Page 1 of Red's Beast

Lillian

Another branch snaps off to the side of me, deep in the woods, and I stand motionless. The sound frightens me unlike any other. I try to not question what it is, yet part of me keeps checking to the side as I walk a little faster. The answer is too scary to think of, but the woods also have a funny way of keeping secrets.

As darkness falls, I know I have to hurry to get to my grandmother’s house to bring her dinner. The path to her houseis dark already, with the sun finally dropping over the horizon, and it makes the woods that much more terrifying.

Considering the current circumstances, I decide that my best bet on arriving there safely is to run straight to her cottage. It is within my line of vision and about only twenty feet away, though my sight is not the greatest since my wolf hasn’t surfaced fully.

What could go wrong? It’s just a short distance and I’m confident that I can reach the door. I do this every night, so why would tonight be any different?

As I hear the constant sound of snapping twigs behind me, I feel a strong urge to run faster, pushing my limits until I can run no more. It’s almost as if the snapping twigs are daring me to slow so that whatever is in the woods might consume me.

The door to her cottage swings open, but I don’t have time to react as I reach it. My feet betray me, and instead of stopping in her entryway, I stumble, the basket hitting the floor first with a loud thud, and I end up toppling over it a second later.

She lets out a loud and joyful laugh as she glances outside and then shuts the door tightly behind me. "You'd think with the way you run that the night monster is on your heels."

“Grandmother, you may laugh about it, but have you not seen that thing out there as well? I heard the snapping twigs behind me, but I was too afraid to look back. If I had, then I might have tripped coming up the path and then I’d be eaten like the others.” I try to slow my racing heart by placing my handover it and attempting to take some calming breaths. “Your granddaughter was almost a goner, and here you are, laughing at me as if it is nothing.”

“The woods hold secrets, my child. I never saw a thing, but I have heard twigs snapping at times when I go around my house. It is likely a small creature in search of its next meal. Do not fret. Nothing in the woods will harm you.” She reaches up, tenderly wiping away the tears from her eyes before offering me her hand to help me stand. “Your imagination is getting the best of you again.”

“My imagination is just fine and does not get the best of me. You know there is something in these woods, because how else does the alpha explain the disappearances? I also don’t see why you continue to live out here like this, especially alone. Why don’t you come back with me in the morning and stay with me in my home?” I finally remove the crimson red hood from over my head and let it fall on my shoulders.

When she sees my wild blonde hair, she can’t help but smile. “You remind me so much of your mother, but you know, just as she did, that this is my home. I will never leave until I pass on and I’m no longer in this world. This home holds my past and yours. It also is where your grandfather last was before he lost the challenge to Nigel.”

I feel utterly defeated and hang my head in despair. We have had this discussion multiple times, yet her response stays the same. She will never leave this cottage in the woods, even if there is a monster lurking in the woods surrounding it. But she alsoalways tells me that I’m foolish to believe the rumors about what lurks in the forest and that is how she justifies not moving.

“I know, Grandmother, but I don’t know why you never left this pack when they stood by and allowed Nigel to murder your mate. You could have taken my mother and moved away from here.” I refrain from finishing my sentence because I know it will only cause her more pain. She hurts enough, as it is at the loss of my parents. I have often thought about what would have happened if she had moved, and if my parents would still be alive if they had. It may have been the one thing that saved them.

But then again, the monster lurks in the woods and keeps us trapped here. Anyone who enters them never comes back.

“And I have told you many more times that if I left, I would have never had you, my sweet girl. Your mother found a wonderful husband in this pack, and they loved you more than anything. Things just don’t always work out how we hope they will.”

I feel an uncomfortable lump forming in my throat, so I do my best to swallow it and push it down. These emotions are just too much.

My parents were just two of the many pack members that have disappeared into the woods and were never seen again. We’re not even sure how they got in there or why. No one knows what happened nor do they know the whereabouts of the others who have dared to enter.

They claim the monster in the woods eats them or kills them. Of course, no one has seen this beast, either, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t go unheard.

Just like tonight, you will hear snapping branches as he crosses over them with his massive paws. It follows people at the edge of the woods, watching and waiting, yet never reveals itself until it’s too late for you to escape. At that point, it’s all over and any who have seen him never live to tell the tale. If you fall off the path or get too close to the woods, then that is the end for you.

Grandmother’s fingers slip under my chin as she raises my head to meet her gaze. “Are you thinking about the past again or those stories that Nigel told you? You used to not believe them until you moved into the village when you were eighteen. I think you should have stayed here with me.”

I shake my head, denying such things. “No, Grandmother. I don’t quite believe the stories, but the disappearances are weird.”

She gives me a simple nod and leans down to pick up the basket. “They work you too much. How do you even have time to cook?”

“I make time, usually in the middle of cleaning houses, then place it in the refrigerator for our meals. It’s the best I can do.”

Grandmother sets the basket down on the old oak dining room table. It’s small with four chairs, though there are only the two of us here.

“Pull up a seat, child. Tell me how everything went today.”

A grin pulls at the edge of my lips as I think about everything that happened. It’s nothing spectacular, but today has been easier than most. Corbin was too busy to bother me.

“Well, Nigel gave me the day off because someone else needed me to clean. It was definitely an easier day than most.”

“I’m so glad,” she says as she sits down at the table. “What about Corbin?”

“He was too busy chasing Ophelia. I swear he is going to get himself cursed.”

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