As soon as Red opened the door she was met by the heavy smell of liquor. It came at her, not as a gust, not as a wall, but as its own being. She had never seen it, but although her childhood it had been there. Lurking behind every bad turn, waiting to pounce as soon as the nights grew lonely, as soon as she'd made Red cry with too-harsh-words, or been tricked into buying bad cabbage at the market for the fifteenth time this year and had to watch her daughter try to hide the pain eating it gave. All those times, and countless more, it came lurking out of the shadows and gave her a bottle. Red had tried to throw them out. Had tried to go through every cupboard, turn every floorboard around and even go shake the linens in her bed to get every little bottle, 'cause there had been a lot. But when the monster came, he brought his own bottles, and soon he was everywhere again. When she was a younger girl, when she'd slept in her room, watching the shadow of her mother dance upon the narrow slice of light that shone in under the door, she'd waited for him to appear. Staring, unable to move, she had stared at the floor, looking for the monster to arrive, and start to crawl toward her own door.
Now, when Red opened the door, he was there to welcome her in. Her mother had turned on a couple of lanterns, but the stove wasn't lit, and by the cold in there she could tell it hadn't been on all day. The monster ushered her in, big claws pulling at her clothes. She closed the door behind her.
Her mother was sitting at the corner of the table. Slumped over a brown bottle, with fingers slowly stroking the dark glass, the woman looked very sick. The skin looked like old parchment that had been left in the rain. Her hair was washed frequently, but was know so thin and striped that it no longer helped. Hands shook like an old woman's and failed at almost every task. Her eyes had grown lust less a long time ago. What once had shimmer like lakes a sunny day where now pools of mud. No reflection, no deeper exploration that could be done without finding anything but bitter coldness and filth. Red hated herself for thinking these thoughts about the woman that had loved her for so many years. That had taken care of her, watched over her.
But she had never really mothered her.
Red swallowed to keep her throat from closing up. The muddy puddles that looked up at her through stripes of dark hair made shivers run down her spine. There were no life in those eyes, and it frightened her so deeply.
"Mum, I'm sorry, I-"
Red's shivering sentence was pulled to an abrupt halt as her mother started speaking.
"Where have you been?"
That voice rose from a deep well. Moist, rumbling, like a belch from the innermost of the earth, filled with stinking air that made Reds knees weaken. The monster wasn't just within the room anymore. It was within her mother. Pictures from the horrors she'd witnessed earlier that night suddenly came to her, but she knew that wasn't it. This was just her mother, through and through, with some added spice from a bottled friend.
"I was-"
"Woodsmen came here…"
Ice ran through Reds spine now.
"They told me that your Grandmother hadn't sent any letter… They told me that you were in danger. And you didn't come back. I was frightened."
Red's fingers started twisting into each other. To say that she was frightened was calling a blizzard 'chilly'. True. And a massive understatement.
"Grandma's dead."
The puddles stared at her through the stripes of hair. Nothing stirred in them. No glimpse of life what so ever.
"Mum I'm so sorry, I went over there to see her, and when I came there she-"
The creature that resembled the woman she called mother moved so suddenly that she nearly screamed. It was like watching a spider on a hot plate of metal, she jumped up and scattered around, the bottle rolling down on the floor with high banging sounds, joined by louder bangs as the chair that her mother had been sitting on fell to the floor.
"No!"
A cry rose from the woman's lips. It was so inhuman, so far away from any drop of sanity that had ever existed within it, that Red started sobbing. A body-shaking sob, unstoppable by any force of nature took over her as she backed away from her mother skitting all over the cabin like a rabid dog. It was terrifying. No other word had ever existed that described it better than that. The counter behind her suddenly took a stop from her backing up. The red ridinghood she always wore slid open from the sudden bump, making her mother look up. A bewildered look had taken over her mother that was more animalistic than anything she'd ever seen in the critters in the forrest. Not even Duncan, with his wild frame, could look like that in a million years. Through striped hair her mother's eyes looked like deep wells.
Time passed. How long, she didn't know. Just that it was enough to make her limbs tired. Perhaps she'd been standing there for an hour, a second, but her feet ached. Her mother stared at her with her bottomless eyes, and Red just stared back. Afraid that if she moved she would poke the dragon, the monster, sleeping inside her mother's now frozen face.
It was apparently not necessary. Her mother moved on her own accord, slowly moving her eyes up and down her body.
