Red riding hood

AN: Red riding hood is, and will always be one of my favorite fairy tales. I really liked the idea of this "version" of the story and I hope you guys will too :).

Red stared into the wolf's eyes. They were so beautiful, so dangerously beautiful.

This feeling she had, the paralyzing feeling of slowly dying, was it fear? How had it come to this, how came it that she was afraid?

Ever since she was a child, she'd been the bravest. She hadn't been afraid of anything, not even the things she was supposed to be afraid of. Many times she'd done the things no one else would do; climbing up in the highest tree to help a cat. Swimming over the little lake near the village that was hunted by water-spirits. The grown-ups would stop her, skoulding her for taking risks like that. They didn't understand, no one did though, not even her few friends did. They were afraid. The only one who'd understood her was her father. He'd been just the same, brave, fearless, reckless. When he died on one of his many adventures, no one was surprised. Red hadn't thought someone could die of a broken heart, but her mother did it anyway. Leaving her. Now she just had grandma and it was just a matter of time until she would leave her too. Just a matter of time… What wasn't that? It was just a matter of time until everyone died. It wouldn't take that long in her case if she kept going like this. Being brave, fearless, reckless.

When grandma got sick she started to bring her food and medicine. Who else would? No one from the village wanted to go near the forest. They say bad things live there. The ones who dare go in never come out. She'd been in the forest six times and returned. This was her seventh, and probably her last. That was what those beautiful eyes told her too.

"What are you doing all alone in the forest my dear?" the wolf asked with a dark smooth voice, sending shivers up her spine.

"I'm just out on a little walk. It's so beautiful and peaceful here." she said in a casual tone.

Bad lie

She bit her lower lip. She knew wolves could sense fear. She didn't care, she was too proud to show a weak expression as fear. Besides, Red taught, if she ignored the fear, maybe it would disappear.

"Oh really?" The wolf seemed to grin at her. Showing of his white sharp teeth. "Most people don't even go near this forest and you are just out on a little walk?"

"Yes" she said, still in a calm voice. She thanked god for being a good actress.

"I wonder if you're brave or just stupid. No, reckless is the word, yes reckless! Whats your name dear?"

"Most people call me Red." It was true. Everyone except her mother called her Red. Her father too. She didn't remember when she started calling her self that.

"I can see why." She was sure now, the wolf was definitely grinning at her. She got angry, why did he grin at her? That smug grin made her nervous.

"How observant of you." The moment she said it she regretted it. Not showing fear was one thing, being sarcastic in a situation like this another. But it was kind of obvious. The wine red riding hood she always wore had been a gift from her mother and the reason for her nickname.

"Sharp-tongued are we? the wolf asked with a tone of amusement.

"Arrogant are we?" She had to play the card she laid. She couldn't back down now.

Reckless

"You haven't answered my question yet, at least not properly; why are you here?"

"As I said, I'm just taking a little walk in the forest." She couldn't tell him about grandma, that would be too kill her.

"Then where are you going" He took a step closer, then another.

Red took a little step back, barely noticeable, barely. She was sure that he'd noticed, because he kept coming closer. She made herself stop. There was no point in running, she knew that. She knew he knew that. Her only chance was too wait, wait and see if he would let her go. If he would.

"I'll go where my legs take me" she said, trying to get back her calm.

"Then why the medisin?" the wolves voice was mocking and a little triumphant. "A healthy child like you surely doesn't need that…"

The wolf stood right in front of her now. He was bigger than she thought, bigger than other wolves she'd seen. Unnaturally big. Too big. Eyes, ears, mouth everything was too big. She was sure he could see her slightest move, hear her slightest noise, smell every sweat-drop on her back. He could tell if she lied, she had to tell him the truth.

"It's for my grandmother, she is sick so I take care of her." she said in a small voice.

"See, that wasn't that hard wasn't it?" the false empathy in his voice made her sick. "Where lives your grandma?" He said it so casually, like it wasn't anything special, like he didn't want her to kill her own grandmother.

He started to to circle around her, so close she could smell him. The smell of dead meat and dried blood filled her nose and spread like a drug spreading through her, making her weak.

She was doomed. She didn't want to die. She was afraid. Afraid of the wolf before her, afraid of death, afraid, afraid, afraid! She didn't want to die! She could tell him. Grandma would die soon anyway, yes, to tell him was the best thing to do right? Better that one of them died than both of them right?

"She lives in a glade not far from here." she whispered faintly.

"Show me." Those words, so easily spoken, so soft but commanding, made something break inside of Red. Something that never should be broken.

She started walking. She didn't feel it anymore, the fear. It almost made her laugh, almost. She stopped when they came to the glade. She pointed to the little house in the middle of it and said; "There."

"I have no hands, open the door for me dear." Red didn't hesitate, she opened the door for the wolf.

She didn't feel anything when she heard the screams. She didn't feel anything when the wolf came out of the house with bloodstained mouth.

As the wolf started to walk into the trees again, she followed. She understood now; she hadn't been afraid of the wolf, that moment when she stared into his eyes. She had been afraid of what she would do.

The wolf didn't bother to hide the smug smile creeping up his face when he heard her footsteps beside his. They both knew that it just had been a matter of time from the moment she stared into his eyes. Those dangerously beautiful eyes.

Reckless

AN: So, what did you think? Did you like this horror version of Red riding hood? Please review.

Edit: I accidentally changed the cover-image and I don't know how to change back.. If someone of you guys know, please tell me!

StG