always that way, the same dream every time he visited his grandfather.
The little girl would laugh as her mother bundled her up warm in her cloak, a thick grey cloak that was far to large for her but would have to be of use for many winters and was a present for the first coming of age.
She was only thirteen, he realised as her soft steps stopped as she investigated the trees, giggling and muttering to herself as she went and his heart went out to her.
Another man would come soon.
A man covered in wolf skins would come and talk to her and the foolish girl would giggle at the older man, thinking him slightly strange, but never the less she would be ever the innocent and talk to him.
Talk to him about her flowers.
Talk to him about going to grandma's.
And he would casually ask if she wanted to race him, and in her childish glee her face would light up.
He could practically feel the beam coming off her grin and winced.
She was too naïve to go anywhere unescorted.
She grinned as he suggested that he go one way and she go the other and knelt down in the grass as he pretended to bend down as well, hand drifting over her raised behind. She looked at him curiously and he brushed it off as an accident.
Clenching his teeth firmly the other man wished he could wake up.
He did not want to see this.
The man told her to start running and the red haired girl giggled taking off in a burst of speed and the wolf-skin man stood for a moment a cruel smirk adorning his face as he looked down the short cut and quickly made his way to her lovely grandmothers house.
The other man slammed his eyes shut but he couldn't stop the carnage that he knew was happening as the wolf man jumped into bed with the red haired girl's grandmother.
He tried to shut out the screams and eventually they did die and then there was the fated knock on the door.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
The wolf man froze, a feral grin coming over his face as he pulled on the grandmother's nightcap and pulled the sheets up to his nose.
"Who's there?" His hoarse voice called out and he could imagine the girl pausing at the door, thinking her grandmother had caught a cold. Don't be so naïve. He thought to himself but she couldn't hear him.
She never did.
"It's your grand-daughter, grandma. I brought you a cake baked by mama and a little pot of butter from Bessy, papa says she's the best cow this year." The wolf-man looked around quickly to make sure the grandmother's body was out of sight and told her to come inside.
Slowly the naively stupid girl entered and the dreaming man winced.
Knowing was awful.
Knowing and having to watch.
She walked in expectantly, her green-blue eyes shining in naïve pleasure. The room was dark and as she approached the fire side the wolf-man bade her to put aside the butter and cake and lay in the bed with him like a good grandchild.
She looked slightly curious, but grinned, and like an innocent lamb to the slaughter she did as he requested and jumped on top of the sheets and covers.
Laying next to the person she thought her grandmother.
Her sick grandmother.
At close range however the girl faltered and went to get back out of bed and the wolf man grabbed her arm, holding her in place.
"Why, grandmother what big arms you have?" She whispered as the wolf-man crawled out of the bed and her innocent eyes widened and the other man shut his eyes but still knew what was going to happen.
"All the better to hold you with, my dear." He whispered grabbing her other arm to hold her down.
""Why, grandmother what big legs you have?" She whimpered this time as he forced her back into a lying position, sitting straight on top of her.
"All the better to run with, my dear." He grinned and the girl whimpered as he moved her arm so she was restrained easily with one hand instead of both arms. He could see her brain mentally maturing. It took years for some to grow up and others only instants.
He winced.
"Grandmother, what big ears you have." She continued and the dreamer shut his ears, hoping to turn his back to the scene.
"All the better to hear you with, my dear"
"Why, Grandmother, what big eyes you have"
"All the better to see you with, my dear"
"Grandmother what big teeth you have"
"All the better to-" The girl's screams cut through the night and the other man shut his eyes, tight.
He didn't want to see this. That was the reason he hated coming to his grandfathers house.
And suddenly he was awake.
Panting.
He wasn't a very strong man by nature, he was gentle and sweet. The best friend one of his sweethearts had described him before her marriage to somebody else.
He didn't like being forced to see such crude things.
That's when he realised he could still hear the screams of the little girl.
And his body moved on its own.
He was not a violent man but his grandfather lived off the land and had asked him to look after the animals while he went into town for a week.
His grandfather had an axe to chop down wood for fires during the cold winter.
His hand sought it and he slipped into boots, the late morning sun of winter heating his bare back but the adrenaline was running as bolted, slipping into his rough leather boots.
The old lady who lived next door. He was sure it was her house.
The screams were louders and as he kicked down the door he meet the sight of a girl, no older than thirteen, tears falling down her face, voice hoarse and eyes that hurt him just to look at.
The wolf man looked up him.
Wild.
Peter didn't need to think about it, the axe was already in motion as it slowly decapitated the man. Knowing he was too late to save the innocent girl who lay weeping on the floor.
She was whimpering as he gathered her up in his arms, the thick woollen cloak covering her body.
Blotchy and red in places.
He held her to his chest as she whimpered and held on tightly.
"You're late." The thirteen year old's voice, now hoarse whispered.
And as he exited the rundown cottage, he let out a heavy sigh and looked skyward.
"I know."
fin
Reviewers, it would be much appreciated if you could tell me whether you liked the style or not, or if I got the genre's right. Also I'm not entirely sure if I rated it correctly as I have never actually dealt with themes such as rape before, usually I'd put it in M for even mentioning it however it's only a suggestion so I put it in T. Help please Your reviews are so helpful!