"Your clothes are torn."
Red looked down upon herself, and started shaking her head. She was fine, she hadn't, she didn't…
Her mother started coming closer. Slowly moving over the floor, her feet not quite moving in the pace of the rest of her body, she moved closer. Dragging herself. Red sobbed harder.
"You let a man touch you… Didn't you? You let him put his filthy hands all over your body, and now… Now you're ruined…"
Red tried to get away, and darted toward the door. The woman snatched after her skirt, missed, and fell to the floor. For a moment Red was in the forest again. The woodsman over her, trying to force her thighs apart, making her feel cold waves of sweat through her entire body. But instead of getting up again, keep on fighting, her mother didn't move from the place on the floor we're she'd fallen. She stayed there, sobbing. Slowly rocking side to side with both arms around her, murmuring something, whispering incoherently, she stayed. Red looked at her, and then shut her eyes.
"I'm sorry mum… I didn't mean to-"
Outside she heard a high-pitched howl, followed my snarling growls. Her stomach dove. Duncan. Turning around, she opened her eyes and headed for the door. Behind her, her mother rustled to her feet.
"No! Red, don't leave me, please don't leave me! I'm sorry darling please!"
In her voice there was the monster again, just as desperate as she was. Red moved faster. This wasn't the time. There was no time for the "I'm Sorry's", no time for excuses. She had to make sure Duncan was alright.
Red slammed the door open. A loud bang echoed through the woods, and the howling came to an abrupt stop.
*
Duncan stared down into the barrel, which seemed to be staring back just as intense. Not even a lead pipe anymore, but the darkness within formed a hollow with mass. Like a big black eye looking back at him, just as vivid as his own. Waiting. Watching. Duncan had to clench very hard not to make a mess of his already horrible-looking pants.
Behind the gun stood a Woodsman, looking at him. It wasn't the same man that he'd tracked down, and who's head he'd turned into a nice little bowl. It was someone else. A man in his 30's, with stubble on his cheeks, hollowed cheeks and dark eyes that stared him down almost as good as the gun itself. If Duncan hadn't known better, he would have thought this man the animal in the forest.
The man looked as if he hadn't slept for day, and still the muzzle didn't shiver.
"You've got ten seconds to explain what you're doing here before I make sure there are one less animal roaming these woods."
Duncan's heart almost leaped out of his chest. It was painful, no doubt about that, and still he tried to keep his calm. Even though he, still, was about to literally shit his pants.
"I followed the girl who lives there home!"
For some reason his hands were in the air. He hadn't told him anything about raising them, but it felt sort of right.
"You can check it! Her name is Little Red Riding Hood, I swear to the Gods! I mean, man, I couldn't make this shit up, that is really her name."
The Woodsman stared at him for a couple of seconds, and then lowered his pistol. It was slow, and his hand remained on the trigger, but Duncan felt relief in the fact that he could unclench his cheeks without being worried about leakage.
"My name's Duncan. I'm from the D'ari-tribe, in the east of the woods. You know the area, right?"
The ragged man nodded, and Duncan relaxed a little more.
"I know the area, and I know your people. Gumnan is a friend of mine."
This made Duncan feel a little on guard. Gumnan was the leader of the Tribe, Clompus father, and he wasn't all sure that he would befriend any Woodsmen. The ragged man saw this, and almost seemed as nervous as Duncan was.
"Sorry, I know we haven't too good of a reputation. I helped you get some more flower when the miller refused to give you what he owed."
Eager to make Duncan believe him, or so it seemed, he stuck out his hand to him.
"I'm Axel. It's nice to meet you. Or well, you know."
Duncan took his hand, and squeezed it.
"The pleasure is all mine now that you've pointed your pistol out of my face. Very nice way to say hello, how do you show someone you love them, a dagger up their ass?"
The man scuffed, and jerked his head back to get some of his hair out of the way.
"You might have been a dangerous animal trying to eat that poor family, granny and all!"
"Her granny's already dead, and I'M not the one pointing my pistol at people!"
Axel blinked, and his eyebrows narrowed.
"What was that about her-"
But his words were cut off midway by a terrible cry that rose from the cabin. Every drop of blood froze in his body. Axel stared too, lifting his pistol once more, darting toward the cabin. But Duncan stopped him. Putting one arm out against his chest, holding him back, Duncan stared at the cottage, not moving a muscle. Axels eyes went from the cabin to Duncan, over and over.
