Red Riding Hood

Hey ladies. It's been awhile, huh? God. It's been so hectic lately. I just wanna curl up in a ball and lay there forever. D;
Anyways. That's not why I'm posting to finally let you guys read the story I wrote for my class a few weeks ago. The Little Red Riding Hood one. (;
Anyways, here it is.

            The young girl slipped on her red baseball cap as she made her way out the door. It was a particularly beautiful day. The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky with only a mere few clouds floating endlessly by. Violet was her name, as given by her parents, who were long since deceased. Rather, she dwelled with her grandmother in a little cottage down south, where trees grew magnificently and woodland creatures ran about freely in the forest that surrounded the village. 

            Violet gracefully walked along the path that led to the village, humming a sweet tune to herself. Her grandmother’s house was on the outskirts of the village, and this was the only way to reach the select few shops that the village offered. Today, Violet was going for something particular. As of late, her grandmother had fallen quite ill and the young girl wished to visit the village to bring home some healthy foods for which to care for her poor granny. Thus, she strode on with a purpose, and also hoped to not be out for long.

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            The chimneys of the village came into sight, and Violet picked up her pace. The shops weren’t too far, and in fact, she reached them quite quickly. Her pace slowed to a steady walk as she searched the shop fronts for the items she was looking for. There were many varieties to choose from, but with the little money she had, Violet had to keep treading forward. Finally she came upon a shop that seemed slightly dilapidated. This, she mused, seems like the right place to shop. She entered the shop and looked about cautiously. There didn’t seem to be anybody about, so she began to idly glance at the items available in the store. There didn’t seem to be anything particularly interesting just breads, jams and various sorts of fruits and vegetables. There was something, however, standing on the counter that caught her attention. She approached the counter warily, inspecting the object with immense curiosity. The object was a small wooden hourglass. The sand slowly trickled into the bottom, as if someone had recently flipped it over.

            Just then a figure appeared behind the counter. This startled young Violet, and she jumped away from the counter.

 “Oh! I didn’t mean to scare you, dear.” The figure stated sadly.

Violet looked the figure over with languid fear, but he offered her a genuine smile to reassure her safety. Violet relaxed slightly and took note of his features. It was a man with slightly odd in appearance, tall, lanky, and hunched over. His face was dirty and covered in stubble, and his facial features seemed almost animal-like. His teeth, she noticed, were sharp and rotted.

“My, what sharp teeth you have,” she pointed out carefully.

The man’s face contorted in confusion, but he quickly understood her question and grinned.

“I am of a poor family. My teeth have been sharpened throughout the years of eating rough meats and stale bread.”

His answer was understandable, so Violet nodded and looked around the shop once more.

“My dear granny is ill, and I am wandering around the village looking for a meal to cook for her.”

            The man’s grin grew further as he inquired her question. “I have fresh bread that is fit for any sick folk. I can whip up a hot soup as well.”

Violet’s spirit rose, and a smile broke out upon her lips. “How much for the soup and bread?”

“Altogether..” he paused briefly, “fifteen pieces.”

Fifteen? Violet frowned. She only had eight pieces on her. “How much for just bread?”

The man shook his head. “Oh dear, don’t you fret. I’ll deliver the soup and bread to your cottage for just five pieces.”

Upon mentioning her cottage, Violet grew wary of this man. “Oh, no. I wouldn’t be able to accept. I will just buy some bread and carry it myself. I wouldn’t want to burden a poor stranger.”

The man’s grin faded. Instead, he adorned a look of sadness. “Nonsense m’dear. I will bring a hot soup and some bread for your dear granny later t’night, and I won’t take any more than five pieces from ya. Please accept this gift from a gentle stranger.”

Violet paused and thought for a moment. This man did seem genuinely kind, and was willing to offer her a cheap meal. Her granny would starve if she didn’t accept. Violet didn’t have enough money for anything else.

“I accept your offer, kind sir. Here is five pieces.”

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            The young girl spent a few more hours around town, seeing if there was anything she could buy with the remaining money. She came across a little shop selling candies, and decided she would treat herself. She entered the shop and spent two of the three remaining pieces on a butterscotch candy. Her favorite.

            Violet gleefully stuck the butterscotch into her mouth and suckled slowly, savoring the flavor. Her feet gently hit the ground as she walked on the path back to her granny’s cottage. The strange man with the soup and bread crossed her mind as she made her way back. She wondered why he was being genuinely kind to her. Had he felt sympathy for her? Must be. Maybe he went through the same experience before and felt empathetic. She was quickly distracted from thoughts about the man as her gaze caught sight of the blooming forest flowers surrounding the path.

            The young girl finally made it back to her grandmother’s cottage, and pulled off her red baseball cap before entering. “I’m home grann—“ she stopped suddenly as a sudden pungent metallic scent mixed with herbs filled her nostrils. She carefully made her way into the kitchen and noticed a giant pot sitting on her grandmother’s stove. She approached the stove and peeked inside. The content within the steaming pot was a reddish liquid with a few herbs and meats. Soup?  

“You’re home, little red cap.”

The little girl was startled, but thinking it was just her granny with a voice hoarse from illness, merely replied, “Yes, grandmother. What a hoarse voice you have. Are you feeling alright?”

She turned around to regard the health of her sick granny, but was frightened by the sight of the man from the shop earlier. He must’ve delivered the soup and bread.

The man smiled, assuring her it was alright.

“Where is granny?” Violet inquired as her gaze settled upon his face warily.

“She is in bed, little red cap. She has eaten and is fairing much better.”

Violet let out a sigh and sat down at the table in front of the stove. Before her lay a bowl of the strange soup, a cup of what she assumed was wine, and a slice of bread.

“Eat, little red cap. I am sure you are hungry.”

“Is this for me?” She questioned as she motioned towards the food set out before her.

The man nodded.

Violet took hold of the spoon sitting with the bowl and took a sip of the broth. It was a blend of odd flavors, and she gagged again at the metallic scent invading her nostrils. She knew not whether to be intrigued or disgusted by this new soup. Instead, she put the spoon down and took a bite of the bread. The bread was a much better option and tasted wonderful. The soft dough was easy on her taste buds. She grabbed the wine and took a swig to wash the bread down. It was odd, she thought, how kind this stranger was. Should she be trusting him?

            Her thoughts were soon interrupted as she began to feel increasingly drowsy. Why was she sleepy all of a sudden? Must be because of her little village adventure today. Such naïve thoughts, and unwise choices. Thus, they were here last thoughts before she slipped out of her chair and slipped into darkness. Before she fell to the shadows, however, she noticed something along the wall. Hanging on the wall near the stove was her grandmother’s nightgown.

© Copyright Marissa Vukmir