“I hope it all works,” I replied. It was all I could think about. If our plan went wrong, then I might lose Little Red forever. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself then. There would be no consoling me. It was either win or die.
“It will work,” Mr. Wolf assured me. “Now go and hide, I think she’s coming.”
I nodded and moved further into the woods so I was hidden from view. I peered out behind some trees, watching the path like my life depended on it. It sure felt like my life depended on it. Perhaps it did. Definitely it did.
Little Red’s song carried in on the breeze. I wanted to float to its source and bask in her beauty. Yet the tune stopped abruptly when she met the wolf on the path. She was just as lovely as always in her riding hood. The plush red fabric framed the perfect little face that was far more beautiful than any princess in our kingdom. It was show time.
“Hey there, Little Red Riding Hood, what a lovely day it is,” Mr. Wolf started. He had a mischievous glimmer to his eye at the secret we shared. To her, he probably looked menacing. Good, that was the plan. She needed to be terrified of him.
“Why wolf, it certainly is lovely,” Red replied. I could tell she was nervous, even though she was trying not to be. She was so brave, I was in awe of her.
“What are you doing in the woods all alone today?” Mr. Wolf continued. He was following our plan exactly as we had rehearsed.
“I’m on my way to Grandmother’s house. I am to bring her this basket of muffins, baked freshly today.” She held up the woven basket that she always carried. It was laden with food. A hint of chocolate filled the air, giving away the flavor again.
“I bet your grandmother would love to have some flowers to brighten her cabin too. There are plenty here in the woods.” The wolf nodded toward the trees and everything beyond them.
“My mother said to go straight to Grandmother’s house. I am not to step off the path.”
“Oh, but the flowers are so lovely. Can’t you imagine how much your grandmother would enjoy them?” He was doing a really good job. I was in awe of him too. But my time would come. I would have my moment to shine in the spotlight too.
“I don’t know…”
“Come on, I shall help you pick them. It won’t take very long.”
She hesitated for a few moments before following the wolf off the path and into the woods. She took each step seriously, careful not to get her boots dirty. They were soon swallowed up by the trees.
I waited in my position until she was well into the flowers and the wolf slowly backed away.
Before I knew it, Mr. Wolf was by my feet smiling up at me. “She bought it.”
“Let’s hurry. We don’t have much time,” I replied as we hurried to Grandmother’s house before Little Red finished picking her flowers. We could not get caught, that would be the worst possible thing by that stage.
I knocked on Grandmother’s front door as the wolf hid behind a shrub. My heart was hammering in my chest like a Woodpecker bird in a tree.
“What do you want?” Grandmother grunted at me as she answered the door. She was wearing her nightgown still, complete with a bonnet on her head. Her disapproving look matched her tone of voice perfectly.
“May I come in?” I asked. Behind my back I had my fingers crossed. I didn’t want to hurt the old lady but I also knew I would do everything I could to make sure Little Red was mine. Anything and everything.
“No. Go away.”
“Just for a moment? Please?”
“No, what are you, stupid?” She tried to slam the door in my face but my reflexes were much faster than hers. I held onto the door, pushing it open again and forcing her back into the little cabin.
The wolf followed me in, all too aware of how little time we had in which to get things ready. Timing was everything and I felt every second of it slipping through my fingers as we delayed.
“Get out! A wolf! What are you doing?” Grandmother shrieked. I clamped my hand over her mouth as I bundled her into a stronghold. She wasn’t nearly as frail as she looked, which quickly became apparent as she struggled against me.
She was a biter too.
“Quit doing that,” I begged. My hand was going to be so bruised and cut by the time I got her where I needed her. It would be difficult to explain to Red later on. I tightened my grip further.
“Here’s the berries,” Mr. Wolf said as he handed me a few red wild berries. I risked taking my hand away from Grandmother’s mouth long enough to shove the berries between her lips. I tried to move her jaw up and down to crush the fruit into liquid inside her mouth. She grunted against every one of my efforts.
