Bits & Bobs

Not So Little Anymore (Sci Fi SD 6.0 Round 1)

(This is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling for the Science Fiction smackdown 6.0, round 1. The round was Steampunk fairytales. I hope you enjoy.)

Not So Little Anymore

Little Red adjusted her cloak and skirt, changed her goodies basket from her right to her left hand. She then slid her hood from her head and smoothed her hair. After ensuring that she was presentable, she knocked on her grandmother's door. She was surprised as there was no answer even after five knocks.

Finally she heard a voice, "who is it?"

"It's me grandma, it's little Red."

"Come in, dear."

It wasn't the usual sing song voice of her grandmother. Red hoped she wasn't that sick.

She walked in to find the cottage a little messy and dark.

"Close the door behind you, dear."

"Are you really so ill that you have to turn down the lights, grandma?"

"Yes dear, it hurts my eyes."

"What happened to your voice grandma?"

"It's just a sore throat. How are you my dear?"

"I am doing well, grandma."

"Come closer dear, let me look at you. How you have grown into a fine young lady."

"Not a young lady yet grandma. I'm only fifteen."

Red moved closer to grandma's bed and she almost tripped over something. Squinting down at the object she was horrified to find that she had stepped on a hand sticking out from under the bed. She dropped the basket and covered her mouth. She then looked up to see grandma leap out of the bed throwing away the covers. A tall man with a scar on his cheek stood in her place and he slashed a sizzling sword at her. She instinctively raised her right hand and he cut right through it severing it just below the elbow, she could feel and smell her flesh cooking.

Pain unlike any she had ever known caused Red to release a blood curdling scream.

"Shut up! I will kill you!" Yelled the man.

Her next scream was more out of fear than pain as she saw the cruel streak in the man's bloodshot eyes and he raised his sword.

Suddenly the door flew open and a boy not much older than herself charged forward at her assailant with his own sword. The man's surprise was but for a moment as he blocked and fought of the boy's attack. For a few minutes they looked evenly matched. They had their swords in an X across each other and were standing almost chest to chest.

"You fought well boy, but all good things must come to an end," the man hissed as he flicked his free wrist in a peculiar motion. They all heard the silent whirring of a motor and then a long thin blade slid out from the man's sleeve stabbing the boy in the abdomen. The boy was taken by surprise, the man seized the opportunity and stabbed him again in the other side, twisting the blade and pushed him away.

"Now it's your turn," he turned towards Red. Before he could move any further, he heard a commotion outside and realised he wouldn't have time to finish her and escape.

"Well, little girl, don't forget this day, your lucky day. You met the Wolf and lived." He ran out the back door.

Moments after he exited, three people burst into the cottage. A bearded lanky man and an attractive blonde woman armed with a type of cross bow with gears and levers that Red had never seen before, and a third tall muscular man with a sword that was sizzling too.