Red Riding Hood

Chapter Two

It was midnight when I jumped awake. The book fell to the floor from where it had been resting against my chest and it took me a second to gather my bearings. Looking around the room everything was as it had been, yet I didn't feel alone. It was worse than the feeling from this morning and a shiver ran up my spine making me thankful for the lamp still on.

'You were reading a book,' I told myself in comfort as I bent over to pick it up from where it fell. The page marker still sat on the first chapter as if I hadn't read a single word. Trying to think of the last thing I remembered reading, I couldn't think of a thing. I quickly scanned over the first page to jog my memory only to realize it was all in French; or maybe not. I didn't recognize a single word of it. As bad as my language skills were, I could usually work out enough to get by.

So how had I been reading it?

The more I thought about it, the first chapter began to appear in my mind. Closing my eyes I could imagine the forest and the village. I could almost smell the woodsy scent of the wolf. Then it hit me, I hadn't been reading it, I was dreaming about it.

Watching it all as if part of a movie.

But that's impossible.

Flicking through the first few pages of the book, the sketched image of the girl in her red coat heading into the forest which loomed in front of her like something out of a nightmare or horror movie. In my dream, she looked an awful lot like me only her eyes were green like my Mums and her hair was black.

It was a tale of Red Riding Hood, so of course, my imagination would take off in that direction and not thinking much more of it, I put the book down on the bedside table. A part of me wanted to pay more attention to it, but what was there to know? The woman in red walked into the forest where the wolf stalked her down the path. She must have been on her way to Grandma's as isn't that how the story goes?

Ignoring the feeling that was still plaguing me in the back of my mind, I reluctantly turned off the light and a dreamless sleep took over.  The next morning I decided not to read any more of the book before bed, and also to return it to Andrea, only three weeks later it stayed in the same place with my mind constantly lingering on my dreams. Most nights I had dreamt of the girl and the wolf, discovering their story. The dreams seemed so real. I woke feeling every emotion the girl had as though it was more of a memory than a dream.

The love she had felt was like my own ache for the man called William who I had learnt a couple of days ago was a werewolf. None of it had scared me when he revealed himself and now we had begun to taunt each other in a game of flirty compliments. Last night he had left me breathless,  his words were still fresh in my mind which wasn't ideal as I sat in a café with Andrea and her full English-speaking friend Derrick.

"You're everything a big, bad wolf could want," his hand cupped my face as his thumb lightly brushed over my mouth.

The thought of his bad side excited me. I wanted to see it.

"Earth to Beth?" Derrick waved his hand in front of my face and I instantly blushed, thankful they didn't know where my thoughts were going.

"Sorry, what?" I mumbled, quickly sipping my coffee.

"We are going to the woods for bonfire night. Winter is almost here and soon it'll be too cold so it'll be the last one of the season. Wanna come?" 

I nodded my plans currently involving sitting in front of the TV and staring into space as I daydreamed about my dreams. Being outside with real people was probably healthier for me.

"Great, we'll pick you up at seven!" He enthused before standing and giving each of us a quick kiss on the cheek. 

As he was out of earshot Andrea sighed heavily, I raised an eyebrow looking at her curiously.