The Girl With The Red Hood

Chapter 2: My Nightmare

The sky roared with anger as I traveled the rocky trails of the forest. I looked up uneasily, praying that rain wouldn't pour on me. I doubted that Mother packed me an extra change of clothes, considering that she was in such a hurry to kick me out of the little cottage. Charles nickered in terror when he heard the thunder, causing me to jump in fright. "Charles," I scolded. I pulled on the reins so he would yield to a stop. "Watch what you're doing," I said. He just ignored me and continued to walk.

Sighing, I looked to the side, hoping to get my mind off everything around me. It didn't work. I'm so bored, I thought, groaning. Why can't my life be exciting as it once was? Why can't Aaron come running out of the bushes and pin me to the ground? I shook my head. I couldn't think like this. It hurt enough to know that I don't have Aaron in my life anymore, I didn't need another reminder of how gone he is!

I looked straight ahead and tried not to think about Aaron. Almost as if the world couldn't get any better, I heard the bushes rustle. I flinched at the noise and pulled Charles's reins. He nickered at my movement then stopped. "Calm down," I whispered to myself. "You're in the woods. Of course, there will be noises in the bushes! It's probably a rabbit." I motioned for Charles to move again. His hooves hit the ground, making the dirt underneath him crunch and crush.

The woods were silent. Its normally calming sounds didn't echo throughout the forest. Instead, it gave me a weak, sickening feeling. As if something was going to pounce on me. The birds stopped singing like they once did and even the crickets stopped chirping. Everything was eerily silent. I didn't even notice I was holding my breath until I gasped for air. Suddenly, the bushes rustled, interrupting the ominous silence. Before I knew it, I was pinned to the ground by a large terrifying wolf. His claws dug into me and I winced as the warm ooze of my blood trailed down my arm and hit the ground. I was the prey. He was the predator. I let out a scream of terror with tears streaming down my cheeks. This was it. Today was the last day I was going to live. The overwhelming pain of wolf's claws hit me again like a crashing wave. I groaned in agony as his claws sunk deeper into my skin. Then suddenly, the growling stopped. After a few seconds of no noise, I slowly fluttered my eyes open in fear.

But what I saw made my heart jump into my throat. The wolf on top of me had a beautiful dusty black pelt. A very familiar black pelt. His pelt was as silky as silk but was splattered with my blood. My eyes finally landed on the wolf's eyes. And that was when everything stopped. It was those eyes...those vibrant blue eyes that told me who this wolf was. Aaron... and he clearly remembered me, because he stared at me with such remorse. With so much guilt. With so much pain.

"No..." I whispered. "It can't be."

The wolf stared at me for a little bit longer. Too many, those blues eyes would be terrifying. But to me, they were the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen. I stared back at Aaron, letting the butterflies in my stomach settle down. But they never did. They fluttered and twisted as if that was the only thing they knew how to do. After gazing into my eyes, Aaron ran back into the woods. The last I saw of him was his fluffy black tail grazing the bark of a tree. Once his heavy body was off me, I sat up in disbelief. How could it be? I swore that I would never see him again. He swore that he would never see me again. No. This must be a dream. I must be dreaming! I stood up and walked over to my wagon, but before I could mount it, I saw his figure running toward me.

I paused and stiffened. Aaron stopped as well, blinking a lot. My eyes traced along every edge and every curve of his body. Not much was different, only his build. His shoulders had become broader, and you could clearly see his six-pack through his gray shirt. I shook my head, I couldn't think like this. Aaron broke me. He ruined me. Once I reminded myself of the pain he caused me, my eyes flared with anger. "What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed.