Red

by Summer Donnelly

  Table of Contents

  Red: A Retelling of Rose-Red and Snow-White

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  © Summer Donnelly, 2018

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Any trademarks, service marks, product names or named features are assumed to be the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference. There is no implied endorsement.

  For R.D. and J.B. Sisters are both mirrors and friends. A mirror never lies and a shadow never leaves.

  Red: A Retelling of Rose-Red and Snow-White

  Summer Donnelly

  Chapter One

  Twenty years after the Treaty of the Wicked Witches

  There were two daughters who were like rose-trees. One snow-white and the other rose-red.

  The Cake Fairy was a small bakery on the edge of Thistle Grove’s shopping district. Snow-White and her sister Red-Rose had opened the little shop two years ago and were an overnight success. Everyone in the town of Thistle Grove knew that while Snow could bake the best cakes and cupcakes in town, Red had the glib tongue and imagination to sell two of everything her sister could bake. And usually, before they were even out of the oven.

  After the War of the Wicked Witches twenty years ago, where Paulina the Malevolent kicked the residents of the Woodlands out, the Fables had established the village of Thistle Grove. The hamlet, nestled into the mountains and was surrounded by the forest, had grown into a vibrant town with a picturesque Main Street dotted with small shops and restaurants. Humans and fables lived side by side and took care to avoid going deep into the Woods for fear of invoking the wrath of Paulina and her coven.

  Snow and Red were as close as two sisters could be, and one always took care of the other. Family legend said that after their father had built their mother Olga a cabin, the first thing she did was plant two rose bushes. One bloomed as red as spring’s first cardinal. The other bloomed as white as winter’s first snow. Because they were so beautiful, Olga named her daughters after them. Red-Rose was full of passion and drive. Snow-White was a girl with a gentle touch and full of loving support.

  Today, Red and Snow were putting the finishing touches on a batch of blueberry cupcakes. Snow inhaled, enjoying the creamy, rich scent of blueberries and the sugary confection of icing. She handled the icing bag with practiced ease as each cupcake received a swirl of blueberry-cream cheese icing. Snow wiped her brow with the back of one slim hand and pushed the bangs of her raven-black hair away from her eyes.

  “These look so good,” twenty-two-year-old Red-Rose said to her younger sister as she took the finished tray and put them in the display case. “I blame you if I need to get a bigger dress,” Red teased, rubbing her belly. “They are going to sell like hotcakes.”

  Snow snorted with laughter. “This is a bake shop. Let’s hope they sell as well as my chocolate chip cookies.”

  “Duly noted,” Red said with a gentle laugh. “But nothing sells like your chocolate chip cookies.” Long strands of silky auburn hair began pulling free of her braid, giving her a wild, untamed look. Red sighed and pulled the whole thing out. With deft fingers, she tightly re-braided her long red hair and secured it with a string. “Did you hear they’re sending another search party out for the baron and his brother?”

  Snow looked up from cleaning the workstation, her soft spring-green eyes concerned. “The last search party didn’t go so well,” she said, biting her lip. Three of the men had not returned. “Do you think they’ll be able to find Tristan and Baron Griffin?”

  “Calling them by their first names now?”

  Snow blushed the bright pink shade a stark contrast to her pale skin. “Fine. Do you think they’ll find Baron Knox and his brother? Does that satisfy you, Red?” Using her hip, Snow bumped into her sister, and they both giggled.

  “I hope they do. I miss seeing them around town,” Red said.

  “You miss the baron visiting the shop for hours on end, lost in conversation with you.” Snow batted her eyes in imitation of her sister’s flirting.

  Red shrugged and smiled but did not deny the charge. “I noticed you had no problem keeping Tristan entertained while Griffin and I talked.”

  “Can I tell you something?” Snow smiled up through her bangs and blushed. She desperately cursed her fair skin for showing every blush but knew her secrets were safe with her sister.

  “We’re sisters! You can tell me anything.”

  “Sometimes, I imagined what it would be like to bake us a wedding cake.”

