(Random villager POV)

Maybe she wore red to hide her face,

Maybe she wore red because it was special,

Or…maybe she wore red because that was the last thing Fang gave her before he died.

(Narrator)

Max lived in a small village surrounded by the woods, where tool makers could be heard, the blade cutting across metal to be sharpened. The pigs squealing, donkeys pouncing, sheep being herded. The village, it was so closed in to make it feel so safe…and yet she felt so closed in and scared. Her small town left no room to roam, the gates were always closed off. The brown dull small fragile and weak houses, broken brown dull trees made the village look frightening and uninviting to anyone. The chilly, gray sky and weather added to the sickly tedious village. Max's red cloak was the only one who shined of bright color in Suphera Village. She would escape the gate, and pick berries, or sometimes travel along the riverbank collecting water, or her favorite thing to do, beyond the crookedness of Suphera, watch the birds, and their majestic wings take flight. She loved how they jumped off the branch and waded in to the air current, flying effortlessly South into the warm weather, where they could get away the mountains that lied afar from Suphera. If only she could have wings and fly away from the terrible wrath of the village and her father, to be able to have no boundaries, to not be so closed in like a bird trapped in a small cage, just there for show, for days doing the same thing in her dreary village. It was her favorite thing to do, watch the birds, if only Fang had been there. He had encouraged her to be outside the gate to feel the open air, the sight of the birds to calm her down. She lied down on the smooth, thick blanket of grass beside the river, having escaped her village, watching the birds, she was no longer happy, never smiled, never heard the joyous laugh, filled with ringing bells of Fang. She reached her hand out and smoothed the spot of grass where Fang used to lie. Right next to her, never leaving her side. But now he had gone, and she no longer felt safe, and warm. Just cold and empty.

She could almost see Fang beside her in a shadow right next to her, smiling. She was shocked and reached out to grab the figure of shape next to her, hold on to him and never let him go. Her hands just found air and rather than seeing the shadow of fang, just saw the endless valley of green grass. Perhaps she's seeing things, her thoughts were constantly on Fang, all of the time, it brought tears to her eyes that the one person who could hold her close and make her feel safe from the world or oblivious to her actions was now gone and never coming back. She closed her eyes and let the sound of the river take her previous thoughts away. With Fang being gone and her only hope she was stuck. Stuck inside her worst nightmare.

(Max's POV)

People in Suphera called me the girl in the red. I guess it's a suitable name for me, I always where it, for it's the thing that Fang gave me before he died. He told me to never take it off, and to always be careful and safe. I still don't know why he wanted me to always where it and I never will, but no matter what I will never take it off.

Flashback (Max's POV)

It was the perfect summer day and Fang and I were out in the valley next to the rushing water of the river, dangling our feet into the water. It was my birthday and Fang had brought me a present in a silver box tied with satin ribbon.

"Happy Birthday Max." Fang said in his deep, dark, husky voice, that never got tiring due to the fact that he barely talked. He grabbed the box from beside him and gave it to me.

"Really Fang, you didn't have to get me anything" He rolled his eyes knowing I was one that never really wanted any presents or gifts.

"Think of it as an offering from me to you." I smiled up at him into his dazzling almost black, marble eyes. I untied the satin ribbon and took off the top of the box and a silky red shone through. I picked up the silky cloth and held it up, it was a magnificent red cloak. In this village, it was very expensive to buy red cloth and boy is it very hard to find.

"Fang, it's beautiful! How on earth did you get this, and why would you buy something so expensive for me?" Fang smirked.

"Because Max, you're special and I didn't buy it. It was passed down from my great grandmother to her daughter and then down to my mom. This is for you Max, you're the next one. It'll keep you safe, whenever your in danger. Remember that." I was a bit confused when he said I was the next one but I brushed it off. He then took the cloak and put it on me. I looked down at the cloak, It was beautiful.

"It's beautiful, thank you so much Fang" he smirked.

"my pleasure" I smiled and once again got lost in his beautiful obsidian eyes.

Max's POV (end of flashback)

It was getting late so I decided to go home to my village. I got through a special spot I had dug in the gate to help me get in and out and went through it. The glowing orange like moon was the only light I had in this village at night. I made my way through the thick bark on the ground and found my cottage. I went inside to see my mother waiting at the door with her arms crossed across her chest, waiting impatiently, tapping her foot.

"Where have you been? It's past midnight! You better have not been messing around young lady." My mom was quite strict when it came to time.

"I was just out getting the food for the cattle." I lied quickly stepping my way beside her, went into my room and briskly hung the cloak on the coat rack.

"You shouldn't be out that late again!" I hopped into bed and pulled my quilt on top of me and laid down on my hard bed putting my head softly down on the pillow.