A/N: As usual I took a ridiculously long time to update...but my excuse, as
poor as it may be is that I just started college and it's taken up a lot of
my time. Sorry.but I'm back. Now on to the thank you's.
Brigid Rose: Thank you! I do try (
Aubrey Lee: I'm really not sure how I came up with the idea. I wanted to come up with something different and it just popped into my head. I'm glad you find it unique! I didn't want to stick to the original too much.
Bil: I'm glad you seem to like it. It is a work in progress so thanks for the error point out. I promise to go back and fix it.eventually.
Kittengirl555:I'm glad you think you'll stick with the story. I'm sorry I have so many errors. I'm sure there are plenty in this chapter too since I haven't reread it. But I promise I'll eventually do it!
Unleashed Soul: More wolf coming up!
The Excessively Loud Waterfoul: Yes Malana is the red riding hood in the story. Glad you're enjoying it so far.
*************** Opening my eyes slowly in the morning light, I noticed that there were people in my room. How odd, why would there be people in my bedroom? Then suddenly the events that had occurred only the night before came rushing back to me. I had nearly drowned in that river. Somehow even then I knew that I would never be able to forget the feeling of my lungs slowly filling up. The shock of the memory must have shown upon my voice for my father suddenly cleared his throat and spoke.
"Malana it's so good to see you awake." I made an attempt at a small smile but then it occurred to me that I had not yet explained myself. I opened my mouth but my father quickly silenced me with a simple gesture of the hand. "There's no need to explain, Mary and Elizabeth have already told us everything. I just hope that you've learned your lesson and will heed my warnings. I've told you countless time not to play around in those woods. You are very lucky that young man was around to save you."
"Yes, you most definitely are indeed." I turned my head and noticed Mr. Marley, the mayor, standing in the corner of my room near the doorway. I felt slightly embarrassed at being in my nightgown but I knew he would overlook it. "You would most certainly not be her today if it weren't for him. Those river currents are quite quick and strong. Therefore, I have decided to hold my ball in honor of him. It's not everyday that we have a hero in our midst. I hope that you will deliver the invitation for me?" I nodded without hesitation. The mayor was always right, even if my bubbling stomach seemed to be contradicting him. I watched him place a small, white envelope on my nightstand and then turn to give me a short but genuine smile. "Well now that that's settled, I best be off. So much to do, you know? Oh of course you don't you're just a young girl with her head full of dreams. Well at least you're alive to think such things. I look forward to seeing you at the ball." With that last remark he glided out of the room.
"Speaking of which, I best be off to work as well. Your mother was with you throughout the night so she's now resting in the bedroom. You make sure not to bother her. Grandma's going to be in charge of you for the door. Make sure you mind her." He came over and kissed me softly on the top of the head. When he backed away I could see that his eyes were not on my but in the corner of the room. Looking over I spotted Peter Jackson. I heard the door close as my father left the room and my cheeks instantly grew red. He was certainly in father's good graces to be allowed alone with me. He slowly got up and approached me but there was no sign of joy or concern on his face. He was stoic and it scared me to no ends.
"How could you do such a thing?" I was about to object and explain that I obviously had not planned on falling in the river, but he did not pause to let me answer. "Playing around in the forest? That is the behavior of a five year old. How can you ever expect to have an organized household if you can't even restrain yourself from such foolhardy activities? I am ashamed for your family. The whole town knows of this ordeal. They are the ones with the undisciplined child who's running around like a common animal. It's your parent's reputations that you're ruining. I never thought you could be so selfish and self-centered. And to have to be rescued by the wolf! I admire your parents for how well they are dealing with the situation. Were I them, I would not be so kind." Throughout his speech he glared at me with such anger and passion that I felt my eyes welling up with tears, whether they were from fear or shame I could not tell. When he stormed out I couldn't hold back the tears.
It was only a few minutes later that my grandmother entered the room. The tears had dried by then but I'm sure my eyes were still bright red. She simply came in and smiled at me and grabbed the envelope off my nightstand. She raised her left hand up and I finally noticed the basket she was holding. Whatever the contents were, they were wrapped in snow white close with Irises embroidered along the border. She placed the envelope in the bag and then held it out to me. I looked at her confused.
