The duty of the Red Hood was to transport goods from the various nearby villages to the witch.
Jackie sucked in a deep breath, enjoying the brisk morning air and the freedom of being outside the stuffy village. It truly felt wonderful being outside in the open without the pointed stares of the villagers. Red as the scarlet of roses her reddened hood flowed behind her, offering her warmth from the chilly air. Winter will be setting in sometime soon; the trees were changing colors and dead leaves covered the ground. The basket weighed light in her hands as she trotted forward, taking the same path she always did before something unusual caught her eye.
Her dual colored eyes widened in startlement, seeing large and undeniable footprints of a giant embedded into the ground. However old or fresh she could not tell but the track was definitely not there a few days ago on her last trip.
The footprints were enormous, clearly not human, perhaps it was an ogre, and up ahead where the footprints led she could see broken trees and a mudslide blocking the road; perhaps caused by the creature who made those imprints. A shudder shook her supple frame. The creature might be up the main road but lucky for her, she knew of a small side road not that far away.
She weighed her options, looking between the two paths before deciding to get off the main road. In a fight or flight situation Jackie preferred to take flight especially when faced with a giant, human eating monster. She let out an annoyed huff at being forced to take this detour before she proceeded with caution, making sure to avoid stepping on the dead leaves which would leave an unsavory crunch.
Her boots tread lightly across the ground as she continued forward, focusing her attention more so on not making a noise rather than the environment. Breathes came in softly and legs trotted swiftly as she did her best not to make a sound. Sending a young woman out like this to the witch's house was, in all honesty, ridiculous. She felt some resentment for being forced out of her home to do such a thing but it was the only place where she could truly be free if even for a small while.
Jacqueline stopped short in the middle of the road, seeing a man in a forest green trench coat laying facedown against the dirt road. Her eyes widened, breath stopping as she slowly listened and looked around in an attempt to see if she could hear anything. Ogres, or the more likely trolls, had been known to leave bodies laying around to attract more humans closer before attacking and having a quick snack. The hold of her dagger weighed heavy in her hand as she slid it from its sheath on her upper thigh and approached quietly and cautiously; not that she truly knew how to use it but it comforted her to know she had some sort of defense for herself.
" … hey." Jackie softly called out, drawing closer while remaining acutely aware of the sounds around her. Due to her blind left eye she overcompensated looking to her left, making sure her blind spot was covered at least a little bit. The figure remained unmoving, letting a faint breath that made Jackie relax a bit. Ogres, giants, trolls, cyclops … whatever was was lurking around here didn't kill this man. He was still alive and they would have left him dead. The man twitched, making her jolt a little bit before she came to his side and gently grasped his shoulder.
"Hey, hey you alright?" Jackie asked, carefully rolling him onto his back and looking the unconscious man over. He had multiple wounds all over his body, none of them looking fatal but definitely painful. "Jeez … ," she trailed off, brushing his white hair aside and looking over his face. He didn't seem that much older than she was, perhaps in his mid twenties. His cheek rested easy in her palm as she peeled his shirt back and saw the shallow wounds all over his torso. These wounds looked … older. As if they were inflicted about a week or two ago.
"Alright buddy, gotta move you off the road." Jackie said, setting her red hood aside and rolling her sleeves up. With a hard shove she made the figure sit up before quickly hugging him from behind and began dragging him off. With a pained huff she achingly yanked him off the road while struggling quite a bit. This guy, although lean and muscular, was heavy! Almost as heavy as a big wooden log.
After she set him down she pulled off his jacket and rested his head on it before unbuttoning his shirt, tossing it aside and pulling his overalls down. Although wrapping them wasn't necessary it should help with the pain. She took the basket, opening the top and with that action committed treason against her village; she took from the basket and gave it to someone other than the witch. These goods must always reach the witch. It must never be delayed and never tampered with.
But how could she just leave this poor man on the side of the road like this?
Jackie rubbed the cool gel over his wounds and wrapped them up nice and snug, checking the rest of his body but found only minor scratches on his legs and arms. The faintest sound of a groan escaped his lips as his eyes barely cracked open before he fell limp once again, unable to wake up. She softly smiled and picked up her things before rubbing his arm.
"If you can hear me, it's alright. I patched you up a bit but see a doctor when you get into town. I need to leave now but I'll be back later." She reassured, putting her red hood back on with a snap. After a moment of thought she reached inside, taking out some wrapped food and left it on his lap before going on her way to the witch's house. She'd better hurry back for him later. Poor man could hardly move.
