In The Company of Little Red

                                                      In The Company of Little Red

                                                By Sarah Southwick

        In the woods, I lived as half man, half wolf abiding by the rules that the other wolves have given me. My father was a werewolf who left a human girl he thought he loved at the altar. He returned a year later to check on her but to his surprise, her new husband killed him, and then the girl and her new husband threw his body into the lake. I was born by a werewolf woman my father got with because it was more natural, I guess, to be with another werewolf than a human. She was also killed by a human. I was told humans were killers, just look at what they did to my father and mother!

So I lived with anger in my heart because of it. I lived in the deep darkness of the woods with the other werewolves. We would prey on the humans that would wander into the woods, killing them to get revenge for the pack members they murdered. I always thought, why would my father even want to fall for a human? The thought filled me with anger towards my father.

 I had to go for a run to let go of this anger but suddenly I heard something on a path that many men took to gather wood. No, it didn’t sound like a man at all, rather, a soft pitter patter of footsteps along the forest floor. I moved a little closer and saw a girl. She wasn’t just any girl. She was the most beautiful girl. She had a glowing braid, covered by a red hood that seemed to be attached to a bright red coat. She carried a basket in one hand and let her other hand fall graciously to her side. She was nothing like the ugly men I would see, marching along the path with their axes and musty scent. I tried to get a closer to make out more of her beauty but stepped on a twig which snapped. She stopped and looked around. I could see she pulled out a knife and was prepared to lash out at anything. Her eyes widened as she fearfully observed her surroundings. I stepped out of the shadows and smiled sincerely, hoping she would take my passive greeting. She looked at me with bright blue eyes and smiled back which surprised me.

“Hi,” she greeted me.

“Hi,” I answered back, “where are you headed in this cold day?”

“I am off to see my grandma and bring her the goodies I baked! She lives in the cabin just past these woods.” I paused and looked at her hand still tightly gripping her knife in her red coat pocket.

“Oh I have seen that cabin and it’s still quite a bit of walk. Aren’t you scared of wolves here in these woods?” I asked.

“No, not at all,” she said with a stern voice, “I am prepared!” She pulled out her knife and twirled it in her long fingers. “See?” She said

I chuckled a little knowing that the little 2 inch would merely tickle a wolf.

“What?!” she yelled.

“Oh, nothing,” I said as I stood there, admiring her beauty. I couldn’t believe how beautiful she was and how skewed my vision and thoughts were about humans and their evil ways. We headed towards her grandmother’s cabin and talked and laughed like we were old friends. I offered to carry her basket and she gave it to me with a smile. As the night grew darker, it got colder. I looked at her and saw she was shivering and holding on to her coat tightly.

“Hey, I know a short cut to your grandmas but it requires us getting of this trial for a bit.” She paused and looked at me with weary eyes.

“Oh, no thanks, I was told to never get off the path,” she said.

“But it will take you half the time and the night is only going to get colder.”

“No, I am ok” she answered.

“I can get to your grandma’s faster my way!”  I urged.

“Is that a bet?” she asked.

“Want to make it a game?” I insisted.

“Okay,” she replied.

“What happens if I win?” I asked. “What do I get?”

“A kiss,” she smiled and blushed. My eyes widened and a smile grew on my face. I wondered to myself how it would feel to kiss a beautiful girl like her.

“You’re on!” I said and trailed off. The short cut took me right to the cabin and I looked around fiercely to see if she was there. She was not and I was ecstatic! It was oddly bright around the woods and I looked around to find the light source. I looked up and noticed a full moon.

“Oh no!” I yelled. I could feel my transformation starting. My consciousness started fading. I have not yet learned how to properly control my wolf powers.  

“Who is there,” her grandmother yelled.

“Your granddaughter.” My wolf for answered as I slipped out of consciousness. Now my body is in full control by the wolf.

“Oh come in, my daring” the little old lady said generously. I walked into the old lady’s cabin. She took one look at me and glanced at the basket of her granddaughters. Her eyes widened as she yelled, “you evil wolf, what have you done with her!!!!!”

 My wolf-self was out of control and soon, the old lady became my dinner. I wrapped her bones up in the bed sheets and put them under the bed, I found new sheets to put on the bed, and then I heard a knock at the door. Still in my wolf form, the beautiful girl walked in and saw me. She suddenly turned pale and I thought she was surely going to reach for her knife but I was mistaken. She stared at me, confused, and then finally said “it’s you, isn’t it?”

Hearing her calm voice, I was able to clear my conscience and replied “yes.”

“Where is my grandma…?” I said.

“It’s only us two in the house...” I whispered as the moon fell behind the clouds. My human form came back and I looked at her and she was no longer afraid. She took off her red coat and walked up to me.

“What big arms you have.” She said.

“All the better to hug you with,” I replied with a smile holding her in my arms. She reached up and gave me the kiss she owed me.

“What big teeth you have.” She smiled.

“All the better to eat you with,” I sarcastically remarked. She laughed and I laughed along with her. In the moment I felt what love was and I could see why my father fell in love with a human girl but in my heart, I would never leave this girl like my father did. I was truly happy right here holding her.