"Well you can't very well sit in bad all day. You got yourself into this mess missy and now you're going to go do your duty and visit that nice young man and tell him that you're alright and very grateful. Now get dressed and head out. I've got work to do and I don't need you in the way." That was grandma. She was always the one with the odd sense off humor and a no nonsense attitude. I wasn't about to argue with her that this "nice young man" was not someone who was commonly associated with. However I knew that I would have to deliver the invitation eventually and I wanted to do something to get Peter's stinging words out of my head. That is how I found myself heading towards the one place I thought never to visit.
The journey passed quickly and I barely even noticed when I entered the woods. My mind was on what Peter had told me. Had I truly shamed my parents? I would never intentionally do that and it is true that I had perhaps been acting below my age but why did the behavior not reflect on Mary and Elizabeth as well? I'm sure no one looked down at Mr. Marley for what had happened. Then again Peter was far more knowledgeable then I. He must be right but I could not figure what to do about it. When I looked up I realized that I had arrived.
Sitting in the middle of a small clearing was a small cabin. However this was not like any cabin I had ever seen before. The carpentry was of such a high quality that it rivaled the mayor's house. On the other hand it was not painted nor did it display fancy windows or boxes with colorful flowers. After gawking for several minutes I became aware of a loud thudding noise coming from the back of the house. I quickly slipped around the corner and was about to announce my presence when it actually registered what I was seeing.
There was a man standing over a tree trunk chopping up firewood. This in itself was not so unusual but he was doing so without a shirt on. I decided immediately that it would be inappropriate to watch and quickly shifted my gaze to the forest floor where I clear my throat loudly. I waited quietly and hoped then when he looked up he would not see that my face now matches the tomatoes in my mother's garden. But the noise did not stop. He apparently did not hear me over the constant chopping sound. So I gathered my courage, and still keeping my eyes on the ground, called out to him.
"Excuse me sir!" The chopping sound quickly halted. He had certainly heard me this time. Of course, by this time I had begun to lose my nerve. "I-I apologize sir. I just came-" My embarrassed nature was apparently not as well concealed as I believed for he quickly interrupted me.
"I beg your pardon miss. I did not expect any visitors today. I hope you forgive my attire, if you'll just give me a moment I'll find something more.appropriate." I quickly nodded my head and heard the door close quietly. When he returned I gazed at him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. I had been told all my life to stay away from this man for he was a danger to me but now I had been sent to thank him. Upon first look I could tell he didn't quite fit in with the town yet I felt no fear. There was a small sense of unease but no more then I felt when meeting anyone else for the first time. He had a thick layer of stubble on his face which was unconventional yet I could see the strong jaw line underneath and could see why some of the parents might be afraid. As for his attire, he had become more decent, dressed in gray slacks and a light tan loose shirt yet he still came out without a jacket. However I was here not to judge but to issue an invitation. It was then that I realized that I didn't even know his name. I quickly snatched the invitation out of my bag and made a silent thank you as I read the name on the front.
"I'm sorry to bother you Master Jones but I came to give you an invitation to Mr. Marley's ball. I-" He stepped forward and slid the envelope out from under my hand. I briefly locked eyes with him and immediately recognized the gold flecks. "I-I want to thank you for saving my life. It was very kind of you sir."
"Don't mention it. Anyone in my position would have done the same." His voice was quite and it was almost as though he did not enjoying conversing with others. His response however left me struggling for an answer but fortunately he continued without noticing. "Oh and thank the Mr. Marley but I'm afraid I won't be attending."
"But you must attend!" My panic at having to return and announce that I had failed in my chore scared me into forgetting my manners yet again. His eyebrows rose at my outburst and his eyes seemed to fill curiosity.
"Must I?" I looked and realized that he had not yet opened the invitation. Of course he had no idea why I was so upset!
"Oh forgive me I complete forgot to tell you that the ball is being held in your honor." This earned me another pair of raised eyebrows. "For saving me of course."
"Ah well I guess that leaves me with no choice then." He gave me a small smile but it was more out of politeness then general happiness. I could not comprehend why one would not be ecstatic at having a ball held in one's honor but then again I couldn't understand why one would choose to live in the woods either.
"Oh and I almost forgot this." I held out the basket and he looked quite surprised. A small smile flitted across his face and I thought that perhaps this one had been real.
"My thanks miss. It is not often that I receive gifts let alone." With this he folded back the white cloth. ".fresh bread and mulberry jam." Now if I may have your leave, I must put these safely away and that get back to my work." We said our polite goodbyes and I headed back to the safety of my house where I curled back into my bed and spent the rest of the day go over the morning's events.