She struggled but not for too long. The sleeping berries worked fast once they burst, exactly how I expected they would. Grandmother grew limp in my arms as she succumbed to the poison.
“I’ve made room in the closet for her,” Mr. Wolf advised me as he held the door open. “The woman has a big collection of tea cozies. It’s weird.”
I carried Grandmother over and gently placed her on the floor of her own closet. She was cocooned in her collection of tea cozies. At least they were a soft bedding for her temporary, forced slumber.
If my calculations were correct and I hadn’t messed it up, the berries should have kept her asleep for only a little while. Hopefully just long enough for the wolf and I to convince Little Red that I was the one for her. Long enough to steal her heart. I wasn’t a thief though, I wanted it to be given willingly.
I grabbed one of Grandmother’s nightgowns out of the closet and threw it at Mr. Wolf. He stared at me for a moment. “You have to help me put it on. I have paws, not hands.”
“Oh, right.” Of course he was going to need my help. I needed to concentrate, focus on the plan instead of being so anxious. I only had one shot at this, there would be no other opportunity for a repeat.
The wolf stood on his hind legs as I helped him shuffle into the white cotton nightdress. It was a little snug in places, but it allowed Mr. Wolf’s bushy tail to hang freely. I had been worried it wouldn’t fit at all, thank goodness Grandmother had some swish to her sway.
Next was the bonnet. I plucked it directly from Grandmother’s head and tied it around the wolf’s. It held fast with a perfect bow underneath his chin. Her glasses completed his transformation into the cranky old woman.
“How do I look?” Mr. Wolf did a turn for me.
“Like a wolf in Grandmother’s clothing. Hopefully Little Red won’t notice. Come on, I’ll help you into the bed.”
I held up the bedcovers as Mr. Wolf climbed into the soft bed. It was still a little warm from when Grandmother had been snuggled up so cozily. He settled in to face the ceiling and I pulled the covers up to his chin.
Given the right angle and with the right lighting, the wolf could indeed pass for Grandmother. He wore the same grimace and had the same sharp teeth as her. The main difference was that he was nicer. And smelt better.
“Are you okay?” I asked, wanting to ensure Mr. Wolf was prepared to go through with our plan.
“I’m fine. Now, get out of here before Little Red arrives and catches you.” He closed his eyes and settled further into the bed as he made himself more comfortable.
I did as I was told and left the small cabin under the three oak trees. It was time for stage two of the plan, the stage where Little Red would be mine.
CHAPTER4
I hid behind a tree just as Little Red skipped up the path toward the house. In one hand was her basket full of food. In the other, a bouquet of wildflowers plucked fresh from the woods. She seemed to be happy with her haul. I was just happy it had kept her occupied for long enough.
Our plan was a risky one and relied mostly on the wolf putting on the best act of his life. Anything could go wrong but it was out of my hands now. My palms were sweaty as I watched and hoped that it would work out exactly as I had imagined.
She knocked on the door and waited. I had to strain to hear the muffled and disguised voice of Mr. Wolf as he a
sked Little Red to enter the cabin. He actually did a really good impression of the old woman’s voice. She twisted the doorknob and went inside.
I moved trees until I could see in through the window of the cabin. I had left it open to ensure I could hear their conversation and know when it was my cue to step in. I wasn’t going to let any little detail stand in my way. For the devil was in the details.
Little Red didn’t hesitate to hurry to the bed. She placed her basket and the flowers on the bedside table. “Grandmother, it is me. Are you ill?”
“Yes, dear.” Mr. Wolf was actually pretty good at imitating the old woman’s movements too. His voice was much higher than it normally was though. If his wife could see him now, she would probably cackle in laughter. I hoped to be there to tell her the story later on, Mr. Wolf would leave out all the good details.
