A/N: I finally wrote another chapter! I want to thank everyone who reviewed my last chapter. That's the most I've ever gotten for one chapter and you all made me very happy. Queen of the Fairies: Yes, that guess is the wolf. He doesn't really turn into him though. The wolf part is just the way the villagers see him. Nina: Thank you! The idea came out of nowhere but I thought I might be able to write a decent story with it. Jaxx: I'm trying to keep it up. This chapter is at least longer than the last one! I might rewrite it for I feel it's not as good as the first...but I tried. prtygirl83: I have a pretty good idea where I'm going with this. Some of my ideas have been changing though. If you have any suggestions feel free to tell me! Kathryn Angelle: I've never really liked Red Riding Hood either which is probably why I started this. It seems more real...and if I mess it up it still won't ruin the tale for me.:) I think the only time I've liked this fairytale is in a play called "Into the Woods." Have you seen it? Little Red Riding Hood is rather interesting in it....and she's extremely sarcastic. It's pretty funny. Sorry...I tend to be random.:) KittenGirl555: I'm sorry about the grammar stuff. I tend not to proofread. I actually went back and fixed that chapter. I haven't done this chapter yet but I was eager to post it...so I'll do it in the future. As for the rest...well I'm sorry that it's not really in the style you like, but it's rather too late for me to change it. I hope you enjoy it anyway. Imber: Yes, I have read that book and I really like it:) Hemlock: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you find this story believable. Hopefully it still remains so after this chapter but please tell me what you think. I appreciate your comments; they're very helpful.
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The air enveloped us with its warmth as we happily sauntered down Main Street. Mary, Elizabeth, and I excitedly discussed the upcoming ball. Mary had finally convinced her father, the mayor, that balls were perfectly acceptable during the summer. He had been worried that the heat would cause the women to faint. Fortunately Mary was a quick thinker and had stated that the evenings were much cooler and would actually be a nice escape for women who did become overheated.
The ball was to be in two weeks and we were anxious to begin our dresses. We knew that the tradesmen were coming soon and so we rushed to the tailors to place our orders. We eased open the heavy oak door and were greeted by the sight of Mr. Hoggins. He was a short man, a couple inches shorter than I, yet he was still highly respected. He was dressed in his usual outfit of black pants, a light blue button-up shirt, and a white apron. He had a rather messy mop of gray hair which was cut short and a pair of spectacles. He was one of my favorite people. He constantly had a smile on his face and was never condescending.
"Good afternoon Mr. Hoggins," we chanted in unison.
"Good afternoon, girls. How may I help you on this fine summer's day? Perhaps some nice cloth for a certain upcoming ball?" Our wide grins answered for us. He brought out three different sample books, one for each of us, and we quickly began flipping through them. There were so many choices! Every color imaginable was in there, and in every type of material. Plus, there were the lace booklets as well so one could add on to the fabric and make it more elegant.
"Mary, this would suit you so well!" I exclaimed as I came across a crushed red velvet material. "You look so good in red. It goes well with your complexion." Mary was a few inches taller than I with golden curls and a pale complexion. The color in her cheeks was always brought out when she wore red.
"Oh, it is lovely!" she said as her eyes grew rounder. "It is so seldom that one has a chance to wear red. However, it would also look so nice on you, Malana. It would stand out next to your green eyes and black hair." I was flattered by the compliment but feared that I would not be able to pull off wearing red. It would be more accepted on a mayor's child. She would be more pure.
"Thank you Mary but I insist that you get it. It suits you better than me. Plus, you might catch the eye of a certain Gregory Peterson." Elizabeth giggled as Mary gave me an indignant glare, which soon turned into a radiant smile.
"Well, it seems Mr. Hoggins, that I shall be needing some red velvet." As soon as she had finished her order we heard the door clang behind us. In strode a tall young man with piercing blue eyes and light blonde hair which was tied in the back.
"Good afternoon Master Jackson," we said once again in unison.
"Good afternoon ladies, and to you too, Mr. Hoggins. Buying cloth for the ball? It is sure to be a fun time for all," he said letting his eyes rest on me. "Unfortunately I cannot stay to chat but I do need another order of the chestnut color wool that my mother likes so much, if you do not mind, Mr. Hoggins." Mr. Hoggins smiled pleasantly and jotted down the order in his book as Master Jackson glanced at the fabric books laid out in front of us.