A/N: Yeah so I'm not sure whether or not I'm happy with this chapter. Pointless? Rushed? Dunno. Opinions would be helpful thanks.
Brigid Rose: Thank you! I do try (
Aubrey Lee: I'm really not sure how I came up with the idea. I wanted to come up with something different and it just popped into my head. I'm glad you find it unique! I didn't want to stick to the original too much.
Bil: I'm glad you seem to like it. It is a work in progress so thanks for the error point out. I promise to go back and fix it.eventually.
Kittengirl555:I'm glad you think you'll stick with the story. I'm sorry I have so many errors. I'm sure there are plenty in this chapter too since I haven't reread it. But I promise I'll eventually do it!
Unleashed Soul: More wolf coming up!
The Excessively Loud Waterfoul: Yes Malana is the red riding hood in the story. Glad you're enjoying it so far.
*************** Opening my eyes slowly in the morning light, I noticed that there were people in my room. How odd, why would there be people in my bedroom? Then suddenly the events that had occurred only the night before came rushing back to me. I had nearly drowned in that river. Somehow even then I knew that I would never be able to forget the feeling of my lungs slowly filling up. The shock of the memory must have shown upon my voice for my father suddenly cleared his throat and spoke.
"Malana it's so good to see you awake." I made an attempt at a small smile but then it occurred to me that I had not yet explained myself. I opened my mouth but my father quickly silenced me with a simple gesture of the hand. "There's no need to explain, Mary and Elizabeth have already told us everything. I just hope that you've learned your lesson and will heed my warnings. I've told you countless time not to play around in those woods. You are very lucky that young man was around to save you."
"Yes, you most definitely are indeed." I turned my head and noticed Mr. Marley, the mayor, standing in the corner of my room near the doorway. I felt slightly embarrassed at being in my nightgown but I knew he would overlook it. "You would most certainly not be her today if it weren't for him. Those river currents are quite quick and strong. Therefore, I have decided to hold my ball in honor of him. It's not everyday that we have a hero in our midst. I hope that you will deliver the invitation for me?" I nodded without hesitation. The mayor was always right, even if my bubbling stomach seemed to be contradicting him. I watched him place a small, white envelope on my nightstand and then turn to give me a short but genuine smile. "Well now that that's settled, I best be off. So much to do, you know? Oh of course you don't you're just a young girl with her head full of dreams. Well at least you're alive to think such things. I look forward to seeing you at the ball." With that last remark he glided out of the room.
"Speaking of which, I best be off to work as well. Your mother was with you throughout the night so she's now resting in the bedroom. You make sure not to bother her. Grandma's going to be in charge of you for the door. Make sure you mind her." He came over and kissed me softly on the top of the head. When he backed away I could see that his eyes were not on my but in the corner of the room. Looking over I spotted Peter Jackson. I heard the door close as my father left the room and my cheeks instantly grew red. He was certainly in father's good graces to be allowed alone with me. He slowly got up and approached me but there was no sign of joy or concern on his face. He was stoic and it scared me to no ends.
"How could you do such a thing?" I was about to object and explain that I obviously had not planned on falling in the river, but he did not pause to let me answer. "Playing around in the forest? That is the behavior of a five year old. How can you ever expect to have an organized household if you can't even restrain yourself from such foolhardy activities? I am ashamed for your family. The whole town knows of this ordeal. They are the ones with the undisciplined child who's running around like a common animal. It's your parent's reputations that you're ruining. I never thought you could be so selfish and self-centered. And to have to be rescued by the wolf! I admire your parents for how well they are dealing with the situation. Were I them, I would not be so kind." Throughout his speech he glared at me with such anger and passion that I felt my eyes welling up with tears, whether they were from fear or shame I could not tell. When he stormed out I couldn't hold back the tears.
It was only a few minutes later that my grandmother entered the room. The tears had dried by then but I'm sure my eyes were still bright red. She simply came in and smiled at me and grabbed the envelope off my nightstand. She raised her left hand up and I finally noticed the basket she was holding. Whatever the contents were, they were wrapped in snow white close with Irises embroidered along the border. She placed the envelope in the bag and then held it out to me. I looked at her confused.
"Well you can't very well sit in bad all day. You got yourself into this mess missy and now you're going to go do your duty and visit that nice young man and tell him that you're alright and very grateful. Now get dressed and head out. I've got work to do and I don't need you in the way." That was grandma. She was always the one with the odd sense off humor and a no nonsense attitude. I wasn't about to argue with her that this "nice young man" was not someone who was commonly associated with. However I knew that I would have to deliver the invitation eventually and I wanted to do something to get Peter's stinging words out of my head. That is how I found myself heading towards the one place I thought never to visit.
