Page 3 of Little Red Riding Hood
“Two young men. They would make for a far more delicious meal than me! Their flesh looked supple and… juicy! And they’re… as fat as pigs!” he invented. “Rolls and rolls of meat, ready for the munching!”
It was partially true; the two men had been attractive. The gloriously tall redhead with the gorgeous scruff of beard—who his companion had called Hansel—had looked particularly scrumptious to Red.
“The tall one… his thighs looked especially biteable. You wouldn’t want to miss out on him.” Red wouldn’t have minded a taste of them himself, come to think of it.
The wolf leaned forward to graze his muzzle against Red’s cheek. “Aye, might be I’ll feast three times tonight.”
Red swallowed, his throat dry as parchment. He desperately searched for a reason that might save his skin. “You don’t know which direction they went! West or east. I never said.”
“Their trail will be strong. I’ll find it easily enough.”
“But… why risk it? Oh, and did I mention one of them was carrying a rabbit?”
At the mention of the word ‘rabbit,’ the wolf’s ears perked up. His orb-like eyes gleamed with interest, and a fragile spark of hope ignited in Red’s chest.
“A rabbit, eh?” he rumbled, low and considering. “Fresh kill, not rotted by the forest?”
Red nodded eagerly, seizing upon this thread of possibility. “Yes, freshly caught. Plump and tender, I’d wager. Far more appetising than my scrawny frame, wouldn’t you agree?”
The wolf’s gaze roved over Red’s body, as if reassessing his potential as a meal. Red held his breath.
“Aye, have it your way,” the beast snarled. “But mark me well… if my belly isn’t full after, I’m coming for you next. It won’t matter if you walk one mile or ten. Make no mistake. I’ll hunt you down.” The terrifying creature leaned in, his toothy mouth pressing directly into Red’s ear. “Because you, boy, have the most uniquely delicious scent I’ve ever smelled.”
“You won’t be hungry,” Red promised, with as much conviction as he could muster.
“Aye, you’ve no idea how deep my hunger runs. ’Specially when there’s such sweet prey before me.”
Then, the beastwinked.
He raked his wolfish eyes over the length of Red’s body. “By the way. You should know that Ialwaysplay with my food.”
Red’s heart pounded like a drum as the creature’s words echoed in his ears. The wolf’s hot breath lingered on his skin, sending a shiver down his spine. A shiver of… terror? Partially maybe, but also… something else.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then, with a low growl, the wolf stepped back. His eyes never left Red’s face as he retreated into the shadows. The massive grey form melted into the darkness, leaving only the fading sound of rustling leaves in his wake.
Red remained frozen against the tree, scarcely daring to breathe. He strained his ears, listening for any sign of the wolf’s return. But the forest had fallen silent, as if holding its breath along with him.
“Well, great job, Red,” he muttered. “Three days into the journey and you’ve run out of rations, gotten lost twice, and now you’ve attracted the attention of a wolf that wants to tear you apart, possibly in more ways than one. Really, Red, you may as well lie down here and wait to die.”
The forest around him seemed to mock his predicament, the rustling leaves sounding suspiciously like laughter.
When Queen Schön had called him into the throne room to announce his royal quest, he couldn’t believe his luck. Finally, a chance to prove himself, to escape his mundane life locked in the palace, to have anadventure, just like the storybooks. But now, rationless and likely to become wolf food, he was rather missing the safe comfort of his attic bedroom.
Adventuring was not what he’d imagined, so far.
But there was no choice but to press on. He had to complete the Queen’s instructions.
Like everything else in his life, the choice had been made for him.
For one mad moment, Red pictured himself refusing the Queen—telling her that he wasn’t going. Though he supposed it would be hard to appreciate her expression once his head had parted ways with his shoulders.
The wind picked up, roaring a howl, and Red shivered.
Who knew the forest could get so damned cold at night? Not Red.
He pushed himself off the tree, wincing as his muscles protested. The encounter with ‘Wim’ had left him shaken, but he couldn’t afford to linger. He needed to move, to put as much distance between himself and the wolf as possible.
