Once Upon a Time, a young girl was sent into the forest to visit her grandmother.
Her grandmother lived within the deep woods – forests that cast shadows so long and so dark in the evening, they could have swallowed up the village if their reaching fingers were that little bit longer.
That day, like any other day, the girl set out without fear. Despite the darkness of the forest, they caused her no great alarm. There was little to fear.
Except the wolves.
But she had never met a wolf before. They could at times be heard in the distance, howling to each other – a mournful cry to their voices – but they were always so far away there was no reason to fear them.
And so long as the girl followed her mother's rules, what harm could come to her?
That day, the child was particularly excited. Her mother had just finished making her a beautiful red cape for her birthday and she was anxious to show the wonder to her grandmother.
So she set out.
The journey started as any other. She followed the first rule.
Stick to the path.
She knew the path very well having had of walked it multiple times – probably a thousand by now, by her judgment.
Along the way, she met a man.
He offered to walk with her some of the way.
Now you may think this a breach of the second rule – never talk to strangers – but luckily he was no stranger. He was in fact the huntsman from the neighbouring village.
And it was by her luck that she met him that day.
That day was the first day she met with a wolf.
The creature was a great deal larger then anything she had imagined, with strange dark golden fur, marred by scars.
And vivid eyes.
She felt as if she could have spoken to him, the eyes were so clever.
She would always remember the eyes.
She also remembered the fangs, and the claws, the speed and sound.
That sound; of beastly snarling, tearing clothing, human screams.
Beyond the blur of terror in that moment, on that day, the girl has no memory. The next moment, she found herself home again, alive and safe, sick with fear but otherwise well.
She later discovered that she had been found at the edge of the village and the huntsman had returned to his own village that same day, damaged and injured, almost dying from his wounds but by the time she was able to visit to try and thank him, he had already moved away – far from the forest with reaching shadows.
While the girl herself didn't move away, she had learnt her lesson, she knew what the forest now held, and she never again set foot within the trees – though they watched.
The trees always watched.
With vivid, vivid eyes.
~~~~
Next up: In a moment
Art By: http://achen089.deviantart.com/
(Please Note: These books link. It's not essential that you read them in order - they stand alone but also have linking subplots)
The Rose Quartet
Reading Order:
Beauty and The Beast
Sleeping Beauty
The Frog Prince
Little Red Riding Hood
And we're off again! The final novel in the Rose Quartet Series - honestly never thought I'd get further then Beauty and The Beast lol
Who do we have reading this time?
YOU ARE READING
Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)
Fantasy**Winner of 'Miraculous Magic' category in the FCRAs 2016** Lorelie May does not go into the forests. She knows there are monsters within those trees. She faced and survived them once and is unwilling to take that chance again. Until she is f...