Upon inspecting the basket, the witch, a man of exceedingly long black hair and pale, ghostly complexion and multiple what came to be known as tattoos were inked on his skin, found something amiss. With a friendly and ominous sounding musical number, he noticed that there were missing supplies from the basket, "in all the years you've been bringing the tribute there has never been anything amiss, so why is the basket lacking items? Must I punish you? Yes, I think I should."
"Because someone needed them more than you did," she huffed, flicking him on the nose before taking her empty basket back, "there was an injured man lying on the road who needed it more than you, Grim."
"Then you should bring my missing items tomorrow," he said with a cheeky grin, "I'll be waiting for you, so come play with me tomorrow too."
"My next shift isn't for another few days. You can wait." Jackie said with folded arms as he smiled rather broadly.
"Aren't you afraid I'm going to change you into a cute little frog as punishment? Or perhaps the townspeople's apparent favorite rumor going around, a newt?" He crossed his arms with an even bigger, teasing smile, "or maybe I can change you in a more horrid thing?"
" … I'd prefer a bird if not anything else." Jackie answered with a shrug, glancing out the window and staring at the vast open sky. How she would kill for a pair of wings so she could fly away from this place but she had no idea what the outside world was really like. All she's known was the village. A pair of arms around her waist offered comfort as the witch hugged her, annoying her as she held still.
"Do you remember the time when there was a storm outside? You were so cute running in here so frightened that you latched onto my coat and didn't let go for hours." He softly smiled, petting her hair as she lightly squeezed.
" … get off. I need to go back." Jackie said, pushing him away from the hug as he sighed. Must he hug her every time she came to deliver the towns goods?
"Very well, I'll allow the village to reclaim their Red Hood for the time being. Though I look forward to the day your whole village perishes and burns due to their own stupidity." He said with a cheeky smile, rather enjoying that thought.
"Doesn't everyone?" Jackie said with a roll of her eyes, brushing off his threat. His bite was as bad as a pillow of down feathers, "I'll see you in a few days."
"I'll make some hot soup for you then. It's going to become a lot colder very, very soon," he said with a mischievous smile, folding his fingers together rather mischievously
"Well I would hope so. That's what happens in the winter." Jackie said with a small shrug before leaving.
The witch watched her leave, her fluttering red hood flowing with the faint breeze. He leaned back in his chair and simply watching her figure retreat with that lovely shade of blood red fluttering in the wind.
"Oh if only the little Red Hood knew what was to come, I wonder how she would react?" He said, lightly biting on his long pinkie nail as a wider grin curled his lips up, "en garde, destiny."
Jackie picked up the pace, hurrying back to the place she left the man. Bringing him to the village would be the best thing to do. He's very hurt but how was she going to drag him all the way there? Maybe she would check to ensure he was well before hurrying back to the village for help? As she approached the spot she left him in there was no trace of him. Her eyes widened in surprise, searching the area before looking up into the woods for him.
"Weird … hey, you still around here? Need a place to stay? There's a village not far from here." Jackie called out, scanning the woods and looking around on the grass for tracks to see if an animal could have dragged him away. She didn't see any paw prints of any kind but she didn't see footprints either. It's almost as if they guy just disappeared.
" … the village is just a straight shot down the road if you need it." Jackie called, hesitating before turning around and heading home.
The very next morning was the beginning of the change for the entire town.
Out from the forest and amongst the mist came the witch himself, cheerfully humming and singing eerie tunes of discomfort and misfortune in a language known only to himself. The town was quiet as he flicked his hand, tossing the gates aside with a loud clap of clattering wood before he hopped on inside, twirling and dancing a bit without a care in the world. Villagers who witnessed this quickly fled, fleeing for their lives in fear of the mighty witch.
Without a care in the world the witch began singing a little louder, amused by the villagers covering their ears in fear they would be cursed by his voice when really it was only a lullaby he liked to sing to Jackie whenever she was frightened. He mischievously giggled, recalling her frightened and crying face she only showed during thunderstorms when she was younger. So cute~ it made him eager to see her again and perhaps tease her some more about it.
When he reached the center of town he leaned against the large stake placed in the center. The very same place, in fact, where they had attempted to burn the witch at one point as they had with many other accused 'witches' of the town which hadn't the slightest idea about witchcraft. Ah~ the silliness of humans would never cease to amuse him.
The town's mayor, an overweight and rather unsightly character drew near with his armed and equally scared guards by his side, trying to remain strong and firm in his disposition but the witch knew him much better than that.
"Ah~ such a pleasure to see you again! What has it been, 13 years? 37?" Grim asked, biting his thumbnail while laughing, rather amused the mayor came to see him.
"Why have you broken the trust of your deal? Why are you here, in the village?" He asked rather respectfully while trying to keep his fear out of his voice. The witch had not changed or aged in the slightest bit since last time he had the misfortune of seeing his person.