"Such beautiful fabrics. Was I correct in hearing that Miss Mary here is about to buy the red velvet?" We nodded our heads quietly and watched as he took a closer look. "Yes, I think that would look very nice on you. Well, I must be off. Father will be overwhelmed if I do not show up at the shop soon." He gave a slight bow and quickly exited. Elizabeth let out a large giggle and looked directly at me.
"And what shall you wear to keep the interest of Master Jackson?" I could feel my face blush but I made no comment back. I knew of his interest in me and I knew that my father approved of him, but nothing was determined and I would not allow myself to become attached to him. As for the best fabric however, I already knew what I wanted.
" Mr. Hoggins, I would like to order this," I stated as I pointed to a dark green satin fabric. Mary and Elizabeth gathered around closer to look at it.
"'Tis a good choice, Malana. It will bring our your eyes. You must buy some white lace as well. Satin can never be left on its own. Now if only I could figure out which material to buy." We spent the next half hour debating what fabric Elizabeth should buy. She had stunningly beautiful red hair and brown eyes and we eventually decided on dark burgundy, which would make her hair look even more radiant. Having finally decided on what we would wear, we thanked Mr. Hoggins and left the shop.
"What do you say we go down to Mahogany Creek?" Elizabeth inquired. We always loved to visit the creek during the summer. It was in the woods, which provided shade during the long summer season. We also liked to bathe our faces in the cool water. We quickly agreed and headed down the small dirt path that led to the woods. We soon came upon a fork in the road and proceeded along the left path.
During the day, the forest was a comforting spot for us. The sun filtered through the leaves giving the forest a magical glow. We could feel the temperature cooling off as we neared the creek. The moment we caught sight of the crystal clear water we began to run. It wasn't accepted behavior but there was no one around and we were eager to cool off our faces. The water was as cool as we had expected and we quickly scooped it up to splash on our faces.
"Hey! Who wants to go on the bridge?" Elizabeth shouted. Mary and I looked up to see that Elizabeth was already standing on the edge of it. It was an old bridge with loose wooden planks and a handrail fashioned out of rope. We'd spent all of our childhood playing upon it.
"Ahoy matey! I do believe we have a young wench here. We mustn't let her escape!" Mary cried back. We always loved to make up scenarios in the woods. It was the only time we could act like children once again.
"Oh, no! Such horrible beasts these pirates be. What shall I do?" I cried and held my hand to my head in mock despair. " I must flee!" I quickly ran up the hill and Elizabeth stepped aside to allow me onto the bridge. I ran halfway across and then turned around to face my captors, who were still standing on the bank. "Oh dear, I'm trapped! The horrible jungle on one side and two fearsome pirates on the other!"
"Yes, dearie, a horrible jungle on one side. Why not safely come over to this side?" Elizabeth called to me. I let out a shriek of horror and Mary couldn't help but smile. "Or if you will not, you shall join the crocodiles!" With that Elizabeth started jumping up and down on the edge of the bridge. They didn't do it very hard so I was able to retain my balance.
"I beseech you! Do not harm me. I have no money and my family will not be able to afford the ransom. I beg of you to-" My speech was cut off when we heard a loud snap. The rope handrail I was leaning on suddenly broke off one of the posts, and I went sailing into the river.
I had never been taught to swim and the swift moving river soon began to pull me under. I tried to push myself to the top but my frantic movements only led me to inhale more and more water. My vision started to become blurry when I felt a hand grab the back of my dress. I could feel myself being lifted and then placed on the ground, but I still could not see.
I could hear a soft voice and was trying to figure out what it was saying when I abruptly turned onto my side and started coughing up water. I eventually began to feel better as the oxygen began to reach my brain. My vision was also coming back.
"Are you all right? Can you get up?" a soft, low voice said, penetrating my thoughts. I turned to see who had saved me and found myself staring into two warm brown eyes. They were perhaps the most gorgeous I had ever seen. They were solid brown, except for the flecks of gold scattered throughout them. It suddenly occurred to me that there was only one person around these parts whom I did not recognize and I hastily stated that I was fine. He held out his hand to help me up and I took it tentatively, dropping it as soon as I was standing. As soon as he saw that I would be all right he turned towards Mary and Elizabeth, who stood in shock at the top of the hill.
"She'll be all right, but she should get some rest. I will leave her in your hands now." He gave a small bow and disappeared into the woods. I watched his soaked body vanish and suddenly realized that I had not thanked him. No matter who he was, he had still saved my life. However one could not have expected me to forget who he was and it was therefore understandable that I had temporarily forgotten my manners.