She sat on the edge of the bed, a concerned look on her face. Poor Little Red, I hated seeing her worried like that. She was such an innocent soul, so kind and caring. I consoled myself with the fact it wouldn’t be for long. Soon, she would be overjoyed to see me. Her pain would be forgotten quickly.
“My, Grandmother, what big eyes you have. I never noticed them before,” Little Red said, more curious than cautionary. I couldn’t wait to hear what Mr. Wolf had to say about that.
“All the better to see you with, my dear,” the wolf replied. He still held the covers up to his chin, the bonnet covering much of his face. His nightgown covered arms were unmoving on the sheets. I could tell he was Mr. Wolf, but I knew the plan. So far, it didn’t seem like Little Red had caught on. Good.
“Grandmother, what big arms you have.”
“All the better to hug you with, my dear.”
Little Red paused to regard him carefully. They stared at each other in silence as the moments passed by. My heart was pounding in my ears, counting off the seconds as they ticked over. I was going to have a heart attack if something didn’t happen soon.
“Oh my, what big teeth you have,” Little Red exclaimed with a gasp as the wolf smiled dangerously. If I didn’t know him so well, then I might have been scared of him too. He was doing an excellent job of being a big, bad wolf.
“All the better to eat you with, my dear!” Mr. Wolf growled as he pushed back the bedcovers. Little Red screamed and moved quickly, jumping off the bed and starting to run for the door. She shrieked with terror, the poor thing.
The wolf was faster than her little human legs and beat her to the only exit. She shrieked another shrill scream and ran to stay out of his clutches.
Around and around the small cabin they ran, the wolf careful not to catch her or cause any real harm. Her heart was probably pounding with terror in her chest, her throat was no doubt starting to burn from the exertion. I hoped we weren’t traumatizing her permanently. I would never forgive myself if that were the case.
They went in circles, neither willing to give up just yet. They probably would have continued on all day if nobody did anything about it.
But her fear had last long enough. I counted to five before deciding that she shouldn’t suffer any more. What I had intended to happen had played out to a sufficient level. There was no sense in prolonging it. I wasn’t a cruel person.
I grabbed my axe and headed for the door. I took a moment to make sure my hair was in place and my clothes were neatly presented. I wanted to play my role of the hero perfectly, not one thing could be out of place. Now was my moment.
I burst in through the door, holding my axe high in the air. “Little Red, I am here to save you.”
The scene was chaotic as I took it all in. Little Red was starting to tire as the wolf continued his relentless chase. They were still going around in circles, leaping over the bed when it got in the way.
“I’m going to eat you, Little Red,” the wolf snarled. He deserved an award for putting on such a convincing performance. He was doing everything people expected of a big, bad wolf. Little did people know how nice and harmless they really were – especially Mr. Wolf. He was one of my greatest friends in the entire woods.
“Help me! Help me, Woodcutter!” Those words were the ones I had been waiting my whole life to hear. They played on my ears like a symphony.
“I won’t let him hurt you,” I declared with a steely determination. It was the performance of my lifetime too. We all deserved to win an award for our achievements. Hopefully my award would be winning the heart of Little Red. That was more than sufficient.
I ran for the wolf, stepping between them and throwing myself in front of Little Red. They were both panting from the effort, finally able to take a breath after their chase.
“I will kill you, wolf,” I threatened, a growl in my own voice. Yet I wanted to hug Mr. Wolf instead of killing him. I could never do that to such a dear friend.
He snarled back a guttural threat that made Little Red whimper behind me. She really was terrified, the poor girl. I hoped I hadn’t made it too much of an ordeal. My intention was never to scar her for life, I just wanted to scare her a little bit.
Exactly like we had planned it, I ran for the wolf. I screamed at him to get out while he pretended to want to rip my head off. We confronted each other in a showdown to end all showdowns. It was man against beast, but really friend with friend.
As I brought the axe down to his head, he bolted for the door at the last minute. Good, for a moment there I feared I might actually hurt him. Our timing was perfect, Little Red would never suspect a thing.
