"You get back in this house this instant!" The voice behind her yelled. Turning about, ebony hair whipped her face before falling past her shoulder as hazel eyes glared at the old woman who shouted at her. Rose Red stared at her Granny, noting ever wrinkle upon her face wondering if her Granny had always been this old. Clutching her red cape around her tighter she stood her ground.
"No! I'm done with this Granny! I want to explore the woods!" In truth Rose knew she sounded like a child but it didn't matter. Having been cooped up in her Granny's house since her parents death she was ready for some freedom.
"Rose Red, you get back in the house this instant!" Granny yelled again, crossing her arms as she stared at her wild child. Ever since she had hit her teenage years she longed to be free from the house in the woods. Granny had tried everything to keep the girl happy and in the house as the woods in the land of Riamh tar éis were full of dangers and vile creatures. However, the old woman's pleas did nothing to stop the young woman's desires.
"No!" With that she threw a nap stack over her red cape cover shoulder and turned away. Her feet carried her down the path to the woods as Granny's pleas fell on deaf ears. With each step Rose felt more and more confident as the house became smaller and smaller. Soon the only thing she could see behind her were trees. The sounds of the forest filled her ears as she continued along the path, enjoying her sense of freedom. And she knew of one thing that could make sure that freedom last her whole life.
"Well, well, well what have we here?" Turning her hazel eyes caught sight of a man leaning against the tree. Rose knew that she couldn't call him a man as she studied him further. His skin, it was the color of gold dust that she had seen once when she was child. Her hazel eyes were held by his own chocolate ones, as if he were judging her and finding her lacking. His black vest gleamed in the sunlight causing the red of his tunic and pants to stand out even more.
"Rumpelstilskin…" She breathed out. A crooked and wicked smirk covered his face as she said his name.
"Ah if it isn't little Rose Red. Shouldn't be out in the woods alone Red." Rose recoiled as Rumpelstilskin's face was now inches from her own. Out of instinct she pressed a dagger against his stomach. Looking down he let out a wicked cackle before dancing around her.
"Oh the kitten's got claws. Now dearie, why are you in my woods? Best scamper back to that Granny of yours before you get hurt." Rumpelstilskin made a shooing motion with his hand. Rose Red bristled at this before speaking.
"And if I came to make a bargain with you?" She asked, crossing her arms still holding the dagger tightly. He raised an eyebrow and spoke again.
"Oh? What could little Rose Red want with me, hmm?" The crooked grin had returned to the golden skinned imp's face. The next words seemed to stop time itself.
"I want my freedom." The sentence hung in the air before Rumpelstilskin cackled holding his sides briefly and wiping away a fake tear.
"Ah but you're free as a lark dearie. What need have you for freedom?" He asked sarcastically, a calloused hand stroking her face. Rose recoiled in disgust barely surpressing the urge to stab him and just settled on shuddering instead.
"I'm not free. I'm bound to my Granny and her rules. I want to live my own life and do it by my terms not hers. But maybe your magic isn't strong enough." She taunted. Within a few seconds after issuing those words Rose found herself forced back into a tree, Rumpekstilskin's hand clamped tightly around her neck cutting off her air. The look of rage in his eyes paralyzed her as fear gripped her limbs.
"My magic not strong enough?" He growled before speaking in a low, angry tone. " My magic is far more powerful than a prattling child like you could understand." She felt her body sprawl onto the ground as he tossed her there. Glaring at him, she pushed herself up on the palms of her hands, trying to control her fear. Rumpelstilskin tilted his head at her form before holding a hand out to her.
"Well, now dearie, I believe you said that you wanted a deal?" She nodded trying to contain her excitement. "But are you sure? After all, all magic comes with a price." He placed an emphasis on the last word making it weigh on her mind. However, she pushed it out of her mind and stared at him.
"Name your price and I'll pay it." Rose stated flinching a bit as a contract appeared with a loud pop along with a quill.
"My price, well I'll collect that late Red. All you have to do is sign on the dotted line and then you are free. " She reached out for the quill and quickly signed her name, not noticing Rumpelstilskin's smirk turn into an evil small.
