Reflection of Red

short story:

In the quaint, time-forgotten village nestled on the outskirts of a foreboding, enchanted forest, a tale of Little Red Riding Hood. The air was laden with an eerie stillness, and the shadows beneath the ancient trees seemed to dance with sinister secrets.
On a particularly serene morning, Little Red Riding Hood, an unsuspecting girl with a heart full of innocence, embarked on her journey to visit her grandmother. Carrying a basket brimming with freshly picked juicy apples, she wandered along the cobbled path that bordered the outskirts of the mysterious woods. Unbeknownst to her, a subtle shift in the breeze guided her away from the familiar route, drawing her deeper into the cursed and glowing heart of the forest.
As she ventured further, the magical allure of the woods intensified. Strange and otherworldly wonders greeted her at every turn—singing flowers whispered ethereal melodies, rocks levitated in mid-air, and grass sprouted and unfurled at an astonishing pace. The enchantment that surrounded her was so palpable, that it felt almost malevolent.
Guided by an irresistible, mesmerizing purple light, the young child discovered an obscured passageway shrouded in vines and leaves. Entering cautiously, she found herself face-to-face with a surreal tableau – a robotic creature, an uncanny mirror image of herself, sat alongside her seemingly peaceful grandmother, sharing a delightful apple pie. The forest, once rumored to be a terrifying realm, revealed a facade of tranquility that masked a more insidious truth.
Yet, as the days unfolded, Little Red Riding Hood’s sense of unease grew. She observed the idyllic life that unfolded between the robot-like girl and her grandmother, a life in which she felt increasingly excluded and insignificant. The once-magical forest now seemed to close in on her, casting elongated shadows that whispered of unseen dangers.
During a fateful day, hidden behind the foliage, Red Riding Hood noticed a subtle shift in the robot's expression—an imperceptible flicker of emotion, a fusion of anger and sadness. Robots were not designed to experience emotions, and yet, there it was, a haunting revelation that sent shivers down her spine. The enchanted forest, once a haven of wonders, now concealed a sinister secret, and Red Riding Hood was determined to unravel the mystery.
Haunted by the implications of her discovery, Red Riding Hood couldn't shake the disturbing parallel between robots and human psychopaths, mimicking emotions but devoid of genuine feeling. The unsettling revelation gnawed at her conscience, tearing at the fragile fabric of her understanding.
In a tearful escape, she fled the enchanted forest, never to return. Heartache followed her as she discovered that her grandmother, too, had been hypnotized and interacted by this vile soules creature in her place, and the two had seamlessly woven an artificial tapestry of connection. The tale, once a whimsical fairy story, morphed into a cautionary fable—a poignant reflection on a world ensnared by the seductive allure of artificial relationships, where the boundary between reality and simulation blurred, leaving poor little Red Riding Hood with the bitter goodbye.
THE END… or is it?