Page 29 of Little Red Riding Hood
“I’m through!” Red’s shout bounced off unseen walls, multiplying until it died away into nothing. He squinted into the darkness, willing his eyes to adjust. Shadows took shape—not a cavern at all, but a tunnel stretching endlessly ahead. The air hung thick and stale, untouched by sunlight or wind.
Loose pebbles crunched under Red’s feet as he took his first tentative steps forward. The ground was damp, and wetness soon seeped through the holes in his boots. The tunnel curved slightly to the left, promising secrets in its depths. Something skittered in the darkness ahead, and Red flinched backwards.
What waited for him in these forgotten passages?
You are Red, brave royal adventurer,he told himself, but as he reached for his riding hood and found nothing, every morsel of bravery bled away.
He pressed on.
Something scampered over his feet.
His heart raced as he peered down. He could just make out a rat-shaped thing darting away from him. A shiver ran down his spine, but not before his brain cried out at him to catch it. The palace servants had roasted many a rat over the last few months.
Out of nowhere, his foot caught on an unseen object. He stumbled, flailing as he fell forward, hands outstretched. He hit the ground, his fingers brushing against something cold and smooth. Panic washed over him as his mind raced—could it be a bone?
His mind was assaulted with awful images of the rocky floor heaving with skeletons. Was that tiny crunch the sound of Red grinding a long-forgotten hand into dust? What if the shadows held the remnants of lost souls, their hollowed eye sockets staring into his, accusing him of trespassing in their dark domain?
Red pressed a shaky hand to his mouth. He was going to die here, in this filthy cave, with only skeletons for friends.
Then he heard it—the quietest cry. The whimper echoed through the tunnel, soft and frightened. Red’s heart leapt—it had to be Tobias.
He leapt to his feet.
“Tobias?” His voice bounced off the stone walls. “Toby, is that you?”
Another whimper, louder this time, followed by a choked sob. Red pressed forward, ignoring the sting of his wounds as he half ran, half stumbled through the darkness. The tunnel curved sharply, opening into a small chamber. A tiny sliver of light illuminated the space from a gap in the ceiling.
“Toby?”
The boy huddled against the far wall, naked and shivering. Dirt and grime covered his dark skin, and tears had carved clean tracks down his cheeks. His left leg stretched out at an awkward angle, caught in the cruel teeth of a rusty rabbit snare. The metal contraption had bitten deep into his flesh, and dried blood crusted around the wound.
Red’s stomach turned at the sight.
He’d seen these devices thousands of times, when out training with the Queen’s Huntsman. Sharp metal teeth designed to snap shut on anything that triggered the pressure plate, anchored to the ground by a heavy chain. The length of chain attached to the trap trailed upwards to where it disappeared through the narrow crack in the ceiling. Someone from above—desperate villagers hunting for food, perhaps—had lowered the device into the cave system, likelyhoping to catch whatever creatures might dwell in the darkness. Instead, they’d ensnared a child.
“It hurts,” Toby whimpered, his small frame shaking. “I c-can’t get it off.”
“I know, little one.” Red crouched beside him, careful not to touch the snare. “I’m going to help you, alright? Your mother’s just outside. We’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
Fresh tears spilled down Toby’s face. “Mama’s here?”
“She is. And Wim too.”
“She found Wim?!” For some reason, this made Toby explode into a fresh torrent of tears. “I couldn’t find him! I tried so hard!”
“Now, I’m going to need you to be very brave. Can you do that for me?”
Toby nodded, his bottom lip trembling. “I’ve been trying to shift, but every time I start, the pain gets worse, and I can’t go through with it.”
Red’s fingers trembled as he examined the rusted trap. His heart ached at each of Toby’s quiet whimpers. The scrapes to his skin were nothing compared to what the boy must be experiencing right now. The mechanism looked simple enough—all he needed to do was press down on the springs at either side to release the pressure.
“Now, thiswillhurt,” Red warned, positioning his hands. “Ready?”
Toby squeezed his eyes shut and nodded.
Red pressed down hard on both springs. The metal teeth retreated with a harsh screech, and Toby yanked his leg free with a strangled cry. Blood welled fresh from the puncture wounds.
“Can you stand?” Red offered his hand.
