Little Red Murder

Prologue

An elderly woman sat down on a wooden rocking chair near a lit fireplace. She picked up a small book and a bell. "O' come little children. Gather around the fire for a tale filled with silent deceptions and murdering beauty. Let this ancient story teach you all a lesson," she called out as she rung it.

Several children ran down the stairs and sat down on the carpet around her while a pair of twins peeked from the doorway.

"Ivo, Isa. There's no need to be afraid," She told them. "That evil witch won't be able to harm you here. You're both safe from her clutches," she assured with a warm, motherly smile.

"What about the wolf?" Little Isa asked. "Will the wolf come after us next, Granny Volkov?"

Ms. Volkov laughed. "There's no need to fear little ones." She opened the book and took a deep breath. "The wolves aren't who you should be so terrified of. Now, little children, I'll take you all away to a land filled with wonders and enchantment. I'm sure you all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood, correct?"

Most of the children spoke at once, yet some simply nodded.

"How about this?" Ms. Volkov smiled. "Well, this isn't your average fairytale. Now listen closely."

Within the Enchanted Forest, there are many paths; one filled with pain and sorrow that leads to the Garden of Shadows, and another follows murdered beauty and passions like no other. But fret not for this is life itself.

Beware the path filled with deceit and lifelong deceptions; even the light itself may deceive you.

Do not be afraid of the darkness, for even it may hold a solution that the light may not tell.

Little Red was afraid for what the darkness may hold and was determined to stay within the boundaries of the light of deceit. She trusted the Huntsman more than anyone else in the world, so he showed her the light. Yet not all is well.

A young cub befriended Little Red. They often went into the Enchanted Forest to play, but the Huntsman wouldn't allow such a bond to form any further.

One night, the Huntsman grabbed his lumber axe and tracked the footprints left behind by the young cub in the muddy ground of the forest. He spent the whole night searching and tracking the whereabouts of the little cub.

"Did the Huntsman ever find the cub?" A little boy raised his hand and asked out loud.

"Hush, little one." Ms. Volkov said.

The Huntsman found the cave of the young cub and its family, so the Huntsman raised his lumber axe and swung down, leaving behind a bloody stain on the stone walls.

That morning, Little Red called out for the young cub to come out to play.

The young cub with small marks of red on its fur came out from behind a bush upon the third call of its name.

Little Red asked if the cub wanted to meet her caretaker and it simply nodded.

She called out for the Huntsman, but received no answer.

She yelled for the Huntsman once more and received nothing. She grew worried for the safety of the Huntsman and waited for him to return for years on end as the cub grew to become a magnificent wolf to protect her.

"The end." Ms. Volkov closed the book. "Now off to bed, little ones. A long day awaits you all."

The children ran up the stairs except for Ivo who stopped in the doorway. "That wasn't the end of the story, was it?"

"Perhaps, perhaps not." She told him. "Now go to bed."

Ivo nodded and headed up the stairs.

Ms. Volkov sighed and stood from her chair. She doused out the fireplace as the doorbell rings throughout the orphanage. Now who'll come at this hour? She thought and walked up to the front door. She peeked through the peephole.

A stranger in a dark coat stood in the light and rang the doorbell again.

"What do you want?" Ms. Volkov asked from behind the door.

The stranger didn't speak and instead held up a small badge with a wolf emblem on it.

"Business, I see." Ms. Volkov opened the door. "What does a relative to the Family Clan of Wolves want?" She asked.

"It's just as you said, Volkov. I'm only here for business." The stranger quickly pulled out a knife from the inside of his coat and buried it in her torso. His gloved hands were dyed scarlet as he pulled the knife out. Ms. Volkov staggered back. He tossed the knife and the badge to the side.

Ms. Volkov looked up at the stranger and with dying breath whispered, "A clansman of the Wolf would never betray their own."

"Only simply closing an old family feud." The Stranger said. "Think of it in a positive light... You can now retire from caring for those lost, little lambs."