  “You’re a baker, Snow. That’s not weird.”

  “But I didn’t mention who the grooms were.”

  Red’s eyes lit with understanding. “I sometimes think about that, too,” she whispered, an uncharacteristic blush staining her cheeks.

  “They are both very handsome,” Red mused. “And kind. The family has been good for Thistle Grove. After the war… well, I guess we were both too young, but Mother says it was just terrible. The Wicked Witches truly lived up to their name.”

  Snow glanced out the window. “I’m glad both sides have upheld the treaty,” she said, shivering as a chill ran through her. “Although sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to grow up in the Woodlands.”

  Red snorted. “Mother says it sounds better than it really was. Lots of crazy witches who liked to eat children and all sorts of evil step-mothers. I, for one, am glad we’re here in Thistle Grove. We’ve been peaceful and prosperous under the protection of the Knox family.”

  “I worry, though,” Snow said, her brow creased in concern as she gazed at the tree-line behind the bakery. Awareness prickled at her spine as she approached a truth she didn’t want to face. “How long will peace stay without them here? What if the Witches attack here?” She thought of the disappearing children. “What if the Witches have already attacked and taken the Knox brothers?”

  “It could have been the wolves,” Red remarked.

  The bell over the shop door went off, and Ruby Hood entered, her dark eyes stunning against her pale skin and brown hair. “Oh, don’t even mention wolves,” she said with a shudder.

  “Hey, Ruby,” Snow greeted with a smile. “All wolves or just one in particular?”

  Ruby held up her hand. “Do not even mention his name,” she warned, but her eyes twinkled with playfully. “I swear the man is trying to shut down my business.”

  “Speaking of,” Red said. “Several people took business cards. Do you have any more on you?” Ruby fished around in the pocket of her long red cape and pulled out several business cards for Ruby’s Concierge Service: no errand too small.

  “Thanks for helping me promote my business,” Ruby said. “With Grandmother down with pneumonia, I’ve felt so powerless. I am really scrambling to get everything done on the homestead and start my own business. From one business owner to another, I appreciate it.”

  “No thank you,” Snow said, coming out with several baskets of baked goods and a cup of coffee for Ruby. “Your errand and delivery service has helped my business grow.”

  Ruby smiled and inhaled the coffee, letting the heat and caffeine soak into her senses. The Cake Fairy was her favorite place in town. Well. Unless you counted Cinder’s shoe shop, The Perfect Fit. Because who didn’t find joy in a new pair of shoes?

  Red waited until Ruby had settled up before saying, “So wh
at has the too sexy Sheriff Avery Wolfe done this time?”

  “Ooh, he is all tall, dark, and sexy,” Snow teased, laughing as her friend blushed.

  “And hairy. Have you seen the man’s back?”

  “No,” Red said, eyes crinkling with laughter. “We’re all ears. Tell us all about it. And his muscles, too, as long as you’re talking.”

  “Do they bulge the way that vein in his forehead does when he’s angry?” Snow chimed in.

  Ruby’s eyes flashed with irritation, but she laughed. “You two are terrible,” she scolded, smiling. Red had that effect on people. “Last summer swimming, Red. Get your mind out of the sewer. Anyway, our esteemed sheriff found out I had three new clients – three brothers. Wolfe went out there and talked to them.”

  “Well, he is sheriff,” Snow said with a little shrug. “He is supposed to take care of us.”

  Ruby shrugged. “I guess. But one of them was cute, and after Wolfe’s ‘chat’ with them, he hasn’t even so much as been in the same room with me.”

  “Sounds like maybe a certain big bad wolf is jealous.”

  Ruby finished her coffee and handed the cup back to Snow. “Then perhaps he shouldn’t keep moving little young things in and out of his house,” Ruby said with a little sniff.

  “It seems to be contagious. For shiitake’s sake, did you see how that charming Charlie ran off on Cinder? You’d think he would have appreciated a sweet, hardworking girl like Cinder.”