Grim tilted his head with a wide grin, having far more fun than he should be but not as much as it would be. "It has not been broken by me but by you and that's why I'm here to change the deal, my friend!" The witch madly laughed, holding his gut as he floated back and sat on nothing but thin air while his feet swing back and forth like an impatient child.
"B-Broken? We have done no such thing!" The mayor said, flustered as the townspeople spied on their conversation, too afraid to show their faces but wanting to know what was being spoken.
"Twas you, twas you indeed who broke the chain and now I come to change the game!" Grim madly howled with laughter at the sing-song rhyme, spinning around restlessly in the air only a few feet above the ground with a firm grasp on his tall staff.
For a long time this maddening circle of tongues continued, making the mayor only more and more frustrated before he snapped at the witch.
"If you desire something different then you must say outright what it is!"
"Oh? OH?" He asked with a dangerous glint in his grinning smile as the mayor shrunk back, hiding behind his guards.
"But did the Red Hood not tell you what she has done?" The mayor tried to plead the case.
"Ooh~ that deserves some punishment then." The witch grinned, flipping around slowly before touching the ground with his feet, "from this moment on I desire the Red Hood come to me every other day rather than every week. Am I clear?" The witch asked with a dangerous smile gracing his lips.
"But that is far more than it can be uphold" The mayor tried not to groan or gulp.
"Far easier to uphold than my wrath and distante. Or would you prefer a display of power and curses instead?" The witch grinned.
"N..NO! Well sent the red hood alright," the mayor quickly agreed in fear, "but what offence was played on, I must ask"
"Excellent! " The witch grinned " And you may ask the Red Hood later why I am a tad upset. I will return to my home now and expect her delivery to be swift and just ait normally would."
"B-But we cannot afford to send you goods of such a nature so often! It takes at least a day to reach the others towns and another day for them to deliver their portion of the goods."
"Then if you do not like it, feel free to fend for yourselves against the darker notions of the forest. It would not concern me in the slightest if you or humans of the nearby towns were to be mutilated, your women raped, your children gobbled down by demons, your flesh melted from your bones, your towns burning in ashes … actually, I believe I would be quite amused." He hummed, smiling, "however, I choose to spare you instead through the amusement you share while you are all yet alive. Do you understand what I am saying, Mayor Simon?" He asked with a tilted head and cheeky grin.
"Y-Yes, quite so, witch." He said, grinding his teeth in irrefutable rage at the Red Hood. Whatever it is that she had done she was going to pay dearly for it.
"Excellent! I bid you all aideu, then. Until next time, Mr. Mayor." Grim said with a smile, twisting his staff around and vanishing right before the mayor's eyes before nothing but air remained. The mayor stood trembling where he stood, his face flushed with rage and nails biting into his palms from the force of his clenching fists.
"FETCH THE RED HOOD AND DRAG HER TO THE MAIN HALL!" He shouted to his guards, seeing them snap to attention before two of them raced off to fetch the woman.
No matter where the guards searched, however, they could not find Jacqueline until she returned home with some herbs from the forest. Upon entering her house the guards grabbed her, immediately dragging her off and making her drop the herbs she had collected. The moment she saw the genuine fear in their eyes and their anger, she instinctively knew something was terribly wrong and it involved the witch somehow.
Before she knew it, she stood before the town hall before the town's councillors. Everyone from the town was there sitting in the back of the great hall, waiting to hear the verdict. Why was she being put on trial? She had no idea what was going on and had to admit she was a little scared. They've never done something like this before so what happened? With a reddened, flushed face of anger the mayor stood up and threw a pointed hand in her direction.
"How dare you steal the tribute for the witch!?" The mayor screamed, "we the towns of the forest entrust solely you with delivering goods to the witch and you intentionally steal from us to bring the witch's vengeance upon us?!" He angrily accused as the townspeople began to stand and shout at her, their meanings lost in the roar of voices but their angry intentions clear.
"W-What?" Jackie staggered out, still trying to understand what was going on.
"The witch came himself into this town, something he has not done for decades before today!" He angrily bellowed as the rest of the crowd shouted and agreed, rightfully furious. If the Red Hood's package was delivered incorrectly then the witch, before Jackie was even born, threatened to unleash monsters and horrors against the town. Which, in all honesty, Jackie knew was rubbish but the townspeople's rage blinded them to the witch's common and harmless antics. However, Grim coming to the town and saying something like that put her in a whole lot of trouble.
"H-He did what?" She asked, face paling in horror as her heart dropped into her gut. Was this Grim's passive aggressive revenge on not getting his things? No, no he would not have done something like this knowing what they would do to her!