"What? Are you insane, why won't you let me go there to check it out?"
Duncan did not need to look at him to respond.
"She's just told her mother that her grandmother is dead. Let's wait. I don't want to go anywhere in case she needs me but if I barge in there she'll never forgive me."
Axel stared at him, but seemed to think he made at least a little sense. He lowered the pistol again, and sighed.
"Oh Dear. And I thought I was going to have a quiet night."
This time it was Duncan's turn to scoff. Still turned towards the cabin, he smiled a little.
"Is there such a thing?"
Were there ever quiet nights? He had believed so once, now... He was not so sure. This was a night as any other. The stars were out, twinkling just as they had yesterday, and would tomorrow, independent of the creatures crawling underneath them. And still. Tonight they had more spark. Tonight there seemed to be more stars, shining brighter. And Duncan craved them in a way he hadn't before. He craved their brightness. Wanted to bath in their glory, and show it to another. For the first time since he had been fourteen and Astrolite had showed him the stars formations, he wanted to share the sky with someone again. Although that night he had looked more at Astrolite than the stars.
Nothing came from the cabin. Looking at Axel again, he smiled. He wasn't that worried. Red was somewhat safe. He would stay here until morning, just making sure. Then he could get out of her life. Making sure she'd never have to deal with him or woodsmen ever again.
"So Axel. Tell me about yourself. How is it you're not trying to rape me or anything?"
A sound of a crow being stomped by horses came over Axels lips as he choked on his own laughter. Bending over, he grasped his knee with the free hand, laughing hard. Duncan just stood still, waiting, grinning. It wasn't a funny subject, it was one of the things the Woodsmen did. But somehow it felt easier to say something like that than to actually be nice and interested in his life.
When Axel once again could breath like a human-being he lifted his head, smiling broadly at Duncan.
"You're a piece of shit, has anyone ever told you that?"
"Everyone I ever met."
"They were all right. But so are you. My fellow men don't exactly give me the best reputation to work with."
Axel got up, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. He wore cotton gloves with the fingers cut of halfway. They were ragged too. Dirty.
As Alex leaned back against one of the nearest trees, Duncan doing the same, he smiled a crooked smile that made Duncan grin a little wider. One of the few men he'd met without fur that he actually liked.
"My name is Axel, like I've told you. I'm a Woodsman. This you can see. I moved to these woods after my wife passed away."
Duncan nodded slightly, crossing his arms.
"I'm sorry she died."
"Oh she didn't actually die."
Axel laughed again, but there was a bitterness in there as strong as arsenic.
"She just left me. Passed right by me as she left, waving a little as she went along."
Duncan blinked. Then he laughed. Yeah. He liked him.
"How charming..."
A husky voice came from the darkness between the trees and almost made Duncan fall over. He knew that voice, hadn't heard it before today and not for very long but he'd know it anywhere.
From the woods stepped the blond man he had seen pinning Red to the moss-covered floor of the forest. How the man had gotten there so quickly he didn't know. But he and Red had been going quite slowly, and he had been standing here for some time, maybe the man hadn't been as hurt or out of it as they had thought. Just seeing him made his stomach turn. His body responded before his mind and he gave out a low growl.
Axel looked at the blond man, and clenched his teeth.
"Rolf. You're looking a little less composed than usual."
That was an understatement. His shirt was a mess. The blond hair had a tint of pink, deep red and just plain bloody nastiness. He staggered closer, limping heavily, staring at Duncan.
"I had a run in with a wolf. I'm going to take care of it though."
Duncan backed up against the tree he had been standing next to. The man was still carrying his pistol, and Duncan did not doubt that he would gladly paint the tree with his brains.
Axel lifted his own pistol.
"I know you Rolf. I want you to walk away. Leave the girl, and the wolf, alone. I'm handling it."
The bloody man scoffed. Stroking some bloody hair out of his forehead, he moved even closer.
"Axel, you have nothing to do with this. I am going to get mine, first I'm going to blow the brains out off this one, and then I'm going to get his little cunt and fuck her with my fist until she begs to go the same way and I will let her."
Duncan threw himself at him as soon as he had finished the sentence. But Rolf was fast, even with a head injury and a bit groin he was still fast enough to slam his pistol into Duncan's chest. Intense pain exploded from the point where it had hit, and Duncan started howling in pain. Grinning, the woodsman moved closer. So close Duncan could smell his musky, bitten groin. He growled.
