Red Riding Hood (#wattys2016)

Chapter Five

I stared at the wooden boards that covered my ceiling. The cracks in between each board were evenly divided among themselves. You could call it almost beautiful. I looked away once I saw a dead spider hanging from above me. My eyes became cloudy as sleep beckoned me. My body, slumped across my I stared at the wooden boards that covered my ceiling. The cracks in between each board were evenly divided among themselves. You could call it almost beautiful. I looked away once I saw a dead spider hanging from above me. My eyes became cloudy as sleep beckoned me. My body, slumped across my straw mattress, was weak and feeble. My breaths were shaky. Too much information was all packed into three simple hours.

Granny won't explain why I'm coughing blood. Six people have died in the town for no particular reason. And school is canceled due to Mother Goose's death. Nothing could make this moment any more worse than it already is.

I suddenly heard a tap on my window. I jolted forward in surprise. I swung myself over my bedding and looked out my window. A tall stout man was standing outside my window. He was holding a bow with his arms crossed. He had dark brown tousled hair and a quiver on his back. I stepped away confused. A little frightened.

Peter.

"Aw, c'mon Red," he said, putting the bow down, "we're all friends here." I knew Peter from school. We talked every now and then during lunch, class, and occasionally out of school, but seeing him now just kind of confuses me. Scares me almost.

"What do you want?" I say from the back of my throat. His head tilts slightly. He gives me a slight grin.

"A little stiffer than usual are we?" he says, holding out his hand. I look at his face. Peter would never hurt me. He was always quiet, but popular, which is why I ask myself why he's here right now. I'm not popular. I'm nothing like him. "Any day now, Red."

I take his hand without thinking and watch as he pulls me over the windowsill.

***

We spent most of the night talking in the woods. I found out Peter was a part of a hunting party. "We usually just sell the pelts once we're done or use them for coats," he said as he gestured to his fur jacket. "What do you do, Red?"

"Well, I- uh-" I stuttered, "I don't really do anything. Not anymore at least." His smile faded.

"Why weren't you at school yesterday?" His face read grave and sober.

"I had a cold," I lied through my teeth. "It was nothing really."

"Oh," he murmured. We both sat silently until he spoke again. "Red, I know this is all strange. The deaths in town."

"Yeah," I replied.

"They think it's a wolf. My hunting troop, but I think it must've been something bigger." I cringe. A wolf? "We got to see the victims, you know. They were eaten and slashed in two." The silence made me shudder. I could almost feel tears welling up in my eyes.

"Why would they let you see that?" I spit harshly. His eyes widen at my reply.

"Red, they were just helping us get a sense of what we're hunting."

"You mean you're actually going to kill this- this- wolf?" My words came out distorted. I sounded worried. Too worried.

"Red," his eyes settled on the snow falling from the sky, "people are dying." Yes. People are dying. People are dying and I can't do anything about it. It's too late for me now. I could feel the tears streaming down my face. "Aw, Red, I didn't mean to-" His words are muffled from my crying. He hesitates at first but he put his arms around me. I could feel his chest against mine. It was quiet for a long time then. It was once again dead silent in the Enchanted Forest.

"Red?" Peter asked me as he pulled his lips towards my ear. "Do you ever feel alone? Even though you're surrounded by people?" I could feel my throat burning at his question. I didn't answer. Instead I pulled away and looked at him without speaking. He looked at my hair and stroked it with his hand. He tucked it behind my ear and wiped a tear from my cheek. Then he did something that takes me by surprise.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. We stayed like that for a long time as snowflakes drifted around us. He pulled away as it began to snowfall. My cheeks red with something I again couldn't name told him only one answer.

Yes.straw mattress, was weak and feeble. My breaths were shaky. Too much information was all packed into three simple hours.

Granny won't explain why I'm coughing blood. Six people have died in the town for no particular reason. And school is canceled due to Mother Goose's death. Nothing could make this moment any more worse than it already is.

I suddenly heard a tap on my window. I jolted forward in surprise. I swung myself over my bedding and looked out my window. A tall stout man was standing outside my window. He was holding a bow with his arms crossed. He had dark brown tousled hair and a quiver on his back. I stepped away confused. A little frightened.

Peter.

"Aw, c'mon Red," he said, putting the bow down, "we're all friends here." I knew Peter from school. We talked every now and then during lunch, class, and occasionally out of school, but seeing him now just kind of confuses me. Scares me almost.

"What do you want?" I say from the back of my throat. His head tilts slightly. He gives me a slight grin.

"A little stiffer than usual are we?" he says, holding out his hand. I look at his face. Peter would never hurt me. He was always quiet, but popular, which is why I ask myself why he's here right now. I'm not popular. I'm nothing like him. "Any day now, Red."

I take his hand without thinking and watch as he pulls me over the windowsill.

***

We spent most of the night talking in the woods. I found out Peter was a part of a hunting party. "We usually just sell the pelts once we're done or use them for coats," he said as he gestured to his fur jacket. "What do you do, Red?"

"Well, I- uh-" I stuttered, "I don't really do anything. Not anymore at least." His smile faded.

"Why weren't you at school yesterday?" His face read grave and sober.

"I had a cold," I lied through my teeth. "It was nothing really."

"Oh," he murmured. We both sat silently until he spoke again. "Red, I know this is all strange. The deaths in town."

"Yeah," I replied.

"They think it's a wolf. My hunting troop, but I think it must've been something bigger." I cringe. A wolf? "We got to see the victims, you know. They were eaten and slashed in two." The silence made me shudder. I could almost feel tears welling up in my eyes.

"Why would they let you see that?" I spit harshly. His eyes widen at my reply.

"Red, they were just helping us get a sense of what we're hunting."

"You mean you're actually going to kill this- this- wolf?" My words came out distorted. I sounded worried. Too worried.

"Red," his eyes settled on the snow falling from the sky, "people are dying." Yes. People are dying. People are dying and I can't do anything about it. It's too late for me now. I could feel the tears streaming down my face. "Aw, Red, I didn't mean to-" His words are muffled from my crying. He hesitates at first but he put his arms around me. I could feel his chest against mine. It was quiet for a long time then. It was once again dead silent in the Enchanted Forest.

"Red?" Peter asked me as he pulled his lips towards my ear. "Do you ever feel alone? Even though you're surrounded by people?" I could feel my throat burning at his question. I didn't answer. Instead I pulled away and looked at him without speaking. He looked at my hair and stroked it with his hand. He tucked it behind my ear and wiped a tear from my cheek. Then he did something that takes me by surprise.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead. We stayed like that for a long time as snowflakes drifted around us. He pulled away as it began to snowfall. My cheeks red with something I again couldn't name told him only one answer.

Yes.