Little Red

Secrets?

           Evelyn sits on a train looking through pictures on her phone. She sees a ten year old girl, giggling as she's pushed from behind by a woman wearing a wide grin and beautiful blue summer dress. It's been years since she's looked through this album, trying to get as far away from your old life as possible usually means pushing away dwindling memories. It wasn't that her life was horrible. Sure, her so called father left when she was two but she never felt unloved; her mother constantly made sure of that. Yes, they argued a lot but it was only because she was a reckless teenager. Always sneaking out as soon as it got dark, and coming home to her waiting mother, completely hammered. Their small town was incredibly boring, and it wasn't her fault considering she was full of wonder and ready for adventures. She was surprised that she had even graduated, but was absolutely baffled when she made it into university. She wasn't exactly the best student. The university was practically on the other side of the country and left no room for a pestering mtoher. They called maybe once a month; their conversations short. Her mother always understood though and was supporting her in every way that she could from miles away. Evelyn wasn't concerned when she stopped receiving phone calls. She thought her mom finally understood that she was busy. About a week later she'd recieved the dreadful phone call, and now, ten years later, here she was on a train headed straight for her old life. She hadn't even gone back for the service, too scared to face the reality she'd been avoiding. She locked her phone, and took a deep breath in. Running a hand through her long, brown hair, she leans back and looks out the window as she blinks away the tears. Mom always told her it was too long and that she needed to cut it. She's always refused, saying it makes her look like a movie star when the wind blows through it. She's matured a lot and has grown into a completely different person. She's a year away from graduating valedictorian with a master's in business, and starting her very own company. She'd almost forgotten who she used to be, and maybe she would have if it hadn't happened. She's jolted out of her thoughts by the train stopping abrubtly. Next stop: home. She picks up her bags and heads out toward the line of taxis.
__________________

            Stepping out of the taxi, she stares at her old home as the memories rush back to her. She turns to grab her bags from the car and thanks the driver before he speeds off. She walks to the steps, making sure to count each one on her way up. She rustles through her jacket pockets and pulls out a small envelope containing the keys. She puts the one labled house in the lock slowly, takes a deep breath and opens the door. She steps through the door and stumbles back into the door, closing it.
It's all the same, she thinks as she walks through the house lingering at picture frames and touching scratches in the walls. Memories made and long forgotten, until now. She walks through the kitchen and looks the cupboards and cabinets. She looks through the fridge and smiles shaking her head, mom always made too much food. She walks through the living room noticing the unopened mail as she passes it and heads straight up the stairs. Her room is just how she left it all those years ago; posters scattered along the walls, the dressers and closet empty, and the bed made with a simple, black comforter. She leaves her room and heads down the hall, towards her mother's. A queen bed sits in the middle of the room, the sheets ruffled and unmade. It faces a dresser filled with pictures of Evelyn and a large television. Evelyn's eyes begin to water as she begins to back up towards the wall quickly. Tripping over the remote her back lands against the wall with a hard and hollow thud. Confused, she spins around and knocks on the wall in different spots and notices the wallpaper peeling in the corner. She feels against the opening, finds a dip in the wall, and pushes against it. She falls forward and dust flies up around her. Rubbing her head she slowly stands and dusts herself off. She looks around and realizes that she just fell into a secret study. Books lined the walls and tables were scattered across the room with lamps on them. On a ledge were more pictures of Evelyn and her mother, and above the ledge was a beatiful painting of a lake surronded by a pink sky.  On the desk was a huge book that had a big title written across it. She dusted it of and saw that it was only one word: Storytime. Curious, she pats off the chair and starts to read through all the nursery rhymes that the book has to offer. As she finally flips to one she knows, Little Red Riding Hood, a note falls out. She's shocked to see her mother's handwriting on the small paper; a mother who has been dead for over a decade. She picks it up quickly, hoping to capture any trace of her mother that she can. It reads:
My dearest Evelyn,
If you're reading this then that means that the Big Bad Wolf has taken my life. You need to run, run as fast as you possible can. He is looking for you and will not stop until he has what he wants. Take the locket out of the back of this book and make sure that he never can find it. Find "granny" she will help as much as she possibly can.
               As soon as she finishes the note she can hear the front door being opened. Petrified she closes the door to the study and quickly grabs the book and squishes herself under the desk. She clutches the book to her chest and focuses on breathing as quietly as possible. She can hear glass and wood breaking.  She hears someone enter her mother's room and squeezes her eyes shut. She can faintly hear a deep voice and it sounds like he's talking to someone on the phone.

"There's nothing here boss..... No, she must've locked it away in a storage unit or something... The girl isnt here either but I'll keep looking around and let you know if I find it... Burn it down? No problem..."

                She hears grumbling and more crashes as the person continues searching through things on his way out. Finally it all stops, and moments later she finally hears the front door slam again. Safe. She gets out from underneath the desk and hurries knowing he'll be back, whoever he was. She grabs the book and runs towards her room. She looks around and see the window and dashes towards it; she tosses the book towards the ground it lands with a soft thud. She then begins climbing out of the window and down the wall, like she's done so many times before. Once she reaches the ground she picks up the book and runs towards the wooded area behind her house. She stops once she's hiddin within the trees and takes one last look towards her childhood home; just in time to see the flames and smoke begin to rise and engulf the house. She wipes the tears from her eyes and begins to walk deeper into the forest. As she walks, she has one burning question. Who the hell is granny?