Into the Woods

Chapter 6: Anabel

"Hello, granny," said Anabel, placing her basket on top of the table. "I'm sorry to hear that you've been sick."

"Yes, deary. It was terrible. But nevermind me. How are you? How has school been?" Rumpelstiltskin held the knitting in his hands in front of his face.

"Oh, it's been alright I guess. Not any different than usual."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded his head and Wolf bounded out of the room he had been hiding. He wrapped his muscular tattooed arms around her and threw the tube of pepper spray across the room.

"Well done, Wolf! We've got her now!" shouted Rumpelstiltskin.

"You- you're not my grandma!"

"No, deary, no I'm not."

"Who- who are you?"

Wolf gave a deep laugh. "Darling, darling, darling. Meet your Prince Charming!"

"What?"

"I am Tristan Grey, sweetheart. Pleased to meet you."

"No! That's im- impossible. Y- you look n- look nothing like him." Anabel was crying by that point. She made no effort to wipe away the tears, knowing that Would would stop her.

"The wonders of Google Images and Photoshop. Did you really think that I ever liked you? Ha! Who would like a little whiny girl like you." He began to speak in a high lispy voice, "'Oh, Tristan. My parents are fighting again.' 'Oh, Tristan, I'm so scared. Help me Tristan.' 'I love you Tristan.'"

Wolf laughed behind her. "I still can't believe that she fell for it!"

"I know! It was too easy. Didn't anyone ever warn you about talking to strangers on the Internet?"

"But- but you- you always seemed so nice."

"I did, didn't I?"

"What do you want with me?"

"Oh you poor naïve little child. Let me tell you a little story.

"There once was a beautiful young woman who, desperately unhappy in her marriage, started looking for drugs. She found me, one of the biggest drug lords in the country and begged me for help. Eventually she ran out of valuables to exchange for drugs.

"Oh, the tears she shed! She begged and pleaded and eventually we came to an agreement. I would give her drugs if she gave me her first child. She eventually agreed.

"Two years later she gave birth. She had been forced to go to rehab by her husband since then so she was finally off the drugs. She ran like the coward she is. She didn't hold up her end of our little deal.

"She changed her name and moved far away. It took a long time, but I eventually found that little girl. You!"

"How did you find me?"

"Oh, that's easy. Drug addicts can never fully throw off their addictions. When your mother fell back into the drug world it was easy enough to find out who you are. Then it was just a matter of finding you on social media and pretending to be your friend."

"You- you won't get away with this!"

"Oh, but I already have!"