  Ruby rolled her eyes. “She’s better off without him. Just like I am without the sheriff.” She gave brief hugs to Snow and Red. “Okay, ladies, I’m off. Be safe.”

  “You, too,” Snow said. She sighed. “Do you think the sheriff will be able to find Knox brothers? You don’t believe they’re actually gone, do you?”

  Red sighed and came up behind her sister to give her a reassuring hug. “We can’t think like that. They’ll be found, and all will be well again.”

  Snow raised an eyebrow, determined to slough off her sour mood. “I’ll start working on a new cupcake recipe in honor of their homecoming. Something with honey in it. They always loved pouring honey all over my scones.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Red smirked. “Even with a sweet tooth, you have to admit, the man was fine coming and going.”

  Snow laughed, a deep throaty chuckle that echoed against the pine boards of the bakery. “You’re so bad,” she scolded without heat.

  Red helped her sister take the dirty dishes to the large double sink in the back of the bakery. “Sheriff Avery has to keep looking, doesn’t he? I mean this is the Baron of Thistle Grove, we’re talking about. And the Baron’s brother.”

  Once the dishes were done, Red turned the CLOSED sign around, and the shop was officially opened for business.

  “Mother asked me to get a few things at the market. Should I go now, or wait until you’re done with the last batch of cookies?” The bell over the shop door rang with a charming peel and Red greeted their customer.

  “Mrs. Brown, how are you?” Red said, dimples flashing as she brightened before the customer. It was always like this, she thought. When customers came in the shop, it felt like she was an actress on stage and the house lights went on.

  By the time Mrs. Brown left, the shelves were reduced by two loaves of bread, one cake, and two cookies. One for each of her children, of course.

  “You do that so effortlessly,” Snow said, wiping her hands. “The last of the baking is done for the day, and the dishes are done. If you want to get mother’s items, I can help the customers.”

  Red brushed a small kiss on her sister’s cheek and grabbed her maroon cloak. “Mother needs cheese, milk, and you have been officially ordered to save her a loaf of bread,” Red said as she danced out the door.

  Snow smiled wistfully at her sister. Her sister wouldn’t be back for the rest of the day but would instead be caught up chatting with neighbors and friends. Just for a moment, Snow wished she had Red’s verve and energy. Dutifully, she took a loaf of bread and wrapped it in a piece of linen to take home to their mother.

  The sheriff came in an hour before closing. He went to close the door gently but the wind took it from him, and it slammed, reverberating through the small building. “Sheriff,” Snow said, coming out from behind the counter to greet him. She swallowed nervously as she stared up at the tall, imposing man and thought better of teasing Ruby about him. This was not a man you took lightly. She wished her sister were there with her. Or Mrs. Brown. Ruby. Anyone, really. “How can I help you?”

  Avery’s smile did nothing to allay her fears. His nose was rather sharp and elongated, and Snow was certain the man simply had too many teeth. “Just following up on a lead, Miss Snow,” he said. One impressive paw of a hand dug into his trench coat and pulled out a pen and pad. “One of the Hamm brothers said he saw the Baron and his brother in your shop right before they disappeared. Can you tell me anything about that?”

  Snow paused and licked her plump lips. “Everyone comes in to visit,” she said. “The Baron and his brother enjoyed my baking, is all.”

  Avery scratched his full five o’clock shadow and looked skeptical. “Every afternoon?”

  Snow had the good grace to blush. “I guess they really liked my scones,” she said, but it sounded lame even to her own ears. She was saved from further questions by the bell over her shop ringing.

  “Ruby,” Snow said with a frown. “Did you forget something, sweetie?”

  Snow noticed the change that went over Avery’s body. His shoulders tensed and she was pretty sure even his teeth reacted to Ruby’s nearness.

  “No, I got everything earlier.” Ruby turned shrewd brown eyes to the sheriff. “I just wanted to make sure Sheriff Wolfe didn’t bother you too much.”

  “It’s an investigation, Ruby,” Avery growled. “Unless you don’t want me to find the Baron and his brother?”

