Prologue
We all know how the story goes…
There was a little girl who lived in a village near the forest. Whenever she went out to meet the locals she lives with, the little girl wore a red riding cloak that her mother made for her, so most in the neighborhood call her the Little Red Riding Hood.
One morning, Little Red Riding Hood asked her mother if she could visit her grandmother as it had been a while since they had seen each other.
“That’s a good idea, dear,” her mother said. So, they packed a basket full of goodies that her grandmother loves to eat for the little girl to take.
When the basket was ready, the little girl put on her red cloak and kissed her mother goodbye.
“But remember, my dear daughter,” her mother said in caution. “Go straight to Grandma’s house. Don’t dawdle along the way, and please don’t talk to strangers. The woods are dangerous.”
“Don’t worry, mommy,” said Little Red Riding Hood with a smile on her face. “I’ll be careful.”
So Little Red Riding Hood went on her way to the woods on her own.
Along the way, Little Red Riding Hood noticed some lovely flowers by the path. She picked a few and was distracted by the colorful butterflies as they flit about in the trail, and then picked a few more, thinking that the flowers would go well with the basket she was carrying. As she pranced her way on the trail, she was smiling happily. She’s so excited thinking how happy her grandmother will be if she sees the many flowers she has brought.
Little Red Riding Hood was enjoying the warm summer day, when she didn’t notice a dark shadow approaching behind her… until she bumped into it. Surprised, she looked up to see what it was… but it was a ‘who’.
She was a little surprised to see a little boy, about the same age as her, standing in front of her, with his dark black hair and gray eyes giving her a cold stare. He didn’t say a word while looking down at the girl on the ground, not even offering his hand to help her get up.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Little Red Riding Hood apologized. “I was not looking where I was going,” as she stood up from her place all on her own.
But the little boy didn’t give a reply.
“What are you doing out here?” Little Red Riding Hood asked. “My mother said the woods are dangerous.”
The little boy looked back at her before he opened his mouth and, “What about you?” he asked back. “What are you doing out here?”
“Oh, I’m on my way to see my Grandma who lives through the forest, near the brook,” Little Red Riding Hood replied with a smile, innocently.
There was a bit of surprise in the face of the little boy and then turned his head towards the trail where that was. When Little Red Riding Hood realized how late she was, she was about to excuse herself to leave when she was surprised to see that the little boy was not in his place anymore. She looked around her, wondering where he went, but there was no trace of him. Little Red Riding Hood just shrugged her shoulders after that and went on her way.
A few minutes later, Little Red Riding Hood arrived in front of the house and knocked on the door.
But no one answered.
‘That’s weird,’ she said to herself and knocked on the door again… but still, there was no reply.
She tried to open the door on her own, and surprisingly, she was able to turn the doorknob easily. She looked inside after.
The house was dark even though it was still late in the afternoon and the sun was still up. Little Red Riding Hood continued going inside, even though it was chilly and eerie. This kind of atmosphere is not really how the ambience of her grandmother’s home feels whenever she visits, but the innocent young Little Red Riding Hood is not aware of that.
“Grandma?” she called one more time to get a response while walking her way into the small cottage… but when she turned to her left where the living room is and where her grandmother always stays, sitting on her rocking chair… she’s not there. So, the next place she thought of after, was the kitchen. Upon arriving…
SPLKSHH! THUD! TANG-LANG!
In shock, she dropped the basket she was carrying, and all the things in it spilled on the floor. Her eyes are full of fear, and she’s speechless at what she is witnessing right now.
Despite the room being dark, the sun’s rays were able to go through the windows of the kitchen. Those rays gave light for Little Red Riding Hood to see clearly the situation.
Her grandmother is lying on the floor, with blood spilling from her mouth and chest… together with a little boy standing in front of the dead body, panting. The scene has become like a funeral because of the flowers that the Little Girl had picked, now that is spread on the floor together with the contents of the basket she brought. The dark amber eyes of her grandmother could have seen those beautiful colorful flowers, but those wide open, lifeless, dead eyes are looking at where Little Red Riding Hood is standing.
Little Red Riding Hood’s eyes went down to the hands of the little boy, stained with fresh blood, dripping on the floor from the sharp nails of his fingers.
Hearing Little Red Riding Hood’s presence, twitching his ears, the little boy slightly turned his head to where she was to get a glimpse, but that move startled Little Red Riding Hood, and because of that…
His image with fresh blood spilling from his mouth and gritting his blood-stained teeth, showing clearly the sharp canine teeth he has like he just had a feast, with his golden bloodshot eyes looking back at her, will forever be printed in the poor Little Red Riding Hood’s mind that will haunt her in her nightmares.
That’s not the little boy anymore…
…that’s a young werewolf.