Mary and Elizabeth quickly ran down the hill to make sure I was all right. They placed me between them and walked me back to the village, where they explained to all three of our families what had happened. We were lightly scolded for playing on the bridge but most of their energy was spent on making sure I was all right. I was put to bed almost immediately and the doctor was sent for. He said that I would be almost back to normal the next day but that I should be very thankful that I had not died. My mother, with her eyes full of tears, thanked the doctor and then placed a chair by my bed. She spent the whole night in that chair watching over me.
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A/N: Well I hope that shop part didn't get too boring. I think I may rewrite it but I was trying to make it realistic. Any writing suggestions? *Looks hopeful* Perhaps I should go into more detail at the end of the chapter?
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The air enveloped us with its warmth as we happily sauntered down Main Street. Mary, Elizabeth, and I excitedly discussed the upcoming ball. Mary had finally convinced her father, the mayor, that balls were perfectly acceptable during the summer. He had been worried that the heat would cause the women to faint. Fortunately Mary was a quick thinker and had stated that the evenings were much cooler and would actually be a nice escape for women who did become overheated.
The ball was to be in two weeks and we were anxious to begin our dresses. We knew that the tradesmen were coming soon and so we rushed to the tailors to place our orders. We eased open the heavy oak door and were greeted by the sight of Mr. Hoggins. He was a short man, a couple inches shorter than I, yet he was still highly respected. He was dressed in his usual outfit of black pants, a light blue button-up shirt, and a white apron. He had a rather messy mop of gray hair which was cut short and a pair of spectacles. He was one of my favorite people. He constantly had a smile on his face and was never condescending.
"Good afternoon Mr. Hoggins," we chanted in unison.
"Good afternoon, girls. How may I help you on this fine summer's day? Perhaps some nice cloth for a certain upcoming ball?" Our wide grins answered for us. He brought out three different sample books, one for each of us, and we quickly began flipping through them. There were so many choices! Every color imaginable was in there, and in every type of material. Plus, there were the lace booklets as well so one could add on to the fabric and make it more elegant.
"Mary, this would suit you so well!" I exclaimed as I came across a crushed red velvet material. "You look so good in red. It goes well with your complexion." Mary was a few inches taller than I with golden curls and a pale complexion. The color in her cheeks was always brought out when she wore red.
"Oh, it is lovely!" she said as her eyes grew rounder. "It is so seldom that one has a chance to wear red. However, it would also look so nice on you, Malana. It would stand out next to your green eyes and black hair." I was flattered by the compliment but feared that I would not be able to pull off wearing red. It would be more accepted on a mayor's child. She would be more pure.
"Thank you Mary but I insist that you get it. It suits you better than me. Plus, you might catch the eye of a certain Gregory Peterson." Elizabeth giggled as Mary gave me an indignant glare, which soon turned into a radiant smile.
"Well, it seems Mr. Hoggins, that I shall be needing some red velvet." As soon as she had finished her order we heard the door clang behind us. In strode a tall young man with piercing blue eyes and light blonde hair which was tied in the back.
"Good afternoon Master Jackson," we said once again in unison.
"Good afternoon ladies, and to you too, Mr. Hoggins. Buying cloth for the ball? It is sure to be a fun time for all," he said letting his eyes rest on me. "Unfortunately I cannot stay to chat but I do need another order of the chestnut color wool that my mother likes so much, if you do not mind, Mr. Hoggins." Mr. Hoggins smiled pleasantly and jotted down the order in his book as Master Jackson glanced at the fabric books laid out in front of us.
"Such beautiful fabrics. Was I correct in hearing that Miss Mary here is about to buy the red velvet?" We nodded our heads quietly and watched as he took a closer look. "Yes, I think that would look very nice on you. Well, I must be off. Father will be overwhelmed if I do not show up at the shop soon." He gave a slight bow and quickly exited. Elizabeth let out a large giggle and looked directly at me.
"And what shall you wear to keep the interest of Master Jackson?" I could feel my face blush but I made no comment back. I knew of his interest in me and I knew that my father approved of him, but nothing was determined and I would not allow myself to become attached to him. As for the best fabric however, I already knew what I wanted.
" Mr. Hoggins, I would like to order this," I stated as I pointed to a dark green satin fabric. Mary and Elizabeth gathered around closer to look at it.