"Care to give more detail as to why the package was delivered incorrectly?" The judge quickly inquired with a venomous hiss, appearing more calm but his voice held every bit of rage as the others in the room.
"B-But the man was hurt! On the way there I had to take an alternate path to the witch's house and I found an injured traveler. I only used some bandages, gel and food to help him." Jackie explained, trying to make them understand. She had done wrong, she knew that but she could not have predicted this happening to her in response to her helping that man.
"This is garbage, what you say! So the well being of one man outweighs the well being of this village!?" The mayor angrily demanded.
"N-No! Of course not!" Jackie said, beginning to feel trapped and, by extension, suffocated by the high intensity hatred being directly at her.
"You need to correct your mistake before the witch unleashes a curse on us," the judge ordered, giving his sentence, "you are to go to the witch's house with this new tribute and we the town forbid you to return until you have righted your mistake."
Jackie's eyes widened. He … h-he can't possible mean that she needs to take the things to him tonight, does her? But, no, the night, not in the dead of night!
"B-But it's night outside. I'm not going to survive that!" Jackie gapped, feeling true fear set into her heart. Among all the monsters running around the town was the least of her problems. Those monsters wouldn't just kill her; they'd rape her, mutilate her slowly, boil her alive, fillet her and so many horrible awful things-!
"You rotten child, can you not do anything right?!" Her mother raged, staggering inside with an arm around her recent lover and a bottle in the other before she sneered, smacking the bottle into the man's chest and hatefully glaring at Jacqueline. "I'm interrupted on business and I'm told you are trying to bring the witch's wrath down on us?!" She thundered before, in front of everyone, the wild woman grabbed a fistful of Jackie's hair and punched her in the ribs, "I feed you! I clothe you! You're only job is to deliver goods to the witch's house, that is your only duty!" She shouted as Jackie covered her face and took the beating quietly. If she fought back others would join in to restrain her and beat her more. She learned that lesson the hard way years ago.
"Such disgrace, a mistake that should not exist!"
"Such a terrible child, how dare you do this to us?!"
"How shameful to make us stoop to this sort of lowly public beatings to make you understand your mistake!"
"Let us give her to the witch as tribute! Let the witch keep this child of a whore!"
Jackie kept a stiff lip, refusing to show tears and her pain to the animals around her. These townspeople were mad, insane down to the smallest child. Why was she, the Red Hood, the only one subjected to this? When another's child is publicly beaten or humiliated the parents threw a fit but when it is her, only her, they cheer and rejoice in her suffering. How much longer did she have to endure this humiliating disgrace? Her mother kicked her behind the leg but Jackie kept her stance, enduring the attack and concealing her fright.
"That's enough, Ms. Penske!" The mayor ordered, getting down from his seat before grabbing the basket and shoving it into Jackie's beaten arms. His grimy fingers locked around her jaws with enough force to leave bruises as he forced her to look at her. "You're going out into the night to deliver these to him immediately, you understand? You're going to reap what you have sewn!" He shouted, grabbing her by the hair and began dragging her outside. The crowd parted, uttering words of blinded hate as they glared at her, cursed her and mocked her very existence. Her jaw trembled as she grit her teeth. These people, this town, it's disgusting, they're disgusting, all of them!
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Jackie shrieked, ramming her fist into the mayor's side. The town came to a standstill, gritting their teeth and hovering their hands over their weapons and returning her glare with a sneer of their own. With a pained grunt she broke free, dancing away and glaring at him. "You know sending me out there is a death sentence with all those monsters out there!" She shouted, feeling the beginnings of rain spit over the town and, by extension, the forest.
The mayor's expression seethed with rage as he pulled out his hand pistol, startling Jackie but she held firm as he staggered up to her, pressing the nozzle against her chest. Jackie's eyes became dead, staring the man in the eyes as she stepped forward towards him and felt his finger twitch towards the trigger.
"I should kill you here and now, you lowly peasant!" He shouted as Jackie firmly grabbed the nozzle, bringing it up. The people watched, breathless as she set it instead to her forehead.
"Killing me would be a mercy at this point." She said with honest eyes, staring without the slightest bit of deviation. She was simply done. If he killed her now … if he killed her now, she wouldn't care. She'd be embraced by the eternal sleep of death and, oddly, that sounded like the most beautiful thing she could ever hope for. What more of a future did she have if not more of this abuse and torture? She was treated more like a dog than a human being. The mayor's eyes widened, taken off guard but he remained firm, looking hesitant compared to Jackie's cold and solemn gaze piercing right through him. He cocked the back of the gun, looking more sure now as Jackie held completely still for him.
"Go on then, kill her! She's a disgusting presence that needs to be purged from this town!" Someone shouted from the crowd before the crowd burst into an uproar.