"Excellent, " snapping his fingers the contract disappeared and turned into a small vial that hummed and glowed a dark green color. "Drink this and under the light of the full moon tonight you'll gain your freedom." With that he disappeared back into the forest vanishing as quickly as he had appeared. Holding the vial in her hand, Rose marveled at how it pulsed and hummed in her palm. Looking behind her she noticed that the sun had almost set and downed the potion. She coughed at the vile taste, wiping her lips with the back of her ungloved hand. As she wrapped her cloak around her tighter, her feet began to carry her back to the cottage. As the moon began to show, she felt her body get hotter and hotter. Rose attempted to remove her cape when a pain greater than any she had ever felt in her life. Falling to her knees, she screamed and felt her bones pop and muscles twist as her screams morphed into howls at the moon.
The next morning, she awoke in Granny's house, in her cape and shredded shirt and skirt and very confused. Slowly Rose pulled herself out of bed upon weak knees, clutching the frame of her bed for support. A pounding headache was making her sick to her stomach as she carried herself into the wash room. Looking into the mirror, she felt her heart seize as she stared at her reflection. Dark red blood covered her face from the tip of her right eye to the edge of her chin. Her breath came out in short gasps as she noticed her hands were covered in blood as well.
"Granny!" She screamed running through the house to her grandmother's room and was met with a sight of carnage. Rose felt her knees give way as she held her mouth open in a silent scream.
"There now, what a lovely payment you've given me. Human sacrifice is such a wondrous gift. " Whipping her head around she saw Rumplestilskin leaning against the door frame that seemed to have deep claw like marks in it.
"What-I don't-" Rose could barely form the words through her tears. Rumpelstilskin just looked at her before smirking at her.
"Aww how precious. You don't remember. Well then let me jog your memory. I think you howled at the moon first." Her heart began to hammer against her rib cage as the memories began to flood back to her. The feeling of her now fur covered limbs as she sped through the forest, her ears twitching at the top of her head while her tail wagged as she ran. And the hunger…the hunger that screamed for flesh. And the only thing that had been close by was her-Rose's eyes widened and she retched up her stomach on the floor.
"Ah tell me how did Granny taste?" The voice behind her asked in sick glee.
"Shut up, I'll murder you!" She roared , feeling her body start to change. An unseen force knocked her down as he knelt down cooing at her.
"Ah ah ah not so fast Rosy. Don't you remember, all magic comes with a price?" Thudding feet interrupted their conversation, causing the magic dealer to cackle in glee.
"Ah my dear Queen, here she is the wolf girl." Rose looked up to see an imposing woman in a black bodice style shirt with tight black pants and boots. An outer black coat lined with silver and ebony hair pulled into a high ponytail. A single narrow eyebrow was raised at her.
"This is what you promised me Rumpelstilskin? I find it hard to believe that this girl responsible for all this." The polish voice of the Queen said as she stared at her. Rose growled and lunged at Queen, feeling the fur cover her skin once more before begin harshly knocked down with a yelp of pain.
"And do you think I would disappoint you like that dearie? No no, now I want information on that miller girl that ran from her end of the deal." Looking up she found herself held under a boot of a guard watching the exchange between the imp and the woman. Reaching into the strap of her bodice style shirt, the woman held out a piece of paper.
"Here, now be off with you." The queen ordered causing Rumpelstilskin to take a bow.
"Again, always pleasure doing business with you desperate souls. " He said before disappearing into thin air. Rose shuddered as the Queen turned her attention to her.
"I think you'll make an excellent pet for me to unleash on Snow White. Take her to the training grounds." The Queen ordered leaving the room. As the soldiers dragged her away the hood of her cape fell over her face, hiding the tears of shame that fell upon the ground
And the mother said to the girl in the little red hood, "do not stray from the path my dear one for you do not know what wicked creatures lie in the forest, waiting to eat you whole."
I blame Tumblr for this. I was reading somewhere about how Red Riding Hood might be a werewolf and under The Evil Queen's thumb or something like that made this…I might add onto it but for now it's a one shot as I have other things to catch up on.