Ever After High: Secret Storybooks

Chapter Twelve: Ashlynn Ella

I couldn't remember what happened, and I couldn't remember falling asleep. It didn't even feel like I'd woken up from sleep, it felt like I'd just been knocked back into consciousness.

I took a look around myself, and I was in the forest. That was a calming realization. Something still didn't feel right, though.

I went to nervously play with my hair, but then realized another thing. There's a hood over my head. A red one.

And I've got a basket full of food over my arm, rather than my usual golden clock-shaped purse.

Red hood, food basket, the forest... Am I supposed to be Red Riding Hood?

"Ashlynn?"

"Hunter? Where are we?" I asked, jumping up. I'd been sitting down on the forest floor. When I looked back at where I'd been sitting, I noticed I had been seated on a path.

Hunter came out of the nearby bushes. "Um, the Enchanted Forest, I know that. I'm just not sure where in the Enchanted Forest..."

Hunter looked totally normal (well, normal as in like he usually does, I mean, he's a lot cuter than a normal average guy) right now. He was wearing his usual jacket, tank top, pants and boots as if nothing had changed for him.

Meanwhile, this red hood was probably messing with my hair. Oh well, at least it makes it natural looking, right?

Hunter noticed my red hood just now. "Woah, red hood? Are you-"

"That's what I was thinking! So I guess you didn't change because you're already the Huntsman," I concluded.

"So why did you change?"

"I don't know... Wait, I read from Red Riding Hood with you, and I don't remember anything after we finished reading the book."

"So what do we do now?"

"I don't know... Maybe it's a game. Maybe if we follow the path, it'll lead us to a grandmother's house, where you can scare away the wolf, whoever that may be, and that'll finish the story?"

"Maybe... Let's just try it."

Hunter and I started to follow the path, walking hand in hand. After a while, it got kind of relaxing, like my usual nature walks through the forest. Nature is so beautiful. I'm really glad I have Hunter who appreciates it as much as I do.

In what seemed like only a short time, the end of the path appeared, a little old cottage in sight.

"Now what?" Hunter asked me.

"We knock on the door! Be friendly!" I said, putting on my sweet but not-too-princessy smile. I want to be admired for being a good person, not because I'm a princess. A lot of girls are princesses, but not all of them are good people.

I knocked on the wooden door, and a little aged woman answered it. "Hello, children! I see a basket of food, a huntsman, and a girl in a little red hood- they aren't doing the destinies yet, are they? Oh, but you're not my granddaughter Cerise. Aren't you that glass slipper princess, dear?"

"Yes, I am. But me and my friend Hunter here were reading from the storybook with all our stories in it by the campfire at night and the last thing we remember is hearing the stories finish and falling asleep. We woke up here. I'm not sure if it's a sign, but Hunter and I did read from the Red Riding Hood story," I explained, hoping it didn't sound as crazy out loud as I thought it had in my head.

"Okay... I've never seen that happen before. Well, you're welcome to stay here until you figure it out. It's nice to meet some of Cerise's classmates," Granny said, stepping aside and motioning us into the cottage.

"Thank you," we said, following her inside.

We sat down at a table inside the cottage and shared the contents of the basket I'd been carrying with Granny.

"So... I guess there's no wolves to scare away?" Hunter asked, finishing his muffin.

"No, sorry dear," Granny said, shaking her head.

"Hm. Then I guess that's the whole story," I said, not sure of what to do next.

Just then, a flash of light appeared, and I wasn't sure what was happening. It was so bright I couldn't see the cottage, Granny, or Hunter anymore. I couldn't see anything. So I just shut my eyes. It felt like I was moving, but not at the same time.

When the light disappeared I opened my eyes again. Hunter and I were sitting at our place on the log bench by the fire, which by now had died. It was early morning in Ever After. We'd been gone a lot longer than I'd thought.

Hunter opened his eyes now. "What? Where are we? Oh. How'd we get back here?"

"I have no idea... But where is everyone else?" I noticed, getting worried.

"Maybe they're in bed. It looks pretty early in the morning..."

"Okay, how about you go check your dorm and see if Dexter is there and I'll check mine for Briar, and meet back here after?" I suggested.

"Okay."

Hunter and I parted ways once inside the school to see if our roommates were indeed in their dorms, asleep.

After climbing a whole lot of stairs to get to the floor Briar and I's dorm was on, I felt exhausted, but tried to keep moving fast. I didn't even bother knocking on the door, because when Briar's asleep, she's asleep. You can't wake her up just by knocking on a door. I lifted up my purse, which was once again in its place, replacing the basket I'd worn while "in the game". I reached in for my keys and unlocked the door.

"Briar?" I said, stepping inside. The dorm looked like it usually did- neat, made beds, not a thing out of place, shoe and clothes closets neatly organized but left open for admiration. The room smelled of pumpkin spice and strawberry lip gloss, me and Briar's respective favorite scents. Briar was not in the dorm.

"Ughhh," I groaned, tired, exiting the dorm and shutting the door once again behind me. I raced down the school steps, suddenly feeling much more panicked. Where was Briar? And where was everyone else? If this was a game, how come they hadn't returned yet?

Hunter was already back at the campfire when I got there.

"No Dexter," he stated.

"No Briar," I responded.

"What do we do now?"

"I have no idea."