"Don't kill her! Who then would take the basket to the witch? One of our children instead?"
"Blast her brains all the dirt! She's begging for it like a whore on her knees!"
"Enough of this madness! The children are watching!"
"Shoot her and then burn her corpse at the stake! That witch has infected her!"
"She does not deserve that kind of mercy! Feed her to the beasts of the forest!"
More words from the crowd were heard, none in her favor, were all revolting between sending her off to be killed or killing her right there and then. Why did they hate her so? She didn't know. Tears did not shimmer, nor did she move. This hell, this place, this horror … ending it sounded better and better by the moment.
"I wonder who the next victim will be for the town's hate." Jackeline said, searching his eyes almost pleadingly. The mayor's hand began to shake as his adam's apple bobbed from a nervous gulp. This gluttonous pig did not have what it took to kill her.
"What are you waiting for, put her down like the dog she is!" Jackie's own mother screamed. Her words did not affect Jackie's numb emotions. She simply … just could not go on like this any longer. And now that she had the choice to end it she would accept it.
With a gnashing of his teeth the mayor Simon brought his pistol to the side and bashed her across the cheek, making her stumble back as he stepped over her with the gun once again with a crazed smile cracking over his lips.
"The people have spoken, daughter of the whore." He said as he put pressure on the trigger. Jackie's eyes remained open, staring the coward in the eyes and never flinching. All of this … all of this hell on Earth was about to end. And right now, in that moment, she accepted that sort of end with pleasant smile gracing her face.
A monstrous howl startled the people into complete silence as her head snapped towards the gates, listening to the frighteningly close proximity of the roar as the rain began to come down harder. The gun slipped from the mayor's shaking hands as he staggered back, all of the town listening to something large lumbering and snarling outside the walls of spiked tree trucks.
The women and children started screaming before they huddle together in the middle of the great hall, the mothers hugging their children protectively and the fathers getting out their weapons and began shouting orders to the crowd. No matter what they did to try and quiet them they continued to scream in horror.
"The great witch is angry-!"
"It's the girl he wants, she caused all of this!"
"He sent a demon after us! Quickly, let us throw her out and satisfy his craving for revenge!"
People screamed as the guards grabbed Jackie and the basket. She gasped, startled as they began dragging her towards the gates. Soft breathes became loud and ragged, the fear and adrenaline setting in thickly in her bloody before they threw her to the ground through the cracked opening in the wall with the basket.
"No, no don't leave me out here!" She screamed, trying to dive back inside but the guards held her off with spears at their ready and keeping her at bay. "MURDERERS!" She shrieked, watching the light of the town shut away behind the doors, leaving her alone and defenseless in the woods.
She was going to die out in the woods with whatever that demon was out here. Jackie was scared to death. All of the monsters that roamed the forest came out at night to hunt the likes of humans. She knew this to be true because of the stories of horrors travelers would tell. Every sort of monster was in this forest but not wolves; those were the only predators they did not have but there was truly a monstrous wolf out here now desiring the flesh of man. She … she was not allowed the mercy of dying peacefully. No, she was going to be killed in the most horrid of ways.
From above the guardsmen threw stones at her, forcing her back as she tried to shield herself from the heavy stones. She was left out here to be ripped apart by the monsters lurking in the forests. No, not monsters. Beasts who run on instinct. Monsters were aware of their hideous actions and these townspeople were most assuredly the true monsters.
The witch's house … come to the witch's house, Jackie. A voice reverberated through her mind as her eyes widened. She would survive this night if she could just make it to Grim's house. With a small, pleading cry of fear and desperation she grabbed the basket, taking off running into the night as the storm began to pick up and ravage the landscape.
The moving shadows at every turn presented a beast in one form or another lying in weight for unsuspecting prey. Jackie breathed loud and fast, desperately sprinting as fast as she could across the wide road. The road was dangerous but the forests were deadly. While the road was an open space the forest was where predatory beasts lay. Her lungs soon began to burn, the freezing wind whipping against her legs and leaving chills all through her body.
After over 3 hours of running she collapsed to a stop, wheezing with her staggering breath. So close, she was so close now! Her legs trembled so terribly that with her next step she faltered to the ground, trying to rasp in enough air for her aching head. So close, she was so close-!
A massive groaning of trees made her breath stagger and eyes widen in fright, scared to death as she looked back and saw a large hand reaching for her. She screamed and darted out of its reach, dropping the basket as she headed for the trees. A troll, that was the troll that left the footprint from before, it had to be.
