Red The Hunter

A story we've heard before

I watched as the sun dipped behind the rolling hills of the south, a feeling of dread pooled in my stomach making me shiver in the warmth of the setting summer sun.

This was bad.

I tugged at my old red hood, wrapping it tightly around my body with one hand whilst picking up the woven basked with the other before turning back to the forest path. If I were to make it back to Grandma's before the full moon was out, I would have to leg it most of the way there.

I jogged down the road, praying that the last of the sun rays would protect me from whatever was lurking in the woods.

"If you down to the woods at night, you're in for a big surprise" my Grans old singsong voice crept into my uneasy mind, the tune came from one of those old nursery rhymes she loved to sing to me, one about bears and picnics. It was a ridiculous song if you ask me. What bear would go through pain of making a picnic if they could just stuff their mouths with weary travelers? I asked myself, before mentally slapping myself.

You're such an idiot Red, a snide voice rang out in my head as fear struck me hard. Oh crap oh crap oh crapohcrapohcrap … My pace picked up until I was sprinting through the darkening forest, my threadbare cloak catching on bushes and branches, tearing it, making it more of a rag than it already was, "what if?" scenarios cascaded through my mind. I was gonna get killed when I got home.

Shadows seemed to grow longer by the second, until there was no light left except that of the full moon. I slowed down somewhat to catch my breath. Think about this logically Red, you've been in the wood many a time and nothing's got you yet, a voice rationed.

An anguished howl pierced the night, causing goosebumps to pop up all over me. Ah. A werewolf. Let's rethink that shall we, the voice quavered.

I restarted my crazed marathon throughout the trees, praying that my ragged breaths and hectic footsteps crackling against the dried leaves, wouldn't be heard by the beast. Werewolves were a problem if ever they heard you, seeing as they hunted mostly by sound and smell.

Shit.

Another set of foot falls could be heard not far off, somewhere back along the way I came, heavy and irregular, as if it was pausing to deliberate, before resuming it's uneven chase through the bush. My heart was thundering in my chest, I stumbled down the beaten path nearly tripping over my own feet, which honestly wouldn't surprise me. It was just like me to do something clumsy like that, but thankfully Lady Fate was with me, that night.I burst through the treeline, the border where the Enchanted Forest met the Winding River, a large torrent of water that carved the Estellen Kingdom in two.

It was also a sign that I was close to my Grans house, which obviously meant safety.

I didn't hesitate. The best way to get rid of the beast was to cross this damn river, so without breaking my stride I launched myself into its cold depths. Luckily I knew how to swim, or the strong current would of probably drowned me.

As I struggled across the wide span of the water, I heard a deep growl from the bank I just left. Someone was angry, I thought. I would of laughed at the bizarreness of the situation if I wasn't fighting to keep my head above the bloody water.

I was almost there, the river's bank was just out of the reach of my searching fingertips when I felt a felt a cold slimy something wrap itself around my ankle trapping me in the current. A gurgling shriek left my mouth and my limbs thrashed wildly, trying to liberate my imprisoned foot from it's grasp.

This really wasn't my night now was it?

I felt I pair of slim hands grab on to the scruff of my hood, trying to heave my water logged body from impending doom.

Someone or something was trying to save me.

How sweet, the sarcastic voice inside my head snickered, but this attempt to save my life gave me some kind of boost because I resumed my frantic kicking, freeing my ankle. The pair of dainty hands pulled pathetically at my cloak, dragging me towards the bank where I flopped ungracefully onto the feathery grass, not bothering to look up at the face of the owner of those smooth hands who was sitting next to me gasping from the effort.

I led there for awhile heaving water out my lungs, tears running down my face, numb from cold and dripping wet.

"Are you okay?" I was startled to hear such a high voice. I glanced up though strands of wet hair to see who my savior was.

I was so not expecting this.

A/N: Hey guys, so this is my first chapter, I'm not totally sure if it's good or not.

Reviews are welcome, I'm always looking to improve, English is not my first language so please forgive me if you find a huge error somewhere ^^.

This fic is rated M for a reason, some smutty things may happen … or not, depends if I continue this story :)