Stalker 101 (Book 1)

// 4 //

"One day in the giant, bright green forest, a mother and daughter had an idea to make a basket for the mother's mother. The little girl pranced around in her bright red cape to pick flowers and the mother baked cookies and bread. "

"This is lame, I've heard red riding hood before!" A little girl whines. I look over at her and she sticks out her crossed arms at me. I roll my eyes, putting my finger to my lips.

"This is not red riding hood, you see. This is a story about a lonesome wolf, "The little girl uncrosses her arms and leans forward in anticipation. I look at all the other kids and raise the fairytale book back up to me.

"The mother gave the girl the basket and told her to run to the grandma's house, but to return before it got dark out. The little girl started to skip and prance and sing through the forest, looking at the bees and the flowers and the oaks. What she did not look at was the big gray wolf watching her from afar.

This wolf was no ordinary wolf, this wolf was a talking wolf! He would talk about everything he saw, the bees, the flowers, the oaks. He loved to talk. But no one loved to listen to him. They all thought he was big and scary, and bullied him away. So, he watched the people and the bees and the flowers and the oaks. He grew to love watching people, especially the little girl with the red cape. He wanted to talk to her and be best friends, but she was scared that she would hate him and bully him like all the other people.

As she went on her way, the wolf decided to follow her to her destination. The little girl walked all the way to the big brick house. There, she went inside to see her old grandma and give her the gifts that she and her mother made. The wolf watched from the window as they laughed and played and ate the goods the mother made. The wolf grew a little too jealous. He wanted to be there too and joke and play and eat. It just was not fair.

The wolf got so angry, his fur started to turn red! How was he going to get the girl's attention so they could be friends? The wolf watched the girl leave the grandma's house and go back home, just before dark. He then snuck into the grandma's house and scared her so bad, she fell asleep and would not wake up! The wolf saw his chance and dressed up as the grandma, so when the little girl came back, he could finally talk to her! He pulled a hat down over his head so the little girl would not see his furry head.

The wolf waited and waited and waited until she finally came back. He waited so long, he fell asleep too! When the little girl came back, she thought she was her grandma and they laughed and played and ate more cookies the mother made. But the little girl knew something was wrong. Her grandma did not have gray fur or sharp teeth or wide ears! She took the hat off of the wolf's head and screamed so loud and so long, everyone in the forest came rushing to see what happened. There, they saw the wolf and the little girl, who cried and shouted at the wold. Everyone joined in and ran the wolf out of the forest and into a cold cave. He was so sad that the little girl hated him, he cried for years and years until he lost his voice. "

"And then? "The little boy with the cowlick asks, sitting up on his knees. I look down at the bright-eyed kids, all hanging onto my words. 

"No one ever saw the wolf again. People say that if you stay really quiet, you can hear him crying. Sh, sh, I think I hear him now, "I put a finger to my lips and look around the room. All the kids turn to each other and shush each other.