"I got it, I got it!" Another shouted as it sprung up from the ground, startling her as it managed to grab her back leg and lifted her into the air. Her hand shot down, unlatching the buckle to her dagger but it fell from its sheath. With wide eyes she stretched to catch the bladed end but it eluded her grasp, falling to the ground as he was held up between the two large trolls like a trophy. The stench alone made her stomach churn but what frightened her the most was the unspeakable horrors she could only imagine what they were going to do to her. She knew what trolls did to people; cooked them alive, skinned them, gutted them, drowned them in boiling soup … this was not going to be a quick death. It was going to be long and painful if she did not think of a way to get free.
"Let go, let go of me!" Jackie screamed, pounding on the troll's fist as it laughed, shaking her a little bit and giving her whiplash. The other crouched down and poked her head to force her to turn towards it with an unnatural twisting of her spine.
"It's too cold a night. Good for a boiling soup," the troll said while it appreciated its prey.
"No no, let's just eat her raw! Cooking takes all the fun out of this!" The other complained, lifting her away from the other one as if it was a game of keepaway. She desperately grabbed onto a branch, trying to break off a splintered end to stab the monster but the jerking around made her cold and blistered fingers lose their grip.
"No. When you get eat them raw you always take the bigger part." The other accused with a snarl.
"Well what are we doing just standing around arguing like this? Grab a leg and the one with the largest piece gets to eat it!" The troll laughed, swinging her around with her free leg in the other's direction. As the beast reached for her she tucked her leg in, kicking its hand as hard as she could before a hand enveloped her head, blinding her and putting pressure around her skull before she felt the hot, calloused fingers of the troll grasp her calf. They both stood away from one another with Jackie in the center, her legs taut and stretched in a perfect split as she began to heave with tears budding in her eyes. This was how she was to die, being ripped apart by trolls. The stretching agony in her pelvic bones was enough to make her scream in agony but she held it in, refusing to give these creatures the satisfaction of her useless shrieking before fear overtook her pride.
"No, no! Let me go! I have goods to deliver to the witch!" Jackie screamed, pounding against one of their fat fingers before the pressure greatened. It hurt, it hurts-! Bones began to shift and ligaments strain from their pressure, evoking a powerful and fright fraught scream from her throat. "JUST HURRY UP AND KILL ME IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT!" She screamed at them, angry at her fate those villagers sent her to. She was dead either way so she might as well beg for a fast one.
"Such a noisy one, she is. I'm not letting you get the bigger half." The bald one smirked, very slowly pulling on her leg.
"Fast will get you nothing but a leg! It needs to be slow." The other gleefully laughed as they both slowly began applying pressure. No, no-! Before, she welcomed death by her own choice, but here in the face of heartless beasts and immeasurable pain she desperately wanted to be free. She could not explain the difference between dying at the town and here now. It was not because she was going to die painfully. Her sudden desperation to live was not because she knew her bones would be used as toothpicks after these trolls were done ripping the flesh off her body.
She simply could no longer take having her fate be in the hands of others who so carelessly handled her future and bound her to their own selfish desires.
A sharp, barking roar made them pause as they looked over towards the forest.
Jackie clawed at the air, feeling their grasps loosen as she wormed and wriggled just before she too froze. Why had they suddenly stopped?
At the corner of the opening stood a massive white wolf, eyes a burning crimson and muzzle stuck in a permanent snarl. Her heart skipped a beat, knowing this was the monster that had to have howled outside the town. Was it here to steal the prey from the trolls? The only human unfortunate enough to be out on a night like this?
"Hey … something off 'bout that wolf." One of them said, tilting its head as Jackie shakily exhaled, seeing the wolf's eyes lock onto her sights. It knew its prey was here in the grasp of two giant trolls. The wolf's ravenous eyes … it made her heart drop into her stomach. No matter how this played out she was going to die. Most likely to the trolls but if she was to escape during the frenzy, the wolf would assuredly finish her off and outrun the trolls.
Jackie tried to worm free again, unable to understand why they froze up like this. Can't they just kill the wolf like what they were about to do to her? Though monstrous in size it was still a wolf, a mere wild beast compared to these trolls.
With a snapping bark from the wolf the troll let out a scream, both of them dropping Jackie hard over the ground as she rolled with the momentum. The white wolf bit right through the troll's arm so it hung to its elbow by a few stringy tendons, the blood spraying over the ground like a harsh rain. The other troll tried grabbing the wolf's tail but the wolf turned around and ripped away the trolls hand while Jackie staggered to her feet, grabbing Grim's basket before sorely running towards Grim's house and leaving the fighting creatures to their bloody encounter behind.