"'Tis a good choice, Malana. It will bring our your eyes. You must buy some white lace as well. Satin can never be left on its own. Now if only I could figure out which material to buy." We spent the next half hour debating what fabric Elizabeth should buy. She had stunningly beautiful red hair and brown eyes and we eventually decided on dark burgundy, which would make her hair look even more radiant. Having finally decided on what we would wear, we thanked Mr. Hoggins and left the shop.
"What do you say we go down to Mahogany Creek?" Elizabeth inquired. We always loved to visit the creek during the summer. It was in the woods, which provided shade during the long summer season. We also liked to bathe our faces in the cool water. We quickly agreed and headed down the small dirt path that led to the woods. We soon came upon a fork in the road and proceeded along the left path.
During the day, the forest was a comforting spot for us. The sun filtered through the leaves giving the forest a magical glow. We could feel the temperature cooling off as we neared the creek. The moment we caught sight of the crystal clear water we began to run. It wasn't accepted behavior but there was no one around and we were eager to cool off our faces. The water was as cool as we had expected and we quickly scooped it up to splash on our faces.
"Hey! Who wants to go on the bridge?" Elizabeth shouted. Mary and I looked up to see that Elizabeth was already standing on the edge of it. It was an old bridge with loose wooden planks and a handrail fashioned out of rope. We'd spent all of our childhood playing upon it.
"Ahoy matey! I do believe we have a young wench here. We mustn't let her escape!" Mary cried back. We always loved to make up scenarios in the woods. It was the only time we could act like children once again.
"Oh, no! Such horrible beasts these pirates be. What shall I do?" I cried and held my hand to my head in mock despair. " I must flee!" I quickly ran up the hill and Elizabeth stepped aside to allow me onto the bridge. I ran halfway across and then turned around to face my captors, who were still standing on the bank. "Oh dear, I'm trapped! The horrible jungle on one side and two fearsome pirates on the other!"
"Yes, dearie, a horrible jungle on one side. Why not safely come over to this side?" Elizabeth called to me. I let out a shriek of horror and Mary couldn't help but smile. "Or if you will not, you shall join the crocodiles!" With that Elizabeth started jumping up and down on the edge of the bridge. They didn't do it very hard so I was able to retain my balance.
"I beseech you! Do not harm me. I have no money and my family will not be able to afford the ransom. I beg of you to-" My speech was cut off when we heard a loud snap. The rope handrail I was leaning on suddenly broke off one of the posts, and I went sailing into the river.
I had never been taught to swim and the swift moving river soon began to pull me under. I tried to push myself to the top but my frantic movements only led me to inhale more and more water. My vision started to become blurry when I felt a hand grab the back of my dress. I could feel myself being lifted and then placed on the ground, but I still could not see.
I could hear a soft voice and was trying to figure out what it was saying when I abruptly turned onto my side and started coughing up water. I eventually began to feel better as the oxygen began to reach my brain. My vision was also coming back.
"Are you all right? Can you get up?" a soft, low voice said, penetrating my thoughts. I turned to see who had saved me and found myself staring into two warm brown eyes. They were perhaps the most gorgeous I had ever seen. They were solid brown, except for the flecks of gold scattered throughout them. It suddenly occurred to me that there was only one person around these parts whom I did not recognize and I hastily stated that I was fine. He held out his hand to help me up and I took it tentatively, dropping it as soon as I was standing. As soon as he saw that I would be all right he turned towards Mary and Elizabeth, who stood in shock at the top of the hill.
"She'll be all right, but she should get some rest. I will leave her in your hands now." He gave a small bow and disappeared into the woods. I watched his soaked body vanish and suddenly realized that I had not thanked him. No matter who he was, he had still saved my life. However one could not have expected me to forget who he was and it was therefore understandable that I had temporarily forgotten my manners.
Mary and Elizabeth quickly ran down the hill to make sure I was all right. They placed me between them and walked me back to the village, where they explained to all three of our families what had happened. We were lightly scolded for playing on the bridge but most of their energy was spent on making sure I was all right. I was put to bed almost immediately and the doctor was sent for. He said that I would be almost back to normal the next day but that I should be very thankful that I had not died. My mother, with her eyes full of tears, thanked the doctor and then placed a chair by my bed. She spent the whole night in that chair watching over me.
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A/N: Well I hope that shop part didn't get too boring. I think I may rewrite it but I was trying to make it realistic. Any writing suggestions? *Looks hopeful* Perhaps I should go into more detail at the end of the chapter?