  “I told you why the Knox brothers were always over here. Use your brain, Wolfe. Red and Snow are beautiful women, and I am sure the Baron and his brother noticed.”

  Snow blushed again and opened her mouth to say something, but just then, the sheriff engaged Ruby in an argument. Snow sighed, turned the sign on the door and settled into a chair. Once these two started arguing, she knew she wasn’t leaving the shop anytime soon.

  <<<>>>

  Errands done, Red spent the rest of the day chatting with the owners of several shops and the butcher even promised her an extra lean cut of beef. Leaving the butcher’s shop, Red was reluctant to return back to the bakery. It wasn’t that she didn’t love helping her sister, but really. The weather was perfect, and the woods lured her with the promise of an afternoon’s exploration.

  Red set out for home from the picturesque hamlet of Thistle Grove. She decided to take advantage of a shortcut. The autumn sun was warm against her skin, but the breeze on the air brought with it the promise of a temperature drop. She pulled another one of her sister’s cookies out of her basket and took a healthy bite. Her sister, Snow-White made the best pastries in the area, and Red was known to partake regularly.

  Red patted her ample backside and smiled. Her sister’s cookies were so good, it was worth a few extra pounds, she decided. She tossed her long red hair behind her, spread her arms wide, and danced in the swirl of crimson and toffee leaves kicked up by the wind.

  A prickling sense of unease trailed its icy fingers across her spine, and she paused mid-dance and looked around for the source of her discomfort. The sun still shone, and the breeze still trailed along, but something had changed. Mixed in with the scent of loam and trees was the unmistakable stench of decay. Red sniffed and recoiled as her senses were assaulted by the gag-worthy odor of rotten lettuce.

  Red hurried through the darkest part of the wood as she headed home. Soon the rotten lettuce stench cleared and the overwhelming sense of dread lifted from her delicate shoulders. For the first time, she began to wonder if walking through the woods was such a great idea. What had once been a simple decis
ion had changed after Baron Knox, and his brother had disappeared.

  As she passed over a small stone bridge, a noise caught her attention. She darted behind a stone support, her red woolen gown spiraling around her as she knelt in the damp soil. There, in the clearing, sat the largest bear she’d ever seen. Sunning himself.

  Red smiled with delight as the bear rolled to his feet and began chasing a bug too far away for her to see it clearly. A bee or butterfly, maybe. This gentle, lumbering giant chasing a butterfly enchanted Red.

  She lost track of time as the afternoon waned and the bear moved on from chasing butterflies to splashing in a nearby stream. An ache grew in Red’s breast as she longed to play with the bear, dancing in the fall sunlight. Splashing in the brook. Eating berries from a nearby bramble. Slowly, awareness of her surrounding settled in and unease surrounded her. Panic rose as Red realized she wasn’t alone anymore.

  Her green eyes darted around, barely noting the encroaching darkness. There. In a small niche beside the clearing stood Gaul. The little man had only recently come to Thistle Grove, and Red didn’t know much about him. He had only come into the bakery once, and Snow had taken an instant dislike to the diminutive, bearded man. Red hadn’t noticed anything besides a residual oddness and shook off her sister’s concern.

  But now, alone in the woods with only a bear and Gaul, Red felt waves of animosity, avarice, and hatred pour off him in waves. She made a mental note to listen to her sister’s intuition more often.

  Red swallowed and felt her eyes grow round when she saw Gaul pick up a large rock and place it in the pocket of a slingshot. Was he going to shoot the bear? Anger rose in her. How dare the little man attack the bear? The bear had been enjoying himself and doing whatever bear business bears liked to do in the woods. Why was Gaul intent on harassing the majestic animal?

  The bear chuffed and eyed up the little man. The bear rose on his hind legs as if to prove his physical superiority to the measly human. Red’s feet were frozen to the autumn cloaked ground, and her heart beat heavily in her chest as she awaited the outcome of the battle playing out before her. Gaul was no match for the huge bear, but she didn’t understand why the bear hadn’t either charged or run away.