Those trolls almost split her and now there was the wolf. The agonizing pain in Jackie's hips and legs made her falter to the ground, giving in to the incomprehensible agony. She could no longer physically bare to take another step. Her breath stuck in her throat as something pressed between her shoulder blades, making her entire frame tremble in horror as she looked back and saw the muzzle of the dog. With a small cry of fear she covered her head, breathing fast and hard in fright as it pawed at her back, pressing it's sinister cold nose against her neck and began sniffing her. Its teeth grazed her skin, making her just about lose it as she held completely still, pained by the injuries she sustained by the trolls. It … was all too much. The fear, the pain, the horror of the looming white wolf … it was too much for her.
Jackie's exhaustion caught up to her as she fell limp against the ground, her heart unable to take the terror. She was so close to getting away … but maybe now she could enjoy the embrace of death, faster between the wolf's fangs than in the troll's hands. Her eyes slid shut, accepting her fate and giving in to the darkness that eagerly dragged her deep into its depths.
Jackie woke with a start, breathing hard as she looked around the path, surprised to find herself on the side of the road. She … was alive? But how? Her teeth chattered, digits freezing as she shakily stood up, feeling a layer of clothing fall to the ground. She looked down and was startled to see the forest green trench coat of the stranger she had helped earlier over her. Now that she was looking around she realized she was in the same spot she had found the stranger, roughly ten minutes from Grim's house.
She hardly had time to process this before she quickly picked up the jacket, brushing off the dirt and mud the best she could before hugging it closer and feeling the remaining warm glow from the fabric. Did the traveler see her and help drag her to safety while those trolls killed the wolf? It was the only explanation she could think of and she would be eternally grateful to that man. The aching in her hips and legs were still proof of what happened. She was nearly killed by those trolls and that horrifying white wolf. She looked around, unable to see anyone around. No trolls, no wolf and no stranger either.
"O-Oh-kay … okay … alright." Jackie shakily to herself, nodding and letting herself absorb the situation. She was cast out by the town, left to die in the woods by those heartless monsters. She was nearly ripped apart by giant, man eating trolls and a wolf too. The thought of the wolf somehow terrified her more than anything. And why was this all happening? This was all happening because of her blind eye of a different color that made her look different. If only she was not born with it she would not have been cursed to a life like this. She wasn't living; she was surviving. And what kind of life was that? The life of a slave, even to her own mother.
All of this … that witch, that stupid Grim, he did this, he released that demon to the forest! Jackie's head snapped up, a murderous strain to her jaw as she wobbled to her feet and began making an angry run for his house. Grim, that witch, that witch Grim, he did this, all of this-! In the back of her mind she knew this was terribly irrational thinking on her part. That it was not his fault; it was hers. Allowing her raging emotions to take hold of her scarred and aching heart she shoved all the rational thoughts of her mind into the back of her subconscious. Grim was a dead witch.
As soon as she arrived to the witch's house, and despite the pain she felt, Jackie gripped the posts in front of his door before literally kicking the brittle door in and making her way inside with all her rage.
"GRIM!" She roared in a seething hatred as she stood in the doorway, sopping wet and heavily breathing, covered in dirt, forest leaves and scratches.
"Oh ho~ someone doesn't sound happy," The aforementioned witch said, poking his head out from the kitchen with a cutesy smile as the basket came flying at his face. He easily ducked down and caught the basket instead, his smile remaining as he set the basket on the table with a happy hum.
"You scum for a non-human being! You, you-!" She screamed, unable to think of anything worse to call him to get across her unyielding anger for the witch, "why would you curse us, you vile, stupid witch! I told you I would bring the supplies in a few days!" She screamed, barely resisting the urge to strangle the witch. Grim laughed, amused as he shrugged.
"I don't understand why you are so angry with me, Ms. Jacqueline. I had nothing to do with this storm. It is a natural occurrence to get storms every so often, no?" He said with a cheeky smile as he approached. Jackie's sanity visibly snapped as she dropped the trench coat and her own red hood towards the floor in the same move. Grim stood still, smiling brightly and knowing what was to come.
Oh yes, she was going to strangle him alright.
"LIAR!" She accused before tackling the man over and squeezing her small hands around his neck as he hysterically laughed, thoroughly enjoying her half hearted attempt to kill him.
"Oh, my dear, if only you could see how broken you've become. Your angry expression is so delightful !" He said with a laugh, feeling her fingers only hold his neck but not go so far as to strangle him. He looked her in the eyes, softly smiling as he saw her eyes tearing over with a faint jerk of a sob in her chest. She was beginning to break down from the weight of the world weighing too heavily on her bent spine, " … tears are not a weakness. They are simply a sign of someone who has been far too strong for far too long," he gently reassured, cupping her cheek and wiping a tear away with his thumb.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as she thumped her head against his chest, shaking with sobs. She was tired. She was scared, wet, cold and hungry. She almost died not once, but twice tonight. The first by the village she has served dutifully for countless years and the second by those trolls in the forest. And that was not even including the wolf.