The journey passed quickly and I barely even noticed when I entered the woods. My mind was on what Peter had told me. Had I truly shamed my parents? I would never intentionally do that and it is true that I had perhaps been acting below my age but why did the behavior not reflect on Mary and Elizabeth as well? I'm sure no one looked down at Mr. Marley for what had happened. Then again Peter was far more knowledgeable then I. He must be right but I could not figure what to do about it. When I looked up I realized that I had arrived.
Sitting in the middle of a small clearing was a small cabin. However this was not like any cabin I had ever seen before. The carpentry was of such a high quality that it rivaled the mayor's house. On the other hand it was not painted nor did it display fancy windows or boxes with colorful flowers. After gawking for several minutes I became aware of a loud thudding noise coming from the back of the house. I quickly slipped around the corner and was about to announce my presence when it actually registered what I was seeing.
There was a man standing over a tree trunk chopping up firewood. This in itself was not so unusual but he was doing so without a shirt on. I decided immediately that it would be inappropriate to watch and quickly shifted my gaze to the forest floor where I clear my throat loudly. I waited quietly and hoped then when he looked up he would not see that my face now matches the tomatoes in my mother's garden. But the noise did not stop. He apparently did not hear me over the constant chopping sound. So I gathered my courage, and still keeping my eyes on the ground, called out to him.
"Excuse me sir!" The chopping sound quickly halted. He had certainly heard me this time. Of course, by this time I had begun to lose my nerve. "I-I apologize sir. I just came-" My embarrassed nature was apparently not as well concealed as I believed for he quickly interrupted me.
"I beg your pardon miss. I did not expect any visitors today. I hope you forgive my attire, if you'll just give me a moment I'll find something more.appropriate." I quickly nodded my head and heard the door close quietly. When he returned I gazed at him with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension. I had been told all my life to stay away from this man for he was a danger to me but now I had been sent to thank him. Upon first look I could tell he didn't quite fit in with the town yet I felt no fear. There was a small sense of unease but no more then I felt when meeting anyone else for the first time. He had a thick layer of stubble on his face which was unconventional yet I could see the strong jaw line underneath and could see why some of the parents might be afraid. As for his attire, he had become more decent, dressed in gray slacks and a light tan loose shirt yet he still came out without a jacket. However I was here not to judge but to issue an invitation. It was then that I realized that I didn't even know his name. I quickly snatched the invitation out of my bag and made a silent thank you as I read the name on the front.
"I'm sorry to bother you Master Jones but I came to give you an invitation to Mr. Marley's ball. I-" He stepped forward and slid the envelope out from under my hand. I briefly locked eyes with him and immediately recognized the gold flecks. "I-I want to thank you for saving my life. It was very kind of you sir."
"Don't mention it. Anyone in my position would have done the same." His voice was quite and it was almost as though he did not enjoying conversing with others. His response however left me struggling for an answer but fortunately he continued without noticing. "Oh and thank the Mr. Marley but I'm afraid I won't be attending."
"But you must attend!" My panic at having to return and announce that I had failed in my chore scared me into forgetting my manners yet again. His eyebrows rose at my outburst and his eyes seemed to fill curiosity.
"Must I?" I looked and realized that he had not yet opened the invitation. Of course he had no idea why I was so upset!
"Oh forgive me I complete forgot to tell you that the ball is being held in your honor." This earned me another pair of raised eyebrows. "For saving me of course."
"Ah well I guess that leaves me with no choice then." He gave me a small smile but it was more out of politeness then general happiness. I could not comprehend why one would not be ecstatic at having a ball held in one's honor but then again I couldn't understand why one would choose to live in the woods either.
"Oh and I almost forgot this." I held out the basket and he looked quite surprised. A small smile flitted across his face and I thought that perhaps this one had been real.
"My thanks miss. It is not often that I receive gifts let alone." With this he folded back the white cloth. ".fresh bread and mulberry jam." Now if I may have your leave, I must put these safely away and that get back to my work." We said our polite goodbyes and I headed back to the safety of my house where I curled back into my bed and spent the rest of the day go over the morning's events.
A/N: Yeah so I'm not sure whether or not I'm happy with this chapter. Pointless? Rushed? Dunno. Opinions would be helpful thanks.