The Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood

Chapter Three

Kathy quickly ran to the front steps of her grandfather's large house, almost hitting her head hard on the door. She ran for at least a full mile out of the forest all the way here and her breath was heavy. She almost panted, trying to catch her breath. She held the handle of her basket tightly and checked on the sweets. They were still in tact, even after the fast, bumpy run. After a minute of gathering herself up and slightly taming her now wild curls, she knocked on the door and opened it, walking inside. "Grandfather?"

The first room was the spacious kitchen, all cleaned and organized. He wasn't in there. She walked to the living room and heard the quiet sounds of the normal radio show and the light of the TV, noting the audio of the news channel was muted. The big old recliner in the corner of the room was being a little weighed down by the man sitting in it. 

Kathy's grandfather wasn't the thinnest man, which would make sense after owning a bakery for over fifty years. He had a thick beard and mustache and sloppy hair that was turning very grey with age. He wore a long sleeve flannel and old blue jeans. He was smoking his usual pipe and staring out the window through pale eyes. Kathy smiled. "Grandfather?"

His gaze went to her and he smiled wide, the old, friendly smile that she was so used to. "Kathrine."  He grabbed his cane from the side of his recliner, stood and stretched, leaving a dent in his chair from sitting too long. He walked over to her, shaking his head . "Hey missy, no hoods in the house." He pulled down the hood of her cloak and tousled the top of her hair with a warm hand. 

Kathy laughed slightly. "Yes, yes, I know." She walked to the coat rack and rested the cloak on it, not bothering to fix her mess of curls anymore. She held the basket up. "I've got something for you to try."

His pale blue eyes lit up his old face. "Is it food?"

She laughed again. "Of course it is. It's a new recipe I'm trying. I want to know what you think of it."

He walked to the kitchen quickly for his age and practically jumped on one of the table stools and rubbed his hands together. "Over here, Kathy, over here. At the table where you're 'supposed to eat, eh?"

Kathy smiled and walked to the table. Ever since her grandmother passed away, her grandfather was left alone in their big house. And while he didn't frequently admit it, he gravely missed the cooking that his late wife made. When Kathy came over with sweets and bread he was always happy to try them, as he always missed the tastes. "They're vanilla creme puffs with a strawberry filling. I wanted to make them to see if I can put them in the shop." She opened the basket for him.

He gingerly took a puff from the basket and took a small bite and took a minute or so before responding. "Delicious, as usual. Everything you make is delicious. Put whatever you like in the shop. You got this old man's approval, you do."

She smiled. "Thank you, grandfather."

He took another little bite. "Oh, and I got a request. Can you make cookies? Those peanut butter nutty ones."

"Grandfather, too many sweets or dessert is bad for you." Kathy shook her head. 

He shrugged his arms and made a face. "Bah, who cares if it's good for me or not? I don't got much longer to live anyway. Life's short, and I'm gonna eat dessert first."

She laughed. "Okay, okay, fine. I'll make them."

"Good girl." He finished the puff and slipped off the chair and held his cane.

 Kathy closed her basket and left it on the table for the time being. "You want me to help you with anything else?"

"Yes," he nodded, walking back into the living room. "Kathy, help me watch TV."

~~~

 When Kathy left her grandfather's house, the sun had already set.  He insisted she stay the night, though she insisted to go back to the shop. She'd slept at the shop before, so it's not like the prospect made a difference to her anyway; in her office in the back of the kitchen she even put a small bed, just in case that she'd want to stay in the shop overnight. She walked off the steps and made her way back down the path where she came, then remembered what happened earlier in the day - the strange shadow that made her run all that way. She hesitated. She decided she'd take another pathway instead. 

She wasn't usually afraid of walking in the dark, but the incident earlier now made her slightly nervous. Sarah may have actually been telling the truth when she mentioned that something was in the forest. It wasn't just a rumor, as Kathy thought it'd be. Though it had to just be a prank, people scaring travelers and whatnot as a laugh. It had to be. But that shadow didn't look human. At least not to her. Though she wouldn't really know unless she got a closer look at...whatever it was. 

Perhaps she was just working herself up. If it's just for a laugh, who cares? It couldn't be that big of a deal. It probably meant nothing, and she was just stressing over the fact. Maybe some of the workers from the bridge just wanted a laugh after a long day of work. Yes, that must be it. Shadows are always bigger that what they're actually reflecting, that's why the shadow was so big and strange. She shook her head. Stop worrying, her mind told her. It's just a prank, she tried to reassure herself. 

She began her walk slowly. She looked around, just hearing the usual sounds of the night. The moonlight was strikingly bright tonight. She looked to the sky and saw the gorgeous, full silvery moon that rested in the dark blankets of the sky with little specks of bright small lights poking through. It was honestly a beautiful night. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't let the nervousness bother her on a night like this. 

Barely a mile away, busy chewing on part of a rabbit bone, he stayed relatively quiet, though not that anyone would notice. The construction workers that busied themselves with that bridge were all gone for the night, nestled in their human homes, doing whatever humans do around this time. The only reason that he was glad they were gone was since he couldn't stand all the noise and the smell of them. All the sawdust, metal, and gasoline bothered his sensitive nose and clouded his senses. The odors were potent and he couldn't stand them. But now that they were gone - at least for now - made him relax. Having the quiet night soothed him, and no humans were- 

He just caught the scent of one. A low groan rumbled in the depth of his throat. 

He crept slowly out of the brush and looked around. Not catching anything visually, he sprinted out from behind the foliage and swiftly closed the distance between him and the closest path in his area. He sniffed the air, finding the scent enchanting. It smelled so sweet, like the one before. When he approached, the sight of the dark, glistening red cloak in the moonlight looked beautiful. It was the human girl from before. He saw the flash of long, long golden brown hair that shone in the eerie light. He followed curiously, suspiciously. He never saw the same human walk through twice in one day and, especially on a back pathway, this was rare. 

Kathy looked up to the sky and took a deep breath of the crisp, cool, clean air. The night was just so appealing right now. She just wanted to savor it. 

He jumped a few trees closer. There was just something about this particular human that struck his attention. He wasn't sure what it was - her smell, the way she walked - he didn't know. Though he didn't have the pleasure of seeing her face yet; he'd only seen the back of her, and that was only slight since she was concealed under that long cloak. Though perhaps it was that colour that struck him. The colour red had so many meanings and aspects. 

Then she felt it again. That feeling she had just before she saw the threatening shadow. She took another deep breath. The moon was now behind her. She saw the shadows of the tops of the trees on the path. She waited for that threatening shadow to appear once more, right above the shadows of the trees.  

So absorbed in the shades of red that shone in the pale light, he didn't realize that he had walked right onto the path. And now, he stood right behind her. 

And she saw the dark shape in the same pale, white, clear light. It was much taller and larger than her. She saw the size of its arms and even in its silhouette it looked powerful...for what ever it was. 

The curiosity gnawed at her. She had to see it. She had to.

And when she turned she was met with dark, soulless, uncanny eyes.