Grimm Tales

Under the Hood

Granny what big ears you have. All the better to hear you with, my dear.

What big eyes you have. All the better to see you with, my dear.

What a big nose you have. All the better to smell you with, my dear,

And what a big mouth you have. All the better to eat you with!

Red Riding Hood

It was a warm night, in a crowded back-alley street. The alley, covered in dirt, graffiti and trash was the unfortunate home of the cities poorest. Most of them were elderly covered in rags, but a few were children who found work in the mines, there were also some people with animal like features.

"Water!" a young lady called to the crowd. "I have water here!"

Despite the summer heat she wore a long-hooded cloak, as red as a rose. Her face was covered by the hood, but her left arm struck out from the cloak, showing she held a basked full of water bottles.

The closest people to her did not bother to get up, only stretching out their hands asking for a bottle. Some with strength left walked over to ask for water. The hooded figure handed the bottle out one at a time, each time the recipient said, "Thank you sister."

Surveying the alley, she planned to walk down handing the rest to anyone too tired and dehydrated to move. Hoping she brought enough for every one.

"Well hello Sister," a sinister tone mocked. "What's a red sister doing in a place like this?"

Everyone turned around to see a gang of ruffians at the end of the entrance to the alley. The man in front the apparent leader was a large man in a black over coat, top hat, and held a cane in front of him, the kind a younger gentle man would carry for show, but not for use.

His hair was red, messy and lead to large side burns down the side of his face. He also had a wild look in his eye.

"Mr. Hyper!" one of the homeless called. "Have you brought more of the formula?"

Some of the younger denizens gathered around the tall man, Mr. Hyper. A few of the older men also joined them, but everyone else shrunk away, avoiding eye contact with him.

Grinning Mr. Hyper pulled out a vial containing a clear liquid. The sister in red had a suspicion what it was, but she asked anyway to confirm, "What is that stuff?"

Everyone turned to look at the sister surprised at her question.

Still grinning the large man shook the vial in his hand a little, "This?" he mocked. "This, is my Mr. Hyper's super secret formula."

"Garneted to make you stronger, feel no pain, and make you free."

"And to make you addicted at the first taste, drive you made enough to kill people and to destroy your organs," the sister countered.

The man shrugged dramatically, "Or so our wise and benevolent Rulers would have you believe. But then they wouldn't want anyone to have anything that could make you as strong as one of their enforcers, now would they?"

He eyed the sister in a lustful way, "But you still haven't answered my question sister what are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't you be off in the woods delivering dinner to grandma?" he laughed at his own joke, and looked to his stooges to do the same.

"Or has the good sister come to try some?" he stepped forward offering her the vial.

"I've come to stop you," she said evenly.

"Ha-ha! Stop me!? Hee-hee!" he laughed and turned around to see the rest of his gang followed suit.

But as he turned back around to mock the sister further, he was sucker punched as the sister whacked him in the head with her basket hard enough to send him flying backwards several feet.