"I was so scared, Grim … I am still so, so terrified-!" She hiccuped, crying into his dark clothes as Grim pet her slick wet hair with a soft and caring touch. She didn't care of his touches were not genuine. She did not care if they were fake. No matter what happened this witch, Grim, had been there for her through everything. And admittedly, though their meetings were often but brief, she felt a strong connection to him. A witch, of all people. Yes, rejected by all people, she felt her kinship with the witch to be the strongest. As pathetic as that sounded she could not put another word to it than daring to go so far as to say she almost thought of him as a father. Of course she would die sooner she would tell anyone that but that was what she felt; and she was pretty sure the witch knew that as well.
"It's alright, my dear. Cry as much as you'd like," he gently soothed, sitting up and hugging her closely, "I'm surprised to see you out here in the dead of night; I suppose the townspeople truly have lost their wits, haven't they?" He mused, drawing her hair back and affectionately kissing her forehead. Despite him telling them he wanted the package promptly, even he was mildly amused that they sent her out during a storm such as this during the night. Oh well, at least he was able to see her cute and crying expression.
"T-They only did so b-because you sent a demon after them." She shakily breathed, hardly done with crying. If anything this was just the beginning and both of them knew that.
"I sent no demon." He said, rocking back and forth slightly while rubbing her back.
" … b-but if you didn't send that wolf, why-?!" she started before he pressed her head against his shoulder and softly shushed her.
"Shh, my dear Red Hood. It was not me but rest assured, you are safe here. The ribbons on the trees repel the monsters of the forest and do not allow them to draw near," he said, giving a firm squish in the hug, "feel free to rest the night here. Nighttime is deadly even for I to go walking about," he said before shuffling his arms around.
Jackie leaned back, surprised as she stood up with her and picked her up. She stayed quiet, trying to stifle her sobs as he entered his living room and laid her in a string hammock that curled around her body and hugged her form. The threads somehow felt warm and inviting as she laid still, allowing herself to be coiled up by the netting like a protective cocoon. It was admittedly the safest she had felt in a very, very long time.
"...thanks," she weakly mumbled before resting her head with an exhausted sigh. The snap of his fingers brought the crackling of fire as she cracked her eyes open, finding the fireplace blazing brightly and her clothes hanging on a line near the fire. At this point she could care less that he changed her with his magic. She only wanted to sleep. A nice, long, never ending and dreamless sleep.
He whispered words in a deep, hypnotic fashion as the pain in her body lessened, her fatigue fading away with her consciousness. She was hurt and in pain, both physically and mentally. What broke her spirits the most, however, was the fact she was going to have to wake up and return once the storm has passed. Back to that hateful village … the village of nightmares … a soft cry slipped past her lips as she painfully stretched her legs, feeling the aching in her joints as Grim's hand pressed through the netting and against her head.
"Hear me, little woman who plays the role of the Red Hood. I am not ungrateful for your role as a mule for that cowardly and superstitious town. I thank you for your continued services," he says, kissing her head through the warm threads but she had already fallen asleep thanks to his harmless spell. His smile softened as he sat beside her, infusing the threads with direct energy essence before letting the small healing pod recycle it's warm energy through her body. She was so cute continuing to work for the village, never thinking of actually leaving that ghastly place.
"But all of that is soon to change … be prepared, Red Hood, for this is only the beginning of what's to come." He whispered into her ear with a small added spell, watching her lip slightly twitch into a smile from the calming and lucid dream prancing around in her head. He mischievously snickered and returned to his kitchen, boiling some snake eyes and adding grinded scales of a newt to reveal the form of a white wolf ghosting through the forest, lost and confused in this new place whilst being unable to leave. "Ah~ so cute. I can't wait to have him as a pet." He hummed, tapping his finger against the water to cause ripples through the stew. Grim paused as he saw the wolf freeze, tense and alert before looking back at him. Eyes wide and focused on the wolf Grim watched it shift into an apparition of sorts before lunging at the water with jaws wide open.
"Whoopsie~," Grim sang, slamming the metal lid on top of the stew and breaking the spell. He mischievously giggled, getting giddy, "Hee, hee heeheehee~! I can't wait!" He joyfully cried out, clapping his hands together, "I want to check on the others too." He said, tossing the lid off and snapping his fingers as a few other orbs of water floated into the air. The watery bubbles glowed and shifted, revealing the other players that would soon join this game. His grin widened, showing off his white teeth as he very darkly laughed, his voice becoming much deeper in his excitement.
"I can't wait for the fun to truly begin in this little game of mine."
I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! 5 REVIEWS to see what happens next~! x3