"Or perhaps, I'll do it a bit differently."
Rolf's voice was softer now. Smooth as honey mixed with cream.
"I'll off her first. I'll make you watch, how would you like that? These are bullets especially meant for me you know. They split into hundreds of little pieces, I could make you look like ground beef with one shot."
Duncan roared. The cabin door slammed opened. Rolf, Axel and Duncan all turned their heads. A shot went off.
Silence filled the woods. Nothing was heard, not even the fluttering of wings. Duncan looked at Red. Was she hurt? But he saw no blood. She was paler than normal, but other than that she seemed to be alright. Duncan second thought was that he was dead. He must be. Never before had the forest been so quiet, what else could that possibly be besides death?
But there was no wound. No pain. Nothing at all to imply him that he was actually dying or dead.
Red looked at the three men. One she had never seen before. The other two, well one of them wolf, was too familiar. Where they hurt? She could see no wounds on Duncan, he was still standing, looking at her. The blond one had his pistol pointed her way. Quickly her hands fluttered over her stomach. She wasn't hurt. At least she didn't feel it. Was she dead?
A slumping sound made her look back into the cabin.
And her heart stopped dead in her chest.
Her mother had slumped down on the floor. Where there had once been a chest, a stomach, skin, a functioning body, there was now just a bloody mass. Clothes had ripped to shreds, skin had been broken. Blood not only poured out. It gushed, it leaked onto the floor. The monster was gone from her mother's eyes. But so was her mother.
"Mum?"
The whisper came over her lips. She didn't move. Still she stood there, staring at the lifeless puppet on the floor. The shell of what had once been her mother. That had held her when she fell down and hurt her knee. That sew capes to her. That stroke her hair when she thought she'd already fallen asleep.
The woman who's last action had been begging her daughter for forgiveness and never gotten it.
Red walked toward her. One hand stretched out, she wanted to touch her mother. Make her stop acting. Make her get up, laugh it off and hug her.
"Mum? It's... It's okay, it's going to be alright mum I'm gonna.. I'm just going to.."
Red sank down and started touching the rippled stomach. Something big and pink slid out of hole in the skin.
"I'm sorry, I'll put it back.. I'm sorry I was mad mum... Please. Mum wake up, I'll be good."
Not even crying she tried to push the organ back in with shivering hands.
"Mum?"
Duncan couldn't move. The three men all saw the horrible scene through the little door. Rolf turned around, and gave out a little sigh.
"So, where was I?"
A great roar came from Axels lips as he threw him to the ground. Throwing himself at Rolf was the easiest thing with his pistol, so he had thrown it aside. The men started fighting on the ground, and Duncan stood still, staring at Red. Axel looked at him over his own shoulder, busy trying to knock Rolf out.
"GET HER OUT!"
There was no need to tell him twice. Rushing into the little cottage he found Red, trying to push the organs back into her dead mother. It took all that he had not to start crying. Quickly he rushed over to her, and scooped her into his arms. She didn't fight it, just stretched out her arms after her mother.
"No, no, I need to..."
Duncan held her close, felt the warmth of her next to him and put his nose in her hair.
"No love, she's gone. And we're going to be soon if we don't get out of here."
Another shot burnt off as they went outside. Duncan gritted his teeth and didn't look back as the smell of gunpowder reached his sensitive nose with the smell of blood as Axel screamed. The horse stood still by the trees; it hadn't been scared of yet. It was probably used to blood and ruckus.
He threw Red on the horses back, then himself. Grasping the reins he looked back at the two men only once. What he saw made him pull Red closer, with her head bobbing back against his shoulder. Rolf had his pistol. Axel was on the ground, hand against his chest. It was covered with blood.
Duncan yelled, pressed his heals in the horses sides, and it took off. Quickly this time. The wind brushed past them, whipped them cruely. He burrowed his head in her neck and took a deep breath of her, crying. She just stared into the sky as they rode. The leaves didn't whisper anymore. The stars weren't bright. The world had turned cold, and dead. As they burst into the night, horse foaming at the mouth, she drifted off to sleep. With no sense of where they were going. How they were going to get there, or what they were going to do.
The only thing that was certain was that she had nowhere to return.
