"Why don't you stop running and come over for a bit, eh?"
" We promise we won't bite!" A sneer and they all started laughing this horrible spine-chilling laugh. Little Red ignored them and their lies and just concentrated on running.
It all happened earlier this morning when she was seen by the villagers entering the forest. It was there, at the entrance, that she encounted these vulgar men that she mistook to be merchants from the village. Instead they were strangers.
But by the time she had asked for directions and was told to wait by their campsite fire, it was already too late. The unease she had felt as a prickling went into a painful sensation that caused fear within her. She knew she had wasted precious time by sitting there trying to ignore the suspicious men's gaze. She sat there for so long that it was well into the afternoon.
She had apologised to the men and told them that she must be on her way, remembering where to go. It was then that a man with a rugged but still a sharp sword strapped to his left hip had touched her. Seeing his eyes made Little Red pale at the sight of his intention-to all their intentions.
She bit down, hard, on the hand that restrained her from running, anywhere, away. The men had laughed making Little Red sick to the stomach. The man who held her released her in mock surrender - trying to mask the pain he felt by Little Red's bite. When he reached for her again however, Little Red kicked him in the groin, very hard, and ran off.
The men weren't going to give up the chase, like predators cornering their prey, they chased after her.
Already it was dusk, the sun setting already in for a blood theme, complimenting Little Red's crimson red cloak. Soon enough, though, Little Red could feel the drag and numbness that was soon to overcome her. She was crying as she desperately clung onto her strength to not fall into the vile and sick men's hands. Crying silently, Little Red has to wipe her eyes quickly lest she hit blindly into a tree.
"Help!" she screams.
The basket racked dangerously in her left hand as she cries harder, this time not bothering to hide the wracking sobs that make her gasp at the same time. She didn't know where she ran to, much less where she was, only knowing the gut wrenching feeling of losing the lighted path Mama Blue spoke of. "I'm sorry Mama."
Too caught up in her thoughts Little Red didn't see the looming tree, if she had she'd have easily dodged it, but as she currently was, she didn't dodged it. The sudden blow to her face was enough to send her flying back, hitting the hard moss-filled ground, landing flat on her back. Useless tears ran down the side of her face as she lay sprawled, not bothering to escape the fate of her.
Gripping harder on to the basket, she had one fleeting thought as the vibrant ground intensified.
It's too late Mama...
"It's you."
At the silken gruff voice, Little Red opened her eyes to look into a looming face directly above her. But seeing his eyes was enough to send Little Red into a world of chaos. His eyes were moon yellow with red specks like droplets of crimson blood. Gazing to him took her breath away and smiled at the fact that her mind was playing vivid tricks to her at a time like this, at a time where she would die.
"I see the disguised river escaping you, yet, you smile none the matter. Why is it so?" The creature revealed teeth that were sharp and ensured death. Gazing back to the creature's dilated eye, since the other half was obscured by his raven black mane of a hair, she reached up to touch the creature's face. She noted the surprise and shock the creature displayed and chuckled.
After a moment of silence he closed his inhumane eyes, reveling the touch of her hand. She says to her figment of imagination "Do you not know that I amabout to die? Or were you not to know that?"
He opened his eyes slowly thought the obscured one could clearly not be seen, shifting his face into her palm.
"But I am glad that my mind is playing some last minute jester because I have seen your face, though, why you are the one I see I know not."
His unblinking eyes stared hard into her face while she gazed smilingly back. When he spoke she could hear the men's running steps coming closer than before but she tuned it out as the background.
"If I am to prevent that happening, would you be willing to offer me, in return, a payment?"
Confused Little Red only gaped, speechless.
Wasn't the hullucination meant to NOT save her?
Little Red's mind reminded her about what Mama Blue had said about creatures of the forest and their deals and payments. Her mind clicked and Little Red knew that she was dealing with a creature and not her delusions.
"What...what must be my payment?" her voice cracked by the return of her senses. She gulped when he smiled to reveal razor white gleaming incisors.
"You...for now."
Tears spilled and she clenched her teeth together. "No," she faintly said, but, by then the wolf - like creature was already sealing the one - sided deal with a kiss. He'd leaned in and his lips crushed hers.
Trying to fight her way out was nonsense due to the weight he forced upon her. Her tears ran freely as she felt his tongue licking her tears away.
She was still crying when he got up to greet the men who'd hassled her earlier. COvering her face with her arms she lost herself to their dying agony.
Moments later she fainted by his looming stance, covered with the blood he took from them