I chased after the wolf, bellowing threats the entire way. I called him bad names, raising my axe again to threaten him. All the birds in the nearby trees flew away at the noise. I hoped I looked as heroic as I needed to.
Mr. Wolf made it outside before I could inflict any harm on him. I slammed the door and turned around to see what state he had left Little Red in.
She was crying, a series of tears were racing down her perfect porcelain cheeks. I wanted to kiss them all away and never let anything cause them ever again. I would never let anything hurt her, I was quite certain of that.
“Little Red, are you okay?” I asked, taking a few tentative steps toward her.
She nodded, sniffling her little nose. “You saved my life from the horrid wolf.”
“It was my pleasure.”
She suddenly looked around for something. “Grandmother. The wolf ate Grandmother. I shall never see her again.” She crumpled to the floor with grief and wailed. I couldn’t handle it for more than a moment. It would only be cruel to let her torment continue when I could do something about it.
“I think I hear something,” I said, cocking my head to one side. I pretended to check the cabin for the source of the noise, I left the closet to last so I could be sure she knew that I was helping.
My hand clutched the doorknob and I pulled it open. Out fell Grandmother with a thud as she thrashed about to be released. The old woman could put up quite a fight when she wanted to. I didn’t want to have to take her on again, I might not be so lucky next time.
“Little Red, I have found her.” I waited until she saw what I was doing before helping Grandmother to her feet. I held her close, dreading that I would have to actually untie her. Her weight was heavy as she leant against me for support. Last traces of the sleeping potion were still in her system.
“Grandmother!” Little Red shrieked as she ran to join us. I guessed I couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer and started to untie her wrists. We had not bound her anywhere else because of the sleeping potion. If she had wanted to run away, she could have. But the berries kept her in place as long as we needed them to.
The miserable old woman started to come around in earnest at the sight of her granddaughter. She obviously loved her very much, despite hating the rest of the world. I knew she definitely hated me. But that would change now, now I had saved her life.
“Red,” she sighed the word like it took all her strength. Yet every moment that passed seemed to help restore her composure.
“I am
so glad he didn’t eat you,” Little Red gushed as she hugged her grandmother in a tight bear hug. I hoped she would hug me one day like that.
“The wolf wasn’t going to hurt me, but he was,” Grandmother said, shooting me a pointed look. Uh-oh. I should have kept her mouth gagged.
CHAPTER5
I laughed nervously. “She must be confused, the poor woman,” I said quickly. I had not come so far just to be undone by a horrible old lady. She would not do that to me, I would not let her.
A look of doubt passed over Little Red’s face as she tried to work out who she was going to believe. I put everything I could into looking innocent and concerned. I could not let Grandmother ruin my plans. I just could not let that happen.
“We should put her back to bed,” I stated as I started to drag the old woman toward her bed. With Little Red’s help, we managed to tuck her under the covers and restore the bonnet to her head. She was still a little groggy, it was probably the only reason why she didn’t fight against us moving her.
“Sleep well, Grandmother, the wolf’s gone,” Red whispered as she kissed the old lady on the cheek. Grandmother closed her eyes as she settled into her nice, comfortable bed. It wasn’t long before she was fast asleep again.
I breathed a sigh of relief. All I could hope was that Grandmother would forget all about my involvement in her slumber. If not, then I would have to convince Little Red she was a crazy old woman. Either task didn’t seem impossible. I would do anything for Little Red.
So we wouldn’t wake Grandmother, I ushered Little Red outside. It was a glorious day in the woods with the sun peeking through the top of the tall trees. It danced on the leaf strewn ground in a kaleidoscope of color.
“Thank you for rescuing us,” she started.
“I heard your screams, I had to come and help.”
“You’re the woodcutter that I pass on the path every week, aren’t you?” Her beautiful eyes pierced me with her gaze. I could drown in